Would you turn with me to Luke
chapter four? I want to read Luke's account of
the passage I just read from Matthew. I've entitled this message. Where did the fever go? Verse 38. Luke chapter four. I think it's interesting to note
that Luke is called by Paul, the beloved physician, and he
gives us a little bit more information about this fever. He had a little
bit more understanding of those things. Verse 38, and he arose
out of the synagogue and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's
wife's mother was taken with a great fever. And they besought him for her,
and he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately,
there was no time of getting better right then. She arose
and ministered unto them. Where did the fever go? Peter's mother-in-law was taken
with a great fever. Have you ever had a great fever? I've had a few. You shake violently. You're freezing to death and
you cannot get warm no matter what. You're shaking and you
are cold. You become thirsty and you become
delirious. Your mind changes. Taken with a great fever. What is a fever? Well, I tried
to get some information from Paul, so I guess if I'm wrong
here, it's his fault. I asked him because I'm not a
doctor and I don't know how to answer things right. But it's
when some virus or bacteria enters the body. And the body is trying
to fight it off. That's what happens during this
great fever, something foreign has been introduced into the
body. Now, Luke says she was taken
by this great fever, literally held prisoner by the fever. That's what the word means. It
would not break. Luke said she was laid, or Matthew
says she was laid or incapacitated. She couldn't move. All she could
do was lay there and shake. And no doubt her feverish mind
had a hold on her. And there she lay, shaking and
disabled. She sure couldn't minister to
anybody, could she? She was taken with this great
fever. Sin can be compared to a fever. Sin makes me cold. It makes me
to where I cannot be warmed, feverish and uncomfortable. I think the language is so strong
here. She was taken by this fever. She was imprisoned by this fever. That word taken is the word that's
usually translated constrained. That's a strong word to confine. She was confined by this fever.
She was held fast by this fever. It's also translated. Oh, she
was. held under by a great fever. It's translated kept. She was
kept by this great fever. It's translated pressed. She
was pressed upon by this great fever. She was stopped by this
great fever. She was in a straight by this
great fever. She was thronged by this great
fever. She lies sick in this great fever. Now, you substitute the word
fever with the word sin. She was taken by this great sin. She was held by this great sin. She was constrained by this great
sin. She was kept. She was pressed. She was stopped. She lay sick,
she was in a strait, and there she lay, taken by this great
fever. How miserable this woman was,
and how miserable sin is. Now turn back to Matthew's account,
if you would, Matthew chapter 8. Verse 14, and when Jesus was come into
Peter's house, when Jesus was come. Here's the only help. When Jesus was come. She was imprisoned by this fever.
She couldn't break it. She couldn't shake it. There
she lied. But when Jesus had come, here
is the gospel. This is a faithful saying. It's
worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world
when Jesus was come. Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners, of whom Paul said, I am the chief. The whole need not a physician,
but they that are sick. I'm not come to call the righteous,
but sinners to repentance. The Son of Man is come to seek
and to save that which was lost when Jesus was come. What about the great confession? Every spirit that confesseth
that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. Now, in that confession, there's
everything we believe. He was before He came. He's the eternal, uncreated Son
of God. He came in the flesh. And he
did what he came to do when Jesus was come. Now, look what it says
next in verse 14. When Jesus was come into Peter's
house, he saw. He saw. His wife's mother laid
incapacitated and sick. Of a fever. Oh, the sight of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Remember the paralytic laying
at the pool of Bethesda? It says when Jesus saw him and
knew that he'd been a long time in that case. Remember when the
Lord is walking through Jericho and all of a sudden he looks
up and he saw Zacchaeus. in a tree. And said, Zacchaeus,
make haste, come down, for today I must abide at thy house. Now, let me say two things about
the side of Christ. He sees things as they really
are. And he sees you and I as we really
are. Neither is there any creature
that is not manifest in his sight. For all things are naked and
open with the one with whom we have to do. He sees things as
they really are. But there's something special
about the way he sees his people. What came to my mind was David. When he was the king of the world,
the scripture says the fear of David came upon all nations.
And David remembers that covenant he made with Jonathan some 20
years before. And he says, is there any of
the household of Saul that I can show kindness to for Jonathan's
sake? And remember how they bring in
Mephibosheth. Shameful thing. David saw him. But who do you reckon David saw? He saw Jonathan. And that's how
he saw Mephibosheth. Look back in Luke's account in
Luke chapter 4. He came and he saw her. Verse 38, and he arose out of
the synagogue and entered into Simon's house and Simon's mother
was taken with a great fever. And they besought him for her.
You know, the best thing that you can do for me. Is pray for
me. That's absolutely the best thing
you can do for me. The best thing I can do for you
is pray for you. You know, only the Lord can do
something for me. And only the Lord can do something for you.
And they came to him and they sought him for her. And it says
in verse 39, And he stood over her. The word means he was present
with her. The word is translated present
in Acts 28 too. There's nothing like his presence. And there's no substitute for
it. I think of the presence of the
Lord Jesus Christ. I must have his presence. I must
have his presence. I think of his presence in the
covenant before time began, when he agreed to be my surety. I'm
going to quote from Genesis 43, 9, when David is speaking to
Jacob of Benjamin and he said, I'll be surety for him. of my hand shalt thou require
of him. If I bring him not unto thee,
and set him before thee, let me bear the blame for ever."
I think of His presence in the Incarnation. Listen to this scripture.
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth
a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted
is God with us. His presence. I think of his
presence before God's holy law. He honored God's holy law. He magnified it and made it honorable,
according to Isaiah. I think of his presence on the
cross. When he cried out, my God, my God, why has thou forsaken
me? I know why God forsook him, because
of sin. But oh, how dependent I am on
his presence on the cross. I think of his presence in the
resurrection. Come see the place where you lay. He's not here.
He's risen. I think of his presence as my
great high priest. For Christ, said the writer to
the Hebrews, is entered not into the holy place made with hands,
but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God
for us. He is able to save them to the
uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth
to make intercession for them. And oh, his presence in the preaching
of the gospel. If my voice is all that's heard.
It doesn't do anybody any good at all, does it? But our Lord
said the hour is coming, and now is when the dead shall hear
the voice of the Son of God, and they who hear shall live. I think of His presence on Judgment
Day, and the thing that I thought about was when that thief said,
Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Now on Judgment
Day, you know what the Lord did? He remembered him. Anything else
need to be said? If the Lord remembers your name
before the Father, what else needs to be said? Oh, the presence
of the Lord Jesus Christ and His presence right now. He stood over her. And Matthew's account says, he
touched her. He touched her. He touched me. Oh, he touched
me. And oh, the joy that filled my
soul. Something wonderful happened.
And now I know he touched me and made me whole. Can you imagine the power? And can you imagine the gentleness
of his touch? Turn with me to Luke chapter
8, verse 43. And a woman, Luke 8, 43, and
a woman having an issue of blood, she had a menstrual disease,
12 years. Can you imagine how weak
and anemic this woman was dealing with this for 12 years? And she'd spent all her living
upon physicians. Neither could be healed of any.
She came behind him and touched the border of his garment. And immediately Her issue of
blood stanched. And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they
that were with him said, Master, the multitude thronged, the impressed,
they said, Who touched me? And Jesus said, Somebody had
touched me. For I perceive that virtue, power, Saving health is gone out of
me." And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling
and falling down before Him. She declared unto Him before
all the people for what cause she had touched Him and how she
was healed immediately. And He said unto her daughter,
Be of good comfort. Thy faith hath made thee whole. What was her faith? She said,
if I can just touch the hem of his garment. What a view she
had of the Lord Jesus Christ, such as the infinite greatness
of his person, that if I can come into contact with him, if
I can just touch, I think I love to think of her crawling through
the crowd on her hands and knees. She's going to get to the Savior
if I can touch the hem of his garment. I'll be whole. And she
did. And she was. Now, when she touched him. Something
went out of him. And into her. He said, I perceive
that virtue saving power has gone out of me. And it went into
her. And something went out of her. And it went into him. More on
that in a moment. Luke tells us in his account,
back to Luke 4, that he rebuked the fever. Verse 39, he stood over her and
rebuked the fever. He commanded the fever to leave.
Can the Lord make a commandment? And somebody said no. That didn't
happen. Whatever he commands must take
place. He rebuked the fever. He commanded
the fever to leave, and it left her. Much like Luke chapter 5, verse
12. You there in Luke? Luke chapter
5, verse 12. And it came to pass when he was
in a certain city, behold, a man full of leprosy, who, seeing
Jesus, fell on his face and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt,
thou canst make me clean. And he put forth his hand and
touched him, saying, I will, be thou clean. And immediately
the leprosy departed from him. It left. Now where did it go?
Where did this woman's issue of blood go? Where did this great
fever go? It left. Where did it go? Was it hanging around in the
air somewhere? Was it annihilated? Where did it go? And once again,
let's go to Matthew's account. Matthew chapter 8. Verse 14. And when Jesus was come into
Peter's house. He saw his wife's mother laid
and sick of a fever. And he touched her hand. And
the fever left her. And she arose and ministered
unto them. Now, if you've ever been knocked
out by fever, you don't just rise up, you're still worn out. But this woman immediately was
raised up. Verse 16, When the even was come, they brought unto
him many that were possessed with devils, and he cast out
the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick, that
it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet,
saying, Himself took. our infirmities. And that word
took is generally translated receive. Himself received our
infirmities and bear our sicknesses. Now, this is a quotation from
Isaiah chapter 53. You're familiar with the great
chapter regarding the substitutionary death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And when Matthew quotes it, he quotes it in a different way
from anybody else. He talks about the Lord taking
our sin or our iniquities, not our sins, but our sicknesses
and our diseases. He took them. He bared them. He received them. He took them
in His own body. Now, the Holy Spirit moves Matthew
to quote it in a different way to show us just what was going
on when the Lord bore sin. He Received our infirmities and
bear our sicknesses, these diseases, according to this passage of
scripture, went into his body. That's what it says. He received them, he bore them,
very much like Peter said, who his own self bear our sins in
his own body on the tree, and it's only by his stripes that
we're healed. Now, I believe. The sins of God's
elect were imputed to Christ. I believe that, but you know
what? The Bible never uses that language. Not one time does it
ever say our sins were imputed to Christ. Now, I believe that
when we think of sin being imputed, we think of the transfer of guilt. That's so, but that doesn't tell
the whole story. You see, sickness can't be imputed
to someone, can it? Now, I want you to think about
what I said. Sickness cannot be imputed to
someone. He received and bore our sicknesses,
our diseases. Now, I'm glad Lynn's not in here. She's in the nursery. She has
a kidney disease. She has polycystic kidney. Everybody
in here knows that. If I could, I would take her disease to myself. I would, as God is my witness,
I say that carefully, but I would gladly take that disease to myself
and give her my health. If I could, I would, but I can't. I can't. He can. And he did. Very recently, we were blessed
in this congregation to see John give Chuck a kidney. What a blessing. He was able to give you a healthy
kidney. What a blessing of God's grace. What a blessing to be part of
and to see. But you know something you couldn't
do? You couldn't give him your diseased kidney. And you couldn't
take his diseased kidney. It'd kill you. But the Lord Jesus
Christ did. He took my disease. He took my
sin. He bore my sin in his own body
on the tree. Where'd the fever go? Same place
the sin went. Now, the Lord Jesus Christ never
committed sin, but something far worse. He was made sin. All the fevers, all the leprosy,
all the diseases, all the things that that represents, our Lord
bore in His own body. The fever went somewhere. It
went in the Lord Jesus Christ. Mysterious, I don't understand
that, but that is why God the Holy Spirit inspires Matthew
to quote Isaiah 53 like this, because it's not mentioned in
Isaiah 53 about being diseases or sicknesses. But yet that's
the way Matthew, inspired by the Holy Spirit, quotes it to
teach us something about what was going on and how the sinner
is made whole, how the sinner is healed. He healed that woman. Her fever left her. But it became his. When he touched that feverish
woman, she arose immediately. No time of recovery. She rose
immediately. And when our Lord died, all sin
was put away. Now, this tells us how we're
healed of the fever of sin. He took my sin in his own body.
Romans 8.3 says, He condemned sin in the flesh. Whose flesh? His flesh. He condemned sin in
the flesh, and just as truly as my sin was lifted off of me
and put on Him, His righteousness, His perfect righteousness is
given to me. And now I am the very righteousness
of God. Now there she arose. Mark's account
says that Christ lifted her up. But here we read she arose, so
we're just getting a look at the two sides of the same story.
She arose, but why did she arise? Christ lifted her up. There's
regeneration right there. There's the work of God in a
man. He caused her to rise from the dead. There's spiritual resurrection,
spiritual regeneration. And immediately upon rising,
what did she do? It says she arose and ministered. unto them. She began to minister
to them. She felt great. She got up, she
started cooking, and I dare say it was the best meal she'd ever
cooked. I bet she was very careful about how she fixed this meal
for the Lord Jesus Christ. Can you imagine how thankful
she was? Can you imagine how amazed she was while she was
cooking this meal? She knew she was cooking for
the Son of God, and she was so happy for what he'd done for
her. Oh, she found it a great privilege to minister to him. Now, here's the point. Saved
to serve. Saved to be a minister. That means to be a servant. Turn
with me to Matthew chapter 20 for just a moment. Now, if you're a believer, you
want to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, don't you? In whatever
capacity he would have you do, you don't care if it's sweeping
the streets or whatever, you want to serve him in whatever
way you can. Now, listen carefully, the way
to greatness, and that's what we want. I want greatness, don't
you? I want to serve him greatly.
I don't want to serve him a little bit. I want to serve him a lot.
I want to give myself wholeheartedly, lock, stock and barrel to him.
Now, the way to greatness in the kingdom of heaven is being
a servant. Let me show you that in the scriptures. Turn to Matthew, chapter 20. Verse 20. Then came to him the mother of
Zebedee's children with their sons. Worshipping him and desiring
a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, what wilt
thou? And she said unto him, grant
that these my two sons may sit the one on thy right hand and
the other on thy left in thy kingdom. And I know my mom would
want that for me. I have no doubt about it. She'd
want me exalted above everybody else. So would any other mother.
You'd want that for David and Ryan, Andrew, you know, you would
be right there with them. But. But Jesus answered and said,
you know, not what you ask. Are you able to drink of the
cup that I shall drink of and to be baptized with the baptism
that I'm baptized with? And they said to him, we're able,
we're up to the task. They didn't know what they're
saying. That was so ridiculous. Yet the Lord, look at the way
the Lord answered him. He saith unto them, You shall
drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that
I am baptized with. You know, when Christ died, I
died. United to him, whatever he did, I did. When he was baptized
in the wrath of God, I was. But to sit on my right hand and
on my left is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them
for whom it is prepared of my Father. And when the ten heard
it, They were moved with indignation against the two brethren. I love
thinking about that. He's going to be exalted above
me. Is that what he wants? That's
wrong as it can be. Everyone wanted the top place.
Verse 25, but Jesus called them unto him and said. You know. That the princes of
the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, their leaders and
their followers, and they that are great exercise authority
upon them. But it shall not be so among
you. But whosoever will be great among
you, let him be your minister, your servant. And whosoever will
be chief among you, let him be your servant, even as the Son
of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to
give his life a ransom for many." The highest aspiration that you
and I can have is to be servants one to another for Christ's sake. The Lord said, inasmuch as you've
done it to the least of these, my brethren, you've done it to
me. And inasmuch as you did it not
to the least of these, my brethren, you did it not unto me. She was
raised from this fever. And what did she become? A servant. May the Lord enable, by his rich
grace, you and I to be the same. Let's pray together.