“For the time is coming,” says the LORD, “when I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. And this will be his name: ‘The LORD Is Our Righteousness.’ In that day Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety.”
It’s impossible to read through the Old Testament and not see the many references and prophecies to Jesus that are made. This is just one example. Of course many people denied the truth about Jesus when he lived on the earth and most in our world continue to disbelieve the claim that Jesus made about himself that he was the Son of God.
Last week we read the story from John 7 where Jesus interrupts a festival to preach his purpose of redeeming people from their sin. And some in the crowd thought that he was the messiah prophesied about in the Old Testament, but, others who didn’t believe him said, “the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.”
One Old Testament Scripture that they would have referred to was this one in Jeremiah 23. There are two categories of people on earth. There are those that have heard the good news of Jesus and those who haven’t. Of those who have heard, like these folks in John 7 a choice has to be made. Many will not believe his claim. But Jesus wasn’t intimidated by that and neither should we. The priority of Jesus was to get his message out there for those who were open to it. This is our single greatest priority today as his followers. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20
Everybody has a boss. We all know what it means to have a boss. One of the churchy words we use is the word, “Lord”. I don’t think that we have a really good understanding of that word, simply because it’s not a word we use in everyday vernacular. Now I would love it if I came home from work and as soon as I walked in the door Kristi greeted me with, “My lord, it’s good to see you, what can I bring you?” or my kids say, “Oh lord, what an honor it is to sit at your feet and learn from your great wisdom.” In Jesus day that’s how they talked. The word “lord” was meant as a word of respect for someone in authority. The American Standard Version of the Bible is probably as close to a literal translation of the ancient Greek text as any version we have and I searched for the word, “lord”. Jesus said, “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord” Matthew 10:24.
Jesus used the word “lord” to convey that a servant is not in authority, his master, or boss is. When we use the word boss today we are conveying the basic same idea. A boss is our authority. We do what our boss tells us to do. I have been in a situation in my past where I wasn’t comfortable doing something my boss told me to do, so what do you do in that situation? The boss isn’t going anywhere, so guess what, I had to leave the job. Today we can make that choice if we want to. In Jesus day they didn’t have a choice. Slaves or servants didn’t have a choice but to obey the master, or lord. This is one reason that in a free society we struggle with this word “lord” because we don’t have to submit to authority if we don’t want to. We can simply take another job, or move to another location, we have the freedom to do that. I think it’s great that we have that kind of freedom, we’re blessed. But the downside is that we struggle with what it really means to be under the power of authority. If we don’t like or agree with authority we can protest, or leave the job, we can get a divorce, or move away.
This is why for Jesus followers it’s vital for us to have a better understanding of who Jesus is, why He came and what our response to Him must be. For the last couple of Sundays, we have taken a look at the life of Jesus. We have discussed Jesus as a person and reflected on his personality, priorities and power. Jesus was a human being who existed in the middle eastern region of the world and lived for about 33 years. He claimed to be the Son of God and many who lived during that time believed his claim. After his resurrection the authorities were completely inept at coming up with an explanation that made any sense for how the body of Jesus disappeared and as a result the early church of Jesus exploded. It made more sense to many folks in that day that Jesus did what he said he was going to do, “All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” John 2:19. All of a sudden that comment made sense. The politicians, the Roman Guard, the Saturday School Teachers didn’t have an answer. They had conspiracy theories. We believe that Jesus the person was the Son of God and he raised himself up.
So last Sunday we discussed Jesus the Redeemer. Our only response to the Redeemer is to do what he told us to do. He simply said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” Luke 9:23.
Jesus wants us to lay our lives down for him. He wants us to consider everything else in our life garbage compared to knowing Him. Last week we discussed that nothing is more important than knowing and obeying the Redeemer. This is how a follower of Jesus thinks.
The last two Sundays we have walked through a story in the life of Jesus to discover more about who he is and how I can be more like him with my attitude and priorities. For one last Sunday I want to walk through one of his stories told in the Gospel books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and take note of three parameters.
First, in the story I’m reading what do I observe about the personality of Jesus. Was he kind, generous, angry, patient, was he positive, negative, and/or critical?
Second, what do I discover about his priorities. What does Jesus consider most important; what does he put first and/or what is he willing to sacrifice to achieve his priorities?
Third, how did Jesus display his power? What does he have power over? What really amazes me about his power?
The story I want to look at today is found in John chapter 9. Jesus is ready to make a defining statement about who he is and what he’s about. It’s not a coincidence that this day is a Sabbath day. A day that for Jewish people was holy. We might think of Sunday as our Sabbath day, but, we don’t take it near as serious as the Jews did in Jesus day. There were strict laws regarding what a practicing Jew could do or not do on the Sabbath. In Numbers 15:32-35 we read, “One day while the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they discovered a man gathering wood on the Sabbath day. The people who found him doing this took him before Moses, Aaron, and the rest of the community. They held him in custody because they did not know what to do with him.35 Then the LORD said to Moses, “The man must be put to death! The whole community must stone him outside the camp.” So the whole community took the man outside the camp and stoned him to death, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.” Now we might think this is a pretty intense punishment for some poor guy who just wanted to grab a couple pieces of firewood so his family wasn’t cold at night.
But it’s obvious from God’s reaction that this guy was actually doing his job on the Sabbath. God said, “You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of complete rest, an official day for holy assembly. It is the LORD’s Sabbath day, and it must be observed wherever you live.” Leviticus 23:3
So apparently this guy was out working, gathering wood for sale and getting a leg up on his competition who were playing buy the rules. This guy was thinking that if nobody else was going to be out there, he would get the choice pieces, the best stuff and more of it. And that is why he lost his life. There was no room for this kind of devious behavior among a few million people wandering around in the middle of nowhere without a standing army or police force. God needed to make a statement to keep people in line and keep things as fair for everyone as possible.
But the Saturday School teachers had a different idea. They used the Sabbath as a means to control people into giving more money to them. To be in their synagogues listening to their messages, they used the Sabbath as a way to provide a purpose for their existence. They made up rules they included in their writings and they passed it off as Scripture to the people. But Jesus is the author of His Word, he knew better than these Saturday School teachers what the Sabbath was about.
Jesus passes by a blind man and his disciples think of an interesting question that only a respected rabbi like Jesus could answer. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” This was the understanding of the day. If someone was born blind, or without a limb, if there was any kind of mental or emotional problems with someone it was assumed that either they or their parents did something to tick off God. But Jesus said it wasn’t about sin, “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.”
The power of God lives in all of us who choose to live with Jesus, “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you” Romans 8:11
Just as the blind man was born blind to reveal God to the world, you also were born with the same purpose. You may not be blind, or maybe you weren’t born with any significant physical disabilities but you have the same purpose to reveal the power of God. This is every human being’s purpose. It was Jesus’ purpose for living, too.
Then Jesus does something weird. He takes some dirt and he spits in it. Not just a little spit, but, he hawked a loogie. This was a full fledge lung cookie. And he made mud with it. Now, even though this guy was blind, he could hear just fine. Jesus told him what to do and he followed the instructions. So we know he could hear. He heard the loogie coming. He heard Jesus making the mud patty in his hands. And then he felt that wet muddy paste on his eyes. Why did Jesus do this? I don’t know for sure, there are many different ideas, but, I do know this, Jesus didn’t heal people the same way. Sometimes he just touched people or they touched him. Once he healed from a distance. He healed people in a variety of different ways. There is no one way or formula to healing people. God heals when it suits his purpose to do so not when it suits ours.
So this blind guy goes and washes his eyes in the pool of Siloam. According to bible-history.com the pool of Siloam was the only permanent water source in the city of Jerusalem which meant there would’ve been a lot of people around. It was a very public place. Here comes a guy with mud on his eyes that most would’ve recognized as the blind guy who begged money from them every day for years. I’m sure there would’ve been those who thought a cruel bully was responsible for this prank. But then he washes his eyes off and for the first time in his life he could see his surroundings.
I can’t imagine what it would be like to see someone see for the first time. I want to show you a clip of a video of a young woman who has just had a cochlear implant and is hearing herself and others for the first time in her life. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsOo3jzkhYA The blind guy must have been just as amazed and overwhelmed.
I wonder for this blind guy what he must have experienced in those first few moments. Whatever he did he got a lot of attention. At first they thought he wasn’t the same blind guy but it didn’t take them long to figure it out. Then they realized what day it was...The SABBATH. Uh-oh...someone got healed on a day when no one was supposed to work. They learned that in Saturday School. Some dude died simply because he picked up some sticks. So a bunch of concerned citizens took the blind guy to the Saturday School Teachers.
“Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them.” Once again the idea that Jesus is from God causes division. Just like last Sunday when we discussed the story of Jesus at the festival and sharing his message that he is the redeemer caused families and neighbors to argue with each other over his claim.
So the Pharisees continued to grill this guy. But, they weren’t getting any satisfactory answers. First, how was it possible that he was healed, and second and even more important, what kind of nut case would do this kind of thing on the Sabbath. They even brought his parents in for questioning. But his parents didn’t want to get kicked out of church so they said nothing.
So they brought the former blind guy back in. They asked him the same questions and the guy loses patience, “listen” he says, “I’ve already told you what Jesus did and how he did it. Sounds to me like you guys want to become followers of Jesus.” And so they kicked him out of church.
When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man? The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!” “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus. Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.” Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?” “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.”
I see in the personality of Jesus acertain non conformity. Maybe he’s having a little fun at the blind guy’s expense with the mud facial, but He’s not being difficult just because he can. As I always see in the life of Jesus his every recorded move has a purpose behind it. He heals on the Sabbath to make a point that the Saturday School teachers have this Sabbath thing all wrong. And if these guys can’t even understand one of the most basic elements of their faith how can they teach anything at all? In this story he’s making the point that he’s the boss. The folks who think they are in charge of God’s people are actually not in charge at all.
In his priorities I see that Jesus is still consumed with getting his message out to people. What a scene that must have been at the pool of Siloam as the blind guy saw for the first time. Jesus gets the credit and the blind guy believes. Jesus continues to add to his followers count. Of course it’s not until after his resurrection that his followers finally come to grips with his divinity.
And his power. Wow. He takes mud and heals blindness. Who can do that but God? “John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen—the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” Matthew 11:2-4
Yes John, the Messiah, the Boss, has come.
I hope you can see Jesus today. Before Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” He said this, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.” Matthew 28:18. This means that Jesus is the boss. He has the authority to do with us whatever he wants to. Even though Jesus didn’t break the law of Moses by healing on the Sabbath, he did break the rules. These rules weren’t from the boss though, they were handed down by middle management. The boss doesn’t live by rules made by his managers, the boss makes the rules.
I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. Ephesians 1:19-22
Is Jesus your boss? Does Jesus tell you what to do? Do you obey Him? Jesus said, “if you love me, you’ll obey me.” John 14:15.
If you want to live with Jesus you will live as He directs you to. In Matthew 7:21 Jesus says that just because you call him boss means nothing. Only those who obey Him really belong to Him. “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.”
Jesus is your boss whether you obey him or not. “The Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the LORD, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will confess and give praise to God” Romans 14:11
I will conclude with the words of the Boss himself:
“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. “Then the Boss will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the reward prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Boss, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “And the Boss will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ “Then the Boss will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ “Then they will reply, ‘Boss, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.” Matthew 25:31-46
