WTTW: GOD'S WORD

SUNDAY

Psalm 95:6

Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;

GOD'S WORD: John 9:13-34 “Denial & Proclamation”

Paraphrase

Healed by Jesus on the Sabbath, when the man born blind was brought to the Pharisees he told them mud was put on his eyes and after washing it off he was able to see. Some Pharisees claimed Jesus couldn’t be from God since he healed the man on the Sabbath, while others questioned how a sinner could perform a miracle like this. Asking the blind man’s opinion he said he believed Jesus to be a prophet.

Not believing the man born blind had been miraculously healed, they sent for his parents for verification. Verifying he had been blind and had received his sight, but being afraid the Jews would kick them out of the synagogue if they acknowledged Jesus as the Christ, his parents told the Pharisees to ask their son who had healed him.

Calling Jesus a sinner, when they called the man before them again he said while he didn’t know if Jesus was a sinner he knew he had been healed of his life long blindness. When they asked him what had been done so he was now able to see, he asked them why they wanted him to repeat what he had already said and instead asked them if they wanted to become Jesus’ disciple.

Hurling insults and calling him a disciple of Jesus, they bragged about being Moses disciple and about knowing God spoke to Moses in contrast not knowing where Jesus comes from. He responded by telling them how amazing it was they were unable to tell where Jesus was from when he had miraculously given him his sight when God isn’t with sinners but those who do his will. He told them no one has ever restored the sight of a blind man and that Jesus had to be from God or he would never had been able to what he did and for them to not be able to see this was unbelievable! They indigently told him that since he was born so sinfully in blindness he had no right to lecture them and they threw him out.

Principles

Central Idea of the Text (CIT)
Interrogatory (INT)
Answer (ANS)


A. Meaning for 1st Century Readers

I. CIT: John told his 1st Century Readers that the man born blind could see who Jesus was while the Pharisees were spiritually blind to who he was.

II. INT: Why were the Pharisees spiritually blind to who Jesus was when the man born blind was able to see?

III. ANS:: The Pharisees were spiritually blind when the man born blind was able to see because:

1. They denied Jesus was a prophet - while he proclaimed it. vv 13-17

2. They denied the blind man’s identity - while he proclaimed it. vv 18-23

3. They denied the miracle - while he proclaimed it. vv 24-27

4. They denied where Jesus was from - while he proclaimed it. vv 28-34



B. Meaning for 21st Century Readers

I. CIT: John tells us today that those healed of their infirmities (liberated from their sin) can see who Jesus is when the self-righteous are spiritually blind to who he is.

II. INT: Why are the self-righteous spiritually blind to who Jesus is when those healed of their infirmities (liberated from their sin) can see.?

III. ANS:: The self-righteous are spiritually blind when those healed of infirmities (liberated from their sin) can see because:

1. The self-righteous deny Jesus is a prophet - while the healed proclaim him Messiah.

2. The self-righteous deny the identity of those healed - while the healed proclaim their identify in Christ.

3. The self-righteous deny his miracle - while the healed proclaim His Resurrection.

4. The self-righteous deny who Jesus is - while the healed proclaim Him the Son of God.


Prayer

Our Father, we thank You for sending Your Son to heal us, to save us from our sin.

We give You praise and glory for the Messiah, the Christ, our Savior.

Only through Your power and might was he Resurrected from the grave.

And only in Him do we live.

Give us the strength to proclaim our healing.

Give us the compassion to proclaim our identity in Christ.

Give us the power to proclaim Your Son’s name.

Give us the love to proclaim Your Son’s miracle.

Our Father, we offer our pray to you in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior,

Amen.