He Has Done All Things Well | Mark 7:31-37 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Series)

So much to give thanks to God for. So much. What a good God we serve. I invite you to come with me to the book of books in Mark chapter seven. Please meet me in your Bibles.

It's always an honor and a privilege to be in the house of God with you. In Mark chapter seven, please meet me in verse 31. I will wait for you. I will not rush ahead. Mark seven thirty one.

And follow with me, not just with your eyes, but with your heart. Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea Of Galilee in the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting, touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, Ephphatha, that is be opened.

And his ears were opened and his tongue was released and he spoke plainly. And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure saying, he has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.

Lord, give liberty to the delivery of this word. Let there be unction. Let there be reverence. Let there be freedom from any confusion or intrusion of thoughts. We pray, Lord, that this would be a powerful time, for your word is powerful.

Lord, may it melt our hearts, may it sanctify our minds, our every part of who we are, we pray, would be in alignment with you according to this text. And, Lord, we realize that apart from the Spirit's grace, this will be futile. But with him, there can be life. And we pray that life would be known in this time. In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. There is a remarkable statement in this short excerpt that I just read to you, and I'm not sure if you caught it. Maybe you have. But I want you again to turn your eyes to the last part of verse 37 and focus with me on the first few words that this crowd exclaimed in light of a miracle that Christ performed yet again. It says here, and they were astonished beyond measure saying, he has done all things well.

If there is anything that you take from this message, if there is only one thing that you can leave this place with, let it be this marvelous declaration. He has done all things well. He has done all things well. That was the response of the people when they learn of this glorious grace that Jesus bestowed upon this very poor man. But it wasn't just the immediate response.

It was a unanimous conclusion that the people have made about the ministry of Jesus thus far. All the reports that they've heard, all the things that they have witnessed brought them to this moment where they said he has done all things well. And we could take it further, can't we? We should take it further because all things means all things. Not some things, everything.

What has he done? Well, does any create hasn't he created? He's done it well. His creation. Not just his creation of this world.

I'm not sure how many of us would be confident enough to say that he has created me well. He has done all things well. His creation. What about his provision? Has he not done it well?

Has he not been sufficient? Has he not been faithful? What about his permission? What he has sovereignly allowed in your life? What he has given to you, though in the package that seemed to be sorrowful and dark and questionable?

In hindsight, you look back and you realize if it had not been for my affliction, I would not have kept his precepts. What about his direction in your life? Though not always clear, though not always with an audible voice, if at all, but here you are. God has brought you and you see it exactly where you need to be through his direction, through his protection. And how about his salvation?

Everything that he has ever done, he has done well. He has never done anything halfheartedly. He has never been misdirected. He has never made a wrong calculation, and certainly, he has never ever failed. He has done all things well.

Remember that. Don't just remember the reference. I encourage you to inscribe it on the trophy case of all of God's past mercies in your life. More than that, would you please etch it on your heart? Would you etch those words?

He has done all things well in order to to prepare you for the times in which you'll be challenged in your trust in the goodness of God. He has done all things well. Would that be a statement prepared in your mouth to share it with great conviction to those who might doubt or question the lordship of Jesus Christ? He has done all things well. And what we see here is an example of just that in this specific testimony of a blind and a mute man who received from the hands of this gracious God.

And when you consider Matthew's account of this story, you will quickly quickly learn that this story is important, that God had put it in this gospel account for a specific reason. And I want you to see that with your own eyes in Matthew 15. Go to Matthew 15 very quickly and come to verse 29. At this point, Matthew following with Mark here chronologically. So what we're gonna see in Matthew is what we're seeing here at this point of Jesus' ministry in Mark chapter seven.

But notice what Matthew does with this season of Christ's ministry by the Sea Of Galilee. Matthew 15 verse 29. Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea Of Galilee and he went up on the mountain and sat down there and great crowds came to him bringing with him the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and they put them at his feet. And he healed them so that the crowd wondered when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing, and they glorified the God of Israel. So Matthew's version is very general.

And Matthew tells us that there are many more, possibly 100 thousands of people who are healed. But when you read Mark's version, he hones in. He zooms into one of those healings out of the many. Clearly, there is something about this particular encounter that the Holy Spirit wants us to learn. There are some gleanings in here that are absolutely vital for our instruction.

And I believe the best way, prayerfully preparing this message, is to divide our thoughts. Divide our thoughts as meticulously as possible. If we wanna know what it is that the Lord has to say to us through this text, then consider with me, number one, the region where the healing took place. The region where the healing took place. And from there, look at the request for the healing.

And then from there, we will look at the method of the healing. And then from there, we will look at the instructions after the healing. And lastly, we will conclude with the remarks about the healing. The region of the healing. Mark was more specific.

He said that it was not just by the Sea Of Galilee, it was in the region of the Decapolis. Decapolis is just a word that means 10 cities, and it was heavily populated by gentiles. And there is more to that than just Jesus having extra crumbs in his pocket to give to gentiles concerning his power and mercy. Remember, right before this, there was a Lebanese woman or one Syrian by birth in the southern region of Lebanon who received mercy from Jesus concerning her daughter, but that mercy now spills over into the Decapolis. And now these other Gentiles are receiving a touch from the Lord.

But here's what's so interesting. Is this the first time that we read of the Decapolis in the book of Mark? If you've been with us, somebody nodded his head, no. You're right. This isn't the first time that the Decapolis has been made known to us.

And I want you to see where it was first mentioned, and you will see how this is so significant. Go to Mark chapter five. This is where Jesus does another powerful demonstration of his grace. And it wasn't for a blind man. It wasn't for a deaf man.

It wasn't for a crippled man. It was for a man who had 10 thousands of demons living inside of him. Nobody knows the exact number. It could have been two. It could have been three.

But there were thousands of demons living inside of this man, and Jesus delivered him. And this man was right in his own mind, and he was rightly clothed, and we're told there that after he was touched by Christ, he comes to Christ. He says, would you let me travel with you? Please don't leave me here. I wanna go with you where you go.

I know there's some extra room on that boat. Please let me come. And in Matthew five nineteen, you see Christ's response. And he did not permit him, but said to him, go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you. And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.

The Lord says, you can't come with me. I need you to be an evangelist. And so go to the Decapolis, go to those 10 cities, and proclaim to them what you just experienced. And here we are two chapters later. Jesus visits the Decapolis, and there are thousands of people waiting for him.

I want you to think about that for a moment. One man's testimony stirred the hearts of 10 cities. One man's testimony. It was an undeniable testimony. It was a profound testimony.

It was it was incredible. But the the point is more than just the man's testimony because we might not be that encouraged with that. I I wasn't filled with 10 thousands of demons. That's not something that I can really share without lying. I grew up in the church, and I love the Lord as early as I can imagine.

What does this have to do with me in terms of inspiration? Well, it goes deeper than his testimony. It has more to do with his submission to the wisdom of God than anything else. What was his initial desire after he was restored by Christ? Please let me go with you.

That was his dream, so to speak. That was his hope. That was his greatest desire. And what happened? Christ denied it.

No. You can't come with me. And you know what didn't happen? His zeal wasn't dampened. He wasn't offended and began to question the kindness of God and his providential leading.

He didn't pull back from serving the Lord because he didn't really get what he wanted. He chose to obey regardless. He chose to serve him regardless. He chose to go where he told him to go, though he may not have understood it immediately. And so it was more than just a man's testimony.

It was his willingness to trust in God's leading. And here's the point for you and I, what will you do when the Lord does not give you what you want? As holy as it might seem, as great as it might seem, as good as it might seem, will you in some form of payback become bitter and say, well, Lord, if you're not gonna answer my cry after I've been faithful for this long, then I'm not gonna give you what you want. You may not say it outrightly, but maybe in your actions, maybe in your devotion. And what you have to understand is that on the other side of you willing to say, okay, Lord, if this is where you want me to be, if this is who you've called me to be, if this is where I'm supposed to be and endure, then I will do it.

Maybe on the other side of that, there are blessings that you can't even imagine. Take that from this truth. Here's a man who thought the best thing was for him to be with Jesus, and Jesus, I know better than you. Go into the Decapolis, and he goes and revival breaks out. What if he had said no?

But he said, I thought you were kind and merciful. What's this? Well, thanks for the healing, but I'm gonna go my way. What if? What if?

And it's so sad. Over the years, I've seen Christians shrivel up and become sour because they've made desperate pleas to God and God hasn't realized it for them, and they're nowhere to be found. Who knows what God could have done through them? They said, well, Lord, if you don't give me what I think is best for me, I will still serve you regardless of what blessings he has in mind for those who trust and obey. The region of the healing.

This man prepared others to meet Christ, but now we come to the request of the healing. Mark zooms in in verse 32, and we see here that they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment and they begged him. Here's more begging. They begged him to lay his hand on him. Who are the they?

We don't know. But whoever they are, clearly are people who love this man. They love this man enough to take the time out of their day to make the effort to cross through the chaotic crowd and to present to Jesus someone who is in a desperate condition. They brought him to Christ. You know, when it comes to bringing people to Christ, there is energy involved, there is sacrifice involved, there is effort involved, and sometimes it may seem demanding.

No matter how demanding it is, it is our primary calling among many other callings. And it's amazing how so many temptations flood our hearts in the pursuit of witnessing to the loss. Right? It's incredible how much encourages us to do just the opposite, and I'm one of them. I can attest to those temptations.

For some, it's fear, which is terrified of the idea of confronting or communicating or sharing. Others, it's it's a sense of unworthiness. I I just don't feel like my life is holy enough in order to be a representative of Christ. And then there are others if the honest saint is honest, that the thing that tempts them the most to reserve their witness is their schedule. Their schedule.

And I wanna reencourage you here. Right? I wanna realign this is the point of coming to church. We we remind ourselves through singing and preaching why I'm here, why it is that I have been left here on earth and not raptured the moment I confess Christ. No matter what our personal projects are, no matter how ambitious they are, no matter how much they promise, you know it, don't you?

Nothing is more rewarding than knowing you planted the seed of the gospel in the heart of a receptive person. Nothing. Nothing. And here are these friends who willingly, intentionally took this man who who was probably very disoriented being deaf, who had no ability to share what he desired, at least with his tongue, and they said, we're bringing you to Christ. They loved him by bringing him to Christ, and more than that, then they begged Christ.

That that's a picture of intercession. We're gonna ask Christ on your behalf to do something in your life. But there's more than just the bringing. There is the specific request that they made that is worthy of our meditation. What did they ask Jesus to do for the man?

Put your hands on him. Christ, lay your hands on him. That that doesn't seem like a outlandish thing. That that's something that they probably witnessed with their own eyes. Maybe they saw Christ according to Matthew do it with hundreds of others and so they just knew what they saw.

They just interpreted as how Christ does things. Lord, would you lay your hands on him? Now we might just read past through that and say, well, that that's just something that's obvious. Right? Until you look at verse 33 and you see how Christ answers their plea.

Does he lay hands on him? And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue and looking up to heaven, he sighed. That's not the same of laying hands on him. That's not. That's very elaborate, very different.

Might be even very curious. And so these men came to Jesus asking for a specific method and Christ had another method in mind. And I think this is important for us to consider. You're saying why? Because if we're not careful in our petitioning to Christ, in our seeking of Christ, in our waiting of Christ, we might have a list of things that we believe Christ should do and how he should do it.

And when he doesn't, if you're not prepared to realize that he's sovereign, you might set yourself up for disappointment. Do you remember Naaman the Syrian? Maybe you don't. Naaman the Syrian was littered with leprosy. He hears of a man in Israel who can heal the sick, who is in tune with God, Elisha the prophet.

So he comes to Elisha's house after he was directed by the government. And when he arrives there, Elisha doesn't even come out to say hi to the guy. He sends a messenger out the front door to give him instructions. Like, talk about disrespect, at least in the eyes of a man who deserved who thought he deserved respect. He sends a message.

That's like a politician coming over to your house, knocking on your door, asking for your attendance, and you send out somebody else to deal with them. That's what Elisha does. Why? Is he rude? No.

He he's trying to highlight his pride. And it was highlighted because the instruction that Elisha gave to this man, you know it well. Okay. If you wanna be healed in verse 10 of second Kings five, go and wash in the Jordan seven times and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean. Simple.

Straightforward. Just like the gospel. Repent and believe. Nothing complicated. Nothing philosophical.

Nothing sophisticated. Just go to the foot of the cross, repent and believe. And what happened to this man Naaman? He was offended. Let me read to you his response in verse 11 in second Kings five.

But Naaman was angry and went away saying, behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. I I wanted something more honorable than this. More showy than this. More sophisticated than this. I had an expectation and it wasn't realized.

And he became angry and he almost missed out on the blessing if it wasn't for a servant who reminded him. And how does that work for us? I think it works in many ways. Lord, I wanna serve you. I wanna serve you in this way, and I wanna serve you at this time, and I wanna serve you with this kind of an influence, and I wanna serve you with this kind of people, and I wanna serve you at this capacity with these kind of giftings, and the Lord is pleased to use you and I.

But then he gives you a ministry that he wants you to have. Will you be like Naaman? Behold, I thought. Lord, at this point in my life let me just check here my blueprint for my existence. At this point, I would like to have this kind of a spouse, this kind of a house, this amount of kids, this kind of region, this kind of property taxes, this kind of church, a church that preaches well and does things well, doesn't get involved in my business.

And, I have all these things, Lord, that I have in mind. Here you go. And the Lord is pleased to provide for you. But then in his providence, when he brings you where you're at, does it meet your expectations? And if it doesn't, will you be like Naaman?

Behold, I thought, Here are these men they said, Lord, would you place your hands on him? And he honored their faith. See, the point that I'm trying to drive into your soul is not that trusting in God means that you should expect less than what you hope for. It's to believe that he is better than what you prayed for. It's to realize that he will honor your faith and he will do above and beyond what you expected or imagined no matter how much you think that it is the way it should be.

Christ comes and he brings this man privately. He honored their faith. He didn't scold them. Notice that. Because we should be specific in our request.

We should seek. We should ask. We should knock. But we should also have the faith enough to believe that if it does not come in the specific way that we had imagined, then his sovereignty is greater than mine. And so this man comes helplessly.

Jesus brings him privately, which transitions us perfectly into the next thought. Not just the region of the healing, not just the request for the healing, but the method of the healing. You read it. Jesus takes him. He doesn't wanna make this show in front of people.

He doesn't wanna advertise this man. He has enough attention. And so he pulls him aside. He looks at him. And maybe the the friends that came with the man looked from a distance and they said, okay.

It shouldn't take too long. And Jesus sticks his fingers in his ears and he spits and takes some of his saliva and he places it on his tongue. And then more than that, we're told by Mark very descriptively that he looks up to heaven. He sighs. He uses an Aramaic word that simply says, it means be opened, and the man was healed.

That's not the method that they had thought. Christ has different methods. Be careful of comparing your life because the way he provides for you, the way he uses you, the way he leads you may have some overlap with other people, but it is often very unique. It's very unique. I mean, just think about the way people were saved in this very room.

Some of you heard a preacher in person, and that's how God got your attention. Some of you received a tract while you went to the Mall. Some of you read your Bible privately in your own room. Some of you got saved through a podcast. Others through miraculously TikTok.

TikTok. I've been hearing that. TikTok. TikTok. TikTok.

TikTok of all places. Some of you through divine healing. God has different ways of working, and we see here that he proves that. And in the case of this healing, it was very unique and for a glorious reason. Why couldn't he have just said a word?

It would have saved a lot more time. Why didn't he do what Naaman would have imagined? Just wave his hand and this man's ears could have popped open and his tongue could have been loosened? Why this complicated and technical procedure? It's no accident.

You should know that by now. I think that what Christ is doing at this time with this specific man is showcasing what we've seen in Christ in many of his healings. A deep personal concern and care oozing out of a place of compassion. Here's this man again, deaf, unable to speak, unable to really speak for himself. And in the natural sense, not really knowing what's happening.

We don't know how long he was deaf for. And so you can just imagine these friends trying to communicate with him, we're taking you. And here he is just going along with them, and they come before this Jesus. Did he see it did he himself see him perform miracles? We don't know.

But here he is before Christ not knowing what is about to take place. And it could be that when Christ comes to this man and using his hands and signaling to him in this way, he is in essence communicating to him. In other words, this is Jesus using sign language to meet this man where he was at. This is Jesus coming to this man and placing his fingers in his ears to say, I know where the problem is. Placing his finger with his saliva on his tongue to say, I know that you cannot speak.

Looking up to heaven right before him to show I I'm showing you where the source of this power comes from. And even Mark giving us the exact words of Jesus at this time, we have reason to believe that this man could read lips. And so as Jesus says, be opened, this man would also see the authority of Jesus Christ. And so you have these friends begging Jesus, would you lay your hands on him? And here's Christ in his mercy and grace going above and beyond what they've even asked.

I will heal him. But I wanna show him that I am deeply concerned for him and I care for him as an individual, as a person. I realize his condition at this time. And so let me take him away from the crowd and give him my full undivided attention. And let me place my hands in these ways and perform these gestures so he knows what is about to take place.

So his faith can be encouraged. So he is aware of why he is here and why I am here. This is Christ showing that he cares. And would you know it, this is Christ performing this kind of a miracle of all the gospels in the gospel of Mark. I hope you didn't forget what the theme of Mark is concerning Jesus.

The perfect servant of God, the perfect minister. And here's Jesus ministering to this man, and it's no wonder why this account is provided under Mark's authorship. It's for our instruction as well. Yeah. This is unique to Christ's authority, anointing, and power, but his model as a as a servant, serving people.

You know what Jesus is doing here? He's meeting this man at his level of understanding. He's willing to take the time to convey in the language that he might have understood the most because Jesus doesn't see ministry as some drive through experience. Jesus doesn't minister here out of compulsion. He never does.

Jesus' heart is in what he does. No matter how weary his bones were, no matter how much the the demands were on his flesh, at this time, he gives his full attention and he speaks to a man in the language that he would have known most. I was reading this thinking about this laying in bed last night and I and I said, Lord, give me the wisdom, please, and give me the grace and the patience to know how to convey your truth. Help me be mindful. Help me be patient.

And understanding that every single person has a different condition and not one method works the same for all. Help me understand that if I'm gonna reach people, there's a grace that I need to exercise, an awareness that needs to be implemented in order to be most effective. I hope you leave with that truth in your heart. There are people who are broken in different ways, and it's not that we compromise in order to minister and disciple them, but it does require an attentiveness and a and a willingness to be able to meet them at their level. Meet them at their level and help them to grow in the revelation of the goodness of God.

So here's Christ, fingers in his ears, touching his tongue, looking up to heaven, wording with his mouth so that this man could see and understand what was about to take place, that his heart would be comforted, that his faith would arise, and Christ would be glorified. The method of the healing. What a wonderful master we serve. But notice now after the method, the instructions. In verse 35, and his ears were open, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.

You know what's so significant about speaking plainly? The word there plainly is that he became fluent in the language. It could be that this the man didn't even know how he he didn't know anything. Right? People debate whether he was born deaf or not, but he couldn't speak.

And the miracle is that it passed through all the need for therapy, all the need for sitting in a room with a tutor to learn how to speak, and he was able to communicate right away. It was a complete restoration. And so this man was able to put sentences together to understand verbs to to give speech right in that moment. And then Jesus does something remarkable. Verse 36, he charged them to tell no one.

Lord, the guy the guy just started to speak, and you're telling him not to speak? We feel the same way sometimes, don't we, about the commands of Christ? In our natural thinking, it doesn't make sense. He charged them, not just the man, but his friends. I'm sure they were fully aware of what just happened.

Don't say anything to anybody. Not one soul. Charge is a very strong word. Sternly commanded them. Not one person should hear about this.

And here what we see in the second part of verse 36, the more zealously they proclaimed it. The more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. Can you imagine that? The Lord more than once telling, don't say a word. And the more he said no, the more they were wanting to do it.

Does that sound familiar to a specific demographic in life? Yeah. And And the moment you turn his back, go, go, go, go, go. Tell as many people as you can. Why is the Lord asking not?

Lord, don't you want people to be exposed to your power, your unmatched mercy? And we've explored this, haven't we before? But it's here again and it's here again to remind us and to teach us and to because we're creatures of repetition to solidify this truth. Why is Jesus saying no? And we've touched on this, so let me remind you two reasons at least from the human standpoint of why they would do it though he said no.

The first one is something that we kinda see plainly. They were excited. How can you hold it in? This man couldn't hear. He couldn't speak and now he can formulate sentences.

You're asking us not to say anything? Lord, we love you, but come on. And so here they are exploding with exuberance. And they go to the streets and they proclaim this good news at the expense of obedience. And it's a lesson for us to remember that oftentimes, you were here Friday, and some of you were here Friday, that emotions can often lead us into disobedience.

That we can be emotionally invested in something to the degree that it steers us away from Christ's clear commands. And we looked at that this Friday with Saul. Saul slaughtered the Gibeonites, and the Gibeonites were protected people among the Israelites through a covenant. They were to never be harmed for the rest of their days, and yet Saul it says there in second Samuel 21 verse two, that out of his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah, he slayed them. His zeal.

He felt very strongly about this cause even at the expense of a covenant that was made. And so let me repeat what I said Friday, that there is a culture now that we're in that is more and more permitting absolutely almost everything as long as you feel strongly about it. You'd be amazed to know what you do in counseling sessions and all you're trying to deal with really is people who feel strongly about something, though it is plainly wrong. And so these people felt very strongly about telling others of what Jesus did, though Jesus' command was as plain as can be. Don't do it.

But we were excited about it. And that excitement can lead us into sin, and sometimes lack of excitement can lead us into sin. The presence of certain feelings, the absence of certain feelings should never determine the driving seat of your devotion to the Lord. Or maybe it's something else. Maybe it wasn't the sheer emotion of it.

Maybe it was the human wisdom element of it. And so here's Jesus who just does this awesome thing, and the people hear from him right after tell no one. And I'm sure some of them thought, really? No one. Lord, we love you, and we're so grateful for what you just did here, but telling no one doesn't really help your cause.

We heard some of your teaching. We heard some of your claims, and there are other people who are a little confused about who you are. Wouldn't this help you? Wouldn't this give less ammunition to the spiritual leaders who try to accuse you of such and such? Let us assist you in this.

You're great in so many ways, but in this area, Lord, I think you need a little help. We'll go and do it anyway. And again, this is a reflection of human nature. You have people who love Christ. You have people who who who love components of who he is and what he has done, but there are some parts in his word that don't seem to help his cause in this day of age.

And so it's clear, it's plain, it's obvious, but, this might push people away from Jesus. And so let's tweak it a little bit. Let's skip over it. Let's reinterpret it. Christ means well, and maybe this meant something at some time, but for now, this doesn't apply.

So Lord, we know what you're saying, but we're here to help. This is why we're seeing denominations fall apart. This is why we're seeing different churches invite things because their intentions might be just like these people. We're trying to aid. We're we're trying to assist.

When in reality, in Christ's wisdom, he knew that this was gonna bring more harm than anything else. So what's the takeaway from this with these instructions? It's very simple. Whatever he says, just trust it. Okay?

Just trust it. No matter what he says, no matter how your feelings attest to it, no matter how much you think that it is counterintuitive, just trust his word. You'll never go wrong. And more importantly, you honor the one that matters most. They don't.

They were zealously running in the other direction. And, with that quick disappointment, we said we see some kind of light at verse 37 with the remarks about the healing. They were astonished beyond measure saying he has done all things well. If you don't believe that now, precious saint, if you're tempted to doubt that, there is a day coming where you will be glorified and you will look back. And despite all the pain and all the strange providential leadings, you can look back and you'll say, he's done all things well.

That day's coming. I'm encouraging you. I'm encouraging your little faith today. That day will come. He's done all things well.

He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak. Now, here's what's fascinating. The word mute here is not the same word that Mark uses when he narrates the request for the healing. What was the specific request? And what was the diagnosis according to Mark?

Verse 32 again. Look with your bibles. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment. Do you see those collection of words there, had a speech impediment? In the Greek, that's one word.

It's one word in the Greek, and this one word in the Greek is actually only found here in this place in all of the New Testament. Mute is a different word. The word in the Greek here, which is is actually a very simple definition, very difficult to speak. That's all it means. But it's a rare word, and Mark chooses to use it to describe this man's ailment.

And you think, well, why? Why didn't he just go with what the word the people used? And here's what's so fascinating. It is the only word that is found in the New Testament in the Greek language, But there is one other place in all of the Bible that this word is used. It's actually in the Old Testament.

You think, hold on. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew. You're right. But there was a Greek version written of the Hebrew scriptures called the Septuagint that was compiled two to three hundred years before Christ. And it was a translation of the Hebrew scriptures that was very available at this time in history with Jesus and the disciples.

And so in all of the Bible, if you go with the Greek version of the Hebrew scriptures, you would realize that this Greek word that Mark uses is not just found here, it's actually found somewhere else. A total of two times that it is mentioned. And when you realize where it is mentioned, then you also realize why Mark used it. Do you know where it was used? I'll tell you where it's used in the book of Isaiah.

Go to Isaiah with me very quickly and go to chapter 35 and allow me to read a few verses. Isaiah 35 will begin in verse three. This is a prophecy, and it's a prophecy of a specific era. And here's what the prophecy says, strengthen the weak hands and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, be strong, fear not.

Behold your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you. Verse five. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then shall the layman leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.

For waters break forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. For the tongue of the mute sing for joy. And so if you had a Greek version of the Hebrew scriptures and you saw Mark's letter and you read that word there for speech impediment, you would look back at Isaiah and realize that he uses the very same word that the prophet used. So you see why Mark used it now. Right?

To show that Jesus is the fulfillment of what is being said here, though partially. Why do I say partially? Because what Isaiah is depicting and describing here concerns the millennial reign of Christ. He describes what will happen to the universe itself, namely what will happen with us who are created in the image of God. And what we see here with Mark and Jesus' miracle being performed is a preview of what's gonna happen when he does rule and reign on the earth forever.

And so Jesus here gives us a taste of what the world will be like when he exercises his governance in the nations, when he comes to rule from that throne in Jerusalem. What will take place in the lives of so many, not just one or two? It will be even greater than his days here on earth two thousand years ago. And Mark wants you to get a sample of it. And Mark wants you to realize that this Jesus is who Isaiah spoke about, and this Jesus will fully realize all that Isaiah spoke about in this text when he comes again when he comes again.

Be opened. And it was opened. And they said he has done great things. He has done all things well. I wanna let you know in closing as we prefer prepare to partake in the table, that yet again we have another testimony that Christ can do the impossible.

And if you just come, if you if you just let go and allow yourself to come to the foot of the cross, wonders can take place in your life. I wanna speak to the person here who does not know Jesus Christ. You have not opened your life to him yet. You have and you've heard about him, but you're spiritually deaf. And your mouth you can't find yourself with your mouth to proclaim the glories of God.

You can't sing about it. You can't testify about it. You haven't tasted it. In one moment, Christ can change it. He can he can actually change you in this very setting right here, right now.

And maybe one or two friends have brought you in love. And though they might have been nervous because they understand that sometimes from this pulpit, things can get a little intense. But they brought you in love. Not to meet with a preacher, not to meet with some musicians, but to meet with the living Christ. Do you realize that that person loves you?

More importantly, do you realize the love of Christ to bring you at this moment and to receive him? And maybe you're in this place and you're a believer already, but you're a disappointed Christian. You had expectations. Before you even dare to question, please take the time to ask yourself, am I here because of my own sin and foolishness? If you are if you are, Christ is still willing to forgive you and still willing to restore you and do incredible things in you and through you.

But if you believe wholeheartedly, well, I've tried to walk in as much obedience as I can and yet still here I am with a mess, with an absolute mess. I've made these specific prayer requests and they have not come. In fact, it seems like the opposite is experienced. Realize that if you are honest before the Lord, if you're broken before the Lord, he has something in mind for you through this. It may not make sense.

The method may not make sense just like the ear thing and the tongue thing and all of that. You may not understand it, but he's doing something you don't get. You just want him to lay hands, but he has something more because he knows more. Trust in him today. Let your heart be renewed and trust in him today.

I want you to leave this place for you to be able to say, he has done all things well. He will do all things well. And that's what we pray. Lord, in this time of meditation, we trust in you. In the feebleness of our faith, we trust in you.

In the strength of our devotion, we rehearse our trust in you. And Lord, as we come to this table, we reflect upon what really matters the most, the salvation of our souls. That despite the temporal trials and pain, we have eternal life. And there is a time coming, like Isaiah foretold, where there will be no more tears, there will be no more handicap, there will be no more sorrow, there will be no more fear looking over our shoulder to see who will fail us next. There is a time coming where all of that will be removed, and you will be the object of our desire, our love, and our joy.

And we come to this table to remember that you will feast with us one day. And so, Lord, please help us reflect, self examine, to repent, to be cleansed of all unrighteousness so that we may come in a worthy manner in your presence. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.