Where is Jesus? – John 9

God is at work in our world.  People are touched by Him in more ways than they can really understand.  Sometimes it’s hard to tell just how a thing came about.  Other times there is no question.  But knowing “who did what” isn’t the focus, rather its a signpost telling us where to go.  It is the thing that directs us while we are lost.  But we remain lost if we do not venture beyond the signpost.

The focus is coming to the Worker of all good things.  Our destination IS Him.

For the man born blind, whom John tells us about in his ninth chapter, there was no question Who worked the miracle.  It was the Man they call Jesus who opened his eyes.  The signpost was like writing in the sky, everyone knew who was responsible.

But one could not say that the man had truly found Jesus.  They could only that say that he was touched by Jesus. 

That healing touch of love did mighty things for the man’s soul.  He gave the man an opportunity to see, and I’m not talking about with his eyes.

When the Pharisees harassed him about the healing, the man told them it was Jesus who did it.  They continued to press the matter, twisting the truth into all sorts of distortions.   But in response to their lies the healed man said “One thing I do know, I was blind but now I see!”

He may not have realized it, but the work of Christ in his life made him able to see the wickedness of the Pharisees.  He did not receive a miraculous gift of discernment, but he did have a clearer vision because of the one miracle worked upon his natural eyes.  The more he talked with the Pharisees on the matter, the clearer it became to him.  Theses guys had an agenda, and the truth would not sway them from their goal.

He didn’t know who Jesus was, but he saw that Jesus was from God.  Unfortunately today many of those who find themselves in a similar situation remain as they are.  They don’t seek the One to whom the signposts point.  They stand at the signposts and called it being saved, but they are still lost. 

And they are not able to truly show people who Jesus is.  Even if the right words come out of their mouths, they are only able to give lip service to Him…

Having been thrown out by the Pharisees, the healed man went on his way.  Then Jesus found the man and made it clear to him who He really was… the Son of Man, Lord, the Giver and Taker of sight, the Judge, the Gate, the Good Shepherd.

It is a great thing when God works in the lives of men.  But that work may only be the signpost, directing people towards Him.  If a person doesn’t follow that signpost and come to God on God’s terms, they may find themselves in the position of the Pharisees who were with Jesus when He healed the blind man.  They asked Him “What?  Are we blind too?”

Jesus responded “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”

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Pool at Bethesda (John 5)

This is one of those passages that always draws out a lot of questions.  It’s quite the picture, with angels coming to stir the water… and then the first person in being healed from it.

God’s ability to work in this manner is not what one should wonder about when reading this passage.  God can do much more than this.  The question is why would He work in this particular way.  It almost seems out of character.  But then the end of Romans 11 comes to mind…

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
       How unsearchable his judgments,
       and his paths beyond tracing out! 
   “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
       Or who has been his counselor?” 
   “Who has ever given to God,
       that God should repay him?” 
   For from him and through him and to him are all things.
       To him be the glory forever! Amen.

We must be careful when we think that something is outside of God’s will simply because we’ve never heard of it before.  Obviously we must filter things through the Bible, but what we don’t want to do is limit God when He never told us He would not do the type of thing in question.  The leaders did just that in response to this same event, and it drove them to persecute Jesus.  We must be careful.

On the other side of the coin, there are indeed many things the world falsely credits to God.  God hates it… it’s called using His Name in vain.  We do not want to join in with that either.

Instead, let us take the straight and narrow path.  Let us join in on proclaiming what we do know about Him.  And let us continue to treasure up His Word in our hearts, that we may grow in our knowledge of Him.  That we may experience and enjoy one of the greatest things God has placed into all of creation… an ever deepening love between man and the Almighty.

Romans 12:2-3

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.