He's Coming Your Way

Intro:

Jesus said to tell you He’s coming. I first understood Him to mean His parousia, but that is not what He meant. As believers, the second coming of Christ is the bedrock of our hope and expectation. Jesus has not abandoned us to the event of His coming; He wants to come now and empower us by His Spirit and prepare our hearts for His return.

2 Chronicles 16:9 NASB95

“For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars.”

Mark 10:46-52

Background:

Jesus is making His way to Jerusalem for the last time. It is highly likely that Jesus passed through Jericho just for the encounter w/ Bartimaeus. All three of the synoptics record this event w/ some variation. Matthew tells us there were two blind men healed by Jesus as He was leaving Jericho. Luke agrees w/ Mark that there was only one, but that Jesus healed him as he was entering the city. Though it may appear so, the narratives of our three gospel authors are not contradictory (explain). The new Jericho was built about a 1 1/2 from the old Jericho. It is likely these blind men were in between them.

Citing the names of the sick who received healing is not the norm, for they are only named in two places (both in Mark). Mark names Jairus as the father of a sick girl, and here he names our blind man.

Augustine of Hippo states:

Consequently there can be little doubt that this Bartimæus, the son of Timæus, had fallen from some position of great prosperity, and was now regarded as an object of the most notorious and the most remarkable wretchedness, because, in addition to being blind, he had also to sit begging. And this is also the reason, then, why Mark has chosen to mention only the one whose restoration to sight acquired for the miracle a fame as widespread as was the notoriety which the man’s misfortune itself had gained.

Message:

It is clear that Bartimaeus had at one time been able to see; for he says to Jesus “I want to regain my sight.”

We don’t necessarily know why this seems to be the only miracle Jesus performed on this pass through Jericho.

While both men (according to Matthew) were healed, it appears the emphasis is on Bartimaeus.

Bartimaeus means “son of Timaeus.”

His blindness (and possibly the cause thereof) had reduced him to anonymity, the witnesses not even knowing his personal name.

But Jesus knew who he was and was passing by in order to restore back to him what had been lost or stolen.

Our Father is a God of restoration.

Joel 2:25–26 NKJV

“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame.

Spurgeon — Wherever Jesus Christ is found, his presence is marvellously mighty.

He is coming to invade our atmosphere, to invoke our intimacy, and to infuse our passion.

When He comes, He will pass by if you let Him, but if you will cry out in desperate faith, the Lord Jesus Himself will stand still and turn His countenance toward you.

It’s obvious that Bartimaeus had heard about Jesus.

But if he had not responded the way he did, Jesus would have passed him by.

God sent me to tell you that Jesus is about to pass your way; He’s coming to revive and restore you.

Like Bartimaeus, our response to Jesus will determine whether or not we receive what He has for us.

1.) He Reached out to Jesus

Bartimaeus heard the commotion and asked what it was; when he was told it was Jesus, he responded by crying out.

He reached out by crying out b/c it was his only means of doing so.

Many people who sought help from the Lord came up to Him, but all Bartimaeus could do was shout.

Sometimes crying out is all you can do.

He cried out in faith (acknowledging Jesus as the Son of David) and desperation.

2.) He Rejected his life as he knew it

The outer garment was used as a coat in cold weather and as bedding at night, and might have been spread before him for use in his daytime begging if he had no pouch.

On the narrative level, the act of casting it aside signifies his forsaking dependence on anything else and trusting only in Jesus.

We, too, must reject putting our trust in anything else and trust only in Jesus.

3.) He Received the request of his faith

We are praying for revival. If we are to see it, it will depend on these same factors.

Jesus is ever wanting to invade our atmosphere w/ His presence.

We must cry out to Him in faith as our source of strength and hope.

We must leave behind our comfort zones.