Sunday Sermon | The Gospel of Mark: See Him Clearly

This is the gospel of Mark.

All right, good morning, church family.

Turn with me in your Bibles to Mark chapter 8.

Mark 8 · chapter mention

Mark chapter 8.

Mark 8 · chapter mention

If you do not have a Bible, there's a Bible in the pew rack in front of you.

You can take that and keep it as a gift from us to you.

If you are a guest with us this morning, let me introduce myself.

My name is Jason Smith.

I have the awesome privilege of being the pastor here of First Baptist Bernie.

And let me welcome you.

Church family, we have the awesome privilege of taking the Lord's Supper together.

All right, as a congregation.

If you did not get the elements on your way in and you wish to participate with us, lift your hand up.

Deacons are nearby.

They will make sure that you have the elements.

Keep it up until they come by.

Now, church, I want to speak to you because I want you to even now begin to prepare your heart for whenever we take the Lord's Supper together.

Jesus commanded us to do this in remembrance of him.

In remembrance of his broken body and shed blood.

So the entire service, you should, in your mind and in your heart, be reminding yourself that you are in, that you are in Christ Jesus.

Okay?

Has Jesus saved you?

Has he saved you?

I didn't ask how you feel this morning.

I didn't ask if you're going in a trial, coming out of a trial.

The truth of the matter is, is he saved us.

There is therefore now no condemnation for all of those who are in Christ Jesus.

And so, in the same way that when we're baptized, we are declaring all of my hope, all of my trust, all of my faith is in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

So too, when we take the Lord's Supper, we are again declaring, I am in the gospel.

I am in the blood.

It is all what he has done on my behalf.

Okay?

So prepare our hearts.

It's going to look a little different today when we take the Lord's Supper.

We'll get to that at the end of the sermon.

In the 1840s, a young doctor named Ignaz Simelwise, you'll forgive me if I just call him Iggy from here out, okay?

He worked in a maternity ward in uh Vienna.

And something was terribly wrong.

You see, there was an alarming number of women who were dying after they gave birth from what was called childbed fever.

And Iggy noticed something pretty strange was actually occurring.

You see, in their hospital, they had two maternity wards.

One that had midwives, and the other that had doctors and medical students.

Well, alarmingly, the women were dying at a dramatically higher rate in the doctor's clinic.

Now, Iggy became obsessed with trying to figure out why.

And then one of his friends accidentally cut his finger while performing an autopsy.

And he became terribly sick and died.

And Iggy recognized it.

Okay, his friend had remarkably similar symptoms to the mothers.

And suddenly Iggy he saw something that no one else could see.

You see, every morning the doctors performed autopsies.

They went straight from examining dead bodies to examining women in the maternity ward.

Now, this was before they had discovered germs and they had no idea about bacteria.

And so Iggy came up with a theory that the doctors on their hands were carrying tiny pieces of death with them.

And so he ordered all of his doctors and medical students to wash their hands with the chlorine solution before examining the women.

And the death rate plummeted.

But here's the incredible part.

Remarkably, many in the medical community resisted his conclusions.

See, because Iggy wasn't simply telling them that they had dirty hands, he was telling them that you are the problem.

See, the men who came to save lives were unknowingly carrying death on their hands.

They could see the sickness, they could see the problem that was right in front of them, the dying women, but they could not see it clearly.

And church family, that is exactly where Mark brings us this morning.

Because for eight chapters, the disciples have been looking at Jesus and they've watched him command the wind and the waves, cast out demons, heal the sick, and finally Peter sees it.

You are the Christ.

He sees.

But the problem is, is he doesn't see clearly.

Listen, as I read Mark chapter 8, beginning in verse 22.

Mark 8 · chapter mention

I'm gonna break this into two sections, so hold your spot there in your Bible, because we'll come back and complete it here in a second.

Mark 8, beginning in verse 22.

And they came to Beth Seda, and they brought a blind man to Jesus and implored him to touch him.

Taking the blind man by the hand, he brought him out of the village.

After spitting on his eyes and laying hands on him, he asked him, Do you see anything?

And he looked up and said, I see men, for I see them like trees walking around.

Then again he laid hands on his eyes and he looked intently, and he was restored.

And he began to see everything clearly.

And he sent him on his way home, saying, Do not even enter the village.

Will you pray with me?

Our Heavenly Father, this morning, as we come to your word, we beg that you would allow us to see clearly.

Teach us from your spirit, sorry, through your spirit, from your word, Father, to see clearly, to see you in your holiness and magnificence, to see our sin in the way that it separates us from you.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

So last week, if you recall, Jesus pressed his disciples for their lack of faith.

They had seen his power, his compassion, his character, and yet they didn't remember.

They didn't apply his past faithfulness into their current situation and circumstances.

But Jesus pressed them, it is deeper than forgetfulness, because forgetfulness leads to unbelief.

And Jesus asked them, Have you hardened your heart?

Having eyes, do you not see?

Now Mark goes immediately from that stinging question to Jesus healing a blind man.

But this miracle is unique.

I can't think of another one in the scriptures where it happens in two parts.

Jesus lays his hand on the blind man and asks, Do you see anything?

And miraculously, he can see.

For the first time in years, he sees light and color.

Can you imagine his excitement?

As he says, Yes, yes, I can see.

And yet, he describes that he cannot see clearly.

Everything is blurry.

He says, Men look like fuzzy creatures, like trees walking around.

I don't know about you, but that's me without my contacts.

If I don't have contacts in, I can see colors and I can see that there are objects there, but I can't see anything clearly.

And then Jesus lays his hands on him a second time, and now everything comes into focus.

2020.

He sees reality as it truly is.

Now, friends, we have to ask ourselves an important question here.

Did Jesus need a second try in order to get this miracle right?

Okay?

The one who calmed the waves?

The one who a couple chapters ago we saw him cast out a demon from miles away?

Was he just didn't quite have enough power that first go round, so you had to have two shots at it?

Of course not.

Then what's going on?

Mark is actually showing us something about the disciples.

You see, miraculously they can now see, but they don't see clearly.

Watch how this next account unfolds.

Because immediately after this miracle, we go right to Jesus takes his disciples to Caesarea Philippi.

And he asked them the question that has been hanging over the gospel for these first eight chapters.

Who am I?

Pick up in verse 27.

Jesus went out along with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi, and on the way he questioned his disciples, saying to them, Who do people say that I am?

And they told him, saying, John the Baptist, others say Elijah, but others one of the prophets.

And he continued by questioning them, but who do you say that I am?

And Peter answered and said to him, You are the Christ.

And he warned them to tell no one about him.

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

And he was stating the matter plainly.

And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

But turning around and seeing his disciples, Jesus rebuked Peter and said, Get behind me, Satan, for you are not setting your mind on God's interest but man's.

Now the disciples give many of the swirling theories that they have heard.

Some say you're John the Baptist brought back from the dead, and that's why you have so much power.

Herod is probably talking a lot about that because he was very afraid after he had John the Baptist beheaded.

Others say that you're the promised return of Elijah.

You see, there's lots of guesses from people who can't see.

But then Jesus makes it personal.

But who do you say that I am?

And in a monumental moment, Peter steps forward.

You are the Christ.

Again, for eight chapters, one question has hung over Mark's gospel.

Who is Jesus?

You see, the demons know, the crowds speculate, the religious leaders resist, but finally Peter sees.

You know, he's watched Jesus victoriously cast out demons, command the waves, touch the unclean, heal disease, overcome hunger, even defeat death.

And suddenly, like the blind man, he sees light and color.

The picture begins to emerge.

I can see you are the Christ.

But then we are told after this revelation, Jesus immediately began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things.

And Peter, listening, hears.

Suffer?

Rejected?

Killed?

That's not what the Christ does.

The Christ is victorious.

He defeats his enemies.

Demons and disease and death and oppressors and Rome.

The Christ doesn't suffer and die.

And as Jesus is explaining this plainly to the disciples, Peter pulls Jesus aside.

Can you imagine this scene?

This is like a student interrupting a teacher mid-lesson, popping up, going, teach, come here.

Can we come to the side?

Can I talk to you for a minute?

Pulls Jesus aside and rebukes him.

That's what it says.

Rebukes him.

We aren't given the details of that, but we are told he rebuked him.

Now think about that.

Because Peter has just declared, you are the Christ.

And now he's telling the Christ how to be the Christ.

And Jesus cannot have this.

So he turns back to all the disciples and rebukes Peter right there in front of them.

Get behind me, Satan.

For you are not setting your mind on God's interest but man's.

You see, Peter sees that Jesus is the Christ, but he cannot see the cross.

And here's the question for us why?

Why can't Peter see the cross?

Because in Peter's mind, he doesn't need the cross.

I mean, think about it.

The Christ has come.

Everyone knows that the Christ has come to save and to set them free.

And then Jesus says, that's where I'm going.

To suffer and to die.

And Peter's like, I don't I don't need that.

You see, Peter sees what most of us see.

Jesus, the problem is out there.

It's certainly not in me.

I need deliverance from them.

From the people and the institutions that oppress me.

From everything that's wrong around me, Jesus.

Fix my circumstances.

Fix my marriage.

Fix my kids.

Heal my body.

Provide for my needs.

Defeat my enemies.

And listen to me, there's nothing wrong with praying for those things.

But I want you to think about your prayers.

Because when was the last time you prayed?

God, change me.

God, change my heart and my desires.

Let me see more of your beauty.

Captivate my heart until I desire you above all things.

You see, it's so much easier to see that the problem is God changed everything around me rather than that the deepest need is actually within me.

And as we walk through the gospel of Mark, right, it's it's real easy to see that in the religious leaders, isn't it?

Remember just one chapter ago, how they were obsessed with everything outside of them that could make them unclean.

And Jesus says, No, it's from within.

It's the heart of man.

That's where the problem is.

Or you remember when Jesus told them earlier, it's not the healthy who need a doctor, but it's the sick.

See, the problem was not that the religious leaders aren't sick, it's that they didn't believe that they were sick.

And Peter doesn't yet understand how sick he is.

And truthfully, neither do we.

Because until we understand that our deepest problem isn't around us, it's within us.

It is our sin, it is our guilt, our separation from a holy God, we will never understand the need for the cross.

We will never understand the need for the cross.

Have you ever climbed a large mountain?

And on the way up, you're able to see magnificent views of one side of the mountain.

But then suddenly you reach the summit, and there's a whole new landscape that opens up before you.

Because for eight chapters, we've been walking up one side of the mountain.

The question that everyone's asking is, who is Jesus?

And today we've reached the summit.

Peter declares, You are the Christ.

There it is.

We are at the summit.

But then while we are there, Jesus immediately shows us another view that the Son of Man must suffer.

Now understand, he's not merely making a predictive statement about what is going to happen to him.

This is a theological statement.

The Christ must suffer.

Which again raises the question, why?

Why must the Christ suffer?

Why the rejection and the shame?

Why the cross?

Why can't God simply forgive?

I think that's how most people in our culture think about God.

Why can't he just forgive?

I mean, come on.

If he's loving, if he's really merciful, why can't he just forgive everyone?

After all, we're basically good people, right?

Now, underneath that are these assumptions.

One that sin really.

Isn't that serious?

And two, that God's holiness isn't that demanding.

We say, come on.

Sure, I've made some mistakes.

I've hurt people.

I've said some awful things.

I've done things I regret.

But does my sin really require all of this?

And friends, that's why you will never understand the cross until you understand the holiness of God.

Because forgiveness is not God declaring that sin was not that serious after all.

I'm just going to pretend like it never happened.

Let's just wipe that away.

No, the cross actually declares the exact opposite.

That our sin is so serious that nothing less than the death of the Son of God could atone for it.

That God cannot simply push evil to the side and still be perfectly just.

See, the cross declares how serious our sin is and how holy our God is.

When you or someone you love is wronged, you cry out and say, that's not right.

Justice must be done.

I mean, look at the way that the Lindsay Clancy case has gripped our nation over this past few weeks.

Three little children are dead.

And people look at that and they cry out and they say, There must be justice.

But then the other side looks at the fact that Lindsay had all these mental conditions, and they say, but justice must take that into account.

And friend, I'm not going to stand here and tell you what the jury should or shouldn't have done.

I want you to know and understand what we are arguing about?

Justice.

And what does justice require?

Because deeply within us, we all understand that when wrong happens, evil cannot be simply wiped away.

Do you really imagine that you and I care more about justice than Almighty God?

We demand justice for violence and oppression and fraud and abuse and slander.

We know instinctively that evil cannot be ignored.

But yet, when it's our guilt, we want God to simply look the other way, to overlook our evil, to pretend that our guilt doesn't exist.

But he cannot.

Because he is holy.

And that's what Peter doesn't see yet.

He sees the Christ, he sees the power and the victory, but he does not yet see the holiness of God or the depth of sin in his own heart.

And without those two things, the cross will always be unnecessary.

But once you see it clearly, the cross isn't simply the cruelty of God.

Once you see it clearly, the cross is the place where the holiness of God and the love of God meet.

Once you see it clearly, every illusion of self-righteousness dies, for I have sinned and fall short of holy God.

And my good intentions will never be enough.

There is never enough good that I can do to save myself.

The Son of God had to die.

Once you see it clearly, the cross declares that God sees my sin, that God hates my sin, that God fully judges my sin in Jesus.

You see, my forgiveness isn't cheap.

It is purchased by the blood of Christ.

But once you see it clearly, you also see the wonder of the love of God.

Because he knew me at my worst.

He saw the full depth of my sin.

And he loved me still.

You see, my sin is so serious that the Son of God had to die.

But I am also so loved that the Son of God was willing to die.

That is the cross.

As Romans 3 26 says, that God is just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Christ Jesus.

So look again.

Do you see him?

Not merely as the miracle worker, not merely as the teacher, not merely as the king who came to fix all of the problems around you.

But see the Christ clearly.

The Christ who suffered, was rejected, and died for sinners like you and me.

And the Christ who three days later rose again from the dead.

Because that's our King.

That's our Savior.

That's the Christmas.