But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; - 1 Peter 2:9
We are ⅔ of the way through this year’s sermon series on “The Miracles of Jesus”. This morning’s message is the 22nd of this series and covers the 33rd occasion recorded in the gospels during which Jesus performed an earthy miracle.Up to this point, we have discussed 14 instances of healing miracles, 5 of exorcisms, 4 of both healings and exorcisms, 6 of natural miracles, 2 of physical resurrections, and 1 instance in which the types of signs performed were not specified. This morning we will add another to our list…
After returning to Galilee from the Decapolis, Jesus and His apostles made their way northward to Bethsaida, where the events we’ll discuss in today’s sermon took place. As you might remember, Jesus healed many people and fed the 5,000 in the countryside near Bethsaida. The story we’ll read today is only found in Mark, so there are no parallel passages for us to consider. It is also short, just 5 verses, yet it is quite profound. Let’s begin.
I. DARK (Mark 8:22)
Jesus and the disciples came to Bethsaida. While He was there, the local citizens brought a blind man to Him. They pleaded with Jesus to touch the man and heal him of his blindness.
It seems plausible that many of the residents of Bethsaida had been among the multitudes that Jesus fed with just 5 barley loaves and 2 fish. They had experienced His miraculous work firsthand. Is it any surprise that when He returned to their city, they immediately brought Him someone to heal? They were keenly aware of Jesus’ supernatural power.
This man was blind. He couldn’t see anything. His world was dark. And what’s worse, there was absolutely nothing that he could do to remedy his condition. His only hope was divine intervention. Beloved, physical blindness is symbolic of spiritual blindness. The Bible teaches that all of us have sinned and are therefore separated from God. We are lost, unable to see the LORD, groping about aimlessly in spiritual darkness, helpless to save ourselves, and in desperate need of a miracle (2 Corinthians 4:4). Our only hope is Jesus!
II. BLURRY (Mark 8:23-24)
Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then He spat on the man’s eyes, laid His hands on him, and asked, “Do you see anything?” The blind man answered that he could see men walking around, but they looked like trees.
We have seen Jesus take people aside from the crowds before. Clearly He was not trying to create a spectacle or win any personal acclaim. His manner was much more personal and intimate. Jesus truly cared about this man, and the many others that He healed, and wasn’t merely seeking fame and/or adoration.
This is now the second time that Jesus used spit during the process of performing a miracle. As we discussed on the previous occasion, in those days spit was believed to have medicinal properties. By spitting on the man’s eyes, Jesus indicated His intention to heal.
Unlike any of the other healing miracles we’ve discussed, this 1 is unique in that it occurred in 2 stages. After Jesus spat on and then touched the blind man’s eyes, he was able to see somewhat, but his vision was still unclear and blurry. He could make out people moving around nearby, but they were out of focus, distorted, and appeared to him as trees. He could see well enough to recognize someone was there, but not enough to identify them.
As I have taught in the past, my belief is that this story illustrates Holy Spirit conviction. When the Holy Spirit convicts a lost person of their sin, God graciously affords them an opportunity to see something that they otherwise could not. To be specific, they become aware of their sinfulness and recognize their need for forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Their spiritual vision, though limited and blurred, is sufficient for them to come to salvation. A person can only be truly saved during moments of Holy Spirit conviction, which cannot be manufactured, but are afforded solely by God’s grace and at His discretion. This is why a person who is under conviction should surrender their lives to Christ immediately because they may never get another chance.
III. CLEAR (Mark 8:25-26)
Jesus placed His hands on the man’s eyes again. Then the man stared intently and his blurry vision was restored. He could now see everything clearly. Jesus directed the man to go straight home, not even to enter the village.
After the 1st stage of this miracle the man was no longer completely blind, but his vision was still severely impaired. He could perceive light and make out blurred objects, but nothing was clear. When Jesus touched his eyes the 2nd time, and he looked again, everything came into focus. His healing was complete!
A sinner who is under Holy Spirit conviction has a choice to make. Will they accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior or will they reject Him? I believe this story depicts someone who accepts Jesus. If a lost person, while being convicted by the Holy Spirit, places their faith in Christ, He will forgive them of their sin, reconcile them to God, and grant them salvation. Metaphorically speaking, He will restore their eyesight completely. They will no longer walk in darkness, but rather in the light of the Lord (Ephesians 5:8). However, those who reject Jesus will slip back into total blindness, unable to see anything at all.
This is yet another example of Jesus instructing someone He’s healed not to make a big production of it. He told the man, who He’d led out of town to a more private place, not to go back into the village and tell everyone what had happened. Rather, he was to go straight home. Again, Jesus was not interested in garnering attention or public praise. His demeanor was quite different from the alleged “faith healers” of our day.
CONCLUSION
Some theologians have pointed out that this miracle divides the book of Mark into 2 halves. In the 8 chapters leading up to it, the disciples’ vision (that is, their understanding of Jesus’ identity) is fuzzy and uncertain. However, in the passage that immediately follows this miracle, Peter states for the first time that Jesus is the Christ. This is a major turning point for the disciples and a key moment in their spiritual development. Thus, in the final 8 chapters of Mark the disciples’ vision (that is, their understanding of Jesus’ identity) is clear and certain.
Let’s close by answering the 3 questions we’ve asked in each sermon of this series. What type of miracle was this? It was a healing miracle. What method did Jesus use to do it? He touched the man’s eyes, twice. Why did He perform this miracle? Clearly not to win any public acclaim, but rather out of compassion for this man and to reveal His glory so that he might believe.
Those who are spiritually blind aren’t aware of their need for Jesus. In fact, they think all this Jesus talk is foolishness. Perhaps this describes you before you walked into church this morning and heard this message. But friend, if Jesus has begun to open your eyes to the truth and you sense the Holy Spirit convicting you to receive Him today and your Lord and Savior, I urge you to say yes. Don’t miss the opportunity to be healed and made new!
We are ⅔ of the way through this year’s sermon series on “The Miracles of Jesus”. This morning’s message is the 22nd of this series and covers the 33rd occasion recorded in the gospels during which Jesus performed an earthy miracle.Up to this point, we have discussed 14 instances of healing miracles, 5 of exorcisms, 4 of both healings and exorcisms, 6 of natural miracles, 2 of physical resurrections, and 1 instance in which the types of signs performed were not specified. This morning we will add another to our list…
After returning to Galilee from the Decapolis, Jesus and His apostles made their way northward to Bethsaida, where the events we’ll discuss in today’s sermon took place. As you might remember, Jesus healed many people and fed the 5,000 in the countryside near Bethsaida. The story we’ll read today is only found in Mark, so there are no parallel passages for us to consider. It is also short, just 5 verses, yet it is quite profound. Let’s begin.
I. DARK (Mark 8:22)
Jesus and the disciples came to Bethsaida. While He was there, the local citizens brought a blind man to Him. They pleaded with Jesus to touch the man and heal him of his blindness.
It seems plausible that many of the residents of Bethsaida had been among the multitudes that Jesus fed with just 5 barley loaves and 2 fish. They had experienced His miraculous work firsthand. Is it any surprise that when He returned to their city, they immediately brought Him someone to heal? They were keenly aware of Jesus’ supernatural power.
This man was blind. He couldn’t see anything. His world was dark. And what’s worse, there was absolutely nothing that he could do to remedy his condition. His only hope was divine intervention. Beloved, physical blindness is symbolic of spiritual blindness. The Bible teaches that all of us have sinned and are therefore separated from God. We are lost, unable to see the LORD, groping about aimlessly in spiritual darkness, helpless to save ourselves, and in desperate need of a miracle (2 Corinthians 4:4). Our only hope is Jesus!
II. BLURRY (Mark 8:23-24)
Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then He spat on the man’s eyes, laid His hands on him, and asked, “Do you see anything?” The blind man answered that he could see men walking around, but they looked like trees.
We have seen Jesus take people aside from the crowds before. Clearly He was not trying to create a spectacle or win any personal acclaim. His manner was much more personal and intimate. Jesus truly cared about this man, and the many others that He healed, and wasn’t merely seeking fame and/or adoration.
This is now the second time that Jesus used spit during the process of performing a miracle. As we discussed on the previous occasion, in those days spit was believed to have medicinal properties. By spitting on the man’s eyes, Jesus indicated His intention to heal.
Unlike any of the other healing miracles we’ve discussed, this 1 is unique in that it occurred in 2 stages. After Jesus spat on and then touched the blind man’s eyes, he was able to see somewhat, but his vision was still unclear and blurry. He could make out people moving around nearby, but they were out of focus, distorted, and appeared to him as trees. He could see well enough to recognize someone was there, but not enough to identify them.
As I have taught in the past, my belief is that this story illustrates Holy Spirit conviction. When the Holy Spirit convicts a lost person of their sin, God graciously affords them an opportunity to see something that they otherwise could not. To be specific, they become aware of their sinfulness and recognize their need for forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Their spiritual vision, though limited and blurred, is sufficient for them to come to salvation. A person can only be truly saved during moments of Holy Spirit conviction, which cannot be manufactured, but are afforded solely by God’s grace and at His discretion. This is why a person who is under conviction should surrender their lives to Christ immediately because they may never get another chance.
III. CLEAR (Mark 8:25-26)
Jesus placed His hands on the man’s eyes again. Then the man stared intently and his blurry vision was restored. He could now see everything clearly. Jesus directed the man to go straight home, not even to enter the village.
After the 1st stage of this miracle the man was no longer completely blind, but his vision was still severely impaired. He could perceive light and make out blurred objects, but nothing was clear. When Jesus touched his eyes the 2nd time, and he looked again, everything came into focus. His healing was complete!
A sinner who is under Holy Spirit conviction has a choice to make. Will they accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior or will they reject Him? I believe this story depicts someone who accepts Jesus. If a lost person, while being convicted by the Holy Spirit, places their faith in Christ, He will forgive them of their sin, reconcile them to God, and grant them salvation. Metaphorically speaking, He will restore their eyesight completely. They will no longer walk in darkness, but rather in the light of the Lord (Ephesians 5:8). However, those who reject Jesus will slip back into total blindness, unable to see anything at all.
This is yet another example of Jesus instructing someone He’s healed not to make a big production of it. He told the man, who He’d led out of town to a more private place, not to go back into the village and tell everyone what had happened. Rather, he was to go straight home. Again, Jesus was not interested in garnering attention or public praise. His demeanor was quite different from the alleged “faith healers” of our day.
CONCLUSION
Some theologians have pointed out that this miracle divides the book of Mark into 2 halves. In the 8 chapters leading up to it, the disciples’ vision (that is, their understanding of Jesus’ identity) is fuzzy and uncertain. However, in the passage that immediately follows this miracle, Peter states for the first time that Jesus is the Christ. This is a major turning point for the disciples and a key moment in their spiritual development. Thus, in the final 8 chapters of Mark the disciples’ vision (that is, their understanding of Jesus’ identity) is clear and certain.
Let’s close by answering the 3 questions we’ve asked in each sermon of this series. What type of miracle was this? It was a healing miracle. What method did Jesus use to do it? He touched the man’s eyes, twice. Why did He perform this miracle? Clearly not to win any public acclaim, but rather out of compassion for this man and to reveal His glory so that he might believe.
Those who are spiritually blind aren’t aware of their need for Jesus. In fact, they think all this Jesus talk is foolishness. Perhaps this describes you before you walked into church this morning and heard this message. But friend, if Jesus has begun to open your eyes to the truth and you sense the Holy Spirit convicting you to receive Him today and your Lord and Savior, I urge you to say yes. Don’t miss the opportunity to be healed and made new!