The Last Time Jesus Passes By
Mark 10:46-52
History records countless stories of missed opportunities. Many of us look back on certain moments and decisions and ask "what might have been". John Greenleaf Whittier "Of all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these: it might have been."
Though we may have regrets, there are other opportunities that we have made the most of. Some of the choices we have made were the right ones and we benefited greatly as a result.
In our selected text we read of a man who made the best of a certain opportunity. His name was Bartemaus. He was a blind beggar who needed a miracle. On one fateful day Jesus passed his way and He changed his life forever. But Bartemaus did not know how close he came to missing his miracle. Had he procrastinated he would have never had another opportunity to be touched by the Master. He would have spent the rest of his days regretting his missed opportunity. In fact, his neglect would have had eternal consequences. You see, Jesus would never pass through Jericho again.
My friends, Jesus is passing by today. You have a great opportunity but today may be your last chance. I invite you to look with me to Mark 10:46-52 as we preach on the thought "The Last Time Jesus Passes By".
Bartemaus' story shows us what happens before Jesus passes by, when He passes by and after He passes by. Notice in verse 46:
I. THERE IS DEVASTATION BEFORE JESUS PASSES BY - v46 And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.
- Bartemaus was a man who faced great difficulties throughout his life. He dealt with:
A. Physical Problems - "blind Bartemaus"
It is very possible that he was born blind. Blindness was a very common condition in his day. There were many diseases that resulted in blindness. The sanitary conditions contributed to this condition as well.
- Bartemaus also endured:
B. Financial Problems - "sat by the highway side begging"
His financial problems were a direct result of his physical issues. He was unable to work a job to provide for himself. There was no Institute for The Blind to teach him a trade. There was no social security. He did not draw a disability check. There was no welfare or government programs to sustain him. He was a man who had no idea where his next meal was coming from. If he ate it was because someone was compassionate enough to give him a little money or bring him some food.
There are many people today (some in this building) who deal with similar problems. You have health issues that cause you great pain, you hurt constantly, maybe you are limited physically. It is quite possible that your physical infirmities have hindered your ability to make a living.
There are others who are perfectly healthy, but you know what it is like to do without. For one reason or another you find yourself facing hard times financially. Without a doubt these are serious problems.
Then there are some of you who do not have either of these problems, you are physically fit and financially stable, you may think that all is well... but the fact of the matter is that you have a far greater problem. I am referring to:
C. Spiritual Problems
Bartimaeus was physically blind... you are spiritually blind. You are blind to you sinful condition. You are blind to the reality that you will stand before God in judgment. You are blind to the fact that you are headed for hell.
Bartemaus was finically broke... you are spiritually bankrupt. There is nothing that you can do to earn salvation. You cannot live good enough. You cannot perform enough good works. There is nothing within you that can help your spiritual condition. In fact, you are worse than sick... the bible says that you are dead in your trespasses and sins. You need a cure...you need a miracle. You don't need to be healed...you need to be born again! I have good news, there is someone passing by today who can give you what you need. His name is Jesus! But I must warn you, this could be the last time that He passes by.
If you realize that Jesus is the only answer for your problem I also must warn you that the Devil will do all that he can to stop you from getting to the Savior. Notice with me in verses 47-48:
II. THERE ARE DISTRACTIONS AS JESUS PASSES BY v47-48
Bartimaeus was so close to receiving the miracle that he had longed for his entire life. He hears that Jesus was passing by and he calls out to Him.
- What was Bartimaeus' motivation for crying out to a man that he had never met before? In verse 47 we see that:
a) There Is Some Important Information - v47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
It seems that word had reached Bartemaus concerning the many miracles that Jesus had performed. Perhaps someone told him that this man from Galilee had Cleaned lepers and made them clean, He had cast demons out of those who were possessed, He had made the deaf to hear, He caused the lame to walk. Maybe someone told him that Jesus walked to the tomb of a man named Lazarus and raised him from the dead (after he had been in the grave for 4 days) Maybe he thought, if he can do all of this, giving me my sight will be a breeze!
It is clear that someone somewhere told Bartemaus about Jesus. This is why it is so important for us to tell others what Jesus has done for us. When they hear (and see) the change that He has made in our lives, they may be motivated to trust Him to do the same for them! Bartemaus had received the important information, but now there were some who tried to stop him from getting to Jesus.
- Today just like back then..."When Jesus Passes By":
b) There Will Be Intentional Interruptions - v48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
This verse pictures the intensity of Bartemaus' cry. He was causing a scene. He was doing all that he could to get Jesus' attention. But the others in the crowd essentially told this blind beggar to shut up!! The word “charge” means to “rebuke sharply.”
The reason that I say there will be "intentional interruptions" is because Satan will do all that he can to hinder lost people from getting to Jesus. The Devil will use whoever he can to deter lost people from crying out to the Savior. He will use your friends, your family, strangers and even church people to distract you from turning to Jesus.
People will tell you that this whole "Christianity thing" is a sham. They will say that there is no God. Some will tell you that there is no such thing as an afterlife. They will tell you that Hell is myth. Some will tell you that you cannot be saved. They will make you believe that you are too lost for salvation. They would have you to believe that you have gone too far or done to much to be born again. However Satan can use people to stop you from crying out to Jesus he will!
Let me encourage you to be like Bartemaus, when people tell you to stop crying out to Jesus ...Keep on crying out, just do it a little louder so that you can drown out the crowd! That is what this blind man did. He continued to call out to Jesus. He needed a miracle and he knew that Jesus was his only hope! If you are lost, you must realize that Jesus is your only hope. Cry out to Him today because this may be the last time that He passes by!
- As the blind man stood crying out to the Savior, Jesus heard Him and had compassion on him. Notice if you will:
III. THERE IS COMPASSION WHEN JESUS PASSES BY v49-52
This meeting was no accident... it was not a mere coincidence. This was a divine appointment. And let me say this, it is no accident that you are here today. Jesus knew that He would be passing by and He knew that you would be here today. He very well may call your name before we leave here. That is what happened here in Jericho. Notice that there was:
A. A Personal Call - 49 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee. 50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. 51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?
Jesus heard this man calling out to Him. So He stopped and called for Bartemaus to come to where He was. Bartemaus arose and went to where Jesus was. Remember, the crowd was trying to shut this man up. Perhaps they thought that Jesus was too busy for a man like Bartemaus. You may think that Jesus is too busy for someone like you. I am here to tell you that Jesus came to earth for people just like you! (in fact He came specifically for you!)
This is not my opinion, Jesus Himself said that He came "to seek and save that which was lost." Jesus came to die so that you might live. - Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
When Jesus calls someone to salvation it is a personal call. There was a large crowd of people in Jericho that day. The 12 Disciples were there ...many other followers of Christ were there ... a great number of the town's people were there. There was a large crowd assembled together, but one man was changed forever. One man received a personal call from Jesus.
The same could be true today. There is a large crowd assembled here, but you may be the one who receives a call that will change your life forever!
- There is a personal call and we also see that there is:
B. A Passionate Cry - The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
Jesus asked this man what He could do for him. Bartemaus said "Lord, give me my sight". Jesus knew that Bartemaus needed more than to receive his physical sight. Jesus knew that Bartemaus needed to be "made whole". On that day, he did receive his sight, but he also received ETERNAL LIFE!
You may be here today and you think you know what you need. You may desire a physical infirmity to be healed. You may seek a financial blessing. You may be looking for help to beat addiction or to be delivered from alcoholism. You may want to see your family restored or your marriage put back together. I am here to tell you that Jesus can do all of these things. But it is possible that you are seeking one thing and Jesus sees that you need something greater. You may be hoping for an earthly miracle but Jesus knows that you need an eternal miracle.
The good news is this, Jesus can give you what you need, He has compassion on you and He is passing by today! But let me warn you, this may be the last time that Jesus passes by!
- It is also true that when Jesus works a miracle, there will be a dramatic change in your life. Notice that:
IV. THERE IS A TRANSFORMATION AFTER JESUS PASSES BY - v52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.
Jesus gave Bartemaus his sight, but more importantly he was made whole. I fully believe that this blind man was born again right there in Jericho. How did this happen? It happened because a blind beggar realized that he could do nothing for himself. And he realized that Jesus could do what he could not. Because of his faith in the only begotten Son of God he was made whole. That is the key to your miracle today.
There are some of you here today who are in great need, and what you need, only Jesus can provide. I have good news for you, Jesus is passing by today. But I also have a warning, it is imperative that you cry out to Him while there is time.
Don't let today be a day of regret. Don't let today be another missed opportunity. Do what Bartemaus did, cry out to Jesus and trust Him to work a miracle in you!
What would have happened if Bartemaus waited until the next opportunity??? What if he had procrastinated? What if he had listened to the crowd that told him to hush and leave Jesus alone. If he had waited, he never would have received the miracle. If you continue to read the Book of Mark you will find that Jesus never passed that way again. Jesus was making His way to Calvary. Never again did He pass through Jericho.
I am not implying that Jesus will never pass through this assembly again. But the reality is you may never have another opportunity to be made whole. You may die before we meet for another service. If Jesus is knocking on your hearts door today, it is imperative that you answer while there is time. You are not promised that you will live to see another opportunity to receive eternal life.
Even if you live another 50 years, you are not promised that Jesus will call your name again. - Genesis 6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man...
Some of you fully intend to surrendering to Christ... one day. For one reason or another you are just "not ready" to trust in Jesus as your savior. But you plan to make things right eventually. Perhaps you intend to change some things in your life before your turn to Him. Let me warn you, it doesn't work that way. You cannot clean yourself up enough to be worthy of salvation. Let me encourage you to turn to Jesus and let Him clean you up.
There are others who want to sow some wild oats before they come to saving faith in Christ. Again, let me warn you, you cannot sow wild oats and then pray for crop failure. I have no doubt that there were some people who stood in this church last Sunday and said "I will get saved next week". There may be some here today who plan to make things right next Sunday. If you have this mindset you have things all wrong. You do not come to Jesus on your terms. You do not choose when YOU will get saved.
The Holy Spirit calls you, He offers you salvation and He convicts you of your sin and convinces you of your need of a Savior. It is imperative that you respond when He calls for He may never call your name again! 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, "Behold, now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation."
A great opportunity awaits you right here and right now. You have the chance to receive a miracle. You can receive eternal life and a home in Heaven. You can be delivered from your sins and rescued from Hell. Jesus is passing by, why don't you follow Bartemaus' example and cry out to the only One who can help you. Let me encourage you to do it now, do it while there is time, because this may be the last time that Jesus passes by.
