Mark 8:22-26 / Sermon Prep

Preparation

Pray

Give us sight. Open our eyes to see you. You must do it, so I ask you to. You are willing and able. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Just Meditate

Questions for the passage / first illumination

“some people” who are the some people who brought you to Jesus? You can be “those people.” / 22

Why did they feel like they needed to beg? / 22

Jesus took him away to a private place / 23

Why did he use spit?

Why did it not “work” the first time? / 24

There is a difference between seeing and seeing clearly

He saw clearly

Think of how excited he must have been

Why did Jesus send him straight home instead of to the village?

Mood/Emotion of the Passage

Tender, personal, patient

Word-studies

None for now

Cross References / Passages that illustrate

Mark 6:5

Commentary

Context / Overview

“According to the Gospel record, Jesus healed at least seven blind men; and each time, the approach was different.” Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1992), 123.

Versus

22

“The hometown of Jesus’ disciples Peter, Andrew, and Philip.” John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Mk 8:22.

23

“Cole notes that the village would be busy, noisy, distracting for a man who could not see. Away from these distractions, he could focus on the Jesus whom he could not yet see.” Rodney L. Cooper, Mark, vol. 2, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 134.

“In the Hebrew culture and much of the ancient world at this time, spit was thought to contain medicinal value.” Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 254.

24

“In light of Jesus’ focus on the disciples’ lack of understanding (8:17-21), the man’s answer may be analogous to their limited apprehension of Jesus.” - esv study

“The fact that this miracle took place in two stages shows that Jesus’ miracles are not formulaic and that healing can be a process. Perhaps Jesus used this miracle to show his disciples that their own “sight” was growing by stages.” Rodney L. Cooper, Mark, vol. 2, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 134.

25

“Peter was about to demonstrate spiritual insight (see 8:29), but he did not yet see clearly enough. Though he believed that Jesus was the Messiah, Peter would also have to embrace everything that meant—including Jesus’s suffering and death.” Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible, 2019), 1157.

Application

Relational application (love your neighbor)

Bring your friends to Jesus, just as they are.

Thinking application (mind)

Jesus’ motives are pure. He doesn’t need the attention or fame. He cares for the individual.

“let Jesus work as He wills, and expect variety in His working” Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 138.

Don’t expect him to heal you in the same way.

Feeling application (heart, soul)

Just because you are not experiencing a total victory does not mean that Jesus isn’t working.

Sometimes Jesus heals you publically, other times, he leads you by the hand into privacy and stillness.

“The fact that this man needed to be touched twice encourages me in my own areas of need. Be it with regard to physical healing, spiritual help, material provision—sometimes we need to pray for a second touch, a third touch, a tenth touch.” Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 254.

Action application (strength)

Will you let Jesus take you by the hand and lead you to a new place, even though you can’t see?

Illustration

Verbal Illustrations

How we needed medicine to help with Jordyn

“We want to pray so much that our faces are glowing.” Moses didn’t know…

Visual Illustrations

Audience

pains/problems

Some are blind

Some want the spectacle

Some have tried to get healed and it seems like it did not work

passions/purposes

Some want to get healed

some want their friends to be healed

Questions/arguments they may have for the text

Why does he use spit?

Why does he take him away?

Why does he prohibit him from returning to the city?

Pre outline

Main Ideas of the text

Jesus is willing and able to heal

Jesus’ motives are pure

Sometimes healing happens in stages

So what?

Don’t give up on your friends

Don’t give up on God

What would this look like lived out?

We would bring friends to church

We would keep knocking/praying/hoping

We would stop doing ministry just for the show and spectacle

Title ideas

Open Your Eyes

The Timeline of Healing

Do you see what I see?

Get healed and go home.

Bring the Blind

An Unusual Healing

Step Before You See

Potential Outlines

Weave my story with doubt through this story of healing

If you can see, bring the blind. If you’re blind, come and see. Remember, healing isn’t always immediate. Jesus doesn’t need to heal you, he wants to help you.