John 9:35-38 - Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? [36] He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? [37] And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. [38] And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.
In the short time that Jesus was on this earth He did and said a lot. Throughout history, the words and works of Christ demand a response from each and every person ever to hear His name. It does not matter where you’re from, how much or how little you’re worth. Each and every person must decide how they will respond to the Lord Jesus Christ.
At the beginning of John 9 Jesus stops to heal a man who had been blind from birth. Before He healed the man, Jesus proclaimed Himself to be the light of the world. Jesus then proceeds to spit on the ground and make clay with which he used to anoint the eyes of the blind man. To complete the miracle, Jesus instructs the man to go and wash in the pool of Siloam in order to receive his sight. In the rest of the chapter we see three different responses to the words and works of Jesus Christ.
The first response that we see is that of the Pharisees. Their response is one of rejection and blasphemy. They could not and would not receive Christ because they refused to look past their wrong beliefs and adherence to the vain traditions of man. May we never allow our reactions to Christ to be dictated by our opinions rather than God’s infallible Word.
Secondly, we see the response of the blind man’s parents. The parent’s response to Jesus was polluted by the fear of man. They chose their words carefully so they would not upset the ruling class of Jews. They were afraid to lose what they had worked so hard to build. We must learn from the parents and never allow our responses to Christ to be dictated by those who have no real power over us. C.T. Studd said it best, “Only one life will soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” Everything we see around us will one day pass away. Only the things that are done for Christ will truly matter.
Lastly, we are blessed to have recorded in Scripture the response of the man that was born blind. He did not allow his own opinion or the fear of man to prevent him from responding correct to Christ’s work in His life. At the beginning of the chapter we learn of the blind man’s incorrect belief about who Jesus Christ is. In verse 11, the blind man calls Jesus a man, but at the end of the chapter when Christ reveals who He really is, the blind man sheds his incorrect beliefs and worship Jesus as Lord. He also does not allow the threat of temporal persecution from man to keep him from following the truth.
Just like Jesus was working in John 9, Jesus is still working in the world today. We are responsible for how we respond to who He is, what He has said, and what He has done. How will you respond to Him? Will you let go of self this morning and draw nigh to a loving God with His arms open wide to receive all who would come unto Him? It is your choice. |
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