D4 07 John 09 01 12 A Man Born Blind by ML CKV

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A Man Born Blind

Main Point

Question 1 Think about your personal strengths and weaknesses. How has God worked through your weaknesses for his glory?

John 9:1–12 ESV

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

Questions

Question 2 What assumptions did Jesus’ followers make about this man’s blindness?

It was because of either his parents’ sin or his own.

Question 3 What misconception did Jesus correct?

That a physical illness or limitation is not always due to someone’s sin. It may serve the glory of God.

Leaders’ Note

Question 2 and 3. People in Jewish culture made a connection between a person’s illness and his or her moral character. They assumed sick people were guilty of great sins and were somewhat responsible for their condition. Jesus corrected this misguided notion, challenging people to show compassion rather than pass judgment.

Question 4 How did Jesus involve the blind man in the healing process?

He had him wash the mud off at the pool of Siloam.

Question 5 Why do you think Jesus sent the man to wash in a pool before he healed him?

Perhaps to give the man time to consider what God was doing in him. Perhaps to test the man’s faith? Perhaps to have witnesses as to the miracle God did.

Hezekiah built a 1770-foot underground tunnel that carried water from a spring outside the city into the pool of Siloam. People believed this pool was a sacred place, similar to the pool at Bethesda.

Question 6 How did the people of the town respond to the miracle?

Mixed – some thought he was someone else, others believed this was the man born blind but now healed.

INSPIRATION

Here is an uplifting thought from the Inspirational Study Bible.

Or what about the blind man Jesus and the disciples discovered?

The followers thought he was a great theological case study.

“Why do you think he’s blind?” one asked.

“He must have sinned.”

“No, it’s his folks’ fault.”

“Jesus, what do you think? Why is he blind?”

“He’s blind to show what God can do.”

The apostles knew what was coming; they had seen this look in Jesus’ eyes before. They knew what he was going to do, but they didn’t know how he was going to do it. “Lightning? Thunder? A shout? A clap of the hands?” They all watched.

Jesus began to work his mouth a little. The onlookers stared. “What is he doing?” He moved his jaw as if he were chewing on something.

Some of the people began to get restless. Jesus just chewed. His jaw rotated around until he had what he wanted. Spit. Ordinary saliva.

If no one said it, somebody had to be thinking it: “Yuk!”

Jesus spat on the ground, stuck his finger into the puddle, and stirred. Soon it was a mud pie, and he smeared some of the mud across the blind man’s eyes.

The same One who’d turned a stick into a scepter and a pebble into a missile now turned saliva and mud into a balm for the blind.

Once again, the mundane became majestic. Once again the dull became divine, the humdrum holy. Once again God’s power was seen, not through the ability of the instrument, but through its availability.

“Blessed are the meek,” Jesus explained. Blessed are the available. Blessed are the conduits, the tunnels, the tools. Deliriously joyful are the ones who believe that if God has used sticks, rocks, and spit to do his will, then he can use us.

(From The Applause of Heaven by Max Lucado)

Question 7 What can we learn from responses of the blind man and the townspeople to Jesus?

Our response says more about our faith and understanding of God than it does of Jesus Himself.

Leaders’ Note

Question 7. If you have a large group, you may want to divide into smaller groups. Ask one group to study the blind man’s response to Jesus and the other to discuss the reaction of the townspeople. Ask each group to prepare a list of principles we can learn from each person(s) response.

Question 8 If you had been one of the townspeople, how do you think you would have responded?

I don’t know. I would like to think I would believe in the miracle, but somehow I think I would not be that quick in my faith.

Question 9 When have you seen a person’s weakness or disability used for God’s glory?

Joni Erickson Tada. My father-in-law - a more compassionate heart

Question 10 What fresh insight have you gained from this passage about the struggles of life?

God is sovereign, and He is always GOOD. Whatever comes my way, I should ask God how He wants me to respond. I want to ask Him if the “bad thing” is because of sin in my life. If so, I will confess and repent. If not, I will seek His direction and ask how He wants me to proceed. While I wait on His response, I continue with what He has already given me to do.

Question 11 How do you need to change your attitude toward your personal weaknesses and strengths?

Paul wrote that when he was weak, God was strong. God gets the glory when eternal things happen in our lives, for only eternal things occur through the Spirit of God. God enhances our strengths, but it is our weaknesses that keep us humble and dependent on God’s direction and empowerment. God works through us so we get to know Him better, but it is God doing the work as we are submitting to Him and obeying Him genuinely from our heart.

Question 12 Why does God choose to use our weaknesses and problems to bring glory to himself?

We are so quick to take glory from God. The reality is, without God, we cannot accomplish anything of eternal value. It is us submitting to God, being dependent on Him for direction and empowerment. It is having a genuine relationship with God through Jesus Christ alone. When the “impossible” happens, God gets the glory.

For more Bible passages on being used by God, see Exodus 3:7–4:12; Joshua 1:1–9; Romans 8:26; 1 Corinthians 1:26–28; 2 Corinthians 12:7–10; 2 Timothy 2:21.

Summary

God uses our weaknesses so that His glory comes through.

Be careful how you look at others - they may be the very one God uses to bless others.

God wants a personal relationship with you through Jesus Christ.

We are never too ______________, to be loved by God and to be used of God.

Prayer

We pray, O Father, that you would increase our faith. Forgive us for doubting your ability to use us for your glory. Forgive us for demanding proof instead of simply believing in you. Use all that we have to accomplish your purposes.

Journaling

Take a few moments to record your personal insights from this lesson.

How can God use my weaknesses or problems for his glory?

Closing Song

Bible Reading

Read John 9:1–12from the ESV.

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.

8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” 10 So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” 12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.” [1]

Joshua 1:1-9

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory.

5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.

7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” [2]

1 Corinthians 1:26–29

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.[3]

2 Corinthians 12:7–10

7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. [4]

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Jn 9:1–12). (2016). Crossway Bibles. [2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Jos 1:1–9). (2016). Crossway Bibles. [3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (1 Co 1:26–29). (2016). Crossway Bibles. [4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (2 Co 12:7–10). (2016). Crossway Bibles.