Lesson 7 - Seeing Jesus is Believing

I need you to do something for me really quickly. I need you to close your eyes, no peeking I want to ask you a series of questions and see if you can answer them.

How many fingers am I holding up? Which hand am I holding the fingers up on? Which fingers am I holding up?

Next I'm going to hold up a picture – this is an old picture for those of you who daily transverse the interweb -

Now it isn't the best printing- I printed on draft setting because I didn't have any other way to show the picture to all of us at once – but if you have a phone you can look it up or you can go home and simply google "The Dress" it even has it's own Wikipedia page now.

For the longest time and even now controversy still lingers around the actual colors of the dress was it black and blue or was it white and gold? Celebrities and even the President got involved in this debate.

It is amazing how we can look at the same picture and see two different things.

In our passage tonight we have the story of a man who was born blind – he couldn't see just like those of you who closed your eyes awhile ago – couldn't tell by looking which fingers I was holding up.

But Jesus came by and healed him.

Now this is one of the strangest healings of Jesus – he made a salve out of spit and clay and rubbed it on his eyes and sent him to wash his face.

Jesus wasn't the first face he saw – in fact he still didn't know who Jesus was.

As the man who had been blind argued for Jesus the Pharisees became angry with him and finally cast him out of the temple. They excommunicate him. He can no longer worship in the temple and to them the blind man was doomed to hell eternal punishment.

Verse 34 Jesus heard what had happened and sought him out -

I like how Max Lucado put it:

The old guy at the corner hasn’t seen him. The woman selling the figs hasn’t either. Jesus described him to the scribes at the gate and the kids in the courtyard. “He’s about this tall. Clothes are ragged. Belly length beard.”

No one has a clue.

For the better part of the day, Jesus has been searching up and down the Jerusalem streets. He didn’t stop for lunch. Hasn’t paused to rest. The only time his feet aren’t moving is when he is asking, “Pardon me, but have you seen the fellow who used to beg on the corner?”

Finally, a boy gives him a lead. Jesus takes a back street toward the temple and spots the man sitting on a stump between two donkeys. Christ approaches from behind and places a hand on his shoulder. “There you are!” I’ve been looking for you.” The fellow turns, and, for the first time, sees the one who let him see. From <https://maxlucado.com/jesus-hand-will-touch-you-too/>

he asks him a question - "Dost thou believe on the Son of God?"

Now I want to follow this blind man's faith for just a little bit

John 9:11 - A man that is called Jesus John 9:17 - He is a prophet John 9:27 - He confesses he is a disciple John 9:38 - He confesses Jesus is the Son of God.

Here we see two types of people looking at the same things – We see the man born blind now healed looking upon Jesus for the first time

When your eyes are opened When you are really seeing - there is

A Designed Desire - 36 A Wonderful Revelation - 37 A Faithful Confession - 38 A A Reckless Worship - 39B

Now we have those who thought they could see – but were still blinded -

When you are still blinded - Believing you are seeing -

A Divine Declaration 39 A Severe Rebuke 41

The Laodicean Church

When the blind man saw Jesus he couldn't help but believe – what happenes when you look at Jesus?

Are you filled with wonder, joy, belief,

Or are you filled with self-righteousness, pride, and arrogance?

I'm thankful for the day that Jesus came and opened my blinded eyes I could see myself like I really was – and I saw Him for Who He IS!!!