CCF: Do You Have 20/20 Vision?

Seeing Jesus for Who He is: John 9:1-41

Brother Kiddit Afable

At the moment there are 39 Million blind people in the world, and 90% of them are living in low income countries. By 2050, 1 Billion people are at risk of becoming blind. But aside from physical blindness, humanity is suffering from moral and spiritual blindness. The book of John was written to shed light by declaring who Jesus is and revealing his deity to mankind. He is The Great I Am who heals the blind man in the pool of Siloam. 

John Chapter 9 accounts the story about the man born blind who was healed by Jesus through spitting on the ground, applying the clay on the man’s eyes and asking him to wash himself in the pool of Siloam. Miraculously the man was able to see and his neighbours were greatly amazed. But the Pharisees questioned him several times trying to deny the divinity of Jesus for it was Sabbath when the man was healed, but as the story progress we witness how the formerly blind man was radically transformed and worshipped Jesus as the Son of God. And towards the end of the chapter Jesus affirms His Deity. 

This miracle teaches us to see our Divine Purpose rooted in Redemption that leads to Radical Transformation and ends with Worship.

Divine Purpose (John 9:1-5)

Momentary suffering is incomparable to God’s eternal glory

Suffering is real. Human suffering started after the fall of man in Genesis 3, while adversity is evident as in the life of the man who was born blind, we can always choose to shift from causality to the purposes and plans of God.

Jesus is the light of the world. Just like how He gave light to the dark world of the blind man.

Momentary affliction is incomparable to the eternity God has planned.

God has an amazing end-game. Whatever you are going through, learn to trust the process.

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.  — 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Redemption (John 9:6-12, 13-17)

Jesus is the only source of the deep peace we seek

Sovereign grace and sovereign will dominate the miracle.

Jesus meets us at the place of our greatest need. Without Jesus all we know is darkness unless He seeks us out.

Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. As a response we should learn to delight in His design and find peace and rest with our Maker. Allow Jesus to heal you on the day of rest so you can have rest.

The Sabbath is for God extending His blessing to the broken and weary.

Jesus is the source of the deep rest and peace that we need.

Radical Transformation (John 9:18-24, 24-34)

God’s truth pierces through our spiritual darkness

A powerful personal testimony trumps self-righteousness.

Truth gives rise to full-blown courage.

The Gospel vs. religion – shattering the religious status quo

The Gospel vs. religion – there is great tragedy to unbelief

God pierces through our spiritual darkness 

The main question you have to ask yourself is, where do you stand? Light or darkness?

Worship

There is a profound response to truly seeing Jesus

In the story we can see the progression of how the blind man recognise Jesus. First as a Man in verse 11, then as a Prophet in verse 17 and finally the Son of God in verse 38.

v11 He answered, “The man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash’; so I went away and washed, and I received sight.” 

v17 So they *said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?” And he said, “He is a prophet.”

v38 And he said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped Him. 

Because there is a profound response in truly seeing Jesus.

As believers of God, what should be our proper response:  

Ultimately, we should be a courageous worshipper of Jesus!

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