WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.740 Lord, show your steadfast love to us and do us good. Do us good from your Word, 00:00:07.799 --> 00:00:12.460 from your Word, the gospel we pray. In Jesus' name, amen. 00:00:13.839 --> 00:00:22.199 Now, we're going to hear God's Word together in Luke's Gospel, chapter 18. That's page 1052, 00:00:23.140 --> 00:00:29.800 if you're using the church Bibles. We're coming to the end of chapter 18. We're actually 00:00:29.800 --> 00:00:34.539 coming towards the end of Jesus' journey to Jerusalem. We've been following this all the way 00:00:34.539 --> 00:00:41.159 from Luke chapter 9, verse 51, where Jesus resolutely, determinedly sets His face towards 00:00:41.159 --> 00:00:50.320 Jerusalem, and now we find Him coming near. So, we're going to read chapter 18 from verse 31 to 43, 00:00:51.260 --> 00:00:56.740 and we're going to consider together Jesus, our merciful Savior. So, let's hear God's Word. 00:00:56.740 --> 00:01:06.400 Jesus took the twelve aside and told them, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is 00:01:06.400 --> 00:01:12.299 written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. 00:01:12.840 --> 00:01:20.099 They will mock Him, insult Him, and spit on Him. They will flog Him and kill Him. On the third day, 00:01:20.099 --> 00:01:27.859 He will rise again. The disciples did not understand any of this. This meaning was hidden from them, 00:01:28.239 --> 00:01:34.719 and they did not know what He was talking about. As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting 00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:41.079 by the roadside begging. When He heard the crowd going by, He asked what was happening. They told Him, 00:01:41.079 --> 00:01:52.920 Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. He called out, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. Those who led the way 00:01:52.920 --> 00:02:00.819 rebuked Him and told Him to be quiet, but He shouted all the more, Son of David, have mercy on me. 00:02:00.819 --> 00:02:08.180 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to Him. When He came near, Jesus asked him, 00:02:08.759 --> 00:02:17.699 what do you want me to do for you? Lord, I want to see, He replied. Jesus said to him, receive your sight, 00:02:18.280 --> 00:02:26.979 your faith has healed you. Immediately, He received His sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the 00:02:26.979 --> 00:02:41.019 people saw it, they also praised God. Amen. In this little text, there are some questions about heart 00:02:41.019 --> 00:02:49.679 and about motive that are raised. I wonder if you can identify with this experience. Perhaps in the 00:02:49.680 --> 00:02:59.700 context of school or work, an authority figure drops in unexpectedly, or you find a note or an email 00:02:59.700 --> 00:03:08.240 saying that authority figure wants to see you as soon as possible. How does your heart feel in that 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:19.600 moment? Mine instinctively sinks through the floor. Panic so quickly spreads. When we don't know why 00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:26.939 an authority figure comes, if we don't know what motivates them, if we don't understand what's their heart, 00:03:28.219 --> 00:03:38.959 perhaps we might feel fear, panic. Perhaps we might feel a sense of confusion. Jesus is the great authority 00:03:38.959 --> 00:03:49.139 figure, and we will never understand His journey, His coming, without understanding the cross. Because the cross 00:03:49.139 --> 00:03:54.479 is at the heart of His mission is at the heart of His mission. And we will never understand the cross 00:03:54.479 --> 00:04:02.959 without recognizing Jesus' heart of mercy. So we're going to think about heart and motive today. 00:04:03.979 --> 00:04:08.599 But this little text also introduces questions of seeing and seeking as well. 00:04:10.139 --> 00:04:17.519 The great theme in our text is the theme of mercy. What do we mean by mercy? Mercy is an act of 00:04:17.519 --> 00:04:30.959 compassion. It's a willingness to help another person. It begins with an emotion that leads to action. 00:04:32.379 --> 00:04:40.779 And that's what Luke shows to us in the heart of Jesus. And again, one of the wonderful things about 00:04:40.779 --> 00:04:48.519 Luke as he writes his gospel is he's always wanting to show these surprising reversals that take place. 00:04:48.779 --> 00:04:54.479 And today we see another one. We meet the disciples who at this present moment on the journey are 00:04:54.479 --> 00:05:03.239 in the dark to a certain extent about Jesus' mission of mercy and what it will involve suffering and dying. 00:05:03.779 --> 00:05:07.059 But we meet a blind man who we know is called Bartimaeus. 00:05:07.060 --> 00:05:14.259 And he is led by God to see it. He is blind, but he sees. And not only that, not only does he see 00:05:14.259 --> 00:05:22.860 who Jesus is, he then because of that seeks mercy from Jesus. He understands why Jesus came 00:05:22.860 --> 00:05:30.340 to show mercy, so he seeks it for himself. And so there's two vital questions, simple vital questions 00:05:30.339 --> 00:05:37.399 for us today. Whoever we are today, wherever we are on the journey of life or faith, whatever our 00:05:37.399 --> 00:05:43.459 background, wherever we are to this moment, do I know Jesus is the merciful Savior? We're going to 00:05:43.459 --> 00:05:50.579 think about that. And secondly, unrelated, am I coming to this Jesus for mercy? So we begin 00:05:50.579 --> 00:06:00.639 in verses 31 to 34. Do I know Jesus is the merciful Savior? So we've discovered now that his journey to 00:06:00.639 --> 00:06:06.879 Jerusalem is almost complete. Jericho to Jerusalem, about 18 miles distant. So he's really close. 00:06:07.639 --> 00:06:12.299 And we've also seen, if you've not been here, that as Jesus travels towards Jerusalem, he's not moving 00:06:12.299 --> 00:06:18.139 by himself. There's huge crowds that are coming along with him because they're all heading to the same 00:06:18.139 --> 00:06:24.620 place. They're going to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover festival. What Jesus does now is really 00:06:24.620 --> 00:06:31.360 interesting. Look at verse 31. Jesus took the twelve aside and told them, we are going up to Jerusalem 00:06:31.360 --> 00:06:36.060 and everything that is written by the prophets will be fulfilled. And what he's saying to them, 00:06:36.099 --> 00:06:45.339 in effect, is I have a unique reason for attending this festival. The crowd, they're here as God commanded 00:06:45.339 --> 00:06:52.060 to celebrate the Passover. The Passover was this great event in the Old Testament where God's enemies 00:06:52.060 --> 00:06:58.599 were judged, where God's people were saved, that their freedom was secured so they could enjoy life 00:06:58.599 --> 00:07:06.839 with God. So they're going to celebrate that. But Jesus, he's got a unique reason for going. He is going 00:07:06.839 --> 00:07:16.439 to become the true Passover lamb. Jesus knows when he gets to Jerusalem, he is going to in himself 00:07:16.439 --> 00:07:25.359 experience God's judgment on sin. And he will do that to secure his people's forgiveness. 00:07:26.479 --> 00:07:35.359 So that spiritually we'd be set free from slavery, set free to know and enjoy God. So he's got this 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:42.920 unique reason for going. And for the third time in Luke's gospel, he explicitly prepares the disciples 00:07:42.920 --> 00:07:52.939 for what lies ahead. And I just want to notice some of the words that Jesus uses here. First of all, 00:07:53.000 --> 00:07:59.240 in verse 31, he talks about fulfillment. Everything written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be 00:07:59.240 --> 00:08:05.300 fulfilled. The first time Jesus predicts his death in Luke's gospel explicitly is in Luke chapter 00:08:05.300 --> 00:08:15.280 9 verse 22. And there he says, he must suffer. He must die. That must is a must because it's God's plan. 00:08:15.560 --> 00:08:24.819 I must fulfill God's plan. Here, same idea, slightly different, I must go to fulfill prophecy. All those 00:08:24.819 --> 00:08:31.759 anticipations of my work in the Old Testament hundreds of years beforehand, I must fulfill them. 00:08:31.759 --> 00:08:42.379 specifically, as God's Messiah King, as God's promised anointed King, he must be the Son of Man. 00:08:42.460 --> 00:08:47.340 Notice that's how he talks about himself. His favorite title for himself, Jesus is the Son of Man. 00:08:48.379 --> 00:08:53.399 That's not simply saying that he is one of us, that he is fully human, which he is, as well as being 00:08:53.399 --> 00:08:59.000 fully God. This title, Son of Man, comes from Daniel chapter 7 from the Old Testament. 00:08:59.000 --> 00:09:06.480 This is a figure that we meet who comes into the throne room of heaven and is given glory and authority 00:09:06.480 --> 00:09:12.980 and a right to rule forever. So Jesus says, I've come to be that character, that figure, the Son of Man, 00:09:13.419 --> 00:09:21.639 but I've also come to be the suffering servant of Isaiah 53. He talks about his suffering here, doesn't he? 00:09:21.639 --> 00:09:25.120 He has come to be the Son of Man. He has come to be the Son of Man. He has come to be the Son of Man. 00:09:25.120 --> 00:09:33.379 He has come also to suffer and die in the place of sinners, to forgive and to heal and to save. 00:09:34.779 --> 00:09:44.360 He's both at the same time. He also speaks in verse 32 about being handed over. One of the things we see 00:09:44.360 --> 00:09:50.080 as you compare the different accounts of Jesus predicting his death is that the details become clearer 00:09:50.080 --> 00:09:58.440 and we get a sense of how horrific these details are. In chapter 9, verse 22, there is rejection by 00:09:58.440 --> 00:10:02.879 the religious leaders, those who studied their Bibles, who are waiting for the Messiah, who should 00:10:02.879 --> 00:10:11.200 have understood. He's here in Jesus. They reject him. In chapter 9, verse 44, he is delivered over. 00:10:12.580 --> 00:10:17.900 And we're going to see that there's a double meaning in that. He's going to be handed over by the Jews 00:10:17.899 --> 00:10:22.639 to the Romans. It's the Romans who will be responsible for executing Jesus. But we also 00:10:22.639 --> 00:10:30.279 understand in the gospel that he's handed over by his Father for the sake of being our Savior. 00:10:31.740 --> 00:10:38.720 But now we have this idea in verse 32 that Jesus will be handed over to the Gentiles. 00:10:39.639 --> 00:10:46.120 And as we think about the details, as he speaks about being mocked and insulted and spat on and flogged 00:10:46.120 --> 00:10:52.019 and killed, what becomes clear is that Jesus, when he goes to Jerusalem, is going to bear shame. 00:10:53.360 --> 00:11:00.700 He is going to go under God's curse. He is going to be treated as if he were unclean. 00:11:01.639 --> 00:11:11.259 He is going to suffer and he is going to be executed. Jews and Gentiles will conspire together 00:11:11.259 --> 00:11:16.259 to reject and have killed the Creator and their Savior. 00:11:19.700 --> 00:11:23.580 But that's not all he talks about wonderfully. End of verse 33, 00:11:24.299 --> 00:11:29.759 on the third day, he will rise again. So we thought about this last Sunday evening, 00:11:30.059 --> 00:11:34.319 the resurrection. Some people say the resurrection was invented by the church in the second century 00:11:34.319 --> 00:11:36.240 to make Jesus sound more impressive. No. 00:11:36.240 --> 00:11:44.600 It's always been how Jesus has understood himself. And he understands his mission to involve both 00:11:44.600 --> 00:11:51.480 the cross and resurrection glory. And the significance of this for us is a reminder that 00:11:51.480 --> 00:11:59.100 death is not defeat for Jesus. Death is not the end for Jesus. Death is victory for Jesus and for his 00:11:59.100 --> 00:12:06.080 people. It also says to us, it's not going to be people's plans, people's pleasures that win the day. 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:16.200 Ultimately, God's plan is carried out. In fact, it's God's pleasure. We've gone back a few times to Isaiah 53, 00:12:16.299 --> 00:12:22.220 and we're going to do it again. Isaiah 53, let me just read again, verses 10 and 11. 00:12:23.620 --> 00:12:25.360 Isaiah 53, verse 10, 00:12:25.360 --> 00:12:41.200 And though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, 00:12:41.259 --> 00:12:48.519 and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life 00:12:48.519 --> 00:12:55.679 and be satisfied. God's plan in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. 00:12:56.740 --> 00:13:03.299 One other word for us to see, when it's misunderstanding, look at verse 34, 00:13:03.439 --> 00:13:08.779 The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them. They didn't know what 00:13:08.779 --> 00:13:13.519 he was talking about. It's true, isn't it? There are some ideas and some facts that are such a 00:13:13.519 --> 00:13:20.679 revelation and a revolution to us. It can be really hard for us to process them, really hard for us, 00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:28.159 in fact, to accept them. In the scientific world, we see this. You look back at the history of science, 00:13:28.299 --> 00:13:34.199 Galileo and Copernicus. They had this revolutionary way of looking at the universe where they saw that 00:13:34.199 --> 00:13:39.919 it wasn't the earth at the center, but rather it was the sun. And when they began to share those ideas, 00:13:39.919 --> 00:13:51.379 they were criticized, they were resisted, they were threatened. It took time to process this new 00:13:51.379 --> 00:13:59.459 reality. Now, spare a thought for the disciples. You know, we stand on this side of the cross, 00:13:59.620 --> 00:14:04.639 we have the whole story, and so we may think, it's so clear. What did Jesus say? It's so obvious. 00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:15.299 But they were brought up hearing from when they were little about the hopes that God would send a 00:14:15.299 --> 00:14:26.639 Messiah king. And when that king came, he would come in glory and majesty and triumph and victory, 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:34.460 and enemies would be defeated. God's kingdom would be established. Peace in the promised land would be 00:14:34.460 --> 00:14:41.960 theirs. And remember, too, as they have been with Jesus in His ministry, they have heard God the Father 00:14:41.960 --> 00:14:52.060 speak directly from heaven, this is my son. I love him. I am well pleased with him. 00:14:54.700 --> 00:15:01.280 No wonder Jesus' words to them were like that revolutionary idea that they struggle to accept, 00:15:01.279 --> 00:15:08.740 like the puzzle piece that just doesn't seem to fit. How can shame and glory go together? 00:15:09.740 --> 00:15:17.279 How can the Son of God suffer like this? How can death be victory? We're told it was hidden from them. 00:15:18.120 --> 00:15:25.159 Couldn't always be. It was revealed to them so clearly once they met the risen Lord Jesus. 00:15:25.159 --> 00:15:32.259 It was revealed to them when they ascended, Lord Jesus sent the Spirit, and then they would boldly 00:15:32.259 --> 00:15:40.360 preach about the cross as victory, the victory of God over the forces of darkness and evil and sin and 00:15:40.360 --> 00:15:46.799 death. They would speak about the cross as a demonstration of God's love. They would understand 00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:54.779 Jesus is the true Passover lamb, killed in the place of sinners as a substitute so that we might have 00:15:54.779 --> 00:16:01.319 spiritual freedom. He truly is the way and the truth and the life. But from their current point of view, 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:07.939 before the cross, they couldn't see this message as good news. They couldn't see how this would 00:16:07.939 --> 00:16:10.179 carry out the merciful mission of God. 00:16:13.079 --> 00:16:20.459 What about from our point of view, as we look back 2,000 years ago to consider the cross of the Lord 00:16:20.460 --> 00:16:28.580 Jesus? Do we see it? Do we see its significance? Do we understand it as an act of mercy? Because truth 00:16:28.580 --> 00:16:35.639 be told, misunderstandings are still many. From the beginning, people have misunderstood the cross. 00:16:37.300 --> 00:16:44.259 Sometimes people look at the cross and say, well, the cross is failure because Jesus died, and if He died, 00:16:44.259 --> 00:16:52.019 then He's buried, and dead people stay dead, and if that was true, we could have Jesus as a great moral 00:16:52.019 --> 00:17:02.299 example, a wise guru, but we would have no Savior. The cross is not failure. Some people from the 00:17:02.299 --> 00:17:08.240 beginning have looked on the cross as foolish. And again, if we don't understand that Jesus is standing 00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:16.140 in the place of sinners, acting as our representative and our substitute, it seems foolish. How can the 00:17:16.140 --> 00:17:24.160 death of someone else forgive my sins? How can such a horrible act ever be worthy of celebration and 00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:33.599 worship? There's misunderstanding. People still, I want to claim the cross is fiction. Again, we thought 00:17:33.599 --> 00:17:40.619 about this last Sunday evening, there's vast amounts of evidence for the reliability of the cross and 00:17:40.619 --> 00:17:44.579 the resurrection, but there are still those who want to keep it at arm's length by calling it a myth. 00:17:46.039 --> 00:17:53.000 Misunderstandings are many, but we need to see the cross at the heart of the Christian faith, 00:17:53.719 --> 00:18:02.639 and to see that mission of mercy there. There's a wonderful title for God that Paul uses in 2 Corinthians. 00:18:02.640 --> 00:18:09.480 He talks about God as the Father of mercies and compassion, celebrating and bringing to the 00:18:09.480 --> 00:18:15.340 church God's heart of compassion for needy fallen sinners, for broken people, for suffering people, 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:23.620 for sinful people. And what's true of God the Father is true of God the Son. The Lord Jesus 00:18:23.620 --> 00:18:30.680 shares that same merciful heart. And what we discover when we look into the Bible 00:18:30.680 --> 00:18:36.480 is that before the world was ever made, before there was a universe, before there was people, 00:18:36.600 --> 00:18:43.100 before there was sin, there was God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and there was His eternal plan 00:18:43.100 --> 00:18:52.900 to save sinners. That the Father in love and mercy would send Jesus the Son, that Jesus the Son in mercy 00:18:52.900 --> 00:19:00.740 would come and act on our behalf, fulfilling the law in His perfect obedience and in His sacrificial death, 00:19:00.740 --> 00:19:03.820 that the Son would save by way of loving sacrifice. 00:19:05.140 --> 00:19:10.240 At the cross, we see Jesus as our representative. 00:19:10.240 --> 00:19:20.680 And as we think about Jesus suffering and dying, we need to understand God's justice against sin is being done, 00:19:20.839 --> 00:19:25.819 but it's being done to Jesus in our place, not to us. 00:19:25.819 --> 00:19:36.419 That God's holy anger against sin is being satisfied because it falls on Jesus, His Son, and not on us. 00:19:37.779 --> 00:19:48.639 What we receive is God's mercy, His forgiveness, His freedom, when our faith rests in Him. 00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:53.340 Do you and I know Jesus as the merciful Savior? 00:19:53.580 --> 00:19:59.640 Jesus is deliberately walking towards Jerusalem, knowing exactly what is coming, 00:20:00.020 --> 00:20:01.900 knowing exactly what it will cost Him. 00:20:02.360 --> 00:20:03.280 Why does He do it? 00:20:04.980 --> 00:20:07.400 To show God's mercy to a sinful world. 00:20:08.240 --> 00:20:12.640 To bring God's compassion to people in darkness and need and suffering. 00:20:12.640 --> 00:20:23.920 Let's ask God to show us again and again His mercy in and through Jesus. 00:20:24.640 --> 00:20:31.920 That we would find healing and life and hope and joy from Him. 00:20:34.100 --> 00:20:37.800 Second question we need to ask, personal question, 00:20:37.920 --> 00:20:41.560 am I coming to Jesus for mercy? 00:20:41.559 --> 00:20:44.119 See, that takes us to verse 35 to 43. 00:20:45.700 --> 00:20:48.159 But before we get into our text, just to think again about this. 00:20:48.279 --> 00:20:52.879 By God's design, you and I, we're all wired differently. 00:20:53.099 --> 00:20:57.419 God has made us all unique with our own personalities and temperaments, 00:20:58.079 --> 00:20:59.139 and that's a good thing. 00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:01.619 One way that we're different, 00:21:02.720 --> 00:21:06.879 some of us will find ourselves to be task-orientated people. 00:21:07.399 --> 00:21:10.859 Others will more naturally be people-oriented. 00:21:11.559 --> 00:21:12.720 In the way we operate. 00:21:12.839 --> 00:21:13.579 Which is Jesus? 00:21:15.480 --> 00:21:16.599 Is He task-oriented? 00:21:16.879 --> 00:21:18.119 Is He people-centered? 00:21:18.240 --> 00:21:20.279 The answer is both. 00:21:21.480 --> 00:21:22.720 When we think about what we have here, 00:21:22.779 --> 00:21:25.240 we have Jesus deliberately walking to the cross. 00:21:25.319 --> 00:21:27.119 This is His great task. 00:21:27.119 --> 00:21:32.399 He's on this journey to show mercy for sinners. 00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:34.880 So, He's focused on His task. 00:21:35.160 --> 00:21:39.960 But also, He's going to show mercy on the journey, 00:21:40.759 --> 00:21:46.800 because He stops and He focuses on this blind man, Bartimaeus. 00:21:46.799 --> 00:21:49.960 Picture the scene that we have before us. 00:21:50.019 --> 00:21:54.460 We have a huge crowd of pilgrims heading up to Jerusalem for the festival. 00:21:55.099 --> 00:21:56.819 There'd be the singing of Psalms. 00:21:56.879 --> 00:21:58.139 There'd be the praising of God. 00:21:58.240 --> 00:22:01.460 There'd be excitement and expectation in their conversations. 00:22:01.659 --> 00:22:04.779 They're following Jesus at the head of this procession. 00:22:04.779 --> 00:22:06.799 And they arrive at Jericho's main street. 00:22:08.039 --> 00:22:11.740 And as they're arriving, this huge, noisy procession is coming. 00:22:12.240 --> 00:22:19.099 There's a blind beggar sitting on that street where he always is in his daily struggle to survive. 00:22:20.220 --> 00:22:21.740 Very little help in his day. 00:22:22.319 --> 00:22:24.619 Very little hope in his life. 00:22:24.619 --> 00:22:30.979 But in that moment, these two worlds collide. 00:22:32.379 --> 00:22:39.199 And Jesus coming, coming on His mission of mercy, will change everything for this blind man. 00:22:39.659 --> 00:22:41.919 Again, three things to notice. 00:22:42.399 --> 00:22:45.419 First of all, let's notice the request. 00:22:46.679 --> 00:22:49.959 It's really interesting, and I think it speaks to spiritual condition, 00:22:50.459 --> 00:22:53.359 to see verse 37 compared to verse 38. 00:22:53.359 --> 00:22:58.019 So you've got Bartimaeus, and he's sitting there, and he hears the noise, wonders what's going on. 00:22:59.079 --> 00:23:01.959 And the crowds, they tell him, Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. 00:23:03.159 --> 00:23:03.659 He's using that. 00:23:03.719 --> 00:23:05.279 And Nazareth, that's where he comes from. 00:23:06.119 --> 00:23:10.639 Suggests perhaps they don't really see anything greatly special about Jesus. 00:23:12.879 --> 00:23:15.059 But how does Bartimaeus talk about Jesus? 00:23:15.500 --> 00:23:20.000 Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. 00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:23.880 The only person in the Gospels to use that title, Son of David. 00:23:24.559 --> 00:23:25.599 Why does he use it? 00:23:26.720 --> 00:23:27.240 What's that about? 00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:31.279 It's the title of God's Messiah King. 00:23:32.559 --> 00:23:34.339 Okay, so Bartimaeus knows this Jesus. 00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:37.279 He has come to set up the kingdom of God. 00:23:37.579 --> 00:23:40.299 He is the one who God has appointed to reign forever. 00:23:40.299 --> 00:23:45.079 And because he knows that, he asks his Messiah King something. 00:23:46.039 --> 00:23:47.940 Messiah King, will you show me mercy? 00:23:48.539 --> 00:23:49.359 He sees it. 00:23:49.519 --> 00:23:50.139 He gets it. 00:23:50.700 --> 00:23:54.200 God's King, God's Son, has God's heart of mercy. 00:23:56.000 --> 00:23:57.240 And so he asks the question. 00:23:58.659 --> 00:24:02.000 And we need to be so careful that we don't miss this. 00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:11.980 Knowing that Jesus is the Son of God, knowing that he is God's Savior, knowing that he shows mercy, that's not enough. 00:24:13.160 --> 00:24:14.180 That's good to know that truth. 00:24:14.240 --> 00:24:14.599 That is not enough. 00:24:14.799 --> 00:24:17.319 We need to know Jesus by faith. 00:24:18.619 --> 00:24:23.299 We need to come to him personally to find the mercy and the help that we need. 00:24:23.299 --> 00:24:32.180 That extra step is the step of faith, to receive Jesus as Lord and as Savior. 00:24:32.419 --> 00:24:33.279 So that's his request. 00:24:33.440 --> 00:24:35.119 Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. 00:24:35.159 --> 00:24:37.019 Then notice the rebuke. 00:24:37.759 --> 00:24:40.200 The rebuke that certainly speaks to spiritual blindness. 00:24:41.599 --> 00:24:44.619 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet. 00:24:48.240 --> 00:24:49.519 Jesus, too busy. 00:24:50.460 --> 00:24:52.539 Don't you know Jesus is heading to the festival? 00:24:52.539 --> 00:24:53.899 He's got a busy schedule. 00:24:54.039 --> 00:24:55.139 He's got an agenda to keep. 00:24:55.159 --> 00:24:56.240 He's got no time for you. 00:24:57.420 --> 00:25:01.879 Or perhaps even more negatively, because we know this from John's Gospel, 00:25:02.099 --> 00:25:05.740 that some people looked at a blind person and said, well, somebody has sinned. 00:25:05.799 --> 00:25:06.940 That's the cause of this. 00:25:07.399 --> 00:25:10.619 Either the individual has sinned or his parents have sinned. 00:25:11.659 --> 00:25:16.659 So perhaps some were thinking, well, that Jesus is not going to have time to speak to a sinful person like you. 00:25:18.500 --> 00:25:19.819 What's happening there? 00:25:19.819 --> 00:25:24.500 They're missing the truth that Jesus is the merciful Savior. 00:25:24.500 --> 00:25:33.440 Even though there are people who are joining that procession with Jesus, 00:25:34.380 --> 00:25:36.819 they've missed it. 00:25:37.940 --> 00:25:39.920 They've missed verse 13. 00:25:40.559 --> 00:25:41.279 They missed Jesus. 00:25:41.420 --> 00:25:45.299 Talk about the tax collector who prayed, God, have mercy on me, a sinner. 00:25:45.779 --> 00:25:47.240 And he went home justified. 00:25:47.240 --> 00:25:52.940 And they missed the point that Jesus deliberately welcomed the little children. 00:25:53.920 --> 00:25:57.279 The kingdom of God belongs to little people like these. 00:25:57.279 --> 00:26:07.960 But there are some who would still write Bartimaeus off as beyond Jesus' care. 00:26:09.079 --> 00:26:10.960 We must never write other people off. 00:26:12.220 --> 00:26:14.839 Luke's Gospel says that on almost every page. 00:26:16.160 --> 00:26:20.180 The reality of God's grace, the goodness of his mercy, 00:26:20.180 --> 00:26:23.360 says that nobody is too bad. 00:26:24.799 --> 00:26:26.740 Nobody is too unimportant. 00:26:27.680 --> 00:26:29.400 Nobody is too insignificant. 00:26:29.720 --> 00:26:34.220 Nobody is too different for Jesus to stop and to save. 00:26:36.880 --> 00:26:40.620 Let me put that another way and say we must never write ourselves off. 00:26:40.619 --> 00:26:44.819 Sometimes, perhaps, because of our past or our circumstances, 00:26:45.019 --> 00:26:46.699 we say, well, Jesus can't be for me. 00:26:46.819 --> 00:26:50.239 Jesus is not for people like me because I'm not a good person. 00:26:51.619 --> 00:26:54.899 Truly, the Bible says there are no good and righteous people. 00:26:56.899 --> 00:27:02.579 The only qualification we need is to feel our need for mercy 00:27:02.579 --> 00:27:06.879 and to come and to come. 00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:11.840 Because look at what Bartimaeus receives. 00:27:12.680 --> 00:27:15.460 Verse 40, Bartimaeus won't stop. 00:27:15.540 --> 00:27:16.560 They're saying, be quiet. 00:27:17.380 --> 00:27:18.140 But he won't stop. 00:27:18.220 --> 00:27:20.100 He keeps crying, son of David, have mercy on me. 00:27:20.160 --> 00:27:23.640 Where Bartimaeus won't stop, Jesus does. 00:27:24.720 --> 00:27:28.700 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. 00:27:29.180 --> 00:27:30.140 This is why he's come. 00:27:30.900 --> 00:27:32.220 He's come to show mercy. 00:27:32.380 --> 00:27:36.100 In this conversation, what does this conversation reveal, Jesus? 00:27:36.099 --> 00:27:37.500 What do you want me to do for you? 00:27:37.719 --> 00:27:39.719 The blind man says, Lord, I want to see. 00:27:39.939 --> 00:27:41.799 Jesus said, receive your sight. 00:27:42.699 --> 00:27:44.419 Your faith has healed you. 00:27:46.500 --> 00:27:50.959 Bartimaeus has faith in Jesus as God's king, God's merciful king. 00:27:52.240 --> 00:27:54.519 That's why he comes, why he asks the question. 00:27:55.299 --> 00:27:58.279 And the request is granted. 00:27:58.500 --> 00:28:00.959 Granted in the sense that now he receives his sight. 00:28:01.079 --> 00:28:02.259 That's mercy, isn't it? 00:28:02.259 --> 00:28:05.359 His physical blindness is healed. 00:28:06.119 --> 00:28:09.879 But also, do you notice the new direction of his life? 00:28:10.400 --> 00:28:13.059 As soon as he receives his sight, he's not all about his own business. 00:28:14.099 --> 00:28:15.339 He follows Jesus. 00:28:17.119 --> 00:28:19.339 He's praising God. 00:28:20.220 --> 00:28:21.140 He's a worshiper. 00:28:22.299 --> 00:28:25.420 And the crowd are led to join and to praise. 00:28:25.539 --> 00:28:27.819 When all the people saw it, they also praised God. 00:28:27.819 --> 00:28:30.339 No one can deny a miracle of mercy has happened. 00:28:31.539 --> 00:28:34.299 God will have his son be praised. 00:28:36.480 --> 00:28:38.039 Let's close where we began. 00:28:39.000 --> 00:28:42.000 To know why Jesus came. 00:28:43.039 --> 00:28:44.119 That changes everything. 00:28:44.119 --> 00:28:50.599 If we understand his heart and his motive, that he comes to show mercy, 00:28:52.119 --> 00:28:58.000 then we will run to him and not run from him. 00:28:59.019 --> 00:29:03.819 The picture that we get in Luke 18 as Jesus enters Jericho 00:29:03.819 --> 00:29:07.419 is that of a king of mercy, 00:29:08.460 --> 00:29:11.179 leading a royal procession, 00:29:11.399 --> 00:29:14.299 heading to Jerusalem, to the royal city. 00:29:14.299 --> 00:29:16.980 And on that journey, the king stops 00:29:16.980 --> 00:29:22.279 to invite a beggar into his presence. 00:29:22.839 --> 00:29:29.899 To invite a beggar to ask from a king of great grace and mercy. 00:29:29.900 --> 00:29:35.060 He's inviting a beggar to join his royal court. 00:29:36.320 --> 00:29:37.780 Isn't that a lovely picture of Jesus? 00:29:39.100 --> 00:29:41.840 That's a wonderful picture of the gospel. 00:29:43.000 --> 00:29:47.280 King Jesus invites you and me today 00:29:47.280 --> 00:29:50.880 to come and find the mercy we need, 00:29:50.940 --> 00:29:52.440 the forgiveness we need, 00:29:52.500 --> 00:29:54.740 the eternal life we need. 00:29:54.740 --> 00:29:57.859 He says, come. 00:29:58.819 --> 00:30:00.539 Come and have your life transformed 00:30:00.539 --> 00:30:05.620 as we would experience his powerful love for us. 00:30:06.200 --> 00:30:08.740 And the wonderful thing about this king of mercy 00:30:08.740 --> 00:30:10.140 that we meet in Jesus, 00:30:10.660 --> 00:30:13.579 he is the one who knows each and every one of us, 00:30:13.640 --> 00:30:14.460 inside and out. 00:30:14.519 --> 00:30:17.099 So he knows exactly what we need 00:30:17.099 --> 00:30:20.099 in this day, in this hour. 00:30:20.099 --> 00:30:23.879 There was a Puritan preacher 00:30:23.879 --> 00:30:25.259 by the name of Thomas Goodwin. 00:30:26.079 --> 00:30:27.279 He had a lovely picture. 00:30:27.719 --> 00:30:29.019 He spoke of Jesus as a king 00:30:29.019 --> 00:30:30.740 with a treasure chest of mercy. 00:30:32.719 --> 00:30:34.399 Made me think of jewelry. 00:30:34.799 --> 00:30:35.819 Not that I have a lot of jewelry. 00:30:35.959 --> 00:30:37.379 But you know, if you have jewelry, 00:30:37.500 --> 00:30:39.480 you probably have something fit for every occasion. 00:30:40.339 --> 00:30:40.599 Maybe. 00:30:41.839 --> 00:30:44.639 What mercy do you need today? 00:30:44.640 --> 00:30:50.300 Are you coming to King Jesus 00:30:50.300 --> 00:30:52.860 to find what you need? 00:30:53.660 --> 00:30:57.080 He has mercy for each one of us. 00:30:59.100 --> 00:31:01.400 Bartimaeus, he had an illness. 00:31:03.120 --> 00:31:04.259 Jesus had mercy. 00:31:05.400 --> 00:31:08.440 Jesus has mercy that would heal. 00:31:09.080 --> 00:31:12.820 Jesus has mercy to help us endure through illness, 00:31:12.819 --> 00:31:15.039 giving glory to God. 00:31:16.439 --> 00:31:19.339 If we are in spiritual darkness today, 00:31:19.740 --> 00:31:21.960 still confused about who Jesus is 00:31:21.960 --> 00:31:22.720 and why he came, 00:31:23.099 --> 00:31:24.119 there is mercy. 00:31:24.599 --> 00:31:25.819 Mercy to give light. 00:31:26.240 --> 00:31:29.639 Mercy to reveal Jesus as God 00:31:29.639 --> 00:31:31.480 and Savior to us. 00:31:33.480 --> 00:31:34.700 If you're here today 00:31:34.700 --> 00:31:37.419 and your heart is hard or hardening, 00:31:39.419 --> 00:31:41.119 there is mercy to give you 00:31:41.119 --> 00:31:43.000 a soft and tender heart 00:31:43.000 --> 00:31:45.699 to gladly receive the love of Jesus. 00:31:47.459 --> 00:31:48.779 If you're here today 00:31:48.779 --> 00:31:51.000 and you are spiritually dead, 00:31:51.679 --> 00:31:53.279 you know that all is not well 00:31:53.279 --> 00:31:54.479 between you and God, 00:31:54.839 --> 00:31:58.299 there is mercy to give new life. 00:32:00.459 --> 00:32:03.159 If you are discouraged today, 00:32:04.059 --> 00:32:06.539 burdened down by cares and troubles, 00:32:06.539 --> 00:32:08.939 there is mercy from Jesus 00:32:08.940 --> 00:32:10.759 to lift you up. 00:32:11.759 --> 00:32:13.480 Mercy to encourage you 00:32:13.480 --> 00:32:14.660 and to keep you walking. 00:32:16.240 --> 00:32:17.820 If you come here today 00:32:17.820 --> 00:32:19.940 aware of your sin and your guilt, 00:32:20.860 --> 00:32:24.440 there is mercy to cleanse and forgive. 00:32:25.559 --> 00:32:28.000 He has a treasure chest of mercies. 00:32:28.860 --> 00:32:29.779 Child of God, 00:32:30.140 --> 00:32:30.779 you're a Christian, 00:32:31.460 --> 00:32:33.200 do you understand that your father 00:32:33.200 --> 00:32:35.480 and Jesus, your elder brother, 00:32:35.480 --> 00:32:40.039 they are full of tender mercy for you. 00:32:41.799 --> 00:32:43.640 If you're not a Christian here today, 00:32:43.720 --> 00:32:44.599 do you understand that 00:32:44.599 --> 00:32:46.980 if you come to Jesus in faith today, 00:32:46.980 --> 00:32:50.420 you will find mercy. 00:32:51.980 --> 00:32:52.860 How do we know? 00:32:52.900 --> 00:32:54.400 How can we have such confidence? 00:32:55.860 --> 00:32:56.980 Because of the journey. 00:32:57.720 --> 00:33:00.980 Because Jesus will go to the cross 00:33:00.980 --> 00:33:04.200 to die in our place for our sins. 00:33:04.960 --> 00:33:07.380 The great demonstration 00:33:07.380 --> 00:33:10.559 of love and mercy from God. 00:33:11.500 --> 00:33:13.759 So there's an invitation to each one of us, 00:33:14.440 --> 00:33:16.339 like this blind beggar, 00:33:16.860 --> 00:33:18.579 to ask that God would help us 00:33:18.579 --> 00:33:21.160 to see who Jesus is, 00:33:22.019 --> 00:33:23.779 to see Him as the merciful Savior, 00:33:23.779 --> 00:33:24.980 and that we would...