The Day Jesus Stopped

The Day Jesus Stopped

Mark 10:47-52

1. The book of Mark is a book that is on the move.

a. The words straightway, ran, and immediately, are used a total of thirty seven times.

b. The book has a rapid pace to it all the way through until the arrest and subsequent death of Jesus.

2. The flow of the book is leading somewhere.

a. Jesus was leading his disciple to Jerusalem!

b. They had followed Jesus all the way, and now it seems they only have a short way to go.

Mar 8:31

(31) And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

3. The disciples are having trouble “seeing” the message that Jesus is trying to teach them.

a. The parable of the Sower

Mar 4:10-13

(10) And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.

(11) And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

(12) That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

(13) And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

i. Jesus in this passage relays that the disciples have been given a special privilege of knowing the mysteries of the kingdom of God.

ii. The Lord contrasts the discernment of his disciple with the spiritual blindness of the Pharisees.

iii. He begins to warn them about the wickedness of this group by telling them later in chapter 8 to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and the leaven of Herod.”

b. The Miracle of the Bethsaida Blind Man

Mar 8:17-26

(17) And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?

(18) Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?

(19) When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.

(20) And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.

(21) And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?

(22) And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.

(23) And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.

(24) And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.

(25) After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.

(26) And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.

i. Now, Jesus turns his dissatisfaction toward his disciples because of their disability to discern his words.

ii. They have witnessed the great miracles of the feeding of five thousand, and also the occurrence of the feeding of four thousand, and yet they are confused about his warning to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees.

iii. A blind man is brought to him and Jesus heals him.

1. This is the only miracle performed by Jesus which is not instantaneous.

2. The man at first can only see vaguely, but with the second touch of the master’s hand, his sight is completely restored.

c. He predicts his death.

Mar 8:27-35

(27) And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?

(28) And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.

(29) And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.

(30) And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.

(31) And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.