A Lesson In the Light

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Give Honor

Text: John 9:1-11

John 9:1–11 (NKJV)

Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing. Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?” Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.” He said, “I am he.” Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?” 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.”

If you’ve been here over the last few weeks, you would know by now that

The Gospel of John differs much from the synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and LUKE.

Each Gospel is much appreciated because they all paint Jesus in a different light..much of which derived from the way they saw and/ or heard about him.

Matthew,

Paints Christ as the KING of the Jews.

Mark

Paints Christ as a Servant…On the move… and Mark’s gospel is written with the Romans in Mind.

Luke,

Views Christ as the son of Man,

and Luke writes this Gospel with the Greeks in mind.

But John,

Says he’s so much more than that….

Matthew,

Starts his book off with the Genealogy of Christ

Tracing Christ’s Genealogy back from Abraham

Mark,

Begins his book off with prophecy.

Luke,

sets the stage for Jesus with an angel, Gabriel, going to the city of Galilee named nazareth, it says, and tells Mary of the Good News of Jesus Christ…

But John,

Says he’s much more than that …

This text does not start with prophecy or geneology,

This text starts with God’s Diety

That before Abraham,

He was there

Before the Prophets of the OLD,

HE WAS THERE

Before his MOTHER MARY,

HE WAS THERE

BEFORE THE ANGEL GABRIEL,

HE WAS THERE

JESUS was there in the beginning

As John 1 states

John 1:1–5 (KJV 1900)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

John shows us that JESUS, has always been there.

John writes this book, with the WHOLE WORLD IN MIND

to Build our Faith in God.

to have us Believe in God

So that we can have everlasting life WITH God.

It’s in this book of John,

that We see 7 signs

the 7 signs of John’s Gospel

Signs are- Miracles with a message attached to them

These signs are used to help point us to the LIGHT,

so that we would be able to see God and ultimately follow GOD.

We’ve made it now to the 6th sign.

and John uses this sign to Prove to us What Jesus has spoken previously in Chapter 8:12 and that is Jesus is the Light of the World and anyone who follows him, shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.

Beloved I must be honest with you.

I struggled in my exegetical presentation because the text speaks so much for itself.

The truth of the matter is,

This text that we are diving into today, was written centered around proving that “Jesus is the Light of the World and anyone who follows him, shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of Life”

Jesus, in this text, provides the LIGHT of LIFE, to a man born blind.

At the setting of this text,

Jesus had recently engaged in a heated dispute with the Pharisees. Following an act of compassion, he forgave a woman caught in the act of adultery.

It was in this place in chapter 8, where Jesus boldly declared himself as the Light of the world.

In an exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees, Jesus reached a pinnacle in verse 53 when they challenged him, questioning if he was greater than their ancestor, Abraham.

Jesus, in a moment of assertion, responded by stating, "Before Abraham was, I AM."

This declaration triggered a reaction from the Pharisees,

who, fueled by anger,

picked up stones to cast at Jesus.

However, the Bible say that Jesus concealed himself and departed from the temple, where HE escapes the imminent threat of harm.

As Jesus and his disciples left the scene,

they encountered a man blind from birth.

It is at this juncture that the narrative of John 9 begins,

As the events unfold, we will see that Jesus, the Light of the world,

brings about a transformative encounter with a man born blind.

and the question I want to try and raise is,

What are the results, of an encounter with the light.

if you’re taking notes ,

the LIGHT

Redirects Our Focus (2-5)

After Jesus has escaped a stoning,

The Bible says at the end of Chapter 8, that Going through the midst of them, Jesus passed by.

We get to chapter 9 and see that as Jesus is Passing by, there is a man who is Blind from Birth that Catches the eye of Jesus.

The disciples see this man and they immediately ask, Who sinned, this man or his parents,

Jesus in his wisdom, immediately responds and says,

NEITHER this man or his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.

I must work the works of HIM who sent me while it is day, because the NIGHT cometh and no man can work.

Their focus at this point was as Charles Spurgeon puts it, “a piece of a Theological Puzzle”

Because in that time, one believed that suffering and sin were interconnected.

So if one was suffering, it had to be because of something they did.

But Jesus immediately Redirects their focus.

It is in this moment where Jesus takes the focus off of what the blind man did,

and placed their focus on what they could do.

They never asked his name

They never gave him a dime,

They never said let me pray for you,

They did not get his attention to let him know that Jesus was present,

All they did was ask the question, WHAT DID YOU DO TO GET HERE?

and Jesus EMPHATICALLY says, THERE’S TO MUCH WORK TO DO, TO BE ASKING THESE TYPES OF QUESTIONS.

and the truth is Gethsemane, A lot of US miss REAL MINISTRY AND MIRACLE MOMENTS BECAUSE OUR FOCUS IS OFF.

A LOT OF US MISS THE CHANCE TO LEAD PEOPLE TO THE LIGHT, BECAUSE OUR FOCUS IS OFF.

AND MY QUESTION TO YOU IS,

WHAT ARE YOU FOCUSED ON?

BECAUSE THERE’S TOO MUCH WORK TO DO TO BE WORRIED ABOUT THE WRONG THING.

There’s too much work to do to be worried about why they went to jail

There’s too much work to do to be worried about why they got pregnant out of wedlock

There’s too much work to do to be worried about why they smell like weed

There’s too much work to do to be worried about why they don’t dress like us

There’s too much work to do to be worried about The wrong thing

There are youth who need mentors

There are young men and women who need to know the LORD

There hurt people who need help

There are anxious people who need peace

There are depressed people that need joy

There are marriages that need restoring

men and women that need to be discipled

sick peole that need healing

and we can not miss the moment focused on the mess.

IT’S TIME TO SHIFT OUR FOCUS.

FOCUS ON THE NEED

FOCUS ON THEIR DELIVERANCE

FOCUS ON THEIR HEALING

FOCUS ON DISCIPLESHIP

FOCUS ON SAVED SOULS

FOCUS ON MAKING OUR COMMUNITIES HEALTHY.

FOCUS ON CHANGING LIVES FOR THE BETTER.

BECAUSE CHANGING YOUR FOCUS, CAN ULTIMATELY CHANGE SOMEONE’S LIFE.

THE LIGHT REDIRECTS OUR FOCUS

BUT ALSO the LIGHT

Reveals Our Faith (6-7)

THE BIBLE SAYS:

John 9:6–7 (NKJV)

When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

Jesus addresses the focus of the disciples, then he challenges the faith of the blind man.

Watch the Bible.

The blind man is minding his own business, probably begging,

Jesus sees the blind man.

and after seeing the blind man,

The Bible says that Jesus spits on the ground and makes a (spittle) as the King James Verson says,

he then takes that spittle/clay and anoints the eyes of the Blind man.

After he anoints the eyes of the blind man,

he then tells the blind man, to GO wash in the pool of Siloam

Mind you Jesus does this without the Bind man’s permission.

Jesus does not ask, as he does in other chapters, “Wilt thou be made whole”

Jesus just puts clay made of dirt and spit in the man’s eyes and tells him to go wash.

now I could only imagine how much this spittle irritated his eyes,

and Here’s my problem,

Jesus has the power to speak a word and allow him to see.

Yet Jesus irritates the very place that’s already broken and tells him he must walk while irritated to a place that he’s never seen before and wash the dirt out. .

and the bible says “So he went”

as crazy as it sounds, he went

as irritated as he may have felt, he went

as much as he may not have known where this place was, he went.

not focused on if it MAY work, he went

see a lot of us miss our miracle because we quit in the places of irritation

We question in places of irritation

We pout in places of irritation

We stop giving in places of irritation

We stop serving in places of irritation

We start gossipping in places of irritation

and it’s in those places of irritation where our faith is tested the most.

Do you have faith enough to follow directions even when you’re irritated?

Can you get up and go even when it HURTS?

Can you move, even when it hurts?

Can you follow God’s direction, even when it hurts?

BECAUSE TRUE FAITH IS REVEALED WHEN IRRITATION STARTS

NOW THIS MESSAGE DOESN’T MEAN ANYTHING FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN IRRITATED, BUT FOR THOSE WHO HAD SLEEPLESS NIGHT,

THOSE WHO HAD QUESTIONS, BUT STILL TRUSTED GOD

THOSE WHO HAD PROBLEMS, BUT DIDN’T COMPLAIN

I’M TALKING IRRITATION,

ON YOUR JOB

IRRITATION

IN YOUR HOUSE HOLD

IRRITATION

IN YOUR FAMILY

IRRITATION

AT YOUR CHURCH,

I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO KEEP SHOWING TRUE FAITH AND FOLLOWING GOD

BECAUSE IRRITATION MAY BE A SIGN OF TRANSFORMATION AND ELEVATION!!!

THIS BLIND MAN REVEALS HIS TRUE FAITH, BY IMMEDIATELY MOVING, WHEN GOD SAYS SO.

THE LIGHT

REDIRECTS OUR FOCUS

REVEALS OUR FAITH

AND LASTLY,

THE LIGHT

Reshapes Our Future (8-11)

LOOK AT WHAT THE WORD SAYS,

John 9:8–11 (NKJV)

Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?” Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.” He said, “I am he.” Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?” He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus LET ME MAKE A POINT HERE,

HERE’S A LESSON IN A LESSON, WHEN GOD BRINGS YOU LIGHT, YOU HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO SAY

A MAN CALLED JESUS

I WAS SICK

BUT A MAN CALLED JESUS

I WAS BROKE

BUT A MAN CALLED JESUS

MY MARRIAGE WAS ON THE ROCKS,

BUT 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.”

This man was blind

and as a result of his blindness, he was a beggar.

He comes in contact with Jesus, and he who was once blind can now see.

This man future was changed so much so, he was unrecognizable.

He could get a job now

He could make a living

He could spread the gosepel

he could get married if he wanted.

His life changed for the better

after one encounter with the light.

And I know there are some people in here who can testify I know what you mean,

I know what it means to have a reshaped future.

that if Jesus had not snached me out when he did,

I don’t know where I would Be

I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore

very deeply stayed with in

sinking to rise no more

but the master of the sea

Heard my disparing cry

and from the waters he lifted me

now safe am I

LOVE LIFTED ME

when noting else coul help LOVE LIFTED ME

Jesus can change the future of an adulterous woman caught in sin.

Jesus can change the future of a man on a mat waiting to be healed by a pool

Jesus can change the future of a wedding in canna

Jesus can change the future of a thief on a cross

but this won’t be the last time he reshapes our future.

ON A HILL.