Jesus Better Than Any Doctor

The Lord Jesus likened Himself to two different professions: the shepherd and the physician. In both cases, the purpose was to underline His work to save the lives of His people and bring us into everlasting life.

Christ compares His work favorably with that of the physician: to help and to heal the sick, the imperfect, and the broken.

The Pharisees scorned Christ's eating with sinners, because they thought themselves righteous.

Christ plays along with their conceit, but points out to them that it does no good to dilate upon one's perfections in the presence of the sick or the sinner. Physicians don't rebuke their patients for being sick, and not having the health that they possess. Rather, they seek to heal them of their disease.

So too, the Lord Jesus came to call sinners to repentence.

The speaker had an excellent surgeon in Dr. John Lucas III during his recent surgery. The whole Lucas family of physicians is a precious treasure for our community, a gift of God to us.

Medicine was quit primitive in Jesus' day. By centuries of study, of learning, of struggle, and of discipline, the science of healing has been vastly improved since then.

Perhaps medicine is the most noble of professions, a life dedicated to learning and skill and sacrifice and loyalty to the patient, all for the patient's healing.

By comparing Himself to the physician, Jesus forever enobled that profession, making it honorable and giving it a blessing.

Yet no physician's abilities can begin to compare with Jesus' mighty power over death!

In Christ's life and death, we see the dedication, zeal, and sacrifice that He wrought to accomplish the healing of lost sinners!