Main Point: “The cross of our Messiah defines our discipleship to Jesus.”

1. Eyes to see: the physical healing of the blind man’s eyes is a picture of what’s about to happen to the disciples’ spiritual sight when they confess Jesus to be the Messiah – albeit, a Messiah who does not suffer and die.

2. Peter’s confession: “You are the Messiah.”

3. Jesus the Messiah must suffer many things, be rejected, die, and rise again. Anything else is satanic.

4. Christians must suffer.

• Christian, take up your cross!
• Christian, lose your life for Christ’s sake—only to save it!
• Christian, do not be ashamed of the Son of Man!

What all of Jesus’ disciples must learn is that to be a follower of Jesus entails a painful renunciation of self-interest, and a wholehearted turn to Jesus’ interests.