I Am The Man

By Reverend Michael Farias

Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. John 9:32

This is the testimony of a man who saw the light for the first time in his life.

His testimony has two parts. In part one, he states that nobody has ever heard of such a miracle taking place, ever.  From the beginning of the world, all the way back to Genesis, the claim is that this had never happened before, the opening of a blind man’s eyes.

The second part of his testimony is that this miracle happened to him.

One encounter with Jesus, the Logos, the Word of God, is all it takes for our life to become a testimony, too.

One of the greatest and most well known gospel songs or hymns is Amazing Grace.  One of my favorite parts is, “I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind, but now I see.”

I think the lyrics are so favorable to me because I can relate.  Not only was I once lost, but I was blind, too.  I wasn’t physically blind, but I was spiritually blind.  There was zero awareness of spiritual topics in my upbringing.  Because it was my normal, I didn’t know what I was missing.  It was not until I had a chance encounter the Word of God, Jesus, that my spiritually blind eyes were opened.

I say it was a chance encounter, because like the blind man in our story, Jesus passed by.  I don't know if it was a chance meeting or a divine appointment.  All I know is that as Jesus passed by he saw in me a man, blind from birth. 

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. John 9:1

The world is full of people who are spiritually blind. Your neighborhood is full of people who are spiritually blind.  They are blind from birth and they don’t know what they’re missing.  It is not their fault.  Blame it on their family of origin, or on their culture, or on any number of circumstances.  The bottom line is that they can’t see the light.

Jesus said in John 9:5 “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

The method by which this blind man received his sight is not typical of a church service and is not a practiced ordinance of the church.  It was a highly unusual application that is not recorded anywhere else in the Bible.  Jesus made mud with his spit and he anointed the man’s eyes.  After going to wash the mud off, the man returned with his sight.  Indeed, a miracle of monumental proportions took place.

There is only one way that spiritual blindness and darkness can be eliminated, and that is an encounter with the Word of God.  The methodology may not be a church service on soft pews on a Sunday morning; but perhaps at a coffee house over your favorite brew with a friend.  It may not necessarily be presented by a polished orator, but maybe by a farmer, or a plumber.  The setting doesn’t matter, because an encounter with Jesus can take place anywhere, anytime.

Do you know what happens when someone has an encounter with the Word?  Confusion.   The neighbors get confused due to the dramatic change that takes place. People notice that something is different.  That’s what happened to the man in our story. 

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.”   John 9:8-9 

Well, now, is it him, or is it not?  This is where the power of a testimony comes into play.  He kept saying,  “I am the man.”

If you’re reading this, it is likely that you have a testimony.  You are the man or woman who has had an encounter with the Word that has transformed your life and made you unrecognizable to those who knew you before.

Jesus is still giving sight to the spiritually blind today and transforming their lives.

All it takes is an encounter with the Word of God.  Whether by chance or by design, you are a testimony.

Greater Than Gold has a tool designed for those who are investigating, or are curious about Christianity.  Take a look at our Bible Study Introduction to the Christian Life. It might be just the encounter that a spiritually blind person in your life needs.