In the 18th chapter of Luke and in the 31st verse, Jesus Christ takes his 12 disciples aside and tells them: we are going up to Jerusalem. Jesus is leading the way, as Easter approaches, but this Easter will be like no other Easter.
Jesus always leads the way, but look where Jesus is going. Jesus knew what was going to happen. Luke tells us that he set his face resolutely-9 verse 51-to go up to Jerusalem. He is determined and will not linger. His mind is firmly fixed.
The crisis of the cross is coming. It is a fundamental point. The disciples are apprehensive when Jesus explains what he is about to experience. In the 10th chapter of Mark, Jesus tells us WHY—to give his life as a ransom for many—to buy people out of his lost sinful condition. Jesus had come to save men from his sins, and Jesus knew that he had come to die. The ‘wise men’ who visited Bethlehem 33 years earlier indicated that because of their gifts.
This distinguishes Jesus Christ from the ‘founder’ of all other religions, or faith communities, as we often hear mentioned today. Jesus Christ is unique.
The purpose of ‘other religions’ is perhaps to help man live a better life and to be an example. Jesus’ mission and purpose was to die and be a sacrifice-our Passover Lamb-1 Corinthians 5 verse 7-shedding his precious blood to cleanse men from sin-and offering forgiveness-through repentance and faith.
Jesus reminds His men of their priority: Jerusalem and the Cross. If Jesus had lost sight of the Cross for a moment, then his whole ministry would have changed, and the same will happen to us if we ever lose sight of The Cross.
If we ever think that we can do things our way, if we ever think that there are other things more important, if for a moment we think that we should focus on other matters, instead of the Cross of Jesus Christ, then we are in trouble – spiritually. speaking.
If we ever think that we can somehow avoid suffering, persecution, and pain, if we ever think that we can get busy doing things for God, and relegate Jesus to a lower position, then we are wrong.
If we ever think we can work things out politically, socially, financially, and forget about our need for forgiveness and cleansing through the Blood of Jesus Christ, then we will have done vital, important, and critical things terribly wrong.
It is good to get to what lies right at the very heart of our Christian faith.
Jesus Christ holds the cross before his chosen men, and as he does so, he quotes the Scriptures: “Everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of man will come to pass.” I will be handed over to the Gentiles, that is, to the non-Jews, to the Romans, I will be mocked, insulted, spat on, flogged, killed, and Jesus warns them what to expect, and us. also – and three days after all that I will rise again – verses 31 to 33.
Jesus makes it all so clear as to what was going to happen. He places before his men the Cross-but in the perspective of the Resurrection-in the light of his resurrection from the dead. Jesus always spoke specifically about experiencing suffering.
Jesus always talked about sacrifice before success, tribulation before triumph, death before resurrection, sowing before harvest, and no disciple understood. Jesus could not have been clearer, clearer, simpler, but a man can only understand Jesus and the Cross, when the Father reveals it to him.
God has to come and open blind eyes and say “SEE”.
God comes and tells us – Look and see what it all means – My Son dying for you – suffering for you – shedding His Blood to wash you – rising to lead you – to guide you – to give you life – to heal you – to use you – to do your fruitful and profitable life. Can you see all that? May?
We often have to listen to people who say, “I just can’t see that, I just don’t see the point in that, I can’t see what all of that will accomplish. I don’t see things the way you see them, And after all, I have my own opinion.”
After being with Jesus for three years, so little seemed to be happening.
He needed a miracle, and he needs a miracle today, see that clearly, and let’s be mindful of that when we talk to people.
Everything was hidden from them. Oh, it was revealed – the miracle took place – but there is a lesson we can learn here for our comfort.
God hides things sometimes, truths can be so dark for a while, and there are times when we want to say, “Why can’t he see that? Why isn’t she aware of that?”
Immediately after this conversation, they came to Jericho, and a blind man was sitting there begging. Mark tells us that his name is Bartimaeus. A noise arose and Bartimaeus asked what was happening – and some said – Come Jesus of Nazareth.
He cried – Jesus Son of David – have mercy on me. Those who led this procession gave the blind man a scolding – Shut up – Sh! Sh! – Don’t make so much noise. Were they embarrassed? They were annoying? Did they regard Jesus as his property, just for them, for their procession in Jericho? And – why should this beggar occupy Jesus’ precious time?
He was crying out for mercy, and they were like “Sh! Shh!” He cried out even louder-his sight depended on his meeting with Jesus-Jesus Christ the King.
It must have been pretty noisy. Whose voice was Jesus going to listen to? This was NOT the setting for a healing. Jesus was not upset or worried about the scenario.
How big is your need sometimes? What do you really need from Jesus?
Is there something that only Jesus Christ can give?
Is there something you need to know Jesus about?
Blind Bartimaeus sowed a seed, sowed a request, sowed a prayer, and soon, for him, there would be a HARVEST.
To the crowd, he was just a nuisance, a plague, a beggar. Some people may consider it that way, does it matter? There comes a point where we no longer have to think about what people might think of us.
This was the last time that Jesus would visit Jericho, and for Jesus, Bartimaeus was someone in need, and Jesus always has time for the person in need, who really needs it.
Verse 41 – Jesus asks – What do you want me to do for you? Well, Jesus, isn’t that pretty obvious? Sometimes Jesus wants us to spell it. Blind Bartimaeus’s need is so desperate that he is neither afraid nor ashamed to make it public. When we come in pure need – Jesus comes in pure Grace and Mercy and Love and Power.
The Power of the Kingdom flowed. The sight of the kingdom was given. The result was kingdom discipleship.
The Kingdom of God had broken into the life of Bartimaeus.
Jesus meets the need of this blind man, and in a sense this blind man could see more than all the others put together. He had faith to see that Jesus could heal his sight.
What a harvest of that seed in prayer, that request in prayer, that cry in prayer.
Verse 43. He followed Jesus. Then he went on to praise God. He was open to change. His life would now take on a whole new shape, a different shape.
The people who were present saw the miracle and also praised God.
When people get up and praise God, that’s always significant, significant.
What a harvest, what a miracle, and it all started with someone who sounded like a nuisance, but cried out to the right Person for mercy.
Bartimaeus wanted to see, and he didn’t care what it sounded like, if he was going to get his sight back.
He was real, he was desperate, determined and persistent.
When Jesus met his need, he followed Jesus; Jesus would never go down this road again, and when the opportunity presented itself, Bartimaeus acted immediately.
Another man’s life was also about to change radically, my friend Zacchaeus, read on in the next chapter, with an open heart and mind.
As Jesus touches you, blesses you, speaks to you, heals you, forgives you, feeds you, calls you, follow him, all the way, to Calvary and beyond.
