2021.04.04 He Can Speak for Himself

He Can Speak for Himself

Me

Have your parents ever let you down by not defending you?

Parents are supposed to protect us, right?

I was a bit of a goofball as a kid. Freshman year – Jose story

Mom told me that I had to decide what to do. WHAT? “You’re not going to tell me what I should do?”

You see, at some point, parents have to start cutting the strings and let their kids sink or swim on their own. Of course, we don’t let them drown, but sinking beneath the water a little bit can be a great learning experience.

We

I would say that a major problem in our world today is that parents continue to try and protect their kids into and even throughout adulthood. The problem with that is that we end up with a society of children who can’t make decisions on their own, rather than fully grown adults.

The parents in today’s Gospel reading could have a bunch of different motives for answering the way they answer the Jewish leaders, but whatever their motive, they tell the leaders their son is old enough to speak for himself.

God

John 9:13–21 NASB

13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who was formerly blind. 14 Now it was a Sabbath on the day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received his sight. And he said to them, “He applied clay to my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” 16 Therefore some of the Pharisees were saying, “This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others were saying, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And there was a division among them. 17 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.” 18 The Jews then did not believe it of him, that he had been blind and had received sight, until they called the parents of the very one who had received his sight, 19 and questioned them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?” 20 His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but how he now sees, we do not know; or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself.”

He Can Speak for Himself

Today is the highest holy day on the Christian calendar. On Easter Sunday, we celebrate that Jesus Christ was God-in-flesh. We celebrate that he not only lived, but died to atone (pay) for our sin. But, today, Resurrection Sunday … we really celebrate that Jesus brings that atonement to us … today … by not providing us a dead savior. No, he defeated death in a grandscale Resurrection, and so the blood which makes us right with God is still flowing today … Friends, let me joyously tell you JESUS CHRIST IS ALIVE!

The writer of Hebrews says that there is no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of blood (that’s NEW Testament by the way), and that the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament weren’t sufficient for God. For that reason, he concludes, Jesus came to become the once for all sacrifice.

But a sacrifice is worthless if it is rejected. Just like the blind man’s parents expected him to speak for himself, God expects you and me to speak for ourselves.

Why are you here?

I don’t want to lay a guilt trip for those who only come once or twice a year, so don’t misunderstand that question. I want to seriously ask the question of every one of us, “Why are you here?”

You

When I was in college, my girlfriend introduced me to the UM campus minister at UofL. I remember standing by a bulletin board and talking with this man, who would later introduce me to Jesus; walk me through accepting a call to ministry; marry my wife and me; serve as godfather for my firstborn; and would provide my first opportunities to serve Christ.

Meeting Greg seemed very random, perhaps even unimportant at the time. I didn’t realize it, but that meeting was a heavenly appointment.

We

So, Why are you here today?

Is it possible that today is your heavenly appointment?

Jesus rose from the grave on Easter those thousands of years ago … to give this opportunity to you today!

God’s expectation is so high we can’t live up to it. Even the simple little 10 commandments are too much for us. If a single violation of God’s law makes us guilty, which one will render you guilty? Will it be taking His name in vain? Perhaps it’s dishonoring your mother and father? Will you idolize things that aren’t God? Will you commit adultery, or covet other people’s possessions? Whether in the letter of the law or just the spirit, I’ve violated all of them.

Paul wrote that no one can be made right with God by doing what the law requires … because no one can do all the law requires. That’s where Jesus’s sacrifice comes in.

This “once for all sacrifice”, as Hebrews words it, was God’s way of paving a path from where you are to where He is. But you have to choose that path. Just like driving on the Interstate, the path you choose will determine if you make it to your target destination or not.

God lays out the choice, and then lays it in your hands.

Serve yourself, and receive the consequences of that life and afterlife …

or surrender to Jesus and enjoy the benefits of that life and afterlife.

You are old enough to speak for yourself … what will your answer be?