Jesus Delivers
John 9:3-5
[3] Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. [4] We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. [5] As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
The USPS reported to be shipping 20 million packages a day starting on November 24th of this year, with a few days reaching 28 million packages per day.
In 2020 during the holidays Amazon delivered 1.5 billion packages around the globe.
That’s one definition of “delivery” right?
Another is what you will be seeing in the coming days regarding a new year.
Pastor Dean Inserra said this “Self-help is gonna run wild for about 5 days. Let it run the course. There’s a reason why it is the same old stuff every year at this time, and even magnified because of social media.
It under-delivers. Jesus has already delivered and continues. Go with Him.”
The world is going to tell you that it can “deliver” you many things in the coming year….and all of them will help you be “happier”
Ever noticed in bookstores that it’s the self help books that often hold the largest section.
What about TV talk shows. Much of that self help right?
Cook better
Look better
Remodel your kitchen for nearly nothing
Restore that old car and make a bunch of money on it
Lose weight
Gain muscle
Get rid of wrinkles
Get rid of gray hair
Feel younger
Look younger
Be happier
What’s the old saying “if it seems too good to be true it often is”
Remember what the end of the quote was regarding self help?
“It under-delivers. Jesus has already delivered and continues. Go with Him.”
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John 9
*a journey of faith
[1] As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. [2] And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” [3] Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. [4] We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. [5] As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” [6] Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud [7] and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
[8] 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?” [9] Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” [10] So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” [11] 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.” [12] They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”
[13] They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. [14] Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. [15] So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” [16] Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. [17] So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”
[18] The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight [19] and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” [20] His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. [21] But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” [22] (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.) [23] Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
[24] So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” [25] He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” [26] They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” [27] He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” [28] And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. [29] We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” [30] The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. [31] We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. [32] Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. [33] If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” [34] They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.
[35] Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” [36] He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” [37] Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” [38] He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. [39] Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” [40] Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” [41] Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.
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A question to answer here.
[2] And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
What about this question on the cause of the blindness? sin?
The disciples’ question reflects the assumption, customary in ancient Judaism, that suffering could be traced to sin. The underlying concern—well-intentioned, but misguided—was not to charge God with perpetrating evil on innocent people
Numbers 14:18
[18] ‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’
So what about this passage? Does my sin carry over to my kids? Yes and no.
Ezekiel 18:20
[20] The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.
So which is it?
Sin does lie behind all the suffering and evil in the world, but the connection between sin and suffering is not always immediate or observable.
As Ezekiel says I am responsible for my own sin. No one else.
However; if I sin it has repercussions on others. Not of their standing before the Lord. That is between them and the Lord. We all stand alone before the judgment……but to connect this for us. Sin always has ramifications outside of ourselves. You see that’s Satan’s lie to you that your sin is only your business. No that’s not true. It can affect others and often does. It can be generational in the fact that if you are an abuser then the effects of that are far reaching right? Physical or substance abuse seems to have this carryover. It doesn’t make someone else sin, but it sure seems to make it easier.
Again…the easy thing here is for us to jump to some conclusion regarding troubles others have though (just like the disciples did…..well things are going wrong for them I wonder what they did bad?)
What about a baby born with a handicap? Did he sin? Did his parents? Or did God allow it for some reason unknown to us that He might get glory and bring people unto Himself. Isn’t that worth a soul? Or many souls? For eternity?
John 9:3
[3] Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.
Let me ask you, was Paul’s suffering because of his sin? Or was God transforming him into a new man?
2 Corinthians 12:7
[7] So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.
What about Job? He’s used many times over as the example of suffering, but it was because of the work God needed to display and also the workings of Satan that brings this about.
What about Jesus? He suffered more than anyone ever and was it due to sin? He was sinless.
So before we jump to conclusions let’s be careful.
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Back to our main point. The world will tell you it delivers. These things are all idols. It will keep telling you it delivers but there’s only one who does.
Isaiah 45:20-24
[20] “Assemble yourselves and come;
draw near together,
you survivors of the nations!
They have no knowledge
who carry about their wooden idols,
and keep on praying to a god
that cannot save.
[21] Declare and present your case;
let them take counsel together!
Who told this long ago?
Who declared it of old?
Was it not I, the LORD?
And there is no other god besides me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
there is none besides me.
[22] “Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
[23] By myself I have sworn;
from my mouth has gone out in righteousness
a word that shall not return:
‘To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear allegiance.’
[24] “Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me,
are righteousness and strength;
to him shall come and be ashamed
all who were incensed against him.
- If you want to start a new exercise program, good. It’s good to be healthy.
- If you want to use Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace to begin a new budget, good. It’s good to be a good steward.
- If you want to remodel your house or rebuild your old car, good. Nothing wrong with that.
Just want to be clear. There’s only one thing that delivers what you’re ultimately looking for. Only one peace that’s lasting. In this story the man is physically and spiritually blind, and comes to see and see the Lord as Savior…..but the people are spiritually blind and never see the truth. Don’t be spiritually blind. Open your eyes to the Lord.
John 9:35-38
[35] Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” [36] He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” [37] Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” [38] He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
