Jesus, Son of David! ~ Day 28

October 29, 2006 - Day 28

Mark 10:46-52

Passage: Today’s passage is very rich with meaning. The passage before [and its broader context] is concerning the kingdom of Christ that He has come to establish. As Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem for the last time, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus calls out to Him, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus asks Bartimaeus what he wants and Bartimaeus asks to be given sight to his blind eyes. Jesus grants his request and restores his sight. This could be seen as just another miracle of Jesus’, but there lies a certain meaning here. That is so important when reading the Gospels. Jesus did his miracles not only for the good of the people, but also to display something greater about Himself. Here we see Jesus referred to as the “Son of David.” Bartimaeus understood that Jesus was the one whom the Prophets spoke of (Isaiah 11:1-3; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Ezekiel 34:23-24). He knew that God had promised that a descendent of David would establish an eternal kingdom (Isaiah 9:6-7). And he believed that Jesus was that “Son of David.” Jesus’ power to restore Bartimaeus’ sight was a testimony to the truth of his claim to be the promised Messiah. The next passage of scripture tells of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. Jesus would soon establish His kingdom unexpectedly, and yes ironically, through His death, burial and resurrection.

Application: One of the greatest applications I can think of here is this: God is faithful to His promises and His Word is a faithful witness to them. It is stunning to see how fully and clearly Jesus fulfilled the words of the Prophets of the Old Testament. It increases my faith to think upon these things. I thank God that He will be faithful to do what He has promised me. Secondly, I see how much Jesus cared for the downtrodden. Jesus went out of His way, fighting his way through the thick crowd to get to Bartimaeus. I hope that I can be this attentive to those who are crying out for help around me. Lord help me to be more compassionate towards the poor, sick, and oppressed.