… takin’ after his daddy

Benjamin Geldart

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Mark 8:22-35 NIV

22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into the village.”

Mark 8:22-35 NIV

27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man

Mark 8:22-35 NIV

must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple

Mark 8:22-35 NIV

must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.

Why did Mark couple these two stories?

TWO STORIES, ONE MESSAGE

Story #1: The Blind Man

Something is OFF Why does Jesus touch him TWICE to heal

his blindness? A question of power?

If its not about POWER, then the WAY Jesus heals him must be important!

Story #2: Jesus and the Disciples “Who do PEOPLE (the crowds) say that

I am?” A prophet Jesus didn’t leave that option open to us

“Who do YOU say that I am?” THIS IS ALWAYS THE ULTIMATE

QUESTION! “You’re the Messiah”

“I’m going to suffer, die, and rise again” Peter says, “NO WAY” But Jesus says, “YES, I AM – and I want

YOU to follow me”

Why Are These Stories Together? Both involve blindness Both show Jesus asking the same

question: “Can you see me?” God is the one who heals both

blindnesses BOTH BLINDNESSES REQUIRED

MULTIPLE STAGES OF HEALING

GOD HEALS SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS IN STAGES!

The Auger of the Gospel

A DRILL! Going deeper

and deeper into truth

It takes TIME to get deep

God KNOWS our souls need him to go slowly

So He lovingly heals our spiritual blindness in stages

The Crown AND the Cross Jesus is the Messiah King AND the

Suffering Servant Terrible Beauty

Isaiah 35:5-6: “5Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. 6 Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.”

v. 4: “your God will come, he will come with vengeance;  with divine retribution he will come to save you.”

Jesus came not just to BRING divine vengeance and retribution, but to BEAR IT HIMSELF!

What Does This Mean for Us? GOD HEALS OUR SPIRITUAL

BLINDNESS IN STAGES “deny yourself, take up your cross,

and follow me” This is Discipleship – becoming a follower

of Jesus Die to your old sinful self/identity Follow Him INTO suffering Following Jesus into death LEADS to life

and freedom For us too, THE CROSS PRECEDES THE

CROWN

Where Are You this Morning? Maybe you’re like the crowds

Jesus was a teacher or prophet, but not the Messiah

SEE THIS JESUS Maybe you’re like the disciples

You see the Crown, but struggle to embrace the Cross

SEE THIS JESUS Maybe you’re like the Roman

believers You ARE following Jesus, and it’s HARD, you’re

suffering! SEE THIS JESUS

END OF ACT ONE

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