September 29, 2017 (Friday)
The Bible gives us the account of Jesus healing a blind man in Mark 10:46-52. Here it is as presented in “The Living Bible” translation: ” And so they reached Jericho. Later, as they left town, a great crowd was following. Now it happened that a blind beggar named Bartimaeus (the son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road as Jesus was going by. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus from Nazareth was near, he began to shout out, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ ‘Shut up!’ some of the people yelled at him. But he only shouted the louder, again and again, ‘O Son of David, have mercy on me!’
“When Jesus heard him, he stopped there in the road and said, ‘Tell him to come here.’ So they called the blind man. ‘You lucky fellow,’ they said, ‘come on, he’s calling you!” Bartimaeus yanked off his old coat and flung it aside, jumped up and came to Jesus. ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ Jesus asked. ‘O Teacher,” the blind man said, “I want to see!’ And Jesus said to him, ‘All right, it’s done. Your faith has healed you.’ And instantly the blind man could see and followed Jesus down the road!”
The story above is historical. It really happened. It teaches us that Jesus loved and healed people.
I like to think of this actual event as an allegory, showing us what happens when a person accepts Jesus as personal Savior and Lord of life. Three things:
I. He Realized His Condition
He knew he was blind.
Before a person can come to Jesus, he must understand his situation. We are all sinners, “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
2. He Called on the Right Person
He called on Jesus.
“If you will confess with your mouth that ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9-10).
3. He Was Not Disappointed
He was given his sight. Jesus healed him.
The New Testament gives accounts of people who repented and believed in Jesus for salvation, and then joyfully told others of their belief in Jesus. I have seen this happen many times. If you will receive Jesus Christ into your heart today, you will be saved and joy shall flood your soul.
There you have it. Does all this sound like a sermon to you? I confess, it is one of my sermons, preached many times through the years. I love to preach it. It is simple and to the point as it deals with the most important thing that can ever happen in this life.
The hymn, “Joy to the World,” was not originally a Christmas carol. It was intended for use in worship services throughout the year. Rightfully so, because that is the message of saved people to the whole world: “Joy to the world! The Lord is come!” Acts 16:31 in the Bible gives the world a straightforward message: “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!”