Mark 4:35-41 OUR MATCHLESS SAVIOR
Intro: In Washington, DC, in the Museum of Natural History, there is a
diamond called the Hope Diamond. It is a vivid, dark-blue diamond that weighs 45.52
carats. According to geologists, it is a diamond without equal in all the world. It was
found in the 1600's and weighed over 112 carats when it was dug from the earth in India.
It is considered to be priceless. It is said to be a matchless diamond. However, there may
be another, larger, more valuable stone lying buried in the ground. To say the Hope
Diamond is matchless is to presume on the unknown.
Michael Jordan is called the greatest basketball player of all time. It
is said that there will never be another as great as he is. He is declared to be matchless
in his sport. However, somewhere on some playground, or in some school gymnasium there may
be a youngster who will shatter all the records Jordan has ever amassed. To say that he is
matchless is also a stretch of the imagination.
Albert Einstein is said to be the greatest thinker the world has ever
known. He pondered concepts so deep that we could never begin to grasp. His has been
called a matchless intellect. However, who is to say that somewhere in this world today
there isn't a child whose mind is so sharp and whose brilliance will dwarf even that of
Einstein?
The truth is, nothing in this world is matchless. Everything can be
equaled or bettered by mankind. However, there is One who will never be equaled or
bettered. His name is Jesus! In this text, the disciples are crossing the Sea of Galilee
when a storm arises. Jesus is asleep in the boat and the Disciples feel that they are
going to die. They awake Jesus and He speaks to the storm and the waves and winds lie at
His feet as if they were docile lambs. His Disciples see this great miracle and ask a
question that declares His greatness. They ask, what manner of man is this?
Throughout His life, the story is the same. Everywhere Jesus went, men
marveled and stood amazed at His greatness. When He was just an infant, Mary and Joseph
"marveled" at what was spoken of Jesus, Luke 2:33; His enemies
"marveled" at His wisdom and doctrine, John 7:15. His Disciples
"marveled" at His compassion and love for sinners, John 4:27. The multitudes
"marveled" at His power to heal, Mark 2:12; Matt. 9:8, 33. His enemies
"marveled" at His word, John 7:46. His executioner "marveled" at the
greatness of Jesus Christ.
Things haven't changed! Jesus is still amazing all those who come to Him
by faith. To say He is matchless is an understatement. He will never be equaled! He will
never be bettered! He will always remain the matchless One.
This morning, by the help of God, I would like to take a few minutes and
preach about Our Matchless Savior!
He is Matchless In:
I. HIS PERSONALITY
A. He Is Matchless In His Beginnings - (Ill. To
say that Jesus had a beginning is an untruth. He has always existed!) Ill. Heb. 6:2-7:3;
Ill. John 8:58. Every person in this room had a time of beginning. We began at the moment
of our conception. Jesus Christ, however, had no beginning. He has always existed and He
always will! Jesus was there when the world was formed, John 1:3. He was there before
there even a world to form, Micah 5:2. In the prophecies of His birth, He is referred to
as "the Everlasting Father," Isa. 9:6. In Rev. 1:11, Jesus says that He is
"the Alpha and the Omega." In Rev. 1:18, He says that He is "the beginning
and the end." He is matchless in that He has always been here and He always will be.
B. He Is Matchless in His Birth - (Ill. Every
person in this room came to this world in the same fashion. Your father and mother came
together in a sexual union and your father's sperm fertilized your mother's egg and you
are the result. Even in so called new types of conception such as "in vitro
fertilization," the principle is the same, only the place of conception varies.)
Jesus Christ stands unique among all the humans who have ever been born into this world.
He is the ONLY one who came to this world through the womb of a virgin! Science calls it a
myth, modern religion says it is a foolish doctrine to believe. However, I say, "Let
God be true and every man a liar!" According to the Word of God, Jesus was conceived
in a virgin's womb and was born to a woman who had never had a sexual relationship with
any man, Isa. 7:14, Matt. 1:18-23. Even Mary herself was amazed at the plan of God, Luke
1:34.
(Ill. There are many today who are seeking to deny the virgin birth of
the Lord Jesus. They contend that it is not an important doctrine. I say it is of the
utmost of importance! If Jesus were not born of a virgin, then He is not qualified to be
our Savior! The Messiah was to be virgin born, Isa. 7:14. If Jesus were not born of a
virgin, then He might be a sinner like you and I. If that is the case, then we have no
Savior and no hope!)
(Ill. I have extremely good news for you! Jesus was born just like the
Bible says He was! He was conceived by the Spirit of God and born of a virgin. He is all
the Scriptures say He is and He is more than qualified to be our Savior today!)
C. He Is Matchless In His Blessedness - Jesus is
like no other in that He is the Sinless, Son of God! He was born into this world without
sin, and He lived His life without sin, 1 Pet. 2:22; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; 1 John 3:5.
(Ill. A sinful man could never have paid the sin debt for the world. As
sinners, every one of us was already under the wrath of God and was doomed to Hell. Jesus,
however, was pure and sinless. When He gave up His life on the cross, an innocent man had
suffered the agony of death. When the innocent died for the guilty, God was satisfied and
He accepted the death of Jesus as the payment for sin.)
(Ill. I praise the Lord that Jesus was willing to go and take my place
on Calvary so that when I came to God for salvation, God was able to save me by His grace
because the price had already been paid. When I called on God for salvation and for
forgiveness of my debt before God, I found that my debt had already been paid and that I
was saved simply by faith. Thank God, the innocent died for the guilty!)
(Ill. I heard a story of a young man who had committed some crime and
had been sentenced to die. The night before his execution, his father came to see him.
According to the story, all the prisoners were kept locked in a large room. His father
found him among the crowd and stayed with his son all night. During the night, the
condemned man fell asleep, but his father stayed awake all night. In the predawn hours the
guards came to take the son to the executioner, when they called out the sleeping boy's
name, the father answered. He got up and went to the gallows and died in the place of his
son. Later, when the king learned what had happened, he called for the young man to be
brought before him and issued a full pardon, declaring that the penalty for the crime had
been paid in full.)
(Ill. This is what happens when an old sinner comes before the throne of
grace for salvation. The King of Glory declares the sinner innocent because the price has
already been paid in full! God asks nothing more of us than that we believe in His Son.
When we receive Jesus into our hearts and lives, we are instantly saved and forever
forgiven, Col. 2:13. Thank God, the record has been erased and forgotten! All our sins and
wretchedness are gone forever! (Psa. 103:12; Isa. 38:17; Isa. 43:25; Jer. 50:20; Micah
7:19; 1 John 1:7)
He is Matchless in His Personality,
but He is also matchless in
II. HIS PERFORMANCE
A. He Is Matchless In That He Died For Sin - I
have already touched on the fact that Jesus died for us and took our sins upon Himself on
the cross. However, I didn't make much mention of the method of His death. When Jesus
died, it wasn't some antiseptic, easy death. When He died, He died a brutal, difficult and
harsh death. According to Isaiah, Jesus was brutalized in His death, Isa. 52:14. The
prophet also relates that it was God Himself who bruised the Lord Jesus, Isa. 53:10. Jesus
did what no other person could have ever done. He went to the cross and endured all that
He did so that He might save the soul of the sinner. He was beaten, spit upon, had His
beard plucked from His face, whipped and finally nailed to a cruel, rugged cross. Other
men could have died in that fashion, but no other man could have paid for our sins! It
took the sinless Lamb of God climbing onto His cross and taking my sins and your sins upon
Him so that we would be saved. His death was a matchless death!
B. He Is Matchless In That He Defeated Death -
After Jesus was crucified, they placed His broken, battered and very dead body in a
borrowed tomb. When they rolled that stone, many felt they would never again see this man.
But, thank God, the Lord had other plans! 3 days after His death on the cross, Jesus
conquered death, Hell and the grave when He arose from the dead, Matt. 28:1-6. Because He
got up, you and I have the living hope and promise of resurrection some day, Ill. 1 Cor.
15:20. Thank God, because He got up, we do not need to fear death. Because He lives, we
too shall live forever! Because He lives, our departed loved ones, who died in Jesus, are
alive and well today and we shall meet them again someday!
C. He Is Matchless In His Desire To Save - I'm
talking about His performance. He died to pay for sin and He arose to conquer death, but
thank God Jesus has a heart for sinners! He loves sinners, Jer. 31:3; He died for sinners
and He will save any sinner who comes to Him by faith, John 6:47. God reveals His heart in
this matter in 2 Pet. 3:9. Many feel that they are beyond the saving grace of God.
However, the grace of God is sufficient to save even the worst of sinners - Rom. 5:20.
(Ill. Did you ever realize that everything God has done since man sinned
in the garden has been in a effort to bring man into a right relationship with Himself?
The great burning passion of the heart of God is the salvation of sinners. He calls all
who will to come to him and be saved.)
Jesus is matchless in His Personality
and in His Performance,
but also in
III. HIS PROMISES
A. His Promise To Save Us - Again, whoever will
can come to Jesus and be eternally save from their sins! It does not require a lot of
effort, it just requires a little faith. (Acts 16:31; John 3:16). God's salvation carries
with it an ironclad guarantee, He promises to "save to the uttermost" all those
who come to Him, Heb. 7:25.
B. His Promise To Support Us - Jesus never saved
us to leave us to find our own way through the world! He has promised to guide us and to
go with us all the way, Heb. 13:5; Matt. 28:20. The Lord has promised to guide us through
all of life, John 16:13. He has promised to meet our needs as we travel, Phil. 4:19. He
has promised to give us an arm to lean on as we travel and He has promised to receive us
into Heaven when we leave this world. Jesus will never fail you in the journey! He will
always be there for you and be what you need Him to be when you need Him to be it, (Ill.
He is still the "I AM!")
C. His Promise To See Us Safely Home - Jesus
never saved any saint that He is willing to lose along the way. His promise is that we
will arrive at home with Him when the journey of life is concluded. I am saying that every
saved individual is secure in Jesus. We are as sure or Heaven as if we were already there
today. I may not see another birthday, I may not live to be 40, but I know I am going to
Heaven. Regardless of what happens in this world, or in my own life, I am saved today and
i am saved forever! If it was dependent on my goodness to get me into Heaven, then I would
doubtless go to Hell. But I thank God that when I cannot hold to him, He can't let go of
me!
(Ill. What a Savior! You can count on God to keep His Word. If He has
promised it, it will come to pass. He will see to it! Just ask Abraham - Gen. 22. Just ask
Moses. Just ask Israel. Just ask Noah, or Daniel, or Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. God
will do what He says He will do! He will take care of you here and now and He will deliver
you safely home one of these days!)
(Ill. There are not many things you can count on in this world, but you
can rest assured that Jesus will do what He says He will do. Learn to rest in Him and
trust Him to do as He says!.)
Jesus is matchless in His Personality,
in his Performance,
In His Promises,
but also in
IV. HIS POWER
A. He Is Matchless In His Power Over Sin - (Ill.
Sin is a powerful thing. It can arrest a person's life to the degree that they are totally
in it's hideous power. Look at men like Samson! He was destroyed by the power of sin. The
power of sin took a man like David to the depths of depravity and had him doing things
David probably never thought possible. I have never met a person who can handle sin. It is
more powerful than you and I will ever be. It will defeat you and it will destroy your
life. It will take from you everything you hold as precious and leave you with nothing but
the pieces of a shattered and broken life.)
(Ill. I thank God there is more to the story! While you
and I are powerless to handle sin within ourselves, Jesus is more than ample for the task!
He has the power to break the chains of sin that bind you and he can set you free so that
you might serve Him - Luke 4:18; Rom. 6:14. These verses teach us that Jesus has the power
to liberate from sin, and to break its power in our lives. I can assure you that Jesus
will give you the power to rise above the sin that has you bound today. He has that
power!)
(Ill. Not only is there power over sins power, but there
is also power in Jesus over sin's penalty. Ill. Rom. 6:23, according to this verse, the
wages of sin is death. This means that the person who dies in sin is going to pay the
ultimate price of going to hell and being forever separated from Almighty God. Jesus has
the power to change the sinner's destiny! He can take a life headed for Hell and He can
turn it around by His great grace and can take that life to Heaven. Jesus makes a
difference. No one ever need to die and go to Hell. Jesus has made a way for all men to be
saved. His power is what makes the difference.)
(Ill. No other plan formulated by any man or group can deal with the sin
problem other than the Gospel of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
God's plan is the only plan that has ever, or will ever work to save man's soul from the
power, the penalty and the presence of sin! He has the power to deliver men and to change
their lives forever.)
B. He Is Matchless In His Power Over Satan -
(Ill. The Devil is a powerful enemy! He is deceptive, he is elusive, he is smart, he is
hateful and he is more than a match for you and me.) Jesus, on the other hand, can handle
Satan very well. Just after man sinned in the Garden of Eden, God promised the serpent
that one day, the seed of the woman, would bruise the serpents head. This was fulfilled
when Jesus died on Calvary. If you have ever stepped on a snake's head, you know that his
body will thrash and writhe. Even if you crush his head, he will still try to get away.
What a picture of the devil. He has his head under the heel of Christ. He still thrashes
about and causes plenty of trouble for men, but he is a defeated foe this morning! We must
be wary of him, because he loves nothing more than hurting those who belong to the Lord, 1
Pet. 5:8. However, while he is still active, he has already been defeated and we are told
exactly what his fate is - Rev. 20:10. Jesus has all the power necessary to defeat the
devil in your life and mine! When Jesus comes on the scene, the devil must flee!
C. He Is Matchless In His Power Over The Situations Of Life
- Regardless of what tragedies, difficulties, hardships, or trying times you may face as
you go through life, you need to remember that Jesus is able to handle each and every
thing you run into. He has power to meet your needs. He has the power to heal your body,
or that of a loved one. He has the power to heal your past. He has the power to calm your
storm, comfort your heart, sooth your emotions, move your mountains. What I am saying is
that Jesus is able - Eph. 3:20. He can be trusted to do what needs to be done in your life
and mine! Nothing is too big for God! Don't be guilty of putting God in a box and saying,
"He can't handle this!" My friends, He can move any mountain that you will trust
Him with. He is still the master of the sea, Ill. The text.
Conc: There is more that could be said about our matchless, wonderful
Savior. Enough has been said, however, to let you see that He incomparable! I don't know
what you need to today, or where you are spiritually, but I do know who you need this
morning no matter what it is you face in life. Whether it's your soul's salvation, or
victory over some besetting sin, or a deep, dark valley, or a time of distress and worry,
you can trust Jesus to meet that need. All He asks from you is that you come to Him by
faith and trust Him to take care of the situation. Will you do that this morning? God help
you to obey the call of Christ today.
