JESUS ACCORDING TO JESUS: THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

John 9 contains a fascinating story where Jesus encounters a man who has been blind since the day he was born. He heals the man and reveals to us that there is much more to be “seen” in the world than what the eyes can see.

Read John 9:1-7 and John 9:35-41

The miracle in this story only takes two verses to occur, but the rest of the chapter records the conversations that this miracle sparked. As you might expect, the man who was healed is overjoyed and thankful for what Jesus did. However, the religious leaders of the day (the Pharisees) are upset by Jesus’ actions. This is where the story masterfully reveals which people are truly “blind.” 

Jesus isn’t following the Pharisees rules and he’s not acting how they expect he ought to act. Because of this, they assume he must be wicked and wrong. They are 100% convinced that their way of viewing the world is accurate and that Jesus has to conform to their expectations. But Jesus never does that. They must conform to him.

It’s fascinating how confident we can be that we understand the world correctly. But following Jesus means we allow him to tell us what is true and good. We don’t simply trust our own judgments. Jesus helps those who know they are blind to see and he exposes those who assume they can see as being blind. He says, “I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind” (Jn. 9:39)

In a world with so many competing claims for what is true, how can we ever discern which is right? Who will point us to reality? How can we see truth?

Jesus says, “I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (Jn. 8:12)

 

Ask yourself these questions and write down your responses:

  • How many different views are there of who God is and what are some of them?
  • How am I able to discern which one is true?
  • What does Jesus tell us about who God is?

If you’d like to learn more about Jesus’ teaching about being the Light of the World, listen to this sermon from Pastor Tim: