March 8th Sermon Notes - Pastor Johnny Scott

Jesus’ Road Trip to Jerusalem
Jesus traveled to Jerusalem at least five times.
Likely He made other unrecorded trips throughout His lifetime.

Recorded moments:
One early trip at age 12 (found teaching in the temple)
His first recorded trip after His baptism, following a brief stint preaching in Galilee
His first trip as a Rabbi — not yet the fully unveiled Messiah

The Turning Point
Luke 9:51
As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven,
Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.
From this moment on, every step takes Him closer to confrontation.
This is the turning point of Luke’s Gospel.

From here forward:
Everything is intentional
Everything is on purpose
Jesus knows what is waiting in Jerusalem — and He walks toward it anyway.
The road to purpose is often a road toward suffering.

The Blind Man on the Road
Luke 18:35–43
As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.
When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening.
They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more,
“Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him.
When he came near, Jesus asked him,
“What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.
Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.”
Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God.
When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

Story Stacking
Jesus stacks stories together to reveal a larger point.
(Think of a kid’s coloring page slowly revealing the picture.)

1. Pharisee vs Tax Collector
“Thank you God that I’m not like these…”
He didn’t see himself

2. Children
“Unless you become like these…”
They didn’t see the wonder

3. Rich Young Ruler
He didn’t see what was more valuable

4. The Disciples
Jesus told them three times that He was going to die.
They rejected the message four different ways.
This was the third and final time.

Mark’s Passion Announcements
Mark’s Milestones — Response (v.34):
“They didn’t grasp it.”

They failed to see in four ways:
Failure to see God’s plan in Scripture
Including God using human opposition to fulfill His purpose.
Failure to see suffering as part of discipleship
Failure to see Jesus’ rejection as part of the plan

Resulting in overly optimistic expectations of immediate victory.

Rivalry over rank
Because they failed to see that greatness comes through serving.

See Jesus
Extra information in Mark’s version of this story.
Mark 10:46
Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”)…

Interesting Details
32 healing events in the Synoptic Gospels
Almost none include names
Yet this man is named:
Bartimaeus
Bar (Aramaic) = son
Timaeus = also the name of Plato’s most famous dialogue

Plato contrasts:
Seeing the physical world
While being blind to eternal truths
“Son of Timaeus” could represent the son of missing it.
Up until the 3rd century A.D., every educated person was expected to know this work.

The Theme of Sight
Blindness and sight are constant themes in life and the Bible.
Common phrases we use:
“I can’t see it”
“Look before you leap”
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”
“Out of sight, out of mind”
“In the blink of an eye”
“A sight for sore eyes”
“His eyes were shut to it”
“He could see the future”
“Help me see what I’m missing”

Types of sight:
Hindsight
Foresight
Insight
Nearsighted
Farsighted
Out of sight

You Can Walk With Jesus and Still Not See Him

You can be on the road to Jerusalem with Jesus and still not see Him.
How do we know?

Because many people didn’t see Him.
Jesus was astonished when this man did.
It literally stopped Him in His tracks.

“Son of David”
This phrase appears 17 times in the New Testament (mostly in Matthew).
It is a messianic title.
Yet this blind man is the one who uses it.
Why?
What did he see that others didn’t?
He heard about Jesus.
Just like us.
He didn’t physically see Jesus —
but he recognized who He was.
If You Don’t See Jesus as Messiah
You are blind to Him.

Matthew 11:2–5
When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him,
“Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
Jesus replied,
“Go back and report to John what you hear and see:
The blind receive sight,
the lame walk,
those who have leprosy are cleansed,
the deaf hear,
the dead are raised,
and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.”

Surrender to See Him
Mark 10:50
Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
Keys
1. He left his cloak
You’ll have to leave something behind.
2. He fought through opposition
You’ll have to fight through:
Pride
Fear
Other shiny things
3. Like the tax collector
“I need you.”
Not self-righteousness.

Opposition
Opposition only made him more determined.
When we claim merit, it becomes:
Self-righteousness
Or using Jesus as a tool for our own desires
A Powerful Detail
This is the last healing in the book of Mark.
The final healing Jesus performs
is helping someone see Him as the Messiah.
Bartimaeus then follows Him 17 miles uphill to Jerusalem
during Passion Week.

Answer Him to See Him
Jesus asked:
“What do you want me to do for you?”
The blind man answered:
“Lord, I want to see.”
Luke 18:41–43
“Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.”
Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God.
When all the people saw it, they also praised God.
Why Jesus Asked the Question
To draw out the man’s faith
To pull him to his feet of faith
Jesus still asks the same question today.
“What do you want me to do for you?”
May our answer be the same:
“Lord, I want to see.”