Sunday, November 24, 2013

"CAN YOU SEE"? (Based upon) Pastor Toni Rodriguez Jr.' Sermon of11/23'13

      PLEASE, TURN TO THE BOOK OF JOHN  CHAPTER 9, WITH ME.

     John 9:1  "And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth."

      Please, to not ever think, this meeting was purely by chance, as you will learn.
      John 9:2-3  ?And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him."
   
Note: Now, do not, begin to question our Creator, nor His methods, just remember that we of common flesh bodies, are on this earth, to be tested, by trails, in order to develop both patience, further our character, to be as Jesus Christ, in thoughts, in deeds! Notice that in those days, and even to this day, there are those, who if anything bad happens, it was caused by sin,!  Just read the above verse again for the reasons!
     Know also, that contrary to the "Common Views", of today, GOD is still in the miracle business every day!

    This 9th chapter can be broken down into several sections as follows:
From verse 1 to 7 we find Jesus' miracle
(a) 8-12.- we have conversations of those who knew him
(b) 13-17: we are introduced to some of the Temple leaders
(c) 18-21; here the Jewish leaders call the ex-blind man's parents, and grill them
(d) 22-23. Fearful parents tell the leaders, "He is of age, you ask him"
(e) 24-33 The man, now becomes a witness for Jesus, esp. in 33.
(f) 34. steeped in their human traditions, they rejected his explanation, and they "cast him out".
(g) 35-38. Christ finds and speaks to the healed man
(h) 39-41. Christ speak to the Pharisees, and sadly his description of them, fits many people today!

Verses 1-7 :

     John 9:4-7 " I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,  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."
Note: Note, Jesus gives us a sense of urgency, that He and we today , must work while it is yet light, does this refer to these passages?
      Jeremiah 4:23-25 " I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.Revelation 20:1-3  "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season."
Note: Both these passages denote the very same time frame, the Beginning of the 1,000 years, the Millennium Age, beginning at Christ's return! Read of this in the last three chapters of Revelation!

(a) John 9:8-11  "The neighbors therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he. Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened? He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight."

Note: As best scholars know, the blind man had to travel  about 800 yards to reach this pool, and wash of the mud. Now can you imagine all the questions he was asked, about the WHY, he was walking about with his eyes smeared with mud?
     John 9:13  "They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind."

       (b) John 9:14-17. "And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see. Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the Sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them. They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet."

Note: Is it suffice to say that the over time, the Temple Leaders, had written some 500+ Sabbath Laws? Is this the why of.....
      Matthew 23:2-4  "Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers."
Note: "..sit in Moses'' seat" Moses was the "Law Giver"  meaning they added all these laws that are "Grievous and Heavy burdens" for mankind to bear!  "Traditions of men"
     Mark 7:8-9  "For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. "
Note: Human traditions, how many can YOU name? Sunday for Sabbath worship, die and go right to heaven? Both find no support in the Bible. yet there are many more!

       (c) John 9:18-21 " But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight. And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see? His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself."
Note: The Temple leaders believed, that "Their " Messiah" or "Christ" in the Greek, would come as a conquering King, drive out the hated Romans, and free them and their nation! Therefore they did not, then nor now, accept Jesus as their Savior! thus.....
      Luke 13:35  "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."
      Note: (jb) So as as nation, they hold no more weight than any other other nation before God, but ALL people, as individuals, can still come to Him in repented acceptance!  That's why the "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord"! 
   
     (d) John 9:22-23 " These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him."
Note: Out of fear, of being "kicked-out"  and not allowed to attend Temple services, they verbally washed their hands of the whole thing.

     (e) John 9:24-33  "Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.  He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes? He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples? Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is. The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvelous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshiper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing."

Note: Can you, dear reader, discern, that the man, whose sight was restored, the one who from birth lived in darkness, is now becoming a witness for Christ?   Did you also know the Jesus was very confrontational with the Temple leaders? He knew of their very strict and burdensome laws regarding the Sabbath rest, [by the way Sabbath rest just means Rest- rest, as Sabbath means rest ---In Christ!]

     (f) John 9:34  "They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out."
Note: Does this not show just how steeped they were in their traditions, that they could not accept that which was plainly in front of them? I mean who can heal the sick, but a true man of God, who through that person, then heals the sick?

     (g) John 9:35-38 " Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshiped him."
Note: Jesus sought him out, and asked him if he believed in the Messiah, and remember what the man asked of Jesus? Then what did he do?

    (h)  John 9:39-41 " And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remains."

Note. Sadly much of the "Christian world", is blind today, "Spiritually Blind", because of false teachings, and let's face it, Biblical Ignorance! I am ignorant of many things, brain surgery, rocket science are but a few examples, but they have nothing to do with salvation, agree?

Conclusion:
     Come to Christ, what have YOU to lose, yet eternal life to gain! Plus what price can anyone put on the fullest and truest "Peace of Mind"?

Want more knowledge? Visit a Seventh day Adventist Church, any Saturday/Sabbath @ 9:15 Am. You just may be very glad you did.

Questions?..............................Comments?
wwwservant@frontier.com
Thank YOU for your time
john b.

wwwblbn.org  try this site OK?
Thanks.

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