Foretelling and Healing
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Good morning! Welcome to CHCC. I hope you all had a great week. We continue our trek through Luke’s gospel today as we conclude chapter 18. In our passage, Jesus gives His final foretelling of His death and as He continues His way towards Jerusalem to accomplish His work, He is met by a blind beggar near the city of Jericho.
Both passages this morning give further credibility to Jesus as the Messiah; through prophecy and through miracle He continues to show is authority and power as well as pointing to Himself as the Messiah promised in the Old Testament. If you have your Bibles with you this morning, please turn with me to Luke 18, beginning in verse 31.
PRAY
Jesus Foretells His Death Again
Jesus Foretells His Death Again
And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.
Jesus reminds His disciples of the purpose of their travels. He is making His way towards Jerusalem where He will enter the city six days before Passover. We aren’t reminded a lot in Luke’s gospel that during this time, Jesus is traveling a lot with purposeful intent to make it to Jerusalem.
Furthermore, Jesus foretells of His impending death; and this isn’t the first time He’s done this. Luke’s gospel records for us several moments where Jesus foretells of this moment, beginning in chapter 9.
saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
“Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.”
I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!
And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’
But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
So what Jesus tells His disciples here is nothing new. He has been giving clear warning of what is to come. However, here in chapter 18 He gives a little more detail of what is coming. He says He will be handed over to the Gentiles, He will be spit upon, mocked, flogged, killed, and will rise again three days later.
What is also clearly seen here and in Luke 9 is Jesus proclamation as the “Son of Man.” This is a title found 79 times throughout the Gospels. It was a title that Jesus would give Himself and often used it of Himself when speaking to His disciples.
It comes from the prophecy of Daniel chapter 7. It is a rather descriptive vision concluding with the prophetic words of the Son of Man.
“I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.
So Jesus’ identification as the “Son of Man” is Him saying, “I am who Daniel prophesied of. I am the eternal Sovereign King.” The first time we see Jesus use this term is found in Mark’s gospel.
But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.”
As theologian Walter Elwell says,
“[Jesus was] consciously and creatively investing the title with deep Christological meaning, tantamount to sharing the prerogative of God.”
Jesus often substituted the person “I” with “The Son of Man” when speaking—especially with His followers. With as often as it is recorded, He likely used it on a regular basis with the disciples. And as we see, the foretelling of His death was also not uncommon.
But even with all the warnings of what was to come, they didn’t understand. In fact, three times here Luke explains they’re lack of understanding.
But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.
From our perspective we think, “How could they not possibly grasp what He was saying? How could Jesus possibly be more clear?” A note from the ESV Study Bible has a possible explanation here. It says:
“Although they understand the meaning of Jesus’ words, they could not understand why Jesus was predicting this or how it could possibly fit into God’s plans for the Messiah. The fact that the Messiah must suffer and die was hidden from them.”
And that’s just it—the reason they did not understand was because the “saying was hidden from them.” For His purposes, God—for a time—hid the meaning and significance of His death. In fact we will read a beautiful conversation between Jesus and two followers on the road to Emmaus. It tells us in chapter 24 that they were discussing Jesus and what had just happened when Jesus appears, but their eyes were kept from recognizing Him. And Jesus asks them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And Cleopas—one of the followers here—replies, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
And I love Jesus’ simple reply, “What things?” Cleopas is thinking, “Was this guy living under a rock??” But he explains to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel” (vv. 19-21a).
And then Jesus gives them the full run down!
And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
So while they likely grasped what Jesus was saying about dying, they didn’t grasp the significance and necessity of it. Likely, I imagine their response is along the lines of, “Why does He keep saying this? He isn’t dying! He’s going to rule on His throne! He’s taking back Israel from the Gentiles!”
Their idea of the Messianic reign was a physical one. Their salvation was from captivity and oppression. But God’s plan is far greater with eternal significance. While the disciples did have firsthand, eyewitness account of Jesus’ life we have something they did not—the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and the rest of the New Testament that reveals to us the Messianic reality of Jesus Christ.
This passage makes an interesting segue into the next. The disciples here are in a sense, spiritually blind to the reality of Jesus’ necessary death and resurrection to complete His work. And now we enter into a passage of a man who, while physically blind, can see spiritually.
The Blind Beggar Healed
The Blind Beggar Healed
As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
This passage reveals to us just how close Jesus and the disciples are to Jerusalem. On the outskirts of Jericho, they are roughly 18-20 miles away from Jerusalem which would be a one to three day journey depending on how fast they want to take it. This tells us we are nearing the passion week of Jesus and puts into perspective how close His final foretelling of His death was to the actual moment.
Jesus is traveling with what is likely to be a rather large group. Many people are making their way to Jerusalem for Passover and it was also common for Rabbis to have crowds and they would teach as they traveled.
As they are nearing the city of Jericho, a blind man hears a commotion of people. Curious, he asks a nearby citizen, “What’s going on?” And they tell him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
Clearly, by this point in Jesus’ ministry His reputation precedes Him. Word has quickly traveled among the country of this Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus has answered Nathanael’s question in John 1:46, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” YES! Clearly! And the rest of Israel is hearing about it, too.
So this blind man, hearing who was nearby, begins crying out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” So we now come to a second title given to Jesus in our reading this morning. The first was the “Son of Man” and now the blind man cries out to Him, calling Him “the Son of David.”
I find this to be remarkable. Here is this blind man who has yet to come into contact with Jesus. However, he has likely heard firsthand accounts from others retelling of many of Jesus’ works and teachings. Perhaps he has gathered that Jesus is of the tribe of Judah and clearly understands that He comes from the lineage of David. Whatever He has heard, without ever being in the presence of Jesus, the blind man has made the connection that this Jesus of Nazareth is the prophesied Messiah. He is the Son of Man, the Son of David, the Son of God.
So realizing that Jesus is likely just passing through the city, the beggar makes a desperate plea: “Son of David, have mercy on me!” But those near him wanted nothing of it and so they rebuke him. “Be quiet! Jesus is teaching!” perhaps was the response.
But the blind man knew it was now or never so he continues, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Being blind, he couldn’t snake through the heavy crowd of people, so he did only what he could. He continued to cry out, hoping his words would fall on Jesus’ ears.
Bartimaeus’ cry is significant. Son of David. This is entirely theological. This is the only time we see it in Luke’s Gospel. It is used 10 times in Matthew’s gospel which makes sense since Matthew wrote to the Jewish audience who would be seeking this reality from their Scriptural prophesies.
These weren’t just desperate cries of a blind man as we will see. They were also the desperate cries of a man of great faith. Here is a man who likely never had sight. He went from the darkness of the womb to the darkness of a sightless world. He had never experienced a sunset, or the waters sparkling in the sun. He had never witnessed the leaves of trees blowing in a gentle wind. He never saw the beauty of a thousand stars shining on a cloudless night. He never saw his mother or father’s face.
Things we may take for granted that point to a perfect Creator that we witness every week had never been experienced by this man. But there is something this man had that others do not; something far worse than physical blindness and that is spiritual blindness. As R. Kent Hughes explains:
There is only one thing worse than blindness, and that is not knowing that you are blind. Multitudes are blind to their darkness, blind to their sin, blind to their destiny, blind to their hopelessness, spiritually out of touch.
Someone once asked Hellen Keller—who was famously blind and deaf—”Isn’t it terrible to be blind?” To which she responded with remarkable wisdom, “Better to be blind and see with your heart, than to have two good eyes and see nothing.”
So who is this blind man? Mark’s parallel account gives us a name! In Mark 10:46 it tells us his name is Bartimaeus. I’m always curious to the meanings of names in Scripture because names were so important in their culture. And the name Bartimaeus has a couple meanings. “Bar” is the Aramaic word for “son of.” So in its simplest form it means “Son of Timaeus.” The name Timaeus means “honorable one.” So the name then means “Son of honor.” However, if we keep along the lines of Aramaic, Timaeus derives from the word “tame” which means defiled or unclean. Which could be the case as born blind was typically seen as a result of parents sin. In other words he was born in the uncleanliness of sin.
Whether this is of any significance to this passage remains to be seen, but I find it nevertheless interesting.
But Bartimaeus’ constant, undeterred cry, I believe, reveals a heart that we should all strive for. While blind, He saw Jesus for who He truly is and His faith was entirely placed in Him. No amount of rebuking was going to mute his desperate cries. Here is his Messiah in his presence! Here is his salvation! Here is his “Son of David!”
Bartimaeus is an example of a heart that fully desires Jesus.
You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
Bartimaeus also fits the bill of Jesus’ statement in the Beatitudes.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
As one author put it, “Spiritual blessings do not go to the halfhearted but to those who want them above all else.” The blind man was entirely dependent upon Jesus as we all should learn to be.
So let us read of Jesus’ response again, verse 40.
And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
I think the first thing we can note here is that Jesus heard and immediately responded to this man’s cry. The same holds true for us today; while He may be seated at the right hand of the Father, He still hears our cries and our petitions. As Paul points out to the Romans, nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.
Mark’s account adds a little more detail to this moment.
And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.
What a moment for this man! In all his desperate pleas, remember, he is unable to see if Jesus can hear him or is responding to him. But then someone comes alongside, takes hold of his arm, and gently talks into his ear: “Take heart. Get up; Jesus is calling for you. He’s heard your cry.”
And Jesus gets right to the point with a straight-to-the-point question that requires a straight-to-the-point answer: What do you want me to do for you?
In other words, “What is your greatest need?” Jesus wanted him to say it; to articulate it. Tell me (God) what you need. And he does it: Lord, let me recover my sight. Lord, let me see.
And in this moment, again, by just a word, Jesus heals him. Once more, Luke records for us a moment that reveals to the reader of Jesus’ power and authority. He’s shown power and authority over nature and weather. He has shown power and authority to forgive sins. He’s shown power and authority over unclean spirits. And once more he shows power and authority over sickness, disease, and ailments. Nothing can stand in the way of the power and might and authority of God.
And by the end of Jesus’ statement: Recover your sight; your faith has made you well—this blind man has sight. I don’t think we can even imagine or come near to fully appreciating this moment for Bartimaeus. From complete blindness to complete sight in an instant. It would have to be completely overwhelming. I remember the first time I got glasses and that was overwhelming! I had no idea that you were supposed to be able to read road signs from far back. I just assumed it was normal for things to get progressively blurrier the farther off they were. But the first time I put on my glasses I was looking at everything, then taking my glasses off to compare and was just amazed. I realized the entire world was in 4K! High Definition! That amazed me.
But this moment is infinitely greater! I went from blurry to clear. This man went from darkness to light. Colors exploded into focus for the first time! But what is more, the very first thing that Bartimaeus perceived was the face of Jesus. There is nothing better!
Of this exact moment, Clarence Macartney wrote:
And for you and me, too, that will be the greatest of all sights. When we awake from the dream men call life, when we put off the image of the earth and break the bonds of time and mortality, when the scales of time and sense have fallen from our eyes and the garment of corruption has been put off and when this mortality has put on immortality and this corruption has put on incorruption and we awaken in the everlasting morning, that will be the sight that will stir us and hold us.
There are things I have seen that have left me breathless and without words. God’s creation in it’s beauty. Sunsets over the Pacific and Gulf Coasts. The Grand Canyon. The view from the top of Pike’s Peak in Colorado. The intensity of lightning strikes in Florida. A torrential downpour in the middle of New Mexico. The sights of a rainforest. Lava erupting from a volcano in the middle of the night. And all of these things leave me in awe of my God, our perfect Creator. And yet all of these things are just a foretaste of the kingdom. They won’t even compare to the moment my eyes will rest upon my Savior. I fully agree with Macartney. It will be a sight that will stir us and hold us.
When Jesus heals the man, he tells him, “Your faith has made you well.” This is a phrase we saw back in Luke 17 when Jesus spoke to a leper and it has the same meaning here. The literal translation reads, “Your faith has saved you.” Yes, his faith played a part in his physical healing, but more importantly it brought forth salvation.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
While this is the last time we see this man recorded in Scripture, many scholars believe that the reason Mark gave his name is because Bartimaeus became an important part of the church body. It tells us here in Luke that Bartimaeus recovered his sight and followed Jesus. This means that some of the first things he witnessed with his eyes were the face of Jesus, the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the crucifixion, and the resurrection. Not bad for your first week or so of vision.
CLOSING
So what about us? What does this passage hold for us today? I believe first, like the blind beggar, we must see our needs and be able to articulate it. You may not be physically blind, but are you spiritually blind? Do you fail to see your sin and your desperate need for Jesus? Whatever it may be we must ask the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of our hearts.
Second, with our spiritual sight, we must—again, like the blind man—recognize Jesus for who He is. He is the Son of Man, the Son of David, the Son of God.
Third, we must again do like the blind man and cry out to Jesus. Have mercy on me. Just like the tax collector from the parable. Have mercy on me, a sinner.
And lastly, like the once-blind man we are to become worshipers of God. It tells us in verse 43 that he was following him, [and] glorifying God.
Like the Psalmist, may we taste and see that the Lord is good.
PRAY
