[The following is the manuscript of my sermon delivered on Sunday, the 15th of March, 2015.]
The days were winding down toward our Lord’s last walk as a man upon this earth, and He knew it. Jesus had just spoken in the temple, where He predicted His imminent departure to the Jews gathered there by saying “I am going away, and… where I go you cannot come.” (John 8:21 NKJV)
And then He pretty much infuriated those Jews when He also told them that He existed before Abraham was even born. He said, “before Abraham was, I AM”. That’s how God identified Himself - as “I AM”. Enraged by this perceived blasphemy, the Jews wanted to stone Jesus but He managed to slip out of the temple unnoticed and unmolested.
You would think that a close call like that might have bothered Jesus. Apparently not, for He acted quite calmly in what happened next. Listen to the event as related by John in his Gospel account, chapter 9, verses 1-12…
1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. 7 And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.
8 Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?”
9 Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.”
He said, “I am he.”
10 Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”
11 He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.”
12 Then they said to him, “Where is He?”
He said, “I do not know.”
--John 9:1-12 (NKJV)
Let us pray... Father God, hide me behind the cross of Your Son Jesus so that Your children may see only His face. Use my voice to speak Your words that Your children may receive Your message. And let Your Holy Spirit move among us and touch each and every heart that hears Your word. In the blessed name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
A man died and stood at the Pearly Gates before St. Peter. Peter asked the man, "You need one thousand points to get in. How many do you have?" The man replied, "I don’t know." "Well," said Peter, "tell me all the good things you've done in your life and we’ll see how many points you've earned." So the man began ticking off everything he could think of he had ever done that could be considered 'good'. When he finally finished, St. Peter added up the score and told the man that he had amassed a total of one hundred points during his lifetime. Completely shattered, his ego thoroughly deflated, the man hung his head and sighed, "I guess it’s only by the grace of God that I’ll ever get into this place." "That," said Peter, "is worth nine hundred points. Come on in!"
We can relate to that man, can’t we? We do all these great works and we think that will really impress God, that He’ll be so happy with all we did for Him here on earth. Some people even think they don’t need to believe in Jesus at all as long as they do good deeds throughout their life. Well, this little story is a pretty good illustration of just how much emphasis God places on what we believe, versus what we do.
Quite honestly, for most of us, the many bad things we’ve done may far outweigh any good we’ve accomplished. But if we truly and fervently believe in His Son, God is merciful and overlooks the bad, forgives the bad, and by His grace grants us eternal life. Nothing we can ever do will get us to heaven – only God’s grace.
The blind man in our story was a recipient of God’s great grace, as administered by God’s own Son Jesus. The man was given sight, something he had never experienced in his entire life, having been born blind. To me, though, as miraculous as it is, this aspect is only a minor part of the story. I see three important points of interest: one primary and two of a more secondary nature.
The first of the secondary points involves the question His disciples asked Jesus in the 2nd verse: “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” The man was blind, so was the blindness caused by his sin? But he was born blind and would not have had a chance to sin yet, so was it some sin his parents committed?
Haven’t we all heard someone express basically the same sentiment? That was pretty much the entire argument against Job by his “friends”. If something bad happens, wasn’t it because we did something terribly wrong?
“O Lord, how could you let this happen to me?!”
“Dear Jesus, what did I ever do to deserve this?!”
But look at how Jesus answered them, in verse 3. This man didn’t sin, nor did his parents – that’s not why he is blind. He is blind so that the works of God could be made manifest through Him!
Sometimes bad stuff happens… it just happens. But God has a plan for everything that happens and He can make good come from even the worst of things. In this case, the man is given sight so that God’s glory can be shown through the work of Jesus.
And that brings me to the second of the secondary points – in verse 4 Jesus said that He must work the works of the One who sent Him, the works of God. Do we feel as compelled as Jesus did to do God’s work here on earth? Sure, Jesus had the most important mission in executing God’s great master plan. But you and I also have roles to play in God’s grand scheme. I for one waited a long time before I accepted that fact, before I finally agreed that I must work the works that God assigned me.
Now remember… like our little story at the very first, our works in this life matter very little when it comes time to be admitted into heaven. But God has an assignment for each and every one of us that He wants us to carry out. When we really love someone, don’t we feel it almost a vital necessity to carry out that person’s wishes? Do we really love God enough to want to do what He wants us to do, without any thought to whether we might be rewarded for it somewhere along the line?
If nothing else, Jesus told us to love one another, without conditions. That’s tough to carry out, unconditional love. But the least we could do is to try really hard! He also told us to go into the world making disciples. Not sit here in church waiting for folks to come strolling in, but to go into the world, out there, and show folks Jesus.
And that leads me to the third and, in my view, most important aspect of John’s story of this blind man – showing folks Jesus. Starting in verse 6, Jesus made a balm from His spit and a handful of dirt and put it over the man’s eyes. Our scripture says Jesus anointed the man’s eyes with the mixture. One definition of anointing is to make sacred – that pretty much fits here.
Then Jesus told the man to go bathe in the pool of Siloam. The man did so, and when he returned he astounded everyone because now he could see! Folks who knew him even wondered if that was really the man they knew, the blind beggar they’d seen every day for years. He assured them that it really was him. So they asked what happened, how did he receive sight. He told them the whole story of what Jesus did and what He told him to do. And the people asked, “Where is this Jesus?”
But in all the excitement Jesus had again slipped away unnoticed. And the man who once was blind could only look around before giving up and saying, “I don’t know.”
So where is Jesus?
The easy answer is that He’s in heaven on the right hand of God Almighty. And that’s true, because the Bible – God’s inspired word – assures us that is exactly where Jesus went after He ascended into heaven. We proclaim that as part of our belief when we recite the Apostles’ Creed. But that then lends itself to the question of where is heaven. If Jesus is in heaven, then where is heaven?
There are some who would say heaven is right here in Davidson County. And you know what? I’d have to agree with them. Heaven is right here – in Davidson County and Davie County and Forsythe and Montgomery and even back in Cabarrus where I hail from. Heaven is right here, all around us, because God is right here, all around us.
We can’t see it, or Him - not yet. We have not yet gained enough experience and insight and ability to see it. We would not be able to survive the unveiling of so much beauty and glory. We’ve not yet been granted permission to see it. But Jesus promises that someday He will explain to us all the mysteries of God and heaven and then all of that splendor will be revealed to us. On that glorious day, when we stand face to face with our Lord, we will see heaven.
So Jesus is in heaven and heaven is all around us, even if we can’t see it. That means that Jesus must be all around us. Could you be a little more specific, please? Just where is Jesus? Did he slip away again while nobody noticed?
The apostle Peter, in chapter 3 verses 14 and 15 of his first letter to those Jewish and Gentile Christians scattered throughout the world, has this to say…
A man died and stood at the Pearly Gates before St. Peter. Peter asked the man, "You need one thousand points to get in. How many do you have?" The man replied, "I don’t know." "Well," said Peter, "tell me all the good things you've done in your life and we’ll see how many points you've earned." So the man began ticking off everything he could think of he had ever done that could be considered 'good'. When he finally finished, St. Peter added up the score and told the man that he had amassed a total of one hundred points during his lifetime. Completely shattered, his ego thoroughly deflated, the man hung his head and sighed, "I guess it’s only by the grace of God that I’ll ever get into this place." "That," said Peter, "is worth nine hundred points. Come on in!"
We can relate to that man, can’t we? We do all these great works and we think that will really impress God, that He’ll be so happy with all we did for Him here on earth. Some people even think they don’t need to believe in Jesus at all as long as they do good deeds throughout their life. Well, this little story is a pretty good illustration of just how much emphasis God places on what we believe, versus what we do.
Quite honestly, for most of us, the many bad things we’ve done may far outweigh any good we’ve accomplished. But if we truly and fervently believe in His Son, God is merciful and overlooks the bad, forgives the bad, and by His grace grants us eternal life. Nothing we can ever do will get us to heaven – only God’s grace.
The blind man in our story was a recipient of God’s great grace, as administered by God’s own Son Jesus. The man was given sight, something he had never experienced in his entire life, having been born blind. To me, though, as miraculous as it is, this aspect is only a minor part of the story. I see three important points of interest: one primary and two of a more secondary nature.
The first of the secondary points involves the question His disciples asked Jesus in the 2nd verse: “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” The man was blind, so was the blindness caused by his sin? But he was born blind and would not have had a chance to sin yet, so was it some sin his parents committed?
Haven’t we all heard someone express basically the same sentiment? That was pretty much the entire argument against Job by his “friends”. If something bad happens, wasn’t it because we did something terribly wrong?
“O Lord, how could you let this happen to me?!”
“Dear Jesus, what did I ever do to deserve this?!”
But look at how Jesus answered them, in verse 3. This man didn’t sin, nor did his parents – that’s not why he is blind. He is blind so that the works of God could be made manifest through Him!
Sometimes bad stuff happens… it just happens. But God has a plan for everything that happens and He can make good come from even the worst of things. In this case, the man is given sight so that God’s glory can be shown through the work of Jesus.
And that brings me to the second of the secondary points – in verse 4 Jesus said that He must work the works of the One who sent Him, the works of God. Do we feel as compelled as Jesus did to do God’s work here on earth? Sure, Jesus had the most important mission in executing God’s great master plan. But you and I also have roles to play in God’s grand scheme. I for one waited a long time before I accepted that fact, before I finally agreed that I must work the works that God assigned me.
Now remember… like our little story at the very first, our works in this life matter very little when it comes time to be admitted into heaven. But God has an assignment for each and every one of us that He wants us to carry out. When we really love someone, don’t we feel it almost a vital necessity to carry out that person’s wishes? Do we really love God enough to want to do what He wants us to do, without any thought to whether we might be rewarded for it somewhere along the line?
If nothing else, Jesus told us to love one another, without conditions. That’s tough to carry out, unconditional love. But the least we could do is to try really hard! He also told us to go into the world making disciples. Not sit here in church waiting for folks to come strolling in, but to go into the world, out there, and show folks Jesus.
And that leads me to the third and, in my view, most important aspect of John’s story of this blind man – showing folks Jesus. Starting in verse 6, Jesus made a balm from His spit and a handful of dirt and put it over the man’s eyes. Our scripture says Jesus anointed the man’s eyes with the mixture. One definition of anointing is to make sacred – that pretty much fits here.
Then Jesus told the man to go bathe in the pool of Siloam. The man did so, and when he returned he astounded everyone because now he could see! Folks who knew him even wondered if that was really the man they knew, the blind beggar they’d seen every day for years. He assured them that it really was him. So they asked what happened, how did he receive sight. He told them the whole story of what Jesus did and what He told him to do. And the people asked, “Where is this Jesus?”
But in all the excitement Jesus had again slipped away unnoticed. And the man who once was blind could only look around before giving up and saying, “I don’t know.”
So where is Jesus?
The easy answer is that He’s in heaven on the right hand of God Almighty. And that’s true, because the Bible – God’s inspired word – assures us that is exactly where Jesus went after He ascended into heaven. We proclaim that as part of our belief when we recite the Apostles’ Creed. But that then lends itself to the question of where is heaven. If Jesus is in heaven, then where is heaven?
There are some who would say heaven is right here in Davidson County. And you know what? I’d have to agree with them. Heaven is right here – in Davidson County and Davie County and Forsythe and Montgomery and even back in Cabarrus where I hail from. Heaven is right here, all around us, because God is right here, all around us.
We can’t see it, or Him - not yet. We have not yet gained enough experience and insight and ability to see it. We would not be able to survive the unveiling of so much beauty and glory. We’ve not yet been granted permission to see it. But Jesus promises that someday He will explain to us all the mysteries of God and heaven and then all of that splendor will be revealed to us. On that glorious day, when we stand face to face with our Lord, we will see heaven.
So Jesus is in heaven and heaven is all around us, even if we can’t see it. That means that Jesus must be all around us. Could you be a little more specific, please? Just where is Jesus? Did he slip away again while nobody noticed?
The apostle Peter, in chapter 3 verses 14 and 15 of his first letter to those Jewish and Gentile Christians scattered throughout the world, has this to say…
14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you...
--1 Peter 3:14-15 (NKJV)
Among all the other beautiful things Peter gives in these two short verses, he tells us to sanctify the Lord God in our hearts. Sanctify means to set aside, for use for holy purposes. We are to set our hearts aside for God’s use, for His purposes.
One of those purposes, and I would declare it to be the main purpose, is to house His most Holy Spirit! Jesus promised that after He returned to heaven, He would send the Companion, God’s Holy Spirit to live within us, within our heart. When we first believe in Jesus as the Son of God and accept Him as our Lord and Master, He does just that and the Holy Spirit moves right in and sets up housekeeping in our hearts.
God our Father, Jesus His Son, and the Holy Spirit are each one aspect of God. Each is one and the other – the Father is God, Jesus is God, the Holy Spirit is God. So when the Holy Spirit moved in, Jesus did also.
Where is Jesus? He’s right here, inside of us, always with us, never apart. Like the man in John’s story, we were once blind also, and now can see. But unlike that man who could not figure out where Jesus got to, we know where He is - He’s in our heart.
He’ll never forsake us. He’ll never leave us. He’s always there anytime we need Him. Jesus is in our heart. He is the hope within us.
That man John told us about could not show Jesus to others. We can, by showing them our heart.
Amen.
Let us pray… Precious Jesus, thank You for filling our hearts and our souls with Your holy presence! Please help us always feel You inside. Counsel us before we speak and act. Comfort us when we hurt. Convict us of our sin while there is still time to repent. Help us live a life worthy of Your wonderful presence.
Hear us now, Lord Jesus, as we speak to You silently, repenting of our sin, pleading for your help…
Lord Jesus, You are always with us. You are always around us. You are always there for us. You comfort us when we are crying. You pick us up when we stumble. You carry us when we just can’t go on. Thank You, Jesus, for Your steadfast love and constant faithfulness. In Your most wonderful name, Jesus, we pray. Amen.
One of those purposes, and I would declare it to be the main purpose, is to house His most Holy Spirit! Jesus promised that after He returned to heaven, He would send the Companion, God’s Holy Spirit to live within us, within our heart. When we first believe in Jesus as the Son of God and accept Him as our Lord and Master, He does just that and the Holy Spirit moves right in and sets up housekeeping in our hearts.
God our Father, Jesus His Son, and the Holy Spirit are each one aspect of God. Each is one and the other – the Father is God, Jesus is God, the Holy Spirit is God. So when the Holy Spirit moved in, Jesus did also.
Where is Jesus? He’s right here, inside of us, always with us, never apart. Like the man in John’s story, we were once blind also, and now can see. But unlike that man who could not figure out where Jesus got to, we know where He is - He’s in our heart.
He’ll never forsake us. He’ll never leave us. He’s always there anytime we need Him. Jesus is in our heart. He is the hope within us.
That man John told us about could not show Jesus to others. We can, by showing them our heart.
Amen.
Let us pray… Precious Jesus, thank You for filling our hearts and our souls with Your holy presence! Please help us always feel You inside. Counsel us before we speak and act. Comfort us when we hurt. Convict us of our sin while there is still time to repent. Help us live a life worthy of Your wonderful presence.
Hear us now, Lord Jesus, as we speak to You silently, repenting of our sin, pleading for your help…
Lord Jesus, You are always with us. You are always around us. You are always there for us. You comfort us when we are crying. You pick us up when we stumble. You carry us when we just can’t go on. Thank You, Jesus, for Your steadfast love and constant faithfulness. In Your most wonderful name, Jesus, we pray. Amen.
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