And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that thsose who see may become blind.” Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say ‘We see,’ your sin remains.” John 9:39-41

INTRO: A few years ago, there was an exhibit of Vincent van Gogh’s paintings in Los Angeles

Imagine a person walking out of the gallery saying, “I don’t get it. What’s with all the swirls and wavy lines? His paintings just don’t look real.”
– at this point in history, such statements say more about the viewer than the artist Continue reading →

Jesus heard that they had put him out, and finding him, He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
He answered, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”
Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.”
And he said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped Him. John 9:35-38

INTRO: In 2007 a documentary was released on Google Video that has caused quite a commotion

Zeitgeist, which has been soundly criticized by scholars, represents a new era in the way conspiracy theories can be dispersed through electronic social networks Continue reading →

John 9:24-34

INTRO: Have you ever listened to one side of a phone conversation and tried to guess what it was about?

If I told you that I answered a question by saying, “Getting ready,” do you think you would be able to guess the question?
– probably not, but if I added “I was getting ready to go to work,” you might come a little closer
– if I made the complete statement, “I was getting ready to go to word when I heard Barbara say, ‘Is this real?!’” and you connected it with today’s date, then you would likely deduce the question I was answering:

Where were you on 9-11-01 when you heard about the attack on the World Trade Center?

Biblical research is mostly about asking questions–and good research depends on asking the right questions Continue reading →

The Jews then did not believe it of him, that he had been blind and had received sight, until they called the parents of the very one who had received his sight, and questioned them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?”

His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but how he now sees, we do not know; or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself. John 9:18-21

INTRO: What is implied in the statement, “He who has ears, let him hear”? (see Mt. 13:9) Continue reading →