What’s So Different About Jesus?
John 6:66-69; 9:17, 24-25, 31-33, 35-38; 20:27-29
What makes Jesus unique? John reveals the uniqueness of Christ in three places in these texts: in the eyes of the crowd, the testimony of the blind man, and the touch of the disciple as each individual is confronted with the reality that Jesus is Lord.
The crowd pressed around Jesus. They wanted to witness more miracles. A day earlier many of them had marveled as Jesus transformed a snack pack into a bountiful buffet (John 6:1-14). Now they wanted dessert. They were ready to eat out of Jesus’ hands.
That’s when He invited them to eat His flesh. The invitation perplexed the people. They viewed Jesus as a miracle-working bread-maker. He claimed to be the Bread of Life come down from heaven. Christ’s claim makes the crowd second-guess this country preacher. They ask, “Aren’t you just Jesus, the son of Joseph?” Unable to fathom Jesus as more than a miracle-working magician, many abandoned the Messiah that day.
Separated by centuries, the sentiment of the crowd still echoes today, “Wasn’t he just Jesus, the son of Joseph?” Today, many accept Jesus as a kind teacher and miracle worker. They expect Jesus to care for their physical needs, but they refuse to allow Jesus access to the spiritual. True followers of Christ must provide the Bread of Life an all-access pass to fill both stomach and soul!
The blind man had always lived in darkness. His eyes had never seen the sun. Then one day Jesus concocted a potion of mud and saliva. After a dip in the pool of Siloam, the man needed sunglasses. But this Sabbath-day healing drew the ire of the Pharisees. The man’s first images were of angry Pharisees demanding he describe Jesus. This seems an odd expectation of one so inexperienced with sight.
Unsurprisingly, the man’s response is vague. He calls Jesus a prophet. The angered Pharisees press the man for more. Innocently, he states that he was blind but now he can see. The once-blind man in John’s gospel simply tells the Pharisees what Jesus did for him.
Occasionally we make evangelism too difficult. It is not necessary to know everything about Christ before we share Him with others. It is only necessary that we tell what Jesus has done for us! We should be “one blind man telling other blind men where to find sight.” As the newly-sighted man informed the Pharisees, Jesus is the only one who has ever given sight to the blind!
The name Thomas will always be associated with doubt. Thomas missed the first post-resurrection appearance of Christ. His doubt wouldn’t allow him to believe the excited stories of his friends. Then, Jesus appeared again and invited Thomas to stroke his scars. Doubt dissipated and Thomas proclaimed, “My Lord and my God.”
While we can’t see the scars, we can still encounter the risen and resurrected Lord. While other religious leaders offered only sayings and speeches, Jesus offers a relationship with a resurrected Savior. Based on Christ’s atoning work on the cross, we also can proclaim, “My Lord and my God!”
Barnett– Lessons by Kris Barnett, assistant professor of Christian ministry and associate dean of the Clamp Graduate School of Christian Ministry at Anderson University (www.auministry.com). Barnett joined the College of Christian Studies at AU after serving as pastor of East Pickens Baptist Church.