Supernatural Jesus & Me 06: The Glory is in Your Story!

Turn to John 9

One of the oldest questions that people struggle with is: Why does bad stuff happen?
One of the most personal questions that people struggle with is this: Why does bad stuff happen to ME?

Jesus addresses this issue in our text today.


“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no-one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Having said this, he spat on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.” “How then were your eyes opened?” they demanded. He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.” “Where is this man?” they asked him. “I don’t know,” he said.” John 9:1-12

The story of the blind man healed by Jesus continues through the entire 9th chapter of John. And we will tackle verses 13-40 next week. But for today, we’ll focus in on the first 12 verses.

Look at verse 1 again:
“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.” V. 1

Jesus is walking through the streets and sees this man – born blind. This poor man has never seen for even a moment of his life. He doesn’t know the glory of a sunset or the face of his own mother. He wasn’t blind by disease or accident, he was blind from birth.

Blindness in the Bible can be physical – like this man – or spiritual. All of us in this room have physical eyesight, and we should praise the Lord that we do. How different our lives would be to lose our eyesight. But, the danger for us is to be spiritually blind. You see, I found over 140 instances in the Bible where people are described as being spiritually blind.

Spiritual blindness: Being so preoccupied with the natural world, that you miss out on the activity of God!

Well, you say: “I am a believer. I’m saved. I’m not spiritually blind.” And praise God if that is the case, but let me warn you – spiritual blindness can affect Christians too!

Moses gathered the people of Israel as they were traveling towards the Promised Land and he said: “With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those miraculous signs and great wonders. But to this day the LORD has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear.” Deuteronomy 29:3, 4

Did you get that? We can miss what God is doing!

Elisha’s servant went out early one morning and saw that the enemies had surrounded them. He grew terrified – and we read in 2 Kings…
“And Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all round Elisha.” 2 Kings 6:17

We need spiritual eyesight to see the activity of God!

The problem is that we can easily become arrogant and complacent. Jesus warns us against this in his letter to the Church at Laodicea:
“You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” Revelation 3:17

We need to see what is really happening.

Now look at verse 2:
“His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” v. 2

Apparently, the conventional wisdom of the day was that if a person was suffering from some physical malady it was the direct result of sin. So, the disciples pose this question: “Who is the guilty party?

Can you imagine telling the parent’s of a child born with Down’s Syndrome that it’s there fault?
Can you imagine a religious leader saying: “Too bad about your blindness, what did you do wrong?”

That’s not God. That’s not Who God is.

The interesting thing is that illnesses, diseases and physical maladies ARE the result of sin. We live in a broken world. Sin has really messed things up. God didn’t design the human body to be blind, lame, or disease filled. But when Adam and Eve sinned, things changed. Death and disease entered into the world.

But who is the Author of death and disease? Is God? If He is, I don’t want to know Him. If God is responsible, He isn’t good. We must give credit where credit is due – death and disease come from the enemy. Jesus said: “the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…”

God doesn’t send disease. God doesn’t cause babies to be born blind.

But God is amazing. He is far bigger than the enemy. And He is able to do something very special through our heartbreak… look at verse 3:

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” V. 3

His blindness isn’t the result of his or his parents sin! And his blindness doesn’t define him – for God is going to display His glory in his life through the blindness.

The Message Translation puts this verse like this:
“Jesus said, "You're asking the wrong question. You're looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do.”

Look instead for what God can do. Take your focus off the problem and look to the One who is the Solution! Do not look to assign blame – instead look for the Glory of God to be revealed! God will be glorified – in the midst of the problem – when we look to Him to be glorified!

We all have problems. We all are candidates for miracles. We all need Christ’s intervention in our lives. Right now – we could go around the room, and if we’d be honest with each other, there wouldn’t be one person in this room who doesn’t have need for a miracle.

Oh, God, be glorified in our problems! We are crying out for Your Glory to be manifest in the midst of our struggles. Open our eyes to see You in the midst of our pain! Let Your Name be lifted up – far above all of our problems! Take our fingers of blame and guilt and turn them into uplifted hands of praise and worship. For, You, and You alone are able to heal us. And we fall before You in worship and praise.

Now, Jesus goes on in verse 4:
“As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no-one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” V. 4-5

The very reason that Christ came into the world, was to destroy the works of the enemy. He comes with light, with life, with hope, with joy, with redemption and with power – to overcome the impact the enemy has had in our lives. When we encounter the ‘light of the world’ – our darkness is removed.

There isn’t one thing any of us are facing right now – that He cannot overcome on our behalf.

And in verse 6 and 7 we see the miracle:
“Having said this, he spat on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.” V. 6-7

Do you see what matters in this verse? The man ‘came home seeing…’

There is the miracle. Later the man will say: “I once was blind, but now I see…”

The spit and the mud, the washing in the Pool of Siloam – they aren’t what matters here. How God does the healing isn’t important. It wasn’t magic mud! It wasn’t holy water. God can use anyone or anything to do His will.

Some people say: “I’m not going to go the Doctors, I’m just going to trust Christ to heal me.” That’s nonsense. Christ can use Doctors. And He can use mud. Either way, it is His will to heal. The means simply do not matter – Christ is what matters.

And the question that is put before us this morning is this:
• Am I trusting Christ to heal me?
• Am I trusting Christ to meet me at my point of need?
• Am I believing Christ for the blessing?

I had a funny thought. Can you imagine if another blind man had heard about this healing and what Jesus did to heal, and so, he comes to the exact same spot, bends down, spits in the dirt, makes mud, rubs it on his eyelids, and goes to the Pool of Siloam – would he have been healed? Don’t be too quick to answer. The obvious answer is “no”. But that may not be the right answer. I think the best answer is ‘maybe’ – and I’ll tell you why: A woman who had bled for 14 years, in faith touched the hem of Jesus’ robe and was instantaneously healed. Why? Because she believed. So, if the second blind man was putting his faith in Christ’s power – not the mud and water – than the answer is ‘maybe.’

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,” Ephesians 3:20

Christ is able to do far more than we ask or imagine. Trust Him.

Now, Jesus said that this blindness was to be for the glory of God. Look at verse 8 to see the glory beginning to be revealed.

“His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.” V. 8-9

The stir in the community must have been amazing. They could tell that he wasn’t the same. They could tell that he could see. Some thought: “It can’t be the same guy, he must just look like him…” Other’s said: “No, that’s him, I’m sure of it….”

And the formerly blind man sets them straight when he says: “I am the man.”

Here’s the glory: “I am the man. Yes, I used to be blind, but I’m not anymore. I can see! For the first time in my life – I can see! I can SEE!”

When we are touched by Jesus – we are changed. Forever. Where we once were blind, we can see. Where we once were confused, we have clarity. Where once we looked to sex, money, possessions, power for our meaning, we find in Christ the peace that passes understanding.

Christ wants you to give Him glory through your story. The glory comes through the story! Write that down: The glory is in your story!”

When you are met in your need, when you place your trust in Christ to meet that need – Christ changes you. For the first time in your life, you’ve got something to say that really matters!

When you open your mouth – and tell of the glories of God – people’s faith is built. Look at verses 10-12

“How then were your eyes opened?” they demanded. He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.” “Where is this man?” they asked him. “I don’t know,” he said.” V. 10-12

How could they not want to know how and who did this miracle? The change was right in their face. It was undeniable. Some in the crowd of people probably were thinking: “If he can heal blindness, maybe he could do something for me…” So, the man tells the story again. He gives testimony. For the rest of this man’s life he’ll have one story to tell: “I was blind, but Jesus gave me sight.” That’s a pretty good story. Who knows how many hundreds – or even thousands of people that’d he tell this story to in the coming years – who knows how many people would come to believe in Jesus as a result of the story.

And do you see their response: “Where is this man?” They want to know where Jesus is. Why? Because where Jesus is is where they want to be.

CONCLUSION:

Friends: The GLORY is in your STORY!

Do you know why Pentecostal and Charismatic – Spirit-filled churches are by far the fastest growing part of Christianity today? Because Christ is moving in power – healing people – and where there is the power of God, there will be people in pursuit of Him!

What do you say that we become a Spirit-filled community of people who are moving in the POWER of the Holy Spirit?

HOW?
• Are you a Christian?
• Are you baptized in the power of the Holy Spirit?
• Are you believing that the same Jesus who healed the blind man can still heal today?

JESUS – I want ALL that you have for me.
JESUS – I don’t UNDERSTAND all of this – but I WANT it.
JESUS – You said that you reward those who earnestly seek you – and I’M SEEKING YOU now!
JESUS – I want to MOVE IN THE POWER of the Holy Spirit!
JESUS – You said that the Holy Spirit is a GIFT – and I RECEIVE YOUR GIFT right now!
JESUS – COME HOLY SPIRIT – FILL ME! BAPTIZE ME! USE ME!
JESUS – Glorify Yourself in my life!

Now – begin to open your mouths and speak praises! Speak faith! Speak confidence!