“Now Jesus was ridin’ the trail with His pardners when He saw a fellow that had been blind his whole life. Jesus stopped and got down off His horse . . . He spat on the ground and rolled up a piece of mud made from His spit, and daubed the mud on the blind fella’s eyes. And then He told the man, ‘Now, go over yonder to that Siloam pond.’ So he went off and washed and when he came back he could see.”–John 9:1-7 (The Gospel of John Cowboy Style).
Four Steps to Knowing Jesus
Truly, this was a great miracle. All those who knew the man were amazed because they had known him from birth; that he was born blind. But now he could see. How did this happen? Who was this man who had healed him? As the formerly blind man grappled to understand the answers himself, Scripture tells us that through a progressive realization he came to understand who it was who had healed him. It was a great miracle that a blind man’s eyes were opened, but perhaps the greater miracle that day was that his eyes were opened to Jesus as Savior and Lord and in the process became a believer and a follower of the One who had healed him.
I. First step was that of a Human Understanding! Jesus is simply a Man—John 9:11 “The man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ At this point in the man’s understanding, Jesus is simply a man. Sadly, that is the thinking of many of the world’s population today, that Jesus is merely a man, a good man, but still just a man.
II. Second step was that of a Historical Understanding! Jesus is a Prophet—John 9:17 “So they said to the blind man again, ‘What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?’ And he said, ‘He is a prophet.’” Perhaps the blind man thought of great prophets from the past; men like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Elisha and identified Jesus as being in their company. It is true, Jesus is a prophet, but so much more than a prophet . . .
III. Third step was that of a Heavenly Understanding! Jesus is from God—John 9:33 “If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.” In this, the blind man answers correctly, for indeed Jesus is from Heaven, sent by God “to save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21b).
IV. Fourth step was that of a Holy Significance! Jesus is Lord—John 9:35b-38 “Jesus said, ‘Do you believe in he Son of Man?’ He answered, Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have both seen Him and He is the One who is talking with you.’ And he said, ‘Lord, I believe.’ And he worshiped Him.” This was a holy moment! With a final step of faith, he came to a saving, believing faith in the Son of God and accepted Him as Lord of his life.
Blindness is not just a physical aliment. We can also be spiritually blind. Healing of spiritual blindness can happen only by a saving faith in Jesus Christ. The man born blind, after being healed said, “There’s one thing I do know; I was blind but now I see”–John 9:23 (The Gospel of John Cowboy Style).