Son Of God..the Shepherd

John 9:35-38

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?

36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?

37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.

38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.

What a remarkable scene ...ordinary man face to face with the Son of God. One on one with the Creator...The Good Shepherd.

Back in chapter 8 of John, Jesus was teaching His disciples in the Temple and the Pharisees had brought Him an adultness woman and they tried to contradict Jesus in His teaching but, without saying a word Jesus wrote something in the sand and the Bible says they were being convicted by their own conscience by Jesus and they left the temple one by one

The Pharisees were keepers of the law of Moses...they were righteous leaders but, righteous in their own minds.

They tried to stone Jesus to death but, He had gotten away from them and on His way out of the Temple Jesus saw a man blind and the Bible says and Jesus had compassion on him.

You might remember the story...Jesus spat on the ground and made clay and placed it on the blind man's eyes and told him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam and he washed and he was healed of his blindness.

There have been many sermons preached on why Jesus spit in the dirt and made mud and placed it on the man eyes.

I believe once again Jesus was contradicting the Pharisees.

You see everyone knows that saliva has some healing power....

The Pharisees had written a law that they were to be no healing on the Sabbath ..this was the Sabbath day.

Pharisees had made many laws for people to follow...they even had a book that the scribes kept that was called midrash.

It was a bunch of laws and rules the Pharisees had added to the law of Moses. It was a Jewish commentary for everyone to go by.

Gods law had been added to by these people...stretched out proportion...was impossible for any man to follow except for our Lord Jesus

You remember Apostle Paul was a Pharisee....Paul had people executed for following our Lord.

But, he met Jesus on the road to Damascus and Paul was blinded by His appearance ...but, after 3 days he was healed ....physically and spiritually ...as they say...the rest is history.

The Pharisees were blinded to Jesus and his forgiveness by grace.

They were set in their own self righteous way and wanted everyone else the same or you would pay a price...sometimes the ultimate price of death.

How can anyone live a life more abundant ...as Jesus called it if we are caught up in the slavery of the law?

We needed a Shepherd to lead us out of that slavery.

That's what Jesus died for....that's what He came to defeat.

Sad but true ...some are still held captive by laws....never enjoyed the freedom of being free from sin and living an abundant life.

Still believe that being good and doing good deeds will get them honor before God......they need a Shepherd..a good Shepherd

Not only did Jesus heal the blind man in John chapter 9 physically but, most of all spiritually.

The once blind man belief grew in Christ...in verse 11 when the Pharisees ask who heal him of his blindness...he said a man named Jesus ......then in verse 17 he called Jesus a prophet....and then in verse 38 called him Lord.

Spiritual blindness is a healing and growing process.

Once we are captive by manmade laws and regulations ...we are a prisoner to its power.

But, the day we ask Jesus in our life ...those chains of legalism and slavery should be replaced by grace and mercy.

We met Him as a man called Jesus....then we see there is something very powerful and special about Him.

Then when we call Him Lord Then we began to depend on Him as our Good Shepherd.

You know, Jesus could have been born in royalty like He deserved...but, He chose to be born in the little town of Bethlehem.

He could have spent His first night on this earth He created in a warm Palace among kings and great leaders but, He chose a manger in a cold stable.

His birth could have been announced to leaders of the world... kings and royalty. But, He chose the shepherds that were watching their sheep in a field.

Paul said it like this in Philippians 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men