Changed by Christ

As Jesus and His disciples were near the temple in Jerusalem, they saw a man begging who was born blind.  Jesus spat on the ground, mixed it with dirt to make mud, smeared it on the blind eyes of the man, and told him to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam.  The text in John 9 says matter-of-factly he went, washed and came back seeing.

When people who previously knew the man born blind saw him seeing, they could not believe it was the same person.  John 9:8-9 states, "Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?" ⁹ Some said, "This is he." Others said, "He is like him." He said, "I am he."  Having eyes able to see completely changed the man's appearance to the point he was unrecognisable!  Some were convinced it was the same man, yet others insisted this man merely resembled him.  The man who was previously blind admitted he was indeed the man born blind, the man who begged at the temple.  He owned his background without any shame, though the transformation was so marked he could have successfully done so.  No one born blind had ever been healed before.

The amazement over the man's new ability to see did not stop there.  The Pharisees who spoke with the man quickly condemned Jesus for healing on the Sabbath, but at the same time they did not believe the man had ever been blind!  John 9:18 reads, "But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight."  The parents of the formerly blind man were called to identify and confirm this man would could plainly see was indeed their son, which they did.  When they accused Jesus of doing wrong and knew He was a sinner (though they did not know Jesus or how He miraculously healed the man), John 9:25 tells us the man's reply:  "He answered and said, "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see."

As the physical change of the man born blind was profound--to the point of being unrecognisable--so it is for those who are miraculously born again by faith in Jesus Christ.  He raises the spiritual dead to new life.  He provides spiritual insight for regular folks the most intelligent people on the planet cannot comprehend.  One thing I love about this man is he was bold, not only to affirm Jesus was the reason for his transformed appearance and outlook, but he did not shy away from his prior blindness.  Indeed, his prior blindness ephasised the power of Jesus to completely change a person.  Paul wrote to Christians in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11:  "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God."

Paul was not shy about his life before he being born again by faith in Jesus Christ.  He admitted to have formerly persecuted the Christians and the church, and he testified Jesus met him on the road when he was going to Damascus for that express purpose.  Before King Agrippa Paul said he imprisoned Christians, punished them in every synagogue, compelled them to blaspheme, and even condemned them to death.  Yet Paul was a man completely changed by Christ like the man born blind and boldly preached the Gospel of his Saviour Jesus.  Hatred in his heart was replaced by love for the LORD Jesus and others, and fear was replaced by faith in Jesus.  How glorious is the change God does by the Holy Spirit in the hearts of all who trust in Jesus, for we too were once blind and now we see.