Healing of the Blind Man at Bethsaida

In this part of the sermon: Martin meticulously details the miracle, covering its setting in Bethsaida, the blind man's condition, the friends' intercession, Jesus' deliberate withdrawal, the two stages of…

Martin explains the 'historical present' linguistic form in Mark, urging listeners to imagine the event unfolding before their eyes in the present assembly, rather than looking back in time.

This is a vivid description of this unique miracle. And as Mark so often has done in previous sections we have examined, so he does again here. He uses a linguistic form called the historical present, in which it is not only proper, but in a sense it is mandated by the linguistic structure that we attempt to place ourselves in that precise, historical setting and see the incident unfolding before our eyes, so that we are not so much looking back two thousand years trying to peer into Bethsaida

8:22 - 9:05 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin meticulously details the miracle, covering its setting in Bethsaida, the blind man's condition, the friends' intercession, Jesus' deliberate withdrawal, the two stages of…

He describes the horror of blindness, especially for one who once had sight, to emphasize the man's desperate need.

There is in the subsequent context an indication that he was most likely not born blind, but that at a given point in his life he had lost his sight. The word used for the restoring of his sight would seem to indicate that he previously possessed sight, as well as his ability to discern the difference between men and trees, and to know that he was seeing men with eyes. When he was seeing men walking about, but only seeing them as trees, these things all point in the direction of a man who was afflicted with blindness, who at one time had had the faculty of sight.

12:13 - 12:56 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin meticulously details the miracle, covering its setting in Bethsaida, the blind man's condition, the friends' intercession, Jesus' deliberate withdrawal, the two stages of…

Martin uses the relatable action of wiping spit from one's eyes to help the audience visualize the scene and the man's likely reaction to Jesus' actions.

Verse 24, and he looked up and said, I see men, for I behold them as trees walking. In response to the question of Jesus, do you see anything? The verb means, literally, he looked up, apparently his head was somewhat down, the spittle dripping from his eyeballs, Jesus' hands are now withdrawn, and whether he had to wipe the spittle off his eyelids, I don't know, imagine he would, that's what I would do, if someone had spat in my eyes, and said, now can you see, I'd wipe the spit off, wouldn't you? I think you would.

20:07 - 20:48 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin meticulously details the miracle, covering its setting in Bethsaida, the blind man's condition, the friends' intercession, Jesus' deliberate withdrawal, the two stages of…

The man's description of seeing 'men as trees walking' is used to illustrate indistinct, partial sight, which is then applied to spiritual illumination.

As unfastidious as it may appear to our culture, this is what the text says, that he spat upon his eyes, laid his hands upon them, do you see anything? And looking up, he does see. For the first time in we don't know how long, there is something active, with the light rays that are coming upon his eyeballs, something is registering upon the retina, signals are being sent by the optic nerve to the brain, and what he says is, I see men, and I know they must be men, because they're walking about, but I see them as trees, that is, I do not see clearly enough to distinguish

20:48 - 21:30 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin meticulously details the miracle, covering its setting in Bethsaida, the blind man's condition, the friends' intercession, Jesus' deliberate withdrawal, the two stages of…

The test pilot Chuck Yeager's 20-15 vision at age 60 is used as an example of perfect, unusual clarity of sight, to describe the man's fully restored vision.

He continued to look upon all things from afar. And that adverb translated afar comes from two words which means afar and with radiance. In other words, he could look off as far as a man could look in the distance and see everything perfectly clear. The Lord restored to him 20-20 vision, maybe even the 20-15 vision that some men have, such as Chuck Yeager, the test pilot, who at age 60 still has 20-15 vision, can see things in afar with unusual clarity and perception.

24:04 - 24:43 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin meticulously details the miracle, covering its setting in Bethsaida, the blind man's condition, the friends' intercession, Jesus' deliberate withdrawal, the two stages of…

He paints a picture of the man enjoying the simple beauties of creation (sunset, sunrise, faces, flowers, birds) after his sight is restored, to highlight the profound impact of Jesus' healing.

The man from all that we have in Scripture, unlike the man in chapter 7, who was told to be silent, but disobeyed the Lord, there is no indication but that this man who knew the healing virtue of Christ upon his blind eyes, returned in obedience to Christ to his own home. So once again, another pitiful individual whose day began with the burden of blindness, closes this day with restored sight. He can look upon the glory of a sunset once more.

26:06 - 26:47 Read in full sermon

The point: Pin your hopes on the true Savior, Jesus Christ, because the object of your faith, not its sincerity, determines salvation.

Martin uses the analogy of pinning hopes on a 'bogus Savior' to emphasize that the object of faith, not sincerity, determines salvation, underscoring the importance of Jesus' validated identity.

You are the true Messiah, God's only anointed one, who has come forth to bring deliverance to your people. They say, Pastor, that's all well and good for them, but what difference does that make to me? My friend, listen, it makes all the difference in the world. You pin your hopes on a bogus Savior, and you've had it.

33:50 - 34:13 Read in full sermon

The point: If you would be healed of the malady of your soul, you must come into living, vital relationship with Jesus Christ himself.

He imagines the healed man being asked about his sight, and how he would always have to recount his contact with Jesus, emphasizing the indelible memory of Jesus' personal intervention.

He draws him out to use the faculty already imparted and then again He lays His hands upon him. What's the purpose of all of that? Well, surely it is this, that for the rest of His days, when anyone ever asked Him, are you the man that one time used to go around with the white stick? How come you see?

39:57 - 40:21 Read in full sermon

The point: Engage in aggressive, compassionate, earnest intercession for others' salvation, especially for your own children, neighbors, and relatives.

Martin challenges the congregation to name five people for whom they consistently intercede, to illustrate the practical application of aggressive, compassionate, earnest intercession.

And we therefore take upon ourselves the response of God. We thigh all the gift of the Lord that 않고 that comes from God to make your heart to be with Him all throughout yourselves, even thought ciertly is not easy. That is the crux of mystery. minutes a day to real aggressive compassionate earnest intercession on behalf of others

45:39 - 46:16 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not be discouraged when praying for and laboring over people who seem to have things mixed up spiritually, as spiritual illumination can be a gradual process.

He contrasts the gradual spiritual illumination with a 'blinding flash of light' to explain that God often saves men through painful, progressive stages of understanding.

in a way that you say ah that gives me hope to believe the Lord is giving them spiritual eyes and ten minutes later they say some off the wall thing and you say oh man they are still as blind as a bat no they may be seeing men as trees walking about and if Jesus can give some initial measure of sight he can give sight that sees clear to the horizon with 2015 vision and therefore we need not be discouraged God does not save all men by a blinding flash of light in which Christ crucified is revealed immediately to the soul as the only hope of sinners

49:41 - 50:26 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Slighting Christ's favors is forfeiting them and Christ will make those know the worth of their privileges by the removal of them Bethsaida in the day of her visitation would not know the things that belong to her peace …

Martin quotes Matthew Henry's commentary on Mark 8, explaining that Jesus' command not to enter Bethsaida was a judgment on the town for despising its privileges and not repenting despite many miracles.

he had pronounced the woe upon Bethsaida for not repenting in the face of constant validations of the identity of Jesus Matthew Henry with his usual perception commenting on this writes as follows on this very passage in Mark 8 the directions Christ gave to the man he cured not to tell it to any in the town of Bethsaida nor to go into the town were probably a town where probably where some were expecting him to come back who had seen Christ lead him out of the town but having been eyewitnesses to so many miracles and not so much as the curiosity

53:17 - 54:02 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not let the day of your visitation pass; today is the day of salvation, so hear his voice and harden not your heart.

He describes some listeners as 'irked and irritated' by friends and parents who continually bring them to Jesus, illustrating the resistance to grace despite persistent overtures.

and Jesus has the right to say to that man again no more light you want darkness have your darkness until you sink into outer darkness my friends that's a horrible thought some of you now are irked and irritated because the Lord Jesus has surrounded you with people who do what these friends do they continually bring you to Jesus on their knees and they plead with God to have mercy upon you some of you children you are brought to Jesus in the sense that your parents

56:12 - 56:57 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not let the day of your visitation pass; today is the day of salvation, so hear his voice and harden not your heart.

Jesus weeping over Jerusalem is used as an example of his long-suffering mercy, which eventually gives way to judgment when the day of visitation is ignored.

and there comes a time when God says alright, have your way and there are people living on earth who are as good as if they were in hell or in hell because God has said no more Jesus is trying to scare me no my friend, that's here in the text don't go back into the village go back Jesus, merciful, compassionate, patient long-suffering

57:38 - 58:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not draw your hand back from the Son of God, for to do so is to draw back to darkness, death, and hell; instead, give yourself to him for light, life, heaven, and salvation.

Martin imagines the blind man wriggling back from Jesus' hand, then applies this to sinners who draw back from Jesus' outstretched hand in the gospel, choosing darkness and death.

oh go to him go to him cry to him find the wonderful virtue and power of Jesus even as the blind man that day my mind went working as to what it would have been like if when his friends brought him to Jesus and Jesus stood him by the hand he wriggled back and said I don't want to go with you he'd say well your fool would do that he had the power to no indication there was impotence in his limbs when it says Jesus took him by the hand he implied the clear unmistakable implication is he didn't fight Jesus Jesus stretches forth

59:50 - 60:33 Read in full sermon