A Story that Points to Christ

The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “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.” They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know” (John 9:8-12).

Jesus gathered another crowd. This time He used “a man blind from birth” (John 9:1). Because the man was born blind there would be no doubt that his healing was supernatural. Through this sign Jesus revealed Himself to be the sovereign God incarnate who not only created all things but still ruled over all things and held them all together… “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:15-17). Through this sign that used the spit of the Son of God and the natural soil and water of the earth Jesus demonstrated His authority over the atoms and molecules of creation. Through sending the blind man to the pool of Siloam Jesus made clear His superiority over the religion and superstitions of the world. And Jesus very strategically gathered a unique crowd by this sign. It was a crowd of “neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar”. This crowd knew the blind man’s story. They watched him grow up under the curse that turned him into an adult beggar. They could not deny the complete transformation that had taken place in his life. They wanted to know how this happened and who is responsible. They were attracted to the man who did this great miracle and wanted to fine Him. This sign provoked them to seek out Jesus and join the crowd of followers… “Where is he?” Beyond this great sign, the greatest wonder we see in today’s text is the Savior giving the gift of a grace-filled story to a most unprepared yet willing man to share with His neighbors. One of the differences between followers and disciples is a burden for the lost and an earnest desire to lead others to Christ. Today, our Teacher, the Holy Spirit, encourages us to become disciples who regularly use one of our most precious tools for sharing the gospel, the power of our personal testimony. Our personal encounter with Jesus gives every disciple a story that points to Christ.

How often do you share your faith? Telling others about the change Jesus Christ has wrought in our lives should be a priority for disciples today as it was for the very first disciples… “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). A witness is one who testifies by telling others about something they did not see or experience themselves. It is not preaching or teaching. It does not require special education or training. It takes the kind of encouragement that is born out of our new birth and daily walk experiences with our precious Savior. As we become more intimate with Him and He shares His heart for the lost with us, His love conquers our fears and controls our heart, compelling us to tell others about Him… “For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;  and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Corinthians 5:13-15). This compelling love for the lost is a sure marker of the difference between Christ’s followers and His disciples. It was beautifully evident in the transformed heart of the Samaritan woman who overcame her dark past and told her neighbors about her encounter with Christ, leading many to believe in Him… “Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me all that I ever did’” (John 4:39). The man born blind had a story to tell His neighbors too, and the reflection of Christ’s grace through his testimony prompted many of his neighbors to seek Jesus for themselves.

As we grow up into Christ we become more earnest and successful witnesses because we have…

A Story that Points to Christ.