July 16, 2023 Jesus Encounter

Part 2 | A Blind Man’s Encounter – An Eye-Opening Process

From Mark 8

This miracle is a for .

Three Universal Blinding Powers:

1. We are born blind.

📖 John 3:3 ESV “Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God

2. We are by our own and .

📖 John 3:19-20 ESV On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret,And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

3. We are by our .

📖 2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

📖 Mark 8:11-12 ESV The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. 12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”

📖 Mark 8:13 ESV And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.

📖 Mark 8:14-15 ESV Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

📖 Mark 8:16 ESV And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread.

📖 Mark 8:17-18 ESV And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?

📖 Mark 8:19-20 ESV When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” 20 “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.”

📖 Mark 8:21 ESV And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

📖 Mark 8:22 ESV And they came to Bethsaida and some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him.

A Jesus Encounter is a Spiritual experience.

1. Spiritual develops when I stop on physical things.

📖 Psalm 119:18 ESV Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.

2. Spiritual develops in with Jesus.

📖 Mark 8:23 ESV And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?”

“Solitude is the furnace of transformation.”
–Henri Nouwen

📖 Psalm 46:10 ESV “Be still, and know that I am God.”

3. Spiritual develops in – don’t .

📖 Mark 8:24 ESV And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.”

📖 Mark 8:25 ESV Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

4. Spiritual develops when I my on .

📖 Mark 8:26 ESV And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

📖 Mark 8:27-30 ESV And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” 29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” 30 And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.

📖 Mark 8:31-33 ESV 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. 32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”