Do You See the Risen Savior? - Luke 18:31-43

Jesus Took the 12 aside and told them, we are going up to Jerusalem and everything that is written by the prophets about the soul of, man, be fulfilled. You'll be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him and told him and spit on him, they will flog him and kill him on the third day. He will rise again. The disciples did not understand any of this. It's meeting with hidden from them. They did not know what he was talking about. Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging when he heard the crowd going by. He asked what was happening. They told him Jesus of Nazareth is passing by He called out Jesus, Son of David have mercy on me. Don't you like the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet but he shouted all the more son of David have mercy on me. Jesus, stopped and ordered. The man to be brought to him and he came near Jesus asked him. What do you want me to do for you? Lord, I want to see he replied. Jesus said to him receive your, your faith has healed you immediately, he received his sight and follow Jesus, praising God. And all the people saw it, they also praise God, the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. You may be seated.

Is this past week? I was watching one of the Random suggested YouTube videos that come across sure. If you open the YouTube sometimes, I just advertise random videos just to try to suck you into that Vortex and they're pretty good at it. They know exactly what you're interested in what you're looking for, and it's past week, I saw a video by bone Appetit, that's a company that has a magazine and a bunch of stuff online, but they created a video that was entitled, 59 ways to prepare an egg almost every way that you can prepare an egg to eat. So, I want is 30 minutes long so it's because they go through all the different methods. And we're familiar with a lot of them. Sunny side up, or over-easy my personal favorite is scrambled or poached boiled pickle, and some people microwave their eggs. I think that's not a big fan of that, you

You can dehydrate an egg or if you're like Napoleon Dynamite, you can just crack it into a glass and swirl it around and just take it like a shot. Cuz apparently, some people do that and they countered that as a way to prepare an egg What was the point to internalize? The Riches of an egg, to enjoy the egg vegan today? Forgive me for this analogy might not resonate with you, or if you just don't like eggs. But my, but my point is to get the benefits of an egg. There are many ways by which you can go about it, but many different ways to prepare it to cook it to internalize all that the egg can do for your body. What is the cholesterol? Of course, the bridge? Right to the resurrection, today's Resurrection in a similar way when it comes to the resurrection of Christ there were multiple ways. I wish you can. Look at the resurrection are just so many ways in scripture and semantically are which you can unpack and dissect all the riches of what the resurrection is Easter. Sunday is all about. For example, are four gospels, you could go through. How does Matthew portray the resurrection? How does Mark, do I? What's different? What's unique about, how does it, how does John do it? If you want to go a different direction you could consider, what was the woman's experience on that day? Is the women. It in Marion particular, they were the first people to meet the Risen Lord. What was their experience like? Or you can think about what did Peter experience? I could get her. He's one of the ones that long with most likely John who ran to the tomb to see the tomb for themselves about Thomas infamously, he's known as doubting Thomas. That he is the one who believe in Christ after seeing him, so he should be the one who's known as believe in the resurrection. First Corinthians.

1st Corinthians 15 is actually what many considered to be the magnum opus about the resurrection. It's just almost 50 plus versus about Christ rising from the dead. What that means for us in the history of it and implications for so many different ways today to the lens of Luke 18. As we read that, as you might want to look at that, you might be thinking, what in the world does that have to do with Easter? That's not the first text, I think about when I think about Easter Sunday, but I hope that you'll be able to see that. This is very, very relevant for you. And I today in the 21st century. Walk through the text as we unpack it. This is what I want you to remember that. If you forget everything, I say, this is what I want you to try to. Remember, when you see the resurrected Christ, with eyes of faith, everything changes in your life. When you see the resurrected Christ, with eyes of faith, everything changes in your life, In the Sea Christ, more clearly to put on that the right lenses, we can see him 2020 will walk to the tax will consider Jesus is prediction the disciples confusion and then Bartimaeus is restored Vision. I'm going to call him BART to shorten the name a little bit. So furiously Jesus is prediction is 233. Jesus told them we're going up to Jerusalem. Everything that is written by the prophets about the son of man will be fulfilled. Stop right there. When you think about, Jesus, organ society, when the culture at large, thanks about Jesus. It's easy to think of him into big ways. You've been here. You may have heard me say this before, but it's a good refresh, a reminder, right? When you think about Christ and his secular way, he's either one a good teacher. He told a lot of good morals, and or two is a compassionate and merciful Miracle Worker. He made time for the oppressed for the downtrodden, the outcast that the reviled and Society. He cared about those people talk a lot about morality, And I certainly true in scripture is the most eloquent teacher The Parables. He spoke spoke straight to the heart and he touched many lives restored. Many people as we'll see you in just a moment with Bartimaeus. Jesus is so much more than that scripture. Recordings Christ, not as just a miracle worker. What is God himself? It is, come in human flesh in the Christmas account, right? Matthew chapter 1, the angel said about Jesus, Jesus came into the world. He's coming, he's coming through. Mary. Why to save his people from their sins? That is why Christ came into the world, of course, to do miracles. Of course, the teacher about how we should live in this life, but he came most importantly to save us from our sin. And that's what Luke is telling us here, Matthew or in Luke 18, verse 31. I just took the 12 aside and told them we're going up to Jerusalem.

And if you were cold and Luke chapter 9, this is the first time, Luke mentioned in the gospel. Luke 9, verse 51 at the time of Prost for Christ for Jesus to be taken up to heaven. Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. I need a point in Jesus's life and in his ministry, and when she finally realized, my time is coming, I'm going to send back to the father, but before I go back, before I send above, I must descend below. And I have some work to accomplish in Jerusalem. So from Luke 951, towards the end of the Gospel. He's just making step by step, by step pageafterpage, Miracle after Miracle, he's getting closer to Jerusalem. why what happened there are, you know, what happened, the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus, his triumphal entry into Jerusalem for that, we sing about Envy Palm Sunday, Jesus is getting closer to Jerusalem and Jesus the Same. Jesus knows what's going to happen. Jesus Is God newsflash for you? Jesus Is God. He knows the future, he knows the death is going to endure. Look at the text everything written by the prophets about the son of man will be feel to be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him. Insult him and spit on him. They will flog him and kill him on the third day. He will rise again. Jesus knew what was going to happen, but he also knew after the fact he knew the resurrection is right around the corner. You knew that but the disciples did not the disciples were still in their mind thinking that Jesus was going to be this powerful Mighty triumphant ruler. Who is going to overthrow the Roman rulers overthrow? All of the people oppressing, the nation of Israel. There been in there physically intangibly right in front of their eyes.

Didn't know what was going to happen. Jesus, cure for his father's. He cared for his disciples and he told them ahead of time. What was going to happen. This whole past week is I'm looking at this text. This was one of the main questions as I was trying to ponder what is going on here. It was this, why did Jesus predict this? Why did he announce it beforehand to his followers? Have you ever thought about that? Because Jesus did it three times in each of the gospels and time and time again, as we'll see you in just a moment, the disciples didn't understand. So if they didn't get it, why would he denounce in the first place? The Gospel of John. I think it was some hints as to why he did that. John 13 and in verse 18, this is the upper room or Jesus washing the feet of the Disciples of Jesus in verse 18 it just predicted Judas betrayal like one of you is going to betray me soon. It in verse 19. Jesus says I'm telling you I'm telling you my disciples that this is going to happen before it happens so that when it does you'll believe that I am who I am. Did you catch that? I'm telling you what's going to happen. So it when it does happen you'll believe I am who I am. John chapter 14 years of continuing to give the final instructions to his followers. Jesus speak about sending the Holy Spirit and in verse 28, Jesus says, I'm going away, and I'm coming back to you. John 14, verse 29, listen to this. I've told you now before it happens, so that it when it does happen you will believe I thought of you and I today, I hear you use it for that flight test today, God's promises, Dodge truth, his words may not always be immediately felt you may not always immediately see what's going to happen. Or when it's going to happen, you might not get it all fits into place, you might not understand. It seems like a lot of times in life, in scripture, the promises of God become alive after the crucifixion. Right. I think in particular, one of the most glorious Promises of Christ. Never will I leave? You never will I forsake? You You and I can hear that. I got. I got that I can cognitively get that. But only after some of you here, you know, it's only after enduring. The loss of a child that becomes real. Ordering months or years of grueling cancer treatment that literally beats up and destroys your body. It's only after the fact that you cannot testify or, and I know you've never left me. You have never forsaken me. Kind of what's going on here. You don't get fully what I'm saying about the crucifixion, you will get it one day and when it does it, when after the fact, right? After Good Friday, after all of this, you're going to look back and you're going to remember, I told you that, does it Jesus in the most beautiful way of saying I told you, so, Images of very loving gentle, beautiful way. Play today, you're in that kind of Good Friday moments, you might not tangibly. Be feeling the truth, the promises, the word of God comfort in your soul. Getting you a hold on a little longer. Just one day, you will look back and you will remember what God has done for you. Just leave the first 30 for the disciples confusion. Disciples did not understand any of this, its meaning was hidden from them. They did not know what he was talking about. Disciples here. Absolutely clueless. This is the third time he uses his hammer. This point home, I'm going to be delivered over to the Gentiles. I'm going to die. I'm going to rise again. It just completely goes over their head. They have no category in their mind. To consider what is Jesus actually mean by this and earlier and Luke.

9. 9:45. It tells us they do not understand what this meant, it was hidden from them so that they did not grasp it. But also this and they were afraid to ask him about it. I support the issue here is the disciples inability to grasp it. Part of it might be the case that God is actively not wanting to reveal it. Fully to them. Yet the part of the issue they didn't ask him about it. They didn't ask Jesus. What do you mean by that? They were too afraid that what, what's going on you? And I, and if you been in the church a while, you know what? Yeah, that's Christianity 101. Jesus had to die rise again. That's just so, basically, how can you not understand that trying to insert yourself into the disciple, shoots their perspective? Here's a question for you, and I want some feedback here in the Old Testament. The nation of Israel when they endure hardship. When enemies oppress them, when they would enemies came in and took them away, like the Babylonian captivity, the Assyrian Empire going into ransack their, their entire family. They're at their cities and all the nation of Israel suffered in the Old Testament. Why did that happen?

Let me hear somebody why did that happen?

Say it again. Bingo, they fell from God's ways, right? This is common sense even to us today, but even more. So back, then his back, then there was just a strong belief. If you do good in life, you will have good happen in life. If you were bad, if you were sinful, if you were wrong, if you go off of the ways of God, if you don't listen to his word and yeah, of course, you'll suffer. Of course, you'll die. Of course, you'll be destroyed. That's what God Said in the book of Deuteronomy, right? I'm sitting before you to pass path of righteousness, the path of sin is righteousness. You will live, you will die. She common sense. So the disciples they know Jesus is from God. They know Jesus is a good righteous profit, they know his right, they lived with him, they've never seen him send Remember thinking what the son of man is going to be handed over to the Gentiles? To be enemies is going to die. What? He's not. He's not in any he's never done any wrong at all. It's really just don't grasp that. And it brings up an important question. What then is she saying? What is he getting at? I like what one commentator said, he said here, Luke implies that Jesus is handed over for our sake, and in our place, It's either friends today. If you are familiar with Christianity, or if you are new to it, that you're exploring and trying to figure out, is this for me, it is a Bible trustworthy isn't reliable, can it is it relevant for my life today? Either way, you're going to Christian a while if you explain Christianity. This is the gospel message for you. It's simply this Jesus Is God himself. Who came into the world history, B components are hotline. You live the life. You should have lived, he died the death. You should have died and he rose from the dead so that you two can rise from the dead at the end of time. That is because of a message in a nutshell. It's good news. When Jesus said everything written about me by the prophet about the son of man, everything is going to be fulfilled, is referring to the Old Testament. And I have to think that Jesus had in his mind, the book of Isaiah Turn with me there. If you will Isaiah 53.

Jesus lived the life. We should have lived died. The death. We should have died rose from the dead so that we too can rise from the dead at the end of time. Isaiah 53.

I am going to begin chapter 52.

So here Prophet says, see my servant will act wisely will be raised and lift it up and highly exalted. This is there are many who are appalled at him his appearance. So disfigured beyond that of any human being. This form are Beyond human like this so he will sprinkle many nations and kingdoms will shut their mouths because of him But they're not told they will see what they not heard. They will understand. At the very beginning verse 13. The prophet is poking it right before shadowing Christ. Jesus is the wise when he is a perfect one, he is. God's servant is going to be raised, right?

Chapter 53. Verse one who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed. Super fun to Christ. Now Jesus until he grew up before him like a tender shoot and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or Majesty to attract this to him. Nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. Jesus, just look like an ordinary normal human being.

First three. He was despised and rejected by mankind. A man of suffering and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces. He was despised and we held him and low esteem. Shirley Christ, truly Jesus. Surely he took up our pain, bore our suffering, be considered him punished by God, stricken by him and Afflicted men. If you know, this verse, he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us. Peace was on him by his wounds. We are healed. We all, like sheep. Have gone astray. Each of us return to our own way. The lord has laid on him. The iniquity of us all He was oppressed and Afflicted. If he did not open his mouth he was led like a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before its shearers is silent so he did not open his mouth by a price. He was taken away of his generation protested for. He was cut off from the land of the living for the transgression of my people. He was punished. A song. How Deep The Father's Love For Us? Right. It was my sin that held him there. First night, he was assigned a grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death though he had done no violence nor with any deceit found in his mouth yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and caused him to suffer and then the Lord makes his life and offering for sin. He will see his offspring and prolong his days and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand right there. The resurrection is foreshadowed by the grave. That's not the end of Christ. He will see his offspring. He will rise from the dead. First 11 after he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied by his knowledge. My righteous servant will justify Minnie and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will give him a portion among the great. We'll divide the spoils with the strong because he poured out his life unto death and was numbered with the transgressors for. He bore the sins of many, make intercession for the transgressors.

Difference, that passage right there is the gospel. Jesus, live the life. You should have lived. Right? When it comes to the Bible and if you know the Ten Commandments, I hope you do know some of them. If not all of them but we also know some of the big ones, right? Love your neighbor as yourself or give to the poor little Pure Life and on the inside of your inmost being If you compare yourself to every single command you'll find you, fall radically short, you fall, radically short of meeting the Perfection of God's standard. But Christ is the one who came full of grace and truth. Read the Bible talks about Christ in the First Peter chapter 2, he was sinless. He knew no sin, no, deceit was found in his mouth, Jesus lived the perfect life, you just didn't send. He did all the good that you should be doing in life. It was more than that. She Christ, died. The death. We should have died. If you might say, I really don't like this concept of hell and of Wrath and of Judgment at this doesn't, my dog will never send somebody to hell today and it's me Frank. Your God would not send somebody to hell because your God does not exist. That is not the god of the Bible. The god of the Bible is both the god of love and a god of wrath and help understand how does hail make sense? How is that just in terms of what little saying? I've done in my life, Chris Erwin, couple weeks ago and Sunday school but it's by your spouse. What would happen? They might give you a very ugly face in my. Are you lie to me to punish meant if you lied to your spouse? Might be a lot worse. You lie to the police, you lie to the president, you lie to the government, you can see jail time, right? And you go off and the point is the higher up, the authority of Who You Lie against the greater the punishment and so it is with God, you might think you know, I just told a couple lies, it's not that big a deal, you know, I know I haven't been super pure in my life, but isn't that big a deal in? A few little things here and there. It's not that big a deal. God says, Austin is against him. Descend the punishment for your sin is hell, it's Eternal death. The cross is all about Jesus dying. The death. We should have died. He took that punishment. He took that rap. He took that anger. He paid the penalty that we deserve. It doesn't in there, right. If you just stayed in the grave, is Paul said, 1st Corinthians 15. We would be the most miserable people on Earth. We will be Christianity, would be a joke if you just ate in the grave, if that's what he says, if Christ rose from the dead, Everything Changes, Everything Changes because as Jesus was the first rise from the dead. So now if you believe in him, the end of time, you likewise will be raised from That is the gospel message your friends. You might be thinking. I got that. I get that, but I still don't fully grasp it, but if you're storing Christianity, I still don't fully grasp it or if you are Christian. And that gospel message is a captivating, your heart as it should. I punch you now about the very last portion of our Passage Bartimaeus has restored Vision, verse 35 and following.

Jesus. The first Jericho blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.

I heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him Jesus of Nazareth is passing by A little weird but I try to insert yourself just for a moment. I'm going to do it with you and when y'all are sitting so I'm going to sit so Close your eyes for a few seconds and just try. To insert yourself into what is it like to be blind?

Can't see people. You can't see the clouds, you can't see where the stone is right in front of you to trip.

You can't see anything. You're completely blind.

Keep your eyes closed for this moment. So you here, right? A lot, a big footprint, a lot of Stomps, a lot of ruckus going on and you're blind and this doesn't usually happen. You don't usually hear this big crowd. Are you can open your eyes. Now you hear that? You think what's going on? Write this. You can only hear. That's that's the only Connection in terms of what's going on around you. So you hear that and you ask some people nearby. Hey hey, what's going on? I say, Jesus of Nazareth. and then, So, few things to take note of the crowd calls him, Jesus of Nazareth, that's just simply where he came from, or nothing special in Jesus. That's just his name by The part about call him he most likely had heard of Jesus before. Maybe he was, so he's sitting blind. And he had heard some people at several yards away. It was saying, you know what? My son. He had died but not with Christ. When we were in the funeral Christ, raised him back to life. Or might have heard these things, I don't know. Because I'm verse 38, he calls out. Jesus, Son of David have mercy on me. It's not just a generic, Jesus Nazareth know, he attributes, Jesus. The son of David. The one who is promised to come from David, the righteous one, the good one, the one from God have mercy on me. Those who were those who were nearby, those were crossed the barrier between him and Jesus rebuked, and I'd be quiet. You know, Jesus is on a mission for member or 31, I'm going to Jerusalem. I've got some very important work to do. You say hey hey he's busy. Son of David have mercy on me. I think right here. these are some of the some of the most astounding versus semi porcelain in the Bible. Jesus stomp ordered. The man to be brought to him. How many of you never, you always say, how you doing, how's things been lately? What do we always say? I'm busy. I'm just so busy. Busy, busy, busy busy, getting ready to go to the Cross is the busiest, the busiest, man. He has the most important job, most important task right in front of him. What does he do? He stops. Jesus. Stop or the man to be brought to him right here and he came here, I think this is this is mindblowing. Jesus asked him. What do you want me to do for you?

What do you want me to do for you? Just think about that for a moment. If Jesus asked you that question in person, what would you say to him? What do you want me to do for you?

Lord, give me an extra $50,000. Lord my back's hurting the day. You straighten that up. What would you ask him for? Genuinely and sincerely.

Is Tom who's with this last week, you said differently what are you asking? God for that only God can do. The fact that God Almighty would ask us, would ask him this question, what do you want me to do for you? Why did Jesus ask that? Because it's pretty obvious, right? It's obvious to Jesus with his man's problem was obvious to the crowd and you know how to kick back and stuff and all the sudden the chainsaw buzzed off my arm right here and then I walk into the emergency room and then the reception is from the doctor. That look at me to say, what can I do you for what brings you in today? There's just blood gushing everywhere, right? I do not see what I need. Simile here. Don't you see? Jesus. I mean don't you see don't you see, what a mess what you need? Why you asking this? What do you want me to do for you? I think it's it's for this reason.

They all knew what you needed. It's simply a matter of wood Bartimaeus, ask Jesus for what he needed. Would Bartimaeus ask Jesus for what he needed because I could have said, you know what, Jesus meet you and I appreciate you stopping by. I just I just wanted to say hello, I'm good. I I'm okay life, you know, I've got my little cup. If you can give me a few coins for my, my plate right here and she could give me to Leona, be kind of nice. Would Bartimaeus, ask Jesus for what he truly needed. Receive if he did. Lord, I want to see Jesus said to him receive your sight, your faith has healed you. Immediately proceed to side follow Jesus. Praising God. And all the people start, they also praise God. Patriots. How many times do we not experience a blessing from God? Because we don't ask him for God asked you, what do you want me to do for you? How can I bless you? What do you need in life? And we just say, Lord I'm good. I've got it all together right now. I'm pretty doing pretty, okay. How many times do we? No experience Miracles because of our refusal to bring before Christ. What we need in life. Princess rap battle of the shop.

like the different ways to cook an egg at the beginning, different ways to cook an egg when it comes to scripture, what comes to sin there different ways, the Bible describes him, One of them is through the language of blindness. Is Bartimaeus, was physically blind. How much more debilitating way? All of humanity is spiritually. Blind 2nd. Corinthians 4. Verse 4 says the God of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers. I cannot see the light of the Gospel to displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

1st. John 2 verse 11 describes, we sinners in the darkness. We walk around in the darkness. We don't know where we are going because the darkness has blinded us. Is he charged? You and I are blind. But the reality is we are blind to the fact we are blind. Did you catch that? We are blind to the fact that we are blind. Why did Jesus Come into the world? Luke 4:18 219. Jesus's first sermon. Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to Proclaim good news to the poor. You sent me to Proclaim freedom for the prisoners recovery of sight for the blind set. The oppressed for you to claim the herbivores favor. Jesus came into the world to recover. The sight of the blind. I'm on 46 verse 8, the Lord gives sight to the blind. In today, right? As I close, I simply asked you this Do you have eyes of Faith to see the resurrected Christ? Do you have those open eyes to see Jesus for who he is?

Do you see your sin? You see your need for Jesus? You see the Jesus is the one who can heal you. Do you see Christ in the scriptures? Do you see him in the Old Testament? Do you see that this book is not about how to live a good moral life. This book is about Christ. Do you see that that what Christ has done for you? Do you see that? If you see Jesus has risen but he's not in the grave. He is not dead. This isn't some false hope Jesus is Alive history, testifies to at the eye witnesses. Testify to it. Do you see if he is alive?

If you don't. This is my last time. How you take this home?

May I have your prayer verse 41. Lord, I want to see.

Miller beer, closing prayer.

Father. It's so much fun pack in the resurrection.

So much fun pack of who you are and what you've done for us.

Got some of us are Christians. We know you. We are none the less distracted from the Light of Christ, in the beauty of his face.

Some here today may not know you was savior. I may not know you was Lord.

we know your word tells us that Before, you've opened our eyes. We are blind. We are in the Darkness. And we thank you. Jesus, that Luke 24, declares you open the minds of your followers that they might see and understand who you truly are. Who's here today? Who need saving touch. You need that those open eyes. You need a miracle in their lives is it's only you can open the eyes of the blind. Will you please come and do a miracle?

Jesus for all of us. Please help us to fix our gaze upon you. May we never lose sight of Who You Are. Love you, focus. Our eyes upon you. Maybe seeing maybe worship, maybe dance, a real Bay and help us to Faithfully, follow you. Every single day of Our Lives.

Is bless your people. Now is they go on their ways? How much do walking your resurrection power? Jesus name, amen.