Series: Biblical Cities- Jerusalem [#30]
JERUSALEM- CONVERSATIONS ABOUT JESUS
Matthew 23:37
Introduction:
We are continuing in our Series about the most mentioned City in the Bible- Jerusalem.
Matthew 23:37
We looked at Jesus healing the blind man last week and tonight we are going to see the conversations that went on.
John 9:8-12
1. The beggar and his neighbors.
The 1st conversation was between the man and his neighbors. They were arguing about whether he was the blind beggar. He insisted he was the 1 who was blind. So, they asked how his eyes were opened; and he answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes.” So, at this point, he simply calls him “the man.” He knows his name, Jesus, but he simply calls Him “the man.”
John 9:13-17
2. The beggar and the Pharisees.
The 2nd conversation was between the man and the Pharisees. They too asked him how he could be seeing if he were blind. He told them. They are divided by his answer. He can’t be from God; he broke the Sabbath. How can he do this sign if he is a sinner? So, they asked the beggar, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” Something had happened in this interchange. Something was happening in the man’s heart. He answered, “He is a prophet.” Not just an ordinary man, but one sent by God. He is a prophet.
John 9:18-23
3. The Pharisees and the parents.
The 3rd conversation was between the Pharisees and the man’s parents. They asked, “Is he your son? Was he born blind? How does he see?” They answered, “He is our son, and he was born blind, but we don’t know how he was healed. They said that because they feared the Jews. The point here is not to be hard on the parents; but to make the son’s courage all the more amazing.
John 9:24-34
4. The Beggar and the Pharisees.
The 4th conversation was between the beggar and the Pharisees. We see the full-blown courage of the beggar- A beggar standing up to the most religious and educated people of the land; and we see the full-blown blasphemy of the Pharisees. Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner. Join us in our blasphemy, or we will excommunicate you from the synagogue. Glorify God by calling Jesus a sinner. Amazingly he responds to this threat with his most famous statement of all, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” The power of a personal testimony over a bad argument is very great.
The truth about Jesus was going deeper all the time. He is seeing more and more; and his courage becomes scorn. Why do you want to hear my story again, “Do you also want to become his disciples?” Then, they became hostile. “They reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” The controversy exposes another deceit. No, they are not disciples of Moses; because Jesus said in John 5:46, “If you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.” Now we start to see who is really blind in this story. His courage for Jesus continues to grow.
John 9:35-38
5. Jesus and the beggar.
The last conversation is between Jesus and the beggar; and 1 thing that makes it so significant is that Jesus initiates it. The man has been threatened and cast out of his lifelong religious community; but Jesus seeks him and finds him (it’s no accident that the next chapter is about Jesus as the Shepherd who gathers his sheep).
“All our seeing and all our healing is owing to new spiritual life that comes from Jesus.” Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.” This is the last thing we see or hear of him. That is the point of the story. Jesus does the works of God. Jesus is the glory of God. Jesus is to be worshipped. The man was blind; and then he called Jesus “the man.” Then he called him a prophet; and then he defended Him at huge risk. Then he fell down and worshipped. This is why Jesus came into the world. He is seeking worshipers.
