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Was Jesus a Sinner?
In "Word Focus" William Sillings writes:
The clay (pelos) that Jesus made was made by putting spittle, or saliva (ptusma), on the ground and mixing the saliva with the dirt. The ancients held a high regard for the curative value of saliva. And while we may frown on the gauche nature of such an idea today, there is little doubt that even the saliva of Jesus had healing virtue.
But Jesus was going to get into trouble for this act of making clay of dirt and saliva. Why? It was the Sabbath (v. 14). The Jewish traditional law forbade kneading on the Sabbath, and mixing any liquid with a solid in order to form anything of a dough-like or clay-like consistency was considered kneading. What Jesus did here, then, was not only to heal a man on the Sabbath, but also, in the minds of the Pharisees, to desecrate the Sabbath by working.
Discussion: The Pharisees thought Jesus was a sinner. Why don't we?
Source: Miracles of Jesus: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 46.
The Lord Gives Sight
Read John 9:1-7
“And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing” (v. 7).
“Some assembly is required; instructions included.” You can imagine with me a new swing set. There are no fewer than fifty bolts, fifty nuts, fifty lock washers, two-inch pipes, braces, chains, and many parts which seem quite strange, and there is a set of instructions. Imagine dumping the entire contents of the box on the back patio and tossing aside the instruction sheet. Unless one has already assembled a swing set or is mechanically inclined, the likelihood of a pleasant experience and a desired result is close to nil. Following instructions is an excellent idea.
The blind man obediently followed Jesus’ instructions. He went. He washed away the mud. He saw. That was a rather simplistic set of requirements, and the man obeyed and was healed. Did every blind man who applied mud and washed in the pool receive his sight? No. It was not the walking and washing that healed the man. Christ healed the man in response to obedient faith.
Let us remember that the path to spiritual sight begins and continues by submission to Christ. (Lonnie Witt)
Come to Christ. Obey. See clearly.
This devotional is the Wednesday, January 20, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.
Lesson 8: The Blind See
Lesson 8 - January 24, 2016
Focus Text: John 9:1-17
Central Truth: Faith in Christ brings understanding to the spiritually blind.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to state at least three obligations that accompany receiving spiritual sight.
Lesson Outline:
- Preparation for the Miracle (John 9:1-5)
- Performance of the Miracle (John 9:6-7)
- Proclamation of the Miracle (John 9:8-34)
Prayer: The Nets Filled
Heavenly Father, we thank You for our many teachers and the students in their classes. Help us all to understand even more clearly through today's lesson our need to walk in daily fellowship with You in order to experience true success - not defined by this world, but by You - in life. Amen.
What is the Biblical Meaning of Success?
"The Biblical Meaning of Success" by Hugh Whelchel is an interesting read on this subject. What do you think about his definition of success? Tell us in the comments on this page!
How We Experience True Success
In "God's Word for Today", David Fry writes:
The disciples had failed in one of life’s most basic tasks — providing food for themselves. But Jesus had a hot breakfast of fish and bread prepared for them on shore. It wasn’t the breakfast, however, that had caused Peter to jump out of the boat and swim to shore, but the very appearance of Jesus. Suddenly, food became an afterthought. The disciples had no doubt who Jesus was. Once again, Jesus had provided for them. Those words, “Come and dine,” must have been sweet to the disciples’ ears, and much more because they came from the Savior.
John told this story for one purpose: to illustrate how futile the disciples’ efforts were without the help of Jesus. We must have Jesus as our constant companion in order to experience true success.
Discussion: Why must we have Jesus as our constant companion in order to experience true success?
Source: Miracles of Jesus: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 42.