Are You In Need of Jesus Christ?

By John Duvall In In Remembrance On October 2, 2016

When Jesus walked upon this earth, many people with great needs came to see Him and to be healed by Him. When the disciples of John the baptizer came to investigate Jesus, they saw and understood why many people were coming to Him.  Let us consider Luke’s record of John’s disciples’ visit with Jesus. Luke 7:19-21 reads, “And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’  (20)  When the men had come to Him, they said, ‘John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’ ‘  (21)  And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.”  (Luke 7:19-21)  After John’s disciples had seen the evidence, Jesus said, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.  (23)  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”  (Luke 7:22-23) Truly, many people came to Jesus knowing He could cure their ailments and give them comfort and peace.

Let us now turn our attention to a sinful woman who came to see Jesus.  Unlike the many people seen in our earlier example who came to Jesus to seek His help, this woman came to Jesus for other reasons.  According to Luke, a Pharisee asked Jesus to eat with him.  (Luke 8:36-50)  While Jesus was eating with the Pharisee, this sinful woman came to Him with an “alabaster flask of fragrant oil.”  The woman knelt at Jesus’ feet and cried. She began to kiss Jesus’ feet.  Then, this sinful woman, with her tears and her hair, washed Jesus’ feet. After washing His feet, the woman then anointed Jesus’ feet with the fragrant oil.  The Pharisee thought to himself, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.” (Luke 7:39) Knowing the thoughts of His host, Jesus explained to the Pharisee the difference between this sinful woman and the Pharisee.  Consider carefully Jesus’ explanation: “ ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.  (45)  You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.  (46)  You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  (47)  Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.’  (48)  Then He said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ ”  (Luke 7:44-48) Although this woman was in great need, she came to pay homage, to worship at the feet of Jesus Christ.  This sinful woman came to express her sincere love for Jesus.  As a result of her love, Jesus forgave the sinful woman of her sins.

When we consider both of the aforementioned examples, we see people with great needs coming to Jesus. These people came to Jesus because He had extended an invitation.  Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  (29)  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  (30)  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  (Matthew 11:28-30) Truly, Jesus calls everyone who “labor and are heavy laden” to come to Him.

However, we are left wondering what type of need was Jesus offering to fulfill when He said, “. . . Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me . . . and you will find rest for your souls?” While Jesus healed many people of their physical ailments, the physical healing would not bring the “rest” which Jesus promised. This “rest” could only come with the forgiveness of one’s sins.  Luke records Jesus saying, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham;  for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:9-10) Jesus came to “seek and to save” those who are lost in sin.  According to Matthew’s gospel, Jesus came to call sinners to repentance.  Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Matthew 9:12-13)  Jesus did not come to this world to fill the bellies of hungry people, to restore sight to the blind, and to give good health to the sick.  Instead, Jesus came to call sinners to repentance, to find those who are lost so they might be saved.

While our lives may be filled with many physical needs, it is our spiritual needs for which Jesus died on the cross.  Look at your life. Is sin keeping you from walking in fellowship with God? Is stubbornness keeping you from submitting to God’s will?  Is worldliness blinding you to the need to walk righteously before God? Too often we allow temptations to triumph over godly expectations, weakening our souls and setting us spiritually adrift.

As we discussed earlier, Jesus Christ came to save the lost, to lead sinners to repentance.  You my friend can be healed of your spiritual illnesses. The sin and worldly thoughts and behaviors which have separated you from God can be washed away by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. If you are not a Christian, then you are truly in need of Jesus Christ today.  Come to Jesus through belief and obedience and He will make you whole. (cf. Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-4)  If you are a Christian, but you have become spiritually sickened by sin, then turn back to the healthy way of living by asking God for forgiveness and resuming a faithful and righteous life.