Healing the blind man vs. 22-26

• Back in Bethsaida (map of Israel)…
  • Having again upset the Religious leaders (seeking a sign) they return to the Eastern Galilee
    • The moment they arrive the people bring a blind man to Jesus…
    • Perhaps the same people who had brought Jesus the deaf and mute man….
    • Like the deaf and mute man – Jesus took him by the hand and led him out of the town…
  • Jesus spit on his eyes – and touched him with His hands…
    • For the 2^nd time in the Eastern Galilee – Jesus healed by spitting…
    • Jesus never healed by spitting on the Western side of the Galilee…
    • Jesus often healed there by touching – Peter’s mother in law / the Leper…
    • The point of course in not how Jesus healed – but that He does heal – and saves!
    • Yet often people tend to ‘latch’ onto little things – and miss what’s important…
    • One might imagine a church starting on the Eastern side – ‘Church of Jesus who spits’
    • On the Western side of the Galilee – ‘Church of Jesus who touches’
    • Both churches would believe they were the ‘right’ church while the other was wrong…
    • So often in the church we get so caught up in our little differences…
    • Fellowship Baptist / Baptist convention / Catholic…
    • We forget that we are all part of the same church – the Body of Christ!
    • I Corinthians 12:12 – “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up only one body. So it is with the body of Christ.”
    • It is far more important what we have in common – Jesus – than our differences
  • A partial healing…
    • Jesus then asked the man what he could see…
      • Men like trees walking around – in other words – he could see – but not well
      • (Perhaps his vision was blurry because of the spit in his eyes…)
    • Jesus touched him again – this time his sight was restored completely…
      • This is the only example in the Bible of Jesus ‘needing’ a 2^nd effort to heal a man…
      • There is no doubt – Jesus could have healed him the 1^st time – so why the 2^nd effort…
      • Before we were saved – before we came to Jesus – we were spiritually blind
      • It is when Jesus touched us – saved us – that our eyes were opened
      • But we did not see that well at first – things were still a bit blurry…
      • We knew we were going to heaven – but did not know much about Jesus/Bible…
      • But as we continue to go to Jesus – as He touches us a 2^nd (and 3^rd, 4^th…) time
      • We can see Jesus more and more clearly – our eyes are truly opened!
  • Don’t go to or tell anyone from the village – Jesus was trying to keep a low profile 

Who do men say I am… vs. 27-30

• Lots of options – only one right answer… vs. 27-29
  • Jesus and the disciples entered into the region of Caesarea Philippi…
  • Northern Israel – on the slopes of Mt. Hermon – border of modern day Lebanon/Syria
  • There Jesus asked the question (Imperfect) – ‘Who do men say that I am?’
    • Some say – John the Baptist – Mark 6:14
      • Herod Antipas was convinced that Jesus was John risen from the dead
      • Mostly because he was convicted because he had killed John…
    • Some say – Elijah
      • Malachi 4:5 – “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.”
      • The last verses of the OT prophesied the return of the Elijah the prophet
    • Some say – one of the Prophets
      • Apparently there was a mix of other prophets in consideration as well
      • Deuteronomy 18:15 – “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear…”
      • Moses had prophesied about a Prophet like him who would come… 
  • Interesting to see how many opinions there were about the identity of Jesus…
    • Things have not changed much – there are still a lot of opinions today:
    • Secular history believes – Jesus was a real historical figure – but there is no God
    • Islam believes – Jesus was just a prophet – though less than Muhammad
    • Hindus believe –Jesus that Jesus was a reincarnated perfect man
    • The Jehovah Witnesses believe – Jesus is Michael the Arch-angel
    • The Mormons believe – Jesus is “a” god – but not the One true God
    • It seems people cannot ignore Jesus – but they cannot agree on just who He was
    • But it turns out it is not important what others say… the real question is
  • “Who do you say I am?”
    • Jesus is not concerned about what other people say – what do you say
    • Who is Jesus in your life… was He just a man, and Angel, a Prophet…
    • Is He God – is He your savior – is He your Lord
    • Easy words to say – but do our action back up what we say
    • Do we live a life that shows we know Jesus – and follow Jesus…

• You are the Christ… vs.  29-30
  • Peter boldly answered…
    • You are the Christ – literally the Messiah – savior of the world!
    • Jesus was no mere man – Prophet – or even Angel – He was God incarnate!
    • Jesus accepts the acknowledgment by Peter – Confirming He is the Messiah
  • How did Peter understand – what so many had missed…
    • Revealed from my Father in Heaven – Matthew 16:17
    • Revealed – apokalupto – to uncover a hidden truth
      • What Peter understood was a great mystery – one that had been hidden
      • At this point he only got half the truth – who Jesus was – not why He had come…
      • Up to this point no one understood why Jesus had come
      • If they had understood – they would never have crucified Him!
      • I Corinthians 2:7-8 – “The wisdom we speak of is the secret wisdom of God, which was hidden in former times, though he made it for our benefit before the world began.  But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would never have crucified our glorious Lord.”
    • But it was not Peter’s brilliance that allowed him to see this truth…
      • It was revelation that came from the Father in Heaven
      • Do you ever wonder why people seem to miss obvious truth
      • It seems so obvious to us Jesus is the answer – how could anyone miss it
      • I Corinthians 2:14 – “But people who aren’t Christians can’t understand these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means.”
      • God died so we could live – in order to live we must die
      • We are strong when we are weak… foolishness to the world!
      • We do not understand because we are so smart – it is God’s spirit inside of us!
      • The truths of God can only be understood by those who have the Spirit of God
  • Tell no one…
    • The disciples understood Jesus was the promised Messiah – savior…
    • But the time was not right yet for them to share the good news
    • Jesus still had to be crucified – He still needed to pay the price for all sin…
    • When the time was right – even if men said nothing – the very stones would cry out!

Take up your cross… vs. 31-38

• Peter’s rebuke… vs.  31-33
  • From that time Jesus plainly (Imperfect) gave them the message of the Gospel…
    • He must suffer many things – be rejected by the priests and scribes
    • That He would be killed – and 3 days later rise again (the disciples missed this part)
    • This was the other half of the mystery – why Jesus had come…
    • Jesus coming to earth wasn’t enough to save – salvation came through the cross
    • The heart of the Gospel – without the cross there is no salvation – no hope!
  • Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him
    • Peter understood Jesus was the Christ – but he did not yet understand the cross…
    • He understood who Jesus was – but not why He had come
  • Jesus turned to all the disciples – and before them all…
    • Jesus rebuked Peter – addressing him as satan!
    • Unknowingly perhaps – Peter was tempting Jesus to avoid the cross
    • Peter, the same man who had been in tune with the Father a moment before
    • Was now under the influence of satan!
  • You are not thinking about the things of God – but instead the things of men…
    • Peter liked the idea of Jesus being the promised Messiah…
    • But he DID NOT like the idea of the cross!

• If anyone desires to come after me… vs. 34-38
  • In response to Peter trying to convince Jesus to avoid the cross…
  • Jesus tells Peter to pick up his own cross!
    • There was no avoiding Jesus’ purpose – He came to die on the cross
    • To follow Jesus – be a disciple – means to follow Him to the cross…
    • We say we believe in Jesus – but do we really understand what that means
    • Like Peter we might understand, and like,  that Jesus is the Messiah – savior
    • But then miss the fact that there is the cross
    • Are we looking for a way to have salvation – but live our lives our way
    • Believing in Jesus mean following him – taking up our cross – dying to ourselves!
  • Whoever desires to save his life will loose (literally condemn it to hell) it…
    • If we don’t want to deny ourselves – if we want to live for this world
    • If we think we can find happiness in anything this world has to offer – we loose
    • We can chase after money, possessions, fame, popularity, power…
      • Ecclesiastes 2:11 – “Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.”
      • But looking for happiness – answers to life in this world is chasing the wind
      • It’s not about chasing something that’s hard to catch, there’s nothing there
      • No one comes to the end wishing they had more money or things
      • But many realize they wasted their life – lost their life – chasing after the wind…
    • If we had everything the world could ever offer us – but miss Jesus…
      • If you had all the money / all the power / all the fame – everything you ever wanted
      • But when you died spent an eternity in hell separated from Jesus – was it worth it…
  • The one who looses his life for Jesus’ sake – finds it
    • It is when we live for Jesus that we find true life!
    • It does not seem to make sense – but it is when we loose our life in Jesus…
    • That we truly find life – real life – the Joy and peace that God desires us to have
    • How good is a seed all by itself?  If I take a seed and hold onto it what happens?
    • If I let it go – if I bury it – if it dies – what happens then…
    • John 12:24-25 – “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.  He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”
    • Only when we are willing to let our life go – do we truly find life in Jesus!
    • Then we will find the ultimate reward – not only eternal life with Jesus
    • But a full and fulfilling life while we wait for His soon return!
  • Whosoever is ashamed of Jesus – and His Word…
    • If we are ashamed to stand up for Jesus – then He will be ashamed of us!
    • There is always a great temptation in life to want to blend into the crowd…
    • On Sundays – at church – we are more than willing to make a stand for Jesus…
    • But how about at the market – how about at work – how about in our homes
    • We say we know who Jesus is – we say we believe – but do we show it in our lives
    • Romans 1:16 – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…”