TOPIC: NOW I CAN SEE
1. STORY
John was born blind with cataracts. When he was three, his mother who was very
poor got in contact with one of the few doctors who did eye operations at that
time. She asked him to help her son and
promised, if necessary, to pay him a certain amount from her wages each week
for the rest of her life. The doctor
performed the operation. On the
day the bandages were to be removed, John’s mother bought him a little wooden
horse and placed it in front of him. When the bandages were removed, John
reached for the toy and his mother knew that the operation was a success. A few months later, the good doctor died. His last gift to the world, as stipulated in
his will, was a full cancellation of all debts. John kept this little wooden horse as a
reminder of the debt. He owed this
generous doctor who had given him the ability to see.
2. GOSPEL, JOHN 9:1-41
A) JESUS CURES THE PHYSICALLY BLIND
Jesus met a blind man, put clay on
his eyes, and told him to wash them in a nearby pool. The blind man returned to Jesus and was able
to see.
B) JESUS CURES THE SPIRITUALLY BLIND
Jesus gradually helped the cured man
to see who he really was. The blind man
first recognized that Jesus was a prophet, a man with divine power. Then he believed that Jesus was the Son of
Man. Finally, he worshipped Jesus. Jesus cures the spiritually blind.
3. APPLICATION TO LIFE
A) THE SPIRITUALLY BLIND
Today there are many who are
spiritually blind.
i) They do not know that God exists,
God created them, God cares for them, and God forgives them. They do not know Jesus came and saved
us.
ii) Many do not know what the purpose
of life is or how to live a life that will bring peace, joy, and
happiness.
iii) Many do not know what happens
after death. It is the end or is there
something else that follows.
B) JESUS CURES THE SPIRITUALLY BLIND
i) Jesus teaches us that there is a loving, caring, and forgiving God. Jesus tells us that he has come to save us and
to lead us to eternal happiness.
ii) Jesus teaches us that the meaning
of life is to live according to God’s commandments and to be of service to
others. Jesus teaches us how we must
live by loving God, others, and ourselves.
iii) Jesus teaches us that death is
not an end but a beginning of an eternal life of joy, peace and happiness. Jesus is the light of the world who brings us
from darkness to life. Now we can see.
4. CONCLUSION
The doctor helped the boy, Jesus
helped the blind man, so does Jesus help us.
