Monday, September 22, 2014

Are your eyes opened to worship Jesus?

"Then how were your eyes opened?" 

John 9 relates a fascinating story to us. A man is blind; he meets Jesus, Jesus tells him to do some crazy stuff and those odd things bring healing. 

Later, those trying to find some reason to condemn Jesus, that man is questioned about what happened to give him sight. His answer begins simply, "The man called Jesus..." 

In the beginning, that's all the blind man sees or understands; he understands Jesus as a man, and a man only. He says, "The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed and received my sight." (John 9:11 ESV)

He understood a man told him to follow a process. That's it. When the accusing religious leaders asked the formerly-blind man who he thought Jesus was, the man responded, "He is a prophet." (see 9:17)

But, later... 

Later on, the man is called to be questioned again by those who want to condemn Jesus (see 9:24). You can clearly see the formerly-blind man has developing faith: "One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." (John 9:25b ESV) One thing the formerly-blind man is sure of is that he was FORMERLY blind! 

The man Jesus told him to do something...
The man Jesus "...is a prophet" in the formerly blind man's sight...
The formerly-blind man encountered the man Jesus and now he can see...

Now, watch this... 

As the questioning continued, the man answered, "Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where He comes from, and yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, God listens to Him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind." (John 9:30-32 ESV)

The formerly-blind man was now willing to recognize the man Jesus, the prophet Jesus and the vessel of God's power Jesus. 

Now, it gets really interesting... 

"Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him He said, 'Do you believe in the Son of Man?' He answered, 'And who is He, sir, that I may believe in Him?' Jesus said to him, 'You have seen Him, and it is He who is speaking to you.' He said, 'Lord, I believe,' and he worshiped Him." (John 9:35-38 ESV)

God is always working to move us from seeing the works of the man Jesus to recognizing Jesus as God, and from being grateful for what Jesus has done to worshipping who Jesus is. 

Like physical blindness, there is spiritual blindness. We are captured by the enemy, in bondage and in darkness. The Son of Man has come into the world and the world knows Him not. The Spirit of God is revealing the Lord Jesus to the world, and many only know the man Jesus. Many only see Him as prophet. I'd urge you to understand Him as God, as Lord, as Savior and as King. 

God would move us from recognition of the man Jesus to worship of the Lord Jesus, the Christ. 

Let me ask you, "Are your eyes opened? Who then opened your eyes?" 

As for me, the Spirit of God opened my eyes to know the Son of God who is giving me access to God the Father. Now, I worship Father, Son and Holy Ghost! HE is the ONE I love the most!

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