Title: Who is He?
Theme: To show the importance of sharing our story
Text: John 9
John 9:35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" 36 He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?" 37 And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you." 38 Then he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him.
Previous Chapter – Jesus the “I AM” – Jesus declares His deity.
John 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." 57 Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" 58 Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." 59 Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
Jesus makes a clear declaration of who He is to the Jews. They did not like it.
So clear was Jesus' claim to deity that those who heard these words were ready to stone Him on the spot.
After being absent one thousand years, the shekinah glory reappeared in the Person of Jesus Christ. But because the people rejected Him, the Light departed once again from the temple.
Where did Jesus go? In the next chapter, we'll see exactly where He went: He found a blind man. He found me. – Courson
John 9:1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
Side note: This is just a distraction. The devil would love for us to stay at the place we are because of who we are. Or because of who our parents are. The excuses we can use not to change. Maybe when I was growing up. I am not making light of them as much as saying we choose whether we can “move on”. Yet Jesus says there is more to the story.
Jesus is the light. He has come to illuminate things in our life but also to bring hope to the world. As long as He is in the situation things will change.
God sees more in this man that the world sees.
What does Jesus do to help the blind man?
He spits on the ground and makes a mud pie. When you were a child who made mud pies. They were not there to eat. But they were pies. Nor were they there to “rub in our eyes” but Jesus did just that.
What happens when you rub dirt and mud in your eye? It irritates you.
When Jesus put mud in the blind man's eyes, the man could have said, "Wait a minute. You're putting mud in my eye. You're not making things better—You're making them worse."
Gang, many, many times the way of the Lord is to make things seem worse than they were before in order to get you to the place you really want to be: healed and seeing clearly. When the Lord muddies the waters, we usually don't know what He's doing. "I've been praying; I've been believing, but things are only getting darker and dimmer," we say. "What are You doing, Lord?"
But you know what mud does in one's eye? As a veteran of more mud fights than I care to remember, I know it causes pain. So when Jesus said, "Go to the pool and wash," this guy didn't have to be asked twice. I don't believe his obedience was so much a statement of his great faith as it was a simple desire to get the mud out of his eye!
Maybe this week Jesus has allowed an irritation to come into your life that is causing you pain. Maybe a situation at work or a problem with a relationship is causing you to say, "Lord, I'm talking to You. I'm looking to You. I'm calling on You—but all I'm getting is mud in my eye." Here's what to do: Run quickly to the pool of Siloam, and you will receive your sight more clearly than if the mud—the irritation—had never been there in the first place. - Courson
Questions are asked. – Jesus the Man
11 He answered and said, "A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed, and I received sight."
When God changes your life people will notice. The neighbors want to know.
The disciples asked why the man was blind. His neighbors asked how his eyes were opened. But both groups missed the most important question, which was, "Who performed the miracle?" - Courson
This turns into a big discussion. Where is this man? Sadly at this moment the man could not introduce them to Jesus. So they brought him before the religious leaders.
Again they missed it.
Here, a man born blind now sees. Yet the Pharisees say, "Wait a minute. That violates Statue 2482.6, which forbids making clay on the Sabbath." – Courson
Jesus the Prophet
17 They said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet."
They did not believe him so they called in his parents. They verified that he was blind since birth.
Everyone is born blind. Blind in sin. Until our eyes are open to the heavenly Father. This is the fallacy of many of the philosophies of today. They believe more in man and their ability to “do right”, than understanding that without God man is flawed.
Man Answers the Pharisees – Jesus the Healer
24 So, they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, "Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner." 25 He answered and said, "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see."
I like this! The blind man said, "You may be able to trip me up intellectually and outmaneuver me logically, but all I know is this: Once I was a miserable, blind, wretched sinner like you—and now I see!" - Courson
When you encounter Jesus there is a change. Always.
Moses Disciples
28 Then they reviled him and said, "You are His disciple, but we are Moses' disciples. 29 We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from." 30 The man answered and said to them, "Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! (To me this is an sarcastic statement by the man, you are great religious leaders and have not lifted a finger to help me. This man Jesus opens my eyes and you do not know him) 31 Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. 32 Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. 33 If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing."
Isaiah prophesied three times that when Messiah came, He would open blind eyes (Isa_29:18; Isa_35:5; Isa_42:7; Isaiah 61:1 – 4; Luke 4:16 - 21). Here, the blind man, now six minutes old in his faith, says, "The One who opened my eyes is of God. How else do you explain what happened to me? It's never happened in all of history. You're professing to be authorities, yet you can't answer this simple question?" – Courson
Luke 4:16-21 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. (17) And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: (18) "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, [29] To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; (19) To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." [30] (20) Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. (21) And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
What was there response? They kicked the man out of the temple. Probably the best thing they could have done for him. It may have seemed harsh at the moment but to remove himself from the doubters is what is best.
Conclusion of the Story – Jesus is Lord
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" 36 He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?"
Who is He?
(37) And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you." (38) Then he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him.
From Man to Prophet to Lord
(Joh 9:39) And Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind."
Jesus is divisive. In John 3:17 He reminds us that He did not come into the world to condemn the world. But because of Him coming then the world will be judged by out reception of Him.
(40) Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, "Are we blind also?" (41) Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains.
Simple testimony. I was blind but know I see. No one or thing around me could help but Jesus passed by. When Jesus passed by He healed my blindness. Yes there was some irritation. Yes it was not easy. Yes I had to believe. But thankfully Jesus healed me. He did not keep me where I was but moved me on into a relationship with Him. Now He is with me. He walks with me. He talks with me.
Simple way of Sharing our Story – Romans Road
I know where I was – I was blind, a sinner.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
I could not get myself out of this. I cannot heal myself. I need help.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I have a responsibility. Blind man, go to the pool by faith.
Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Rom 10:10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
If I do this then I can have assurance of salvation. Get back to Jesus
Romans 10:13 For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
It is not based on how much tithe you pay. If you are faithful to the church. If you have all they knowledge of the scriptures. It is based on confession and acceptance of Christ as Lord and Savior.
Pray to ask the Lord in your heart.
Pray for the opportunity to share Your Story.
