Introduction: Jesus meets a man with a need.
* Read text.
I. The Purpose
* The man was blind from birth. Never experienced sight.
* The disciples knew who had an answer to the riddle of the day.
* Did this man sin before he was born (in the womb) or was it because of a sin of his parents that he was born blind?
* Psalms 51:5 - Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
* Jesus said, no, there is another reason.
* This is what many people fight against and resist. They hate it.
* Life is not about us. Everything is not about you. It’s not about me.
* It’s about God. It’s about His glory.
* First, this man was born blind (unable to see) so the glory of God could be seen.
* Secondly, Jesus whole ministry was to give God the glory. He made that clear, over and over.
* Thirdly we have a time of opportunity to give God the glory, and that time passes. “…while it is still light.”
II. The Person
* The disciples sought to be enlightened, and they asked the right person.
* Jesus was the light of the world as long as He was here.
* But He was going away. Does that mean when he went away there would be no light? No.
* He is still with us today.
* “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5b
* Dr. Bill Gillham repeatedly says, “There is only one person who could successfully live the Christian life, and He wants to do it again through you.”
* Jesus said, as long as He was in the world, He was the light of the world.
* He also said, “You are the light of the world” Matthew 5:14. How can this be?
* Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
* The sum of scripture tells me, when I am saved, my life died. Jesus’ life moves in. He is the only life that I now have.
* I believe that to be literal, not figurative or “spiritually speaking”. Jesus is my life, literally.
* Therefore, He is still here, and He is still the light of the world.
* I also believe that some day, we will be removed from the world for a day of judgment in a world without light.
III. The Plan
* Jesus then went into action. He did something that appeared very unenlightening.
* He did something very unimpressive.
* I used to play baseball. There were always “spitters”.
* I was not a spitter. I thought it was undignified, crass, and lacked class.
* I was not part of the “spit to impress” crowd.
* But Jesus spit into the dirt. How humiliating for the creator of the universe!
* He scooped it up and played with the mud. Further indignity.
* This must have represented an act of humility on Jesus’ part that would exalt glory to the Father.
* Jesus illustrated that for us to give God glory with our lives, we must be willing to perform humble acts.
* Illust. Humility…..
IV. The Projection.
* Is there a lesson for you? Is there something in your life that this is hammering on?
* Does something come to mind that God is calling you to?
* Does it begin with humility and humble acts that give only God the glory?
* See, we prefer the things that share glory with us, that show us in a new and good light.
* Jesus was spitting in the mud and playing in it to create an opportunity to glorify the Father.
* I must decrease so the Lord can increase.
* John 3”3-4 “He must increase, but I must decrease. 31 “He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all”
* What a lesson to us, breaking us out of our selfish, egocentric life styles to draw us into a way to give God the glory.
* So, here is Jesus, doing the demeaning task, making mud with spittle, to show God’s glory.
V. The Performance
* He anointed the man’s eyes and told him to wash them in the pool of Siloam.
* The man obeyed, and could see. Born blind, now can see.
* In the dialog with his neighbors, we see some interesting sub-stories develop.
* Some asked, “Is that the blind man?” Others said, “He looks like him.”
* He responded “No, it is me. I was blind, but a man named Jesus anointed my eyes with mud, told me to go wash them. I did, and I now see.”
* They asked him, “Where is this one?” He replied, “I really don’t know.”
* To be honest, there is a lot we don’t know.
* There is a lot we don’t understand.
* For instance, how was this man healed if he didn’t know who Jesus was?
* How did he have the faith to be healed?
* Simply, he followed the light he had. It was a step to God.
* He obeyed the step he was given.
* We will learn next week that God wasn’t finished with him because he followed the step he was given.
* When you follow the one step God is giving you today, He will take care of the rest of the way.
* He is faithful to show you the path.
* Have you obeyed God in the small step He is calling you to make today?
Conclusion: Poem: Where our Captain bids us go,
’Tis not ours to murmur no; He that gives the sword and shield
Chooses too the battlefield Where we are to fight the foe.
* One step forward in obedience is worth years of study about it.
