Mark 10:46-52
The writer to the Hebrews in our Epistle lesson teaches, “He is able to save to the uttermost those
who draw near to God through him.” Because He is the great High Priest, who
offered Himself “once for all” as a
sacrifice for sins. Since He is risen from the dead and “exalted above the
heavens,” He “holds his priesthood
permanently, because he continues forever,” and “he always lives to make intercession” for His people. (Hebrews 7:24–27).
Along with that, He gathers the children of God to Himself by
the proclamation of His Gospel, even
“from the farthest parts of the earth.” In mercy, He calls them, by the
waters of Holy Baptism,
“In a straight path in which they shall not
stumble,” unto life everlasting. (Jeremiah 31:8–9).
O God, so
rule and govern our hearts and minds by y9our Holy Spirit that, being ever
mindful of the end of all things and your just judgment, we may be stirred up
to holiness of living here and dwell with you forever hereafter; through Jesus
Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen [1]
As He did for blind Bartimaeus, so does the Lord, Jesus
Christ, have mercy upon you. With His Word of the Gospel, “he is calling you”
to Himself, to “take heart,” to rise
up and live by faith in His forgiveness. He opens your heart and mind to see
and know God rightly in Him and to follow Him “on the way” of the cross and into life everlasting (Mark 10:49–52).
Even now, Jesus opens our eyes of faith bringing us
into His presence.
1. As He did with blind Bartimaeus, so does the Lord Jesus have mercy on you.
A. He opens your heart and mind to see and know the LORD rightly in Him.
B. And by faith you follow Him “on the way” of the cross into life everlasting. “And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way. Vv. 49-52
Bartimaeus received his sight. A miracle indeed! How long had blind Bartimaeus lived in such darkness? We do not know. Yet, instantly he was healed. Suddenly, he could see. All the darkness was gone. And he responded by following Jesus.
2. With His Word of the Gospel, “He is calling you” to Himself.
A.
He is able to
save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, “because He is the great High Priest, who offers
Himself, ‘once for all’,” as a sacrifice for sin. Jesus offered a sacrifice
to satisfy the Law of God when He offered Himself for our sins. Jesus only had
to offer His sacrifice once, gaining eternal redemption for all who come to God
through Him. That is why the cross stands as a sign and a symbol of His great
love for you.
Jesus did not go to heaven after His earthly ministry and “take a break” from His role as eternal Shepherd to His people. “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (Romans 5:10).
If when
humble, despised, dying, and dead, He had the power to accomplish so great a
work as reconciling us to God, how much more may we expect that He will be able
to keep us now that He is a living, exalted, and triumphant Redeemer, raised to
life and interceding on our behalf before the throne (Romans 8:34). Clearly,
Jesus is still very active on our behalf in heaven.
He was subject to all the weaknesses and temptations that you are. So that He could personally relate to you in your struggles. He knows your temptations. He withstood every one of them. And in His suffering and death, your sin became His own. Your troubles His. Your burdens His. Your greatest misdeeds and embarrassments became His.
B. Since He is risen from the dead and “exalted above all the heavens, “He now holds the priest hood permanently.
He is perpetually the high priest and sacrifice who ministers in God's presence. ... Until that approaching day arrives, Jesus' ongoing intercession with his Father ensures that his people will be saved completely.
1.
“He continues forever.” The writer to the
Hebrews assures us. As your great High
Priest He will never leave this position. He continues to intercede for you
before His Father’s throne in heaven.
Jesus will never stop living, and will never stop interceding – and this is why He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God
2. “He always lives to make intercession for His people. “ The writer to the Hebrews explains, “…but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.
Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” – Hebrews 7:34-37 Because He is our High Priest forever, He can save forever.
Jesus’ intercession on our behalf is not a matter of placating an angry Father who wants to destroy us. It is not a matter of continually chanting prayers on behalf of His people. It means that He continually represents us before the Father so that we can draw near through Him, and that He defends us against Satan’s accusations and attacks.
Jesus is pleading on behalf of all those who have put their trust in him for their salvation. “if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 2:1)
Salvation is be found in Jesus alone: He is the one who died to atone for sins. He took our sins upon him and exchanged them with his righteousness. (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus’ sacrifice was perfect and complete.
3. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.- Hebrews 7:24-27
3.
Now you can ‘take
heart” to rise up and live by faith in His forgiveness.
A. He gathers his children to Himself by the proclamation of the Gospel; “even from the farthest parts of the earth.”
B.
In mercy He calls
you, but the waters of Holy Baptism, “in
the straight paths in which they shall not stumble,” unto life everlasting.
(Jeremiah 31:8-9)
On that day,
blind Bartimaeus received his sight showing us how fare the Savior would go to
win for your complete remission of all sin.
Your
salvation is not only based on an event in history – Jesus’ sacrifice on the
cross – but also on the life and intercession of Christ in the present and in
the future. He is able to intercede incessantly because He always lives. This
is why we may have great confidence when we draw near to God and the ‘throne of
grace’ (Hebrews 4:16). Jesus will never stop living, and will never stop
interceding – and this is why He is able to save to the uttermost those who
draw near to Him. (Hebrews 7:25).
Passive Sentences -3%
Readability –71 %
Reading Level – 6.9
[2] Collect for Pentecost 25, Lutheran Worship, © 1980 Concordia Publishing House. St. Louis
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