It was the early 1800s when Charles Barbier responded to a call from Napoleon Bonaparte to develop a way for his military units to communicate at night without light. Barbier modified a technique originally developed by the ancient Greeks, but his attempts were deemed impractical. It wasn’t until 1824 when Barbier employed the help of a 15-year-old blind student named Louis Braille that the system became truly useful. Louis Braille’s legacy has enlightened the lives of millions of people who are blind. Today, we transcribe braille code in many different languages as blind individuals from all over the world benefit from Braille’s work daily.
In John 9, we see Jesus literally fulfilling Isaiah 61, “He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind.” Jesus compassionately restored the sight of a blind man, but also continued to reveal the truth about who he was – the Messiah and Savior of the world. But those who could see were blind to this truth and the one who had been blind was able to see who Jesus really was.
This Sunday we’ll look at four reasons from John 9:23-41 that the man who had formerly been blind could see clearly while others around him could not. As we enter into a new year, we ALL need to be able to see our world through eyes that have been enlightened by the presence and power of Jesus. Join us at 10:45 am for a family friendly service with children and youth all together in our service.
Walking in the Light,
Kurt