Dear Christian friends:

You have seen various pictures of Jesus. Over in the hall we have two large beautiful pictures of Jesus: one on the stage which shows Jesus kneeling and praying in the Garden of Gethsemane on the evening before He was crucified. There is another picture of Jesus in the lounge area which shows Jesus knocking on a door. In those two pictures and in all pictures of Jesus He appears the same as any other man. Right?

But any picture of Jesus does not show who Jesus really is. We need more than a picture. Seeing Jesus is not enough. We need what else? (See if anyone can answer that question.) We need faith, faith in His Word. Seeing is not believing; but the opposite is true, believing is seeing.

In the Gospel Lesson we learned about the blind man Jesus made to see. So, today I will preach about the topic:


Although the blind man now can see, and he sees Jesus, he does not yet know who Jesus really is. He knew that Jesus had done a miracle, because he had been born with blindness. Now he can see. Our text tells us that his friends brought him to show the Pharisees. The Pharisees hated Jesus because He made the blind man well on the Sabbath day, which broke their law.

"Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”
Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.
They said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.” (John 9:15-17)

The man, blind, now can see thought Jesus is a prophet. He did not yet know who Jesus really is. Seeing is not believing. Jesus helps the healed man believe in Him. The Pharisees hate the blind man now that sees because he said Jesus is a prophet, and they cast him out of their church. (John 9:34) When Jesus heard that they cast him out, He found him and said to him:

"Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”
He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”
And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.”
Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him. (John 9:35-38)

Jesus spoke to him that He is God's Son, the Christ, the Savior of the world. Jesus helped him believe and receive salvation. Now he is a believer; now he really sees. His heart is happy and he kneels and worships Jesus. Now the man can see with his eyes and also with his soul. Today, Jesus continues to make blind people see. They are spiritually blind and in darkness.

People can see with their eyes, but they cannot yet see with their soul and heart. Some people also today have never heard about Jesus. They have never heard the Good News about Jesus' cross and His resurrection to take away their sins and give them faith and eternal life. Someone must go and tell them the Good News! Now they are spirit-blind and in darkness.

Some people have heard the Good News about Jesus and His cross, but they refuse to believe the Good News. Some of these people are proud and self-righteous. They think they can keep and obey the Ten Commandments and are good enough to be saved. They want to be righteous through the Laws. They misunderstand the Bible. They are also spirit-blind.

Others say, "There is no God!" They don't care about the Ten Commandments. They say, "There is no heaven; there is no hell." They say, "When I die, that's the end!" Nothing more after death. They teach evolution. They refuse to believe the Bible is God's Word.

All these people see many things, but do not really see; they believe not; they cannot see with their soul. Thank God! Some people believe Jesus' Word and really see. They see with both their eyes and their soul!

These people believe the Bible is God's true Word. They believe the story of Adam and Eve. (Tell it, Genesis 3) They believe what Paul writes in:

Romans 5:12, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned"

They believe what Paul writes in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." They are happy to read and hear the Bible words!

These people come to church as often as they can to hear the preaching and to receive Jesus' body and blood in His Holy Supper for sin forgiveness.

These people daily remember their baptism through which Jesus washes away their sin and gives new birth, faith and eternal life.

These people willingly support the church and world missions.

God's Holy Spirit helps them live a holy way. By their talk and actions they show God's mercy, kindness and love to others in need.

They tell their friends and neighbors that Jesus is God's Son, their Savior!

They tell the Bible stories of Jesus' healing the blind, the deaf, the sick, and the crippled. They tell people that in heaven there will be no blindness, deafness, sick or crippled. They tell the blind, "In heaven you will see!" They tell the deaf, "In heaven you will hear, speak and sing." They tell the sick, "In heaven you will never be sick or in pain." They tell the dying, "In heaven is no death. You will live forever and ever with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in wonderful glory! You will have a new body, the same as Jesus' body, it can't die!"

Yes, through His Word and Sacraments Jesus makes us believe in Him. Then we really see, both with our eyes and soul. And if our eyes are blind we see with our soul. If we are deaf, we hear with our eyes and see with our souls! True, believing is seeing!

Amen.