He Came to Save the Lost
Jesus was always getting in trouble. He healed a lame man, and the Pharisees dinged Him for it. He caused the blind to see, and the Pharisees dinged Him for that, too. Jesus even forgave a sinner, something only God could do. Of course, He was in big trouble for that. Jesus just couldn’t keep out of trouble.
The religious elite of the day couldn’t handle it when He performed miracles and ate with sinners. Matthew 9:9-13. Yep, those ol’ Pharisees hounded Jesus to death - literally. Even still, Jesus went on with His mission. The Pharisees were concerned about losing their place as religious leaders and having the nation destroyed. In Jesus’ day, however, the Romans already ruled them.
Jesus said to Matthew, “Follow Me.” Matthew got up and followed Him. Such was the power in Jesus’ voice.
To the Jews, Matthew was not a good man. He was a tax collector, and his countrymen hated him for it, for he collected taxes for the Romans. However, Jesus wanted him as His disciple.
That evening, the disciples gathered at Matthew’s home for dinner. The Pharisees saw Jesus sitting at the table, eating with tax collectors and sinners. They asked, “Why does your master (teacher, rabbi) eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
When Jesus heard that, He replied, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
There’s a prime lesson there. Jesus did not come to condemn, but to save (Luke 19:10). The time for condemnation will come when Jesus returns to collect the saved to heaven and the unrighteous to hell. Jesus’ mission in the first century was to introduce the Father’s saving grace and His plan of salvation. Certainly, Jesus was eating with sinners. He was endeavoring to save them.
It’s the same today. Jesus is still working with people to save them. We enjoy the blessings of salvation in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3). Faith, you know, only comes by hearing God’s word (Romans 10:17). It is through the mediums of written information and Bible preaching that we learn of Jesus and His saving efforts.
We cannot get to heaven without Him. Our hope of heaven is in Him. Here’s Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” How do we get into Jesus? Galatians 3:27, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ,” ESV.
Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection still speak to us today. We’re eating with Jesus tonight!
By: Garland Van Dyke
Where: Matthews St. church of Christ, Bay City, TX 77414
Contact us: PO Box 1522, Bay City, TX, 77414
On the web: www.matthewsstreetchurchofchrist
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