Jesus was a busy man. He had the same flesh as that of His creation. His heart still pumped blood, and if it would have ceased, so would have Jesus. His eyes still grew faint at the end of the day, and eventually He also needed to lay His head down to rest. Jesus was not a stranger to the experiences of hunger and thirst, but rather, He needed the proper nourishment, as man does as well. He was both fully God and fully man.
He was not somehow carried along by His deity. He also did not give up His divine attributes, as some would say. However, in His incarnation, there is a way in which He veiled His attributes and chose not to use them. In a mysterious way, He both had all of His divine attributes, while at the same time, He did not allow Himself to have access to them.
The incarnation is truly a mystery on a number of different fronts. But praise be to God that there are matters in His Word that are not fully understood in the minds of mankind. This factor is important in establishing the credibility of Scripture. Some would argue against Scripture for this reason. However, if the Bible were only written by men, it would also be able to be fully grasped by man. But since the Bible also bears divine authorship, it contains mysteries that are beyond human comprehension.
How could man ever understand how God created the world out of nothing? How could man begin to see the ways in which God formed man from the dust? Could someone ever really know how Jesus turned the water into wine or how God used Moses to part the waters? There is no natural explanation for these events; they are what is referred to as supernatural – outside of nature. The furthest the mind of man can go on these matters is to say, “I believe that, because God can do that.” The Christian lays hold of these facts by faith. It is through faith that the Christian can begin to understand the mysteries of God, albeit not perfectly (Heb. 11:3). But faith does not have all the answers; in essence, it does not need to have all the answers. Faith has enough information to ascend to its desired object.
For instance, God has revealed Who He is in His Word. His character is on display for all to see. He has made it known that He is a God Who is love, does not lie, works all things for good in the lives of those who love Him, is sovereign, and is faithful. All of this and more can be seen about the God of the Bible. If someone sees God clearly, then all of the other stuff will fall into place. How could someone believe that Moses parted the waters? The answer is that God is faithful, and He does not lie. God also loves His people and desires to help them. Simply put, God said it, and I believe it. However, there is a firm foundation to such a claim that is not ignorant of the facts, nor is this an uneducated position to take.
All of that to say this: Jesus, when He came to the earth, was fully God and fully man. This is a mystery to be laid hold of by faith. He did not call upon His deity when He was weary. He embraced His manhood. This is important for the Christian to grasp, as the tendency may be to look at the life of Jesus and think He is God, so no wonder He did such feats. This type of thinking will leave someone stuck if he reads about Jesus in this way. Yes, He is God, but He is also the Christian’s model. He is a merciful and faithful high priest because He became like His brethren.
His desire to live for the good of others is astonishing. It is a high calling that is to be embraced by the Christian. In Mark 1:35-39, Jesus’ heart for others is on display.
Jesus was focused on His Father
Scripture says, “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place and there prayed” (Mark 1:35). Jesus’ first love was His Father. He loved to be with His Father and to honor His Father. He was “Fatherly”-focused.
The magnitude of His love for the Father can be seen in its greatest display on the cross. Nevertheless, in Mark 1:35, the ordinary, day-to-day struggles that the Christian faces may be grasped in a different light. The context of this verse places Jesus in the morning immediately following a very long day.
The day prior, Jesus had spent all day ministering to others and healing others. Mark 1:32 tells us that when evening hit the day before, crowds of people stampeded the house that Jesus was at with those who were sick and oppressed. Jesus did not turn them away, but the context implies that Jesus spent a considerable time that night helping others.
But Mark 1:35 tells us that Jesus rose early in the morning to be with His Father. This is one of the marks of the high calling of Christ. In being others-focused, He calls His followers to put to death their flesh and to seek the Father’s face. The Christian is to be “Fatherly”-focused.
Jesus was focused on His disciples
While Jesus was praying, He was praying in a desolate place. He was all alone. After a long, hard day, have you ever wanted to be alone? Have you ever desired that nobody would find you and that you could be left in peace? If someone disturbed your rest, what was your reaction? Jesus was a selfless man, and when the disciples found Him, there was no twinge of anger nor was their bitterness secretly brewing in His heart.
Scripture says that the disciples looked for Jesus. “And when they had found him…” (Mark 1:37), they told Him of the way that others were looking for Jesus, as well.
Jesus was focused on those around Him
Jesus was not just focused on the Father; He was not just focused on His disciples. The Scripture says, “And when they had found him, they said unto him, ‘All men seek for thee’” (Mark 1:37). What a statement. They were basically saying, “Everyone is looking for you, Jesus.” Jesus loved the people. He was for the people. He helped the people. This others-focused life led Jesus to being a popular man. He healed the sick; raised the dead; cast out demons; fed the hungry; healed the blind, the lame, the sick, and the mute. He was for the people and desired that they would be cured of their ailments. Jesus was focused on those around Him.
Jesus was focused on the world
While being focused on those around Him, there was a way in which Jesus was also focused on the world. He desired to advance His message, and He was constantly on the move. Following His disciples’ claim that everyone was seeking after Him, Jesus said, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth” (Mark 1:38). Jesus recognized that He had gained a large following in the town in which He currently was. He also recognized that they had already heard the message of salvation.
Jesus knew that there were others who needed to hear the truth as well. Jesus was constantly thinking of others. When He was tired on a boat, He awoke to help His disciples. When he hadn’t eaten for a long time, He ministered to the woman at the well instead of eating. When thousands of people were hungry, He fed them.
Jesus had a mission, and His mission was to seek and to save the lost. He is beckoning all to come and join Him. The cross is a calling to die to self and to live for God. In this life, you may lose the world, but you can gain your soul.
Final prayer
Father, I pray that You would help me to die to self this day. Jesus was others-focused, and I pray that You would help me to be others-focused, as well. Help me to see those to whom You have called me to minister this day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.