In John 9, Jesus heals a man that has been blind since birth.
***Facts Section 1
His disciples saw the man and asked Jesus whose sins caused the man's blindness-his or his parents.
Jesus was quick to tell them it was not because of his sins or his parents' sins.
He told them it happened so the power of God could be seen in him.
***LESSON ONE: What appears negative to our physical eye may be the backdrop for God to use that item to show His glory! We need to trust God to bring us through the tough times. God will be victorious in and through our lives if we let Him.
The man was blind.
People (including the Disciples) thought it was due to the man's sins or his family's sins.
He was blind so that Jesus could heal him.
***Facts Section 2:
Jesus's method of healing the man was interesting.
He did not ask him if he wanted to be healed.
He did not simply lay hands on him and heal him.
He did not say, "Be healed."
Jesus spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva (For Real).
Then he required something of the man. an action. "Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam."
The blind man was required to do something specific at a certain place.
***LESSON TWO: Our intellect sometimes prevents us from being vehicles of God's glory. We may think (or say) things like: Why did Jesus use spit to heal me? Why do I have to go wash it off? Can't he just wipe it off? It would be less trouble. Why do I have to go to the pool of Siloam? The pool of Convenience is closer! What is Jesus thinking? Did He really mean for me to do this? I feel weird walking around with mud on my eyes. Those people at the pool will laugh at me. I am just going to go home. MERCY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Help us, Lord! to listen. to obey. to not worry about our appearance to others. to not worry about others period. to realize you are God! to trust you. Help us, Dear Lord.
Thankfully, the man did what Jesus said. "So the man went and washed and came back seeing."
***LESSON THREE: Sometimes God requires action from us before the miracle takes place.
***Facts Section 3
The man had to go wash at the Pool of Siloam. Then he was healed
***LESSON FOUR: We open a door for God to turn people's worlds upside down when we obey Him and receive a miracle.
***Facts Section 4
At first, people doubt it is the same man! Besides being able to see, I figure his countenance was completely different. He was probably a sad beggar. Now, he is probably smiling. laughing. praising God!
Jesus did this miracle on the Sabbath. The Pharisees were indignant that such "work" was done on the Sabbath. They were going crazy trying to figure it out.
***LESSON FIVE: Be ready to give an accurate description of God's work in your life. God desires to use people to witness to other people. He provides the power. We just need to be available.
***Facts Section 5
The Pharisees ask the former-blind man about his healing.
Then, the Pharisees asked his parents about the healing. They threw their own son under the bus (or chariot). They said ask him-he is of age. They were looking out for their own interest. The parents were scared of getting thrown out of the Temple. maybe it was for spiritual reasons. maybe it was for social status reasons. maybe they were scared. (Hopefully they made up with their son after all this was over.)
Finally, the Pharisees called the former-blind man back in.
This dude now witnesses to the religious leaders. They asked him the same questions, and he exclaimed, "Look! I told you once. Didn't you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?"
The Pharisees cursed him and spoke of knowing that God spoke to Moses but they didn't even know where this man was from.
The former-blind man spoke words that could be heard around the world or around the centuries...
"Why, that's very strange! He healed my eyes, and yet you don't know where he comes from? We know that God doesn't listen to sinners, but he is ready to worship them and do his will. Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn't have done it."
LESSON SIX: There are times we seem to be on the outside of God's Kingdom, just to find out we are staring at Jesus!
***Facts Section 6
Then the Jewish leaders threw him out of the Synagogue.
Jesus found the former blind man.
Jesus asked him if he believed in the Son of Man.
The former-blind man responded, "Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him."
"You have seen him," Jesus said, "and he is speaking to you."
The former-blind man said, "Yes, Lord, I believe!" And he worshipped Jesus.
