Introduction
The glory of God is a very wide and deep topic. The glory of God isn’t just one thing but several things that point to, reflect and manifest the beauty, power, presence and majesty of God. For example, Hebrews 1:3 tells us that the Son is the radiance of God’s glory. Jesus Christ perfectly mirrors, expresses and reveals the glory of God. Jesus is the glory of God.
In Exodus 40:34-35, we are told of how the glory of God filled the whole tabernacle and Moses could not enter the temple to minister because the glory of God that came down that day was so mighty. The glory of God in this instance was a mighty manifestation of the presence of God. The presence of God is the glory of God.
Psalm 19:1 shows us another dimension of the glory of God. That passage tells us of how the heaven declares the glory of God, the skies proclaim the works of His hands. The beauty of heaven is an expression of the glory of God. God’s work of creation like the sky, the moon, the stars, the depths of the earth, the mountain peaks, the vast and spacious sea, butterflies and other large and small animals, various plants with their bright, wonderful colours and designs all show forth the glory of God (Psalm 95:3-5, Psalm 104:24-25, Psalm 8:1, 3-4). The glory of God is seen all around us through nature and the beautiful things God has created. God’s creativity is the glory of God.
From Exodus 16:1-7 we see that when God performs a miracle, the glory of God has been made manifest. When the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron that they had brought them out of Egypt to the desert to starve, God said he would rain down bread from heaven. Moses told the people in the morning you would see the glory of God because God has heard their grumbling. In verse 10 the glory of God appeared in the cloud and in the evening of that same day, what followed was miraculous provision of quail to eat (Exodus 16:10-16). God’s miracle working power is the glory of God.
THE WORKS OF GOD’S HANDS AND THE GLORY OF GOD
We can’t in one day talk about Jesus Christ, the presence of God, the works of God’s hands, God’s creativity, and the miracle working power of God. So, today we will be focusing on the glory of God as revealed in the works of God’s hands. Our text for this sermon is John 9:1-12.
The first thing we learn from this passage is that:
1. THERE IS A PAIN TO ENDURE, A SUFFERING TO UNDERGO TO EXPERIENCE THE GLORY OF GOD
In John 9:1-3, when Jesus and His disciples came across a man that had been blind from birth, the disciples asked Jesus was it because of a sin the man committed or a sin committed by his parents that this man was blind, that this man was suffering? Jesus answered them by saying ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.’ The works of God is the glory of God. Romans 8:18 tells us of a suffering that comes before the manifestation of the glory of God. Jesus went through His own share of suffering before He experienced the glory of God. Hebrews 12:2 tells us that for the joy, for the glory that was set before Him, Jesus endured the pain and suffering of being insulted, humiliated and ridiculed, Jesus endured the pain of dying on the cross.
Please note that I am not saying that every suffering is from God. But if you place God before you and focus on God, whether your suffering is caused by your sin and carelessness, or by satanic attack or God allowed it into your life as a test or trial, God will bring glory out of suffering for you.
In the case of the blind man in our text today, what was the pain and suffering he had to endure before the works of God or glory of God was revealed in his life.
• He went through the pain and suffering of a long standing problem – The problem of this man started when he was born. Now, he was a fully grown man, not a child, not a teenager, not a youth, and the problem was still in his life. The man had been battling with this problem for years. The blind man knew the pain and suffering of entering into a New Year and the same problem you faced last year is staring you in the face in another year. The same thing you prayed about all through last year is the same thing you are praying about in the New Year. But when the glory of God was revealed in his life, the long standing problem was taken away from him. May the glory of God manifest in your life and remove every long standing yoke, sickness or problem that you have been battling with for years.
• He went through the pain and suffering of limitations; being limited or restricted from doing so many things – Career wise, the man was limited. John 9:8 tells us that he used to beg. In other words, his source of living came from begging. Not many people, companies and organisations would gladly employ a blind person. There was a financial limitation placed on his life as a result of his blindness. There are so many ladies that want to get married this year, but if I ask, would you marry a blind man if he proposes to you? The answer for many would be NO! In his marital life, in his social life, this man was limited. Even moving about from day to day was a big struggle for him. He couldn’t freely and easily go to all the places he would have loved to without someone assisting him. The blindness in his life was like a big mountain before him, limiting and restricting him from moving forward financially, socially and physically. But the day the glory of God was revealed in his life, that mountain was levelled. May the Lord reveal His glory in your life and may every mountain before you that has kept you from moving forward in life be removed. Isaiah 40:4-5 says every mountain and hill will be made low and the glory of God will be revealed. Every limiting mountain; every problem that restricts and hinders progress will be levelled as the glory of God is revealed in our lives, families, church and nation.
• He went through the pain and suffering of feeling alone – this man had parents, but it was like he was all alone with no one to turn to. He had parents but he had to beg to survive (John 9:8). He had parents, but it was like his parents had distanced themselves from him. Why do I say this? In John 9:18-23, we see that his parents were not ready to face any trouble because of their son. When they were questioned about him, they said let him speak for himself, explain himself, defend himself. You can imagine how alone he felt, the same way many people feel today. You have parents, but it’s like they are not there for you. You have a spouse, yet you feel so alone. You have so many friends and followers on social media, but it’s like you have no real friends to stand by you and help you. Today, the glory of God will be revealed in you and those feelings of being abandoned, neglected and rejected will be taken away in Jesus name. Amen!
• He went through the pain and suffering of being wrongly judged and accused by people – Whenever there is a pressing need or problem in a person’s life, it’s so easy for people to come up with all kinds of explanations as the cause of the person’s problem; the reason for the person’s suffering. Jesus’ disciples asked was it because of his sin or his parents’ sin that he was blind (John 9:2)? They had already concluded that it was because of sin that he was going through what he was going through. Something a lot of us are guilty of. We say things like it’s because she is proud and choosy that’s why she isn’t married. It’s because of a sin in his life that nothing he does works out. How do we know? Are we God? Why must we always look for a bad scenario to blame for situations in people’s lives? So, this man knew what it felt like to be judged by people. But the day the glory of God was revealed in his life, God vindicated him and he was free from faulty perceptions and false judgements. May the glory of God vindicate you today.
The second thing to know about the glory of God is that:
2. GOD HAS DIFFERENT WAYS OF MOVING PEOPLE FROM GLORY TO GLORY
This was not the first blind person Jesus healed. But the way Jesus healed him was different from how Jesus had healed other blind people.
In Matthew 9:27-30, two blind men received their sight by Jesus simply touching their eyes. This was how they moved from blindness to sight, from problem to solution, from one level of glory to a higher level of glory.
In Mark 8:22-26, for the blind man at Bethsaida, Jesus had to take him out of the village far away from people, then he spat on his eyes, put his hand on the blind man. Even after all this, his sight wasn’t fully restored. Jesus had to touch him a second time before his eyes were fully open. This was another way of God taking someone from one level of glory to another.
In the case of the blind man in our text, Jesus spat on the ground, mixed some mud with saliva, put it on the man’s eyes, then told him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. This was another way God changed someone’s story, God moved him from glory to glory.
God does not have a fixed method, style and approach to changing people’s lives and situation, giving testimonies, or moving people from one level of glory to greater glory. Putting God in a box; tying Him down to a particular style and method, can keep you from seeing the glory of God. Don’t get fixated on what’s happening in another person’s life, how the person got married, got promoted or received his healing and think that’s the only way things are done. We have to be open and allow God have His way in our lives. We should allow God do what He wants to do in His own way and style for His own glory.
3. YOU CAN’T IGNORE OR MODIFY DIVINE INSTRUCTIONS AND EXPECT TO SEE THE GLORY OF GOD
For the glory of God to manifest in our lives, we must follow divine instructions. Jesus’ instruction to this man was clear. Go and wash in the pool of Siloam (John 9:7). The man did as he was told and the glory of God was revealed in his life. For many of us, we want to see the glory of God, we are praying for the glory of God, but when God gives us a simple instruction we don’t follow it, or we try to modify it to suit us. The man could have gone to any pool, the one nearest to him or the one he was most familiar with. He could have decided to wash his eyes at a tap or take a bottle of water and rinse the mud away from his eyes. All these acts would have washed his eyes quite alright, but the instruction wasn’t just wash your eyes with water anywhere, but go and wash in the Pool of Siloam. We can’t expect to move from glory to glory when we ignore or modify divine instructions. May the Lord give us the spirit of obedience even when the instructions don’t make sense, aren’t convenient or aren’t what we are used to hearing.
4. WHEN THE GLORY OF GOD COMES, THERE IS AN UNBELIEVABLE CHANGE
In John 9:8-9, the blind man’s identity was in question, his identity became a subject of debate because the change that took place in his life was unbelievable. It was a change that those that had been used to see him sit to beg, weren’t sure if he was the same person. I pray that this year the glory of God will be revealed in all our lives and we shall experience a radical transformation in our spiritual lives, ministry, health, finances, career, marriage and family life. As God moved the man from blindness to seeing perfectly well, God will move us from weakness to strength, from sin to holy living, from lack to abundance, from sickness to good health, from stagnation to all round progress, from fear to boldness, from spiritual dryness to spiritual growth and impact in Jesus mighty name. Amen! As people could not recognize the man again after his miraculous healing, by the time the glory of God is through with you, people will not recognise you.
5. NOTHING COMPARES WITH THE GLORY OF KNOWING CHRIST
Don’t ever equate receiving a miracle, testimony or blessing from God with knowing God; having a personal relationship with Christ. I admire this man for his sincerity. He didn’t pretend to be who he wasn’t. In John 9:10-12, when his neighbours asked him about Jesus, where Jesus was, the man said I do not know. What in essence he was saying was that yes, Jesus is the One that healed me, yes, Jesus performed a miracle in my life, anything outside this I do not know. I don’t know much about this Jesus, I don’t know his whereabouts or itinerary because I’m really not that close to him.
This is where a lot of people miss it. They assume that because God has done something good and great in their life, they are born again, they are buddies with God, they are very good Christians. They conclude that they have a close relationship with God because they have received from God. Forgetting that God can give you a miracle or blessing because He has chosen to be merciful to you even in your faithlessness, even though you aren’t close to Him. Or, you are benefitting from the grace of God on another person’s life such as your spouse, pastor, parent or sibling. Lot was saved from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as a result of Abraham’s intercessory prayers, God’s grace on Abraham’s life, and God’s covenant relationship with Abraham (Genesis 18:20-33, Genesis 19:29).
In John 9:35-38, we see that the real and main reason why God made this man experience the glory of God was not just for him to receive back his sight, but to move him from the level of just receiving good things from God to actually believing in Christ and knowing Him personally. Jesus was interested in the man being free from all the pain and suffering he had been through for years, but more than that, Jesus wanted this man to experience the glory of knowing Christ; the glory that surpasses every other glory.
When we read 2 Corinthians 3:10-18, we see that there is a glory that comes with temporary and physical things like the law handed down to Moses, the glory that covered Moses when he went to commune with God. There’s the glory of financial prosperity, educational success], but all these types of glory can fade away. But there is an ever increasing glory, it is the glory of being transformed into the image of Christ, the glory of knowing Jesus Christ more and more and reflecting and manifesting Him to your world. Oh how deep, how bright, how unfading is the glory of an intimate relationship with Jesus!
Conclusion
In conclusion, we need divine attention to experience the glory of God. John 9:1 says as Jesus was passing by He took note of this man. Jesus noticed the man’s plight as He was passing by, Jesus became interested in the blind man’s case as He was passing by. I pray that as Jesus is passing by right now, looking for someone to reveal the works of God in the person’s life, looking for someone to display His glory, He won’t pass us by. He won’t turn His face away from us.
Pray this prayer: O Lord, whatever will make you turn your face away from me, please remove from my life.
Tell God: Father, please show me your glory; Let Jesus come into my heart and fill my life. Lord, put an end to pain and suffering in my life, help me to obey your instructions, move me from glory to glory; let there be an unbelievable change in my life in Jesus nighty name I pray. Amen!
