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Gospel of Mark
Part 44: The Blind Man at Bethsaida
By Rev. Bruce A. Shields
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SERMON TIMELINE
1. Introduction
5. The Preaching Ministry of Jesus I
6. The Preaching Ministry of Jesus II
9. At the Home of Simon and Andrew
12. Jesus and the Tax Collector
13. Jesus Questioned About Fasting
15. Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath & Resurrection Sunday 2025
16. Hard Hearts and Hard Thoughts
18. Jesus Appoints the Apostles
24. Parable of the Growing Seed
25. Parable of the Mustard Seed
26. Benefits of Private Teaching
30. When Familiarity Breeds Contempt
32. Weakness in the Seat of Power
34. Feeding 5000
38. The Source of True Defilement
39. Gentile Blessed for Her Faith
40. He Has Done All Things Well
41. Jesus Feeds 4000
42. Jesus Sighs
43. Beware of Leaven
44. The Blind Man at Bethsaida
Today is Sunday. November 23rd, 2025
INTRODUCTION
Last week, looked at what Jesus had to say about sin, and how many allow it in their lives, and how it rules over them.
They are slaves to their sin because sin is their master. What that means is their sin leads them, and they obey their sins desires.
Whether selfish, narcissistic self-centeredness, pride, or desires of their flesh as listed in Galatians 5:19-20; Ephesians 5:3-5; Colossians 3:5-8; 1 Peter 4:2-3; 1 Timothy 1:9-10; Romans 13:13-14; and 2 Corinthians 12:20-21, they obey their master’s will as slaves do.
The scriptures teach that the sins of the flesh are “obvious.” You need not be a great studied theologian to know what they are.
Sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality (such as trying to entice others to commit the sin of lust by tempting through the way you act, talk or dress), lust, evil desire, adultery (Jesus says even the lust in your heart), homosexuality, idolatry, sorcery, greed, wrath, etc…
This week we see Jesus and the disciples arrive in Bethsaida, and a blind man is brought to Him.
Remember, Jesus condemned the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the teachers of the law because though they knew the scriptures, they did not live by them, and were hypocrites, failing to recognize Jesus fulfilling the prophecies of the Messiah.
They even demanded He show them a sign, to which He responded, the only sign they will have (since they missed all the prophetic fulfillment) would be the sign of Jonah. Which we know is the death and resurrection.
While in Bethsaida, Jesus heals a blind man, which again is a prophetic fulfillment of things foretold by Isaiah (Luke 4:18).
Remember I had said that we each must come to the Lord and believe, even though John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit, and lead the way for the Messiah, even He had to decide for himself before death to believe. We see in Luke 7:20-22 when John the Baptist was in prison, he sent disciples to ask Jesus (just before John was martyred) “Are You the One who is to come, or should we look for someone else?”
And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them.
Jesus healing the blind man in Bethsaida is unique to other healing though. It is the only miracle we see that happens in two stages.
Not because the Lord lacked power, but because He was teaching something essential to His disciples, and to us.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
Mark 8:22-26
“And they *came to Bethsaida. And they
*brought a blind man to Jesus and *pleaded with Him to touch him. 23 And
taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after
spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He was asking him, “Do you
see anything?” 24 And He looked up and was saying, “I see men,
for I see them like trees, walking around.” 25 Then again He
laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began
to see everything clearly. 26 And He sent him to his home,
saying, “Do not even enter the village.”
I. BETHSAIDA
a. Jesus arrives in Bethsaida
i. This is near where He fed the 5000 (Mark 8:22; Luke 9:10)
ii. On the northeast side of the Sea of Galilee near Jordan
b. The Blind man brought to Him
i. By those begging Jesus to touch him
ii. Concerned friends, like those who brought the paralytic man to Jesus in Mark 2:3
c. Now watch what Jesus does!
i. Verse 23 tells us Jesus took the blind man by the hand and lead him “out of the village”
ii. Similar to what He did with the deaf mute in Mark 7:33
iii. Why take him out of the village?
1. Look at what Jesus says after He heals the blind man
2. Jesus sent him “to his home” so he didn’t live in Bethsaida
3. And then told him, “Do not even enter the village.”
iv. Your healed, now go home and don’t go back to Bethsaida.
v. Jesus did not want the miracle to be seen in Bethesda. Not when it happened, not the results of it, nothing. Why?
1. Because Jesus cursed on the village of Bethsaida because they refused to repent.
Matthew 11:21 “…Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago…”
2. Because they refused to repent, Jesus was unwilling to give Bethsaida any more evidence of the Messiah.
II. THE MIRACLE IN TWO STAGES
a. Understanding where the disciples are
i. When the Lord healed in two stages, He was not correcting a failure. Every healing was accomplished by Jesus.
ii. He was revealing how spiritual sight comes.
1. Just before this miracle, the disciples misunderstood His warning about leaven
2. Jesus asked them, “Having eyes, do you not see?” Mark 8:18
a. Their physical eyes worked, yet their spiritual perception remained clouded. They could recognize His miracles, but they struggled to grasp His identity and mission.
iii. By healing the man gradually, Jesus enacted in front of them the very process they were living.
1. They were beginning to see, but they were still seeing “as trees walking.”
2. Their understanding was true, but not yet full.
3. The miracle became a living parable, showing that sight often dawns in stages
a. Awareness
b. partial clarity
c. then the settled vision of faith.
iv. There are professing Christians today who have seen and know the power of the Lord and His Salvation, yet fail to recognize Him and His authority in their lives.
1. They see salvation and Jesus with “clouded vision”
2. Their eyes are net yet fully opened to see Him in fullness.
3. We know them because of their fruits, their walk, their words, things they say and which oppose or contradict scripture. They still cannot fully “see.”
b. Scripture reveals Jesus healing other blind people
i. Matthew 9:27-31 Two men healed with a simple touch to the eyes
ii. Matthew 12:22 blind mute simply healed
iii. Matthew 20:30-34 two blind me healed with a simple touch
iv. Mark 10:46-52 blind Bartimaeus healed with a word
v. John 9:1-7 ointment of the eyes, spittle and clay, followed by a washing in the pool of Siloam
vi. We know Jesus can will with a single word. But we also know, everything Jesus does, and the way He does it is to teach us something.
1. Spiritual truths that are too difficult for us to understand without teaching and parables
c. Jesus heals in various ways, just as prayers are answered in various ways
i. When you pray, God may say “yes” and the prayer is answered immediately
ii. Or God may so “yes” but you must wait a while
iii. Or God may say “yes” but the answer is not what you expect
iv. FAITH is content to receive God’s answer and working however He sees fit!
III. OUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH IS GODS WILL FOR US
a. The three wills of God for you in your life
i. First, that you repent and trust the gospel
1. As Jesus and the Apostles taught so that you may receive the free gift of salvation
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some consider slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
ii. Second, God wants you to grow spiritually mature
1. God calls every believer to grow into the full stature of Christ, leaving behind the spiritual immaturity of the flesh and pressing toward spiritual maturity in Him.
2. 2 Peter 3:18; 1 Corinthians 3:2
iii. Finally, God’s will for every believer is not only personal transformation but also active participation in His mission, calling His followers to make disciples and proclaim the good news of salvation.
1. The Great Commission to go and make disciples in Matthew 28:19-20
2 Timothy 4:2 “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all patience and teaching.”
b. Spiritual growth takes time and comes in stages
i. At least, it’s supposed to
ii. Unless you are stuck in the milk…unwilling to grow
iii. Is Jesus asking you the same question today He asked the disciples in Mark 8:18?
1. “Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember???”
c. We should expect spiritual maturity to take time
i. But the time it takes is dependent upon you and your effort!
1. YOU are the only one preventing spiritual maturity in your life!
James 4:8 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
a. If you are struggling to grow in the Lord…listen to this verse!
b. Cleanse your hands from your sin!
i. REPENT!
c. Purify your heart!
Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
i. Purifying our hearts begins with repenting! And humility before God!
ii. Then presenting ourselves to God as instruments of righteousness.
Romans 12:2 “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may approve what the will of God is, that which is good and pleasing and complete.”
iii. And God will remove our heart of stone and place within us a heart of flesh!
d. Stop being double-minded!
i. Saying you’re devoted to the Lord, but clearly living for yourself
ii. Saying you are a Christian, but living like the world
iii. Saying you repent, but living in your sin
ii. You WILL remain spiritually immature otherwise.
LIKE THE DISCIPLES STRUGGLE, AND THE BLIND MANS SIGHT COMING IN STAGES, ARE YOU STILL BLIND
CONCLUSION
We come to the Lord by repenting and trusting the gospel. We are spiritually blinded by our sin. We need “healing” (Romans 3:23)
We need Jesus to heals us! (Matthew 11:28-30; Mark 16:15-16; Colossians 2:11-13)
When He heals us, it may take time for us to see clearly. Hebrews 5:12-14
However, if we remain unrepentant, in our sin, we will also remain alienated from the life of God, we will remain blind, and we will remain spiritually immature! (Ephesians 4:17-19)
If you are feeling that today, then you need to be renewed in righteousness and holiness in Jesus name (Ephesians 4:20-24)
You being this process by coming to Jesus through obedience to His gospel, and continued walk with Him, and you will see more clearly each passing day!
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