The Great Intervention

Introduction

Today we’re going to look at this story about a man called Bartimaeus.

The message is is about a Great Intervention - what we’re reading tonight is about a time in a man’s life where Jesus changed things!

Now at this point in time, Jesus had ministered for about 3 1/2 years, His ministry on earth as prophet is coming to a close.

That being said, we must look first at Bartimaeus’ Condition

I. His Condition (v46)

Out of the Number

The story of Bartimaeus appears three times in Scripture with different details in each account. This however is the only account that we have that gives us his name.

One thing that we do know is that at this moment in time it’s later in Jesus earthly ministry and he is departing Jericho. The Bible tells us that as He is leaving, he is there with His disciples ‘and a great number of people’.

Bartimaeus is there, but he’s not in the number of disciples or those that are following Jesus.

Now if you speak to most anyone here, everyone is going to Heaven - or so they say anyway. But the truth of the matter is, most are in the same situation Bartimaeus was in that day - out of the number. They are not followers of Christ in truth & surely not His Disciples.

More people are surely OUT of the number than those that are in.

Are you in today?

Bartimaeus was Out of the Number

Out of the Way

The next fact that we see about him is that he was out of the way.

‘By the highway side’ Do you know where that is? That’s in the gutter. That’s where all the trash collects & the refuse is discarded.

Do you ever look there as you’re going down the street at the stuff that collects there? (Ill.) Here just last week or so I got a call telling me not to park on the street from such & such a time… The reason was that they had street cleaners come. A special truck to clean up the trash from the gutters.

Do you know why they were there? Because that’s how most regarded them… as trash! There was no hope for them, they were seen as either cursed by God themselves or their parents.

(Ill.) Boy I remember a time that most thought that same thing about me. Almost had me believing it! Nothing but gutter trash that would never amount to anything. But thank God that He has a way of washing a dirty old penny to make them shine for Him!

Bartimaeus was Out of the Way

Out in Misery

‘…blind...’

One of the facts that we learn here about Bartimaeus was that he was blind.

Can you imagine being blind? Imagine loosing your sight - you’d typically be depended upon another some of the time, if not all. You’d never see beauty of the Sunrise or Sunset. Never look upon the faces of your children or grandchildren. Never see a smile or children playing… To me, that would be miserable.

(Ill.) As you know I wear glasses - and I can’t tell you how irritating it is when I don’t have them on & I can’t see adequately. I can’t imagine not being able to see at all - and not being able to do anything about it either!

He was out in Misery

Out of Options

‘…begging’.

Lastly we see that he was Out of Options.

Bartimaeus wasn’t getting any job offers.

He wasn’t getting scholarships

He wasn’t being recruited to play college ball

He couldn’t even get welfare - no Obama-phone for him!

His existence was solely found in the mercy of the kindness of others.

He had no other options - than to sit there with the other trash & beg.

Now as we examine Bartimaeus here, we see a striking similarity appear: Similarity between Bartimaeus and the Lost and undone without God.

The Lost are Out of the Number

Jesus said: Mat. 25:32-33 “And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.”

The Lost are (oftentimes) Out of the Way

They are looked at oftentimes as though they are nothing but refuse. Not worthy of time & attention. Many of you probably see them that way.

The Lost are Out in Misery

Never being satisfied, not understanding what is missing in their lives.

This is why you have people always searching for fulfillment elsewhere:

Kurt Cobain (drugs)

Elizabeth Taylor (husbands)

Mickey Mantle (alcohol - saved on his deathbed)

All of these sought fulfillment in the things of this world, and NEVER GOT SATISFACTION FROM IT!

Now you have all these gender confused people - thinking that by becoming a boy or girl or something in between, THEN they’re going to have validation - THEN they’re going to have peace - BUT IT NEVER COMES!

Then when NONE of that Works - they are out of options.

This was Bartimaeus’ condition - but thank God things were about to change!

We see His Condition, next let’s look at His Cry

II. His Cry (v47-48)

Due to Being Told (v47a)

Bartimaeus began to cry out, because he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was coming.

In other words, someone told him. He may have first heard the commotion, then someone told him, but either way, someone told him that Jesus of Nazareth was coming!

SIDE NOTE - If you get excited about Jesus, it may just prompt a Bartimaeus to ask what all the fuss is about

Church do you know what the Blind, miserable beggars need? Do you know what the forgotten trash out of the way needs? They need to hear about Jesus!

Jesus said: Mat. 11:28 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Paul said: Rom. 10:14 “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”

His cry to Jesus didn’t come spontaneously - it came because someone told him about Jesus!

Due to Being Told

Deliberately (v47b)

Notice carefully what is being said:

He is told that ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ is passing by

He cries out ‘Jesus, thou Son of David’

The reason Bartimaeus cries out ‘Son of David’ in stead of ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ is because Bartimaeus cry is eluding to a great truth - the fact that this Jesus of Nazareth is actually the promised Messiah from the line of David!

He was recognizing Jesus as the Saviour!

He was only referred in this manner a handful of times during his earthly ministry. Another time we see it during Jesus entry into Jerusalem Mat. 21:9 “And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.”

He called on Him Deliberately

Desperately (v47c)

He said ‘Have mercy on me’

That blind man wasn’t saying:

‘I’ve kept the Law of Moses’

‘I’ve done many marvelous works’

‘I’ve suffered so much, I deserve this’

‘I pray and fast twice a week’

‘I give tithes of all I have’

He cried out for mercy.

The Law can’t save you: Gal. 3:21 “Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.”

Works can’t save you: Mat. 7:22-23 “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

it was a desperate call.

Listen if you’ve been born again it was a desperate call for you as well. You understood that you had nothing to offer Christ in exchange for the Salvation He offers. You had no ‘contributing works’. You cried out for mercy as well!

Despite Objection (v48)

Notice also church that he cried out despite the objection.

There were some there that were trying to:

Shout him down

Keep him quiet

Keep him in the same place in the same way

Lost people experience the same things today:

Satan will try to shut you down & shut you up.

Heathen will tell you you don’t need crutch

But thank God - though the enemy of Christ tried to hinder his cry, it didn’t work! That cry made all the difference in the world!

So we see His Condition & His Cry - lastly, we’ll see His Cure

III. His Cure

Because of the Cry...

Jesus Stepped In

‘And Jesus stood still...’

Jesus would have just passed by… but when the cry came to His ears, He stopped in His tracks!

Church, I don’t know about you - but I’m thankful for the intervention of Jesus in my life!

(Ill.) I was lost & undone without God - I had at that point, an average, American life. I had a couple jobs, a family, a respectable life - yet something was missing. Then Jesus passed by my way! ‘Heard my despairing cry - from the waters lifted me now safe am I’!

(Ill.) There used to be a show about ‘interventions’ (not sure about the name). It’s when someone would have a drug or alcohol problem & those that they love would stage an ‘intervention’. They’d tell them how much they loved them in an effort to get them to change their life… I have nothing against those, but there’s a much greater intervention to be had! It’s when Jesus intervenes in your life - tells you how much He loves you and HE changes your life!

Because of His Cry, Jesus Stepped In

Men Served Him

Notice the manner in which Bartimaeus came to Christ. Jesus enlisted one of His servants to go get him.

As mentioned Jesus ALWAYS uses men to do His work.

He could have gone & got him Hisself, but instead he used another to get Bartimaeus.

You see this principle again at the feeding of the 5,000.

He used a little boy’s lunch

He blessed & brake

He gave unto his disciples to distribute

He took what was available, blessed it & gave it to the willing and a miracle was the result!

Men Served Him

He Shed His Old Garments (v50)

The Bible tells us: 2Cor. 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

There’s nothing sadder than having a new man in old clothes. Imagine putting a newborn in dirty clothes from the hamper!

There’s nothing more destructive than a new man in old clothes. As it undermines the power of Christ and makes it seem as though He has no ability change.

Luk. 5:37-38 “And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.”

We Christians if we’ve been saved by the blood of Christ should act like it!

He shed his old garments

He Sought & Received

Lastly we see that not only did He answer the call of Christ, He experienced the blessings of Christ as well.

Church, salvation is but the beginning. Christ has so much more for us!

He Surrendered All

Lastly, we see that He followed the LORD.

Conclusion