Let the facts speak for themselves¨ (John Chapter 9)
A) The entire chapter deals with the story of a blind man who received his sight after Jesus spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva. (It was commonly supposed that sickness was the result of sin. Either by the man, in this case, or by his parents.) it's important to note that Jesus rejected both suggestions and said, in fact, that this man was this way so that God could be glorified.
B) Jesus anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay and told him to Go, wash in the pool of Siloam. (We think this is a gross way of working out a miracle but actually mixing saliva and clay was a common practice and was used for eye infections. Jesus used the saliva and clay but in doing so he provided the man an opportunity to put his faith to work by going and washing it off.)
C) He went and washed as he was commanded and came back seeing. (Vs. 6)
D) MISSING THE POINT They couldn't rejoice over the man's healing because they got so caught up in the fact that Jesus healed him on the Sabbath.
E) Neighbors who had seen him blind began to ask if this was the blind man who sat and begged and there was some controversy over whether he was the man or not. (Vs. 8)
F) Then the question came up as to how it was that he received his sight and he told them that A man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me to go and wash in the pool of Siloam, so I went and washed and I received my sight. (Vs. 11)
G) Since it was the Sabbath they took the healed man to the Pharisees who asked him of his healing and he repeated the same story. (Vs. 13)
H) So some of the Pharisees declared that Jesus was not from God because he healed the man on the Sabbath. (Vs. 16a)
I) Others wanted to know how a sinner could do such things. (Vs. 16b)
J) They asked the blind man again concerning the man who had healed him and he told them, "He is a prophet¨ (Vs. 17)
K) The Jews didn't believe him so they called for his parents, asking if this was their son who had been born blind and if so how is it that he now sees? (Vs. 18 & 19)
L) Parents respond we know this is our son and we know he was born blind, how it is that he can now see we do not know. He is of age, ask him. (Vs. 20 & 21)
M) They said that because it had already been said that if anyone confessed that Jesus was the Christ they would be put out of the synagogue.
N) Then in vs. 25, The man said this: Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see.¨
An entire chapter given to this man's healing;
- about how it took place,
- about what did the man who had healed him do,
- why did he do it on the Sabbath if He was really the Son of God (since no one was to work on the Sabbath)
- and how does spittal and clay and washing in water have to do with getting healed?
In Mark 2:27 Jesus had to remind the Jewish leaders that The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.¨
Deuteronomy 5:12
"Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you.
Deuteronomy 5:14
but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do.
Colossians 2:16
Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.
So we realize that God gave man the Sabbath as a day of rest and as a day in which to Honor God, but understand also that there are times when occasions may call for one to have to get the ox out of the ditch on the Sabbath if necessary.
The whole point being that the Pharisees. The Jews were making a legalistic issue out of Jesus healing on the Sabbath and by doing so were missing the whole point of what had happened.
Instead of glorifying God for healing the blind man, they were allowing the devil to use this as an occasion to prove Jesus could not be the Son of God because He healed on the Sabbath.
They would rather complain and find fault rather than to come together and find something good to worship God for.
They were so worried about excommunication from the synagogue (The parents didn't want to answer for fear of being excommunicated.
The Jews had three types of excommunication: one lasted 30 days during which the person could not come within six feet of anybody else.
Another was for an indefinite time during which the person was excluded from all fellowship and worship and the third one meant an absolute expulsion forever. These judgments were very serious because no one could conduct any business with a person who was excommunicated.
Legalism can easily destroy the teachings of God's word. That's why so many churches (many people) are missing the point today because they are people who have a religious experience with God and who do not have a personal relationship with the Christ, the Son of God.
The healed man had not claimed at this point (vs 38) to be Jesus' disciple although they accused him of being a follower. He only asked the Jewish leaders if they were interested in this case because they wished to become Jesus' disciple. (vs. 27)
Note, like the woman at the well, there was a progression in this chapter of the healed man's understanding of who Jesus was.
(Ex.) How is it that you being a Jew¨ (vs. 9)
„ She called Him Sir (vs. 11)
„ I perceive that you are a prophet (vs. 19)
„ (vs 25) she saw him as the Messiah¨ who is the Christ¨
First he called Jesus a man¨ (vs 11). Then in (vs. 17) he called him a prophet and finally he realized that Jesus is the Son of God and proclaimed such in (vv. 35-38).
How can so many people set in church week after week and still not be saved?
Because they are people who are serving a religion instead of serving Christ.
They think this is all about being religious
They think it's all about working your way in
Or giving money and buying one's way into heaven
If they visit enough nursing homes
Or help in enough soup kitchens
Or spend time visiting enough sick people in hospitals
Then they will automatically go to heaven.
But getting into heaven is not about how much you do, or how much you give and it's not about how often you do it.
It's not about how many beers you don¡¦t drink or how many cigarettes you don't smoke and it's not about how many gambling halls you stay out of.
Although it's best to abstain from all of the above, you can't be good enough on your own to get to heaven.
There will be people who have never drank a beer or smoked a cigarette or entered a gambling hall who still won't make it to heaven. It takes Jesus; the Way, the Truth and the Life.
We've talked about 2015 being the year of change and that the way to make a change in your life is to A.) Forget those things that are behind you and B.) Press on toward the mark of the high calling which is in Christ Jesus.
But living down the mistakes of the past isn't always easy.
It's not always easy to convince others that Jesus has really made a difference in your life because man doesn't want to let you live down the mistakes you¡¦ve made.
Having a felony charge on your record can pop up every time you go to apply for a job or to make an application for an apartment.
So how am I supposed to ever live down my past to the point that people will give me a chance to start all over again?
People are constantly getting discouraged because of their past and the inability to be able to live it down.
How do you live down your past?
1. You have to be able to let go of it yourself. (Forgetting those things that are behind me.)
i. Quit reliving it (Telling yourself that you will never be good enough.)
ii. Quit repeating the same mistakes
iii. Quit handing out keys to your closet (put your skeletons away, lock them up and leave them there.)
And then, here's the kicker. This is the one that will put the final nail in the coffin that holds your past
2. Let the facts speak for themselves
Here's a man whose life has completely changed
i. He was blind
ii. He met a man called Jesus
iii. He was healed of his blindness
iv. Now he is being scrutinized about his past life
a. Aren't you the man who was blind?
b. How is it that you were blind but now you are healed?
c. Who is this man who did this for you?
3. He was more than willing to leave the past behind
a. He was tired of living in darkness
b. He was tired of being limited to what he could do in life
c. He was tired of being noted as the blind beggar
4. His life had changed and he knew it
a. He acknowledged the change
b. He embraced the change
c. He let the facts speak for themselves
In vs. 25, he said this: Whether He (speaking of Jesus) is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see.
5. If your life has changed, and if you have acknowledged and embraced the change that Jesus has made in your life, then the facts will speak for themselves.
a. You won't want to do the things you were doing before
b. You won't want to go to the places you were going before
c. You'll feel uncomfortable hanging out with the same people you were hanging out with before
d. Your overall behavior will speak to the fact that there has been a change in your life
6. This man didn't have all of the answers
a. He couldn't explain all that had happened
b. He couldn't give all of the right answers to all the questions being thrown at him
c. He didn't know all the Christian lingo and he couldn't use all the right phrases
d. But there was one thing he could do. He could present the facts - Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see.
e. He knew how to let the facts speak for themselves
7. He didn't feel intimidated by the bombarding of questions that were being thrown at him. WHY?
a. Because he didn't have to have all the answers
b. But he was a changed man
c. He now was able to see for the very first time and he saw things differently than he did even just a few moments before, I was blind but now I see.
d. He had the facts in his favor
e. You can doubt me, but you can't doubt the facts, they speak for themselves
8. Once they see the change, they will talk more about the change than they talk about the past.
„ Once folks begin to see you are who you say you are in Christ, they will quit talking about your past and start talking about your change. Why?
a. The change is more exciting than the past
