Seeing Jesus

In John 7:17 Jesus said that the person willing to do the Father's will would have spiritual understanding of what God the Son (Jesus) was teaching. In John 9 we have an illustration of that principle.

At the beginning of John 9 we meet a man who had been blind from birth and forced to beg for a living. By the end of the chapter this man believes on Jesus Christ as the Son of God and bows down in worship of Him. Let's follow the steps in this man's progression as his understanding is opened by the Lord because he is "willing to do His will."

1.) He Sees Himself as Helpless - verse 9. I am the one who was blind from birth and sat begging. Important for all of us to recognize our helplessness before God.
2.) He Sees Jesus as Human - verse 11. All he knows at this point is that a man named Jesus put clay on his eyes, etc.
3.) He Sees Jesus as a Herald of God - verse 17. To the Jews a prophet was one sent from God with a message from God. So we see man's understanding of Jesus gradually opening up.
4.) He Sees Jesus as a worker of Miracles - verses 25,30. He does not claim to know a lot, but he does know that Jesus healed him.
5.) He Sees Jesus as Holy - verse 31. He has progressed in his thinking and understanding to realize that Jesus could not be a sinner as the leaders were asserting (verse 24).
6.) He Sees Jesus as giving Homage to God and Being Heard of God - verse 31. The more he considers what happened the more he realizes that Jesus must be a true worshipper of God and be in communication with God.
7.) He Sees Jesus as Historically Unique - verse 32. What he says here is true; the Old Testament does not record any example of a blind person receiving their sight. In his mind then Jesus now stands alone as the only one who has done this.
8.) He Sees Jesus as Heaven Sent - verse 33. This is quite a progression from verse 11. This man must be from God. Remember, he started out this day as a blind beggar.
9.) He Sees Hope - verse 36. The leaders excommunicate him from the synagogue (verse 34). Jesus finds him and the man is ready to believe on the Son of God.
10.) He Sees Jesus as His Lord and Savior - verse 37-38. Jesus reveals Himself to the man and the man readily accepts Him and worships Him.

 

What a wonderful progression we see here. Jesus stands ready to open the mind and heart and eyes of anyone who is "willing to do His will." If you will humbly surrender to do His will you will find your understanding and perception of spiritual things grow as this man's did. John 9:39 will be true in your life - "they which see not mi