Now I See
The printed guide is laid out to teach from: a run sheet, a page per section with room for notes, and a one-sheet handout with a kids’ page on the back.
Jesus finds us, and admitting we can't see is how we see him.
Open with it, bring it back after every section, close with it. By the end they should be able to finish the sentence for you.
John 9:1-25, Once I Was Blind — Jesus, the light of the world, gives sight to those who never had it.
John 10:1-18, The Good Shepherd — The good shepherd knows you by name and lays down his life freely.
Open
Ask: “Have you ever been left out of a group, and did anyone come looking for you?” Recall last time (John 9:1-25): Jesus gave sight to a man blind from birth, and the man told everyone. Fill the gap briefly: the leaders questioned him again, he insisted Jesus must be from God, and they threw him out (9:26-34). Read John 9:35: “When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, He found the man.” Big idea: Jesus finds us, and admitting we can't see is how we see him. Ask one person what stuck from last time.
The run sheet
He Found the Man
John 9:35-36
Jesus seeks out the person others have pushed away.
- The leaders threw the healed man out. He is alone.
- Jesus hears about it and goes to find him.
- The man brings an honest question, not a finished belief.
When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, He found the man.
“Tell me so that I may believe in Him.”
Discuss: Why do you think Jesus went looking for this man instead of waiting for him to come back?
- v.35: Being thrown out cost the man his community. Jesus answers that loss by finding him.
- v.36: “Who is He, Sir?” He does not know much yet, but he is ready to believe.
- Luke 15:4-7 (a parable Jesus told): the shepherd leaves ninety-nine sheep to find one lost sheep.
- Jesus' question uses “Son of Man,” his favorite name for himself. It points to the heavenly figure in Daniel 7.
Illustration idea: A kid is left off the team list at recess, and a friend walks across the playground to sit with him.
Listen for:
- He cared about the man because the man had lost everything.
- He wanted the man to know who had healed him.
If it drifts: If the talk turns to church hurts in general, come back to v.35. The people who rejected him did not have the last word. Jesus did.
The man didn't find his way to Jesus. Jesus found him, and he still does.
Short on time? Drop both optional points.
Bridge → The man asked who the Son of Man is. Now Jesus answers.
Lord, I Believe
John 9:37-38
Jesus accepts the worship that belongs to God alone.
- Jesus says plainly: “He is the One speaking with you.”
- A man who could never see has now seen Jesus.
- He worships Jesus, and Jesus does not stop him.
“You have already seen Him,” Jesus answered.
“Lord, I believe,” he said. And he worshiped Jesus.
Discuss: What does it tell you about Jesus that he let this man worship him?
- v.37: The first face this man sees is the face of the Son of Man.
- v.38: To a Jew, bowing in worship was for God only. Jesus receives it without correcting him.
- Acts 10:25-26: Peter, one of Jesus' closest followers, refuses a man's worship and says “I myself am also a man.”
- Revelation 22:8-9 (the Bible's last book): an angel refuses worship and says to worship God.
Illustration idea: A child finally meets the pen pal she has written to for years and says, “So it's you.”
Listen for:
- He was just grateful, so Jesus let it go.
- Jesus knew he was God, so the worship was right.
If it drifts: If the talk turns into a general debate about Jesus' divinity, go back to v.38. What did the man do, and what did Jesus allow?
He admitted he didn't know who Jesus was. That honesty ended on his knees.
Short on time? Keep one of the two optional passages, not both.
Bridge → Not everyone standing there was seeing what the man saw.
Are We Blind Too?
John 9:39-41
Insisting we already see is what keeps us blind.
- Jesus' coming sorts people: the blind see, and the seeing go blind.
- The Pharisees ask, “Are we blind too?”
- Claiming to see keeps guilt in place. Admitting need opens the door.
“For judgment I have come into this world.”
“But since you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”
Discuss: Why is it so hard to say, “I might not be seeing this clearly”?
- v.39: Jesus' arrival brings a verdict. Some come to see, and some are shown to be blind.
- v.41: The problem is not missing sight. It is claiming sight we don't have.
- Luke 18:9-14 (a parable Jesus told): a proud religious man and a humble tax collector pray. Only the one who says “be merciful to me” goes home right with God.
Illustration idea: A driver who refuses to admit he is lost keeps making wrong turns. The one who pulls over and asks gets home.
Listen for:
- Pride. We don't want to look foolish.
- Fear that if we're wrong about this, we're wrong about everything.
If it drifts: If people start naming others who are “blind,” point back to v.40. The Pharisees asked about themselves, and that is where Jesus' words aim.
The Pharisees said “we see” and stayed in the dark. The beggar said “who is He?” and saw Jesus.
Short on time? Drop the optional passage. Read the blanks aloud together.
Bridge → Go to the close: look at who Jesus has shown himself to be.
Close — never cut it
Let the passage end where it ends: with Jesus. He went looking for a man everyone had rejected, and he received that man's worship as God. Then leave Jesus' own question with the room, without adding to it: “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
If section 3 starts late, skip its discussion and optional point, read vv.39-41 aloud, and go straight to the close.
““Lord, I believe,” he said. And he worshiped Jesus.” John 9:38
With one friend, over coffee
About 30 minutes · for a friend who is curious, or not sure
- Set the scene. Jesus healed a man born blind. The religious leaders didn't like his story and threw him out of the synagogue, the center of his community.
- Read it together. Read John 9:35-41 aloud. Ask what stands out. Let them answer first.
- Notice who does the finding. Point to v.35: Jesus heard and went to find him. Ask what they make of that.
- Notice the worship. In that culture, a Jew bowed in worship to God alone. Jesus accepts it. Ask: what would a man have to be to accept that?
- Leave his question. Say that Jesus' question to the man is the one the passage leaves with every reader: “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” Let it sit. You don't need an answer today.
“Doesn't a grateful man bowing to his healer prove nothing?”
Fair point. The striking part is less the man's bow than Jesus' silence. Good Jewish teachers refused worship, and Jesus accepted it. That is a claim about himself you have to weigh.
“Isn't calling people who disagree 'blind' a way to avoid being questioned?”
It could be misused that way. But Jesus doesn't say disagreeing makes you blind. He says claiming you see everything does. The beggar asked questions, and that is what led him to see.
“What if I'm not sure what I believe?”
That is exactly where this man started: “Who is He, Sir?” An honest question is a good place to be.
“I was pushed out by church people once. Why come back?”
This man was pushed out by religious people too, and Jesus went looking for him. Jesus and the people who hurt you are not the same.
Evergreen principles
Four standards every week. The rest rotate: each lesson brings the few that fit its passage best.
Let the Bible do the talking
The man's words and Jesus' words carry this scene on their own.
If you’re new: Read v.38 aloud slowly, then ask what happened before explaining anything.
If you’ve taught for years: Resist a long talk on the word for worship. Let people discover in the text that Jesus doesn't correct him.
Plan for the skeptic and the grieving
This is a story about being thrown out and about a claim some will doubt.
If you’re new: Have the answer ready for “gratitude proves nothing” (see the coffee questions).
If you’ve taught for years: Watch for people who drifted after being hurt by church. Name v.35 gently for them without singling anyone out.
Let the passage land the way it lands
The scene mainly shows who Jesus is. It is not a to-do list.
If you’re new: End on Jesus and his question, not on homework.
If you’ve taught for years: Don't turn v.41 into a lecture on pride. Let the contrast between the beggar and the Pharisees do the work.
Pray before you prepare
Teaching the Bible is spiritual work first (John 15:5).
If you’re new: Pray for your class by name during the week.
If you’ve taught for years: Pray for the one person you find hardest to reach.
Study the text first
Understand the passage yourself before any help.
If you’re new: Read it in two translations; write your own questions first.
If you’ve taught for years: Don’t lean on old notes. What did you miss last time?
Teach one big idea
People remember one sentence, not four points.
If you’re new: Write it in 12 words or fewer before anything else.
If you’ve taught for years: Test every story against it. If it doesn’t serve it, cut it.
Point to Christ
All of Scripture points to him (Luke 24:27).
If you’re new: Ask: what does this show about Jesus?
If you’ve taught for years: Show grace as the reason for obedience, not just the rule.
Openings & closings
Pick one opening and one close; rotate so class doesn’t get predictable.
ask a real-life question
Have you ever been left out, and did anyone come looking for you?
start in the text
Read v.35 twice, then ask: who is looking for whom?
use an object
Hold up a blindfold. Ask which is worse: not seeing, or not knowing you can't see?
call back to the opening
We asked who came looking for you. In this story, Jesus came looking, and the man ended up worshiping him.
allow quiet reflection
Read Jesus' question from v.35 slowly and allow thirty seconds of silence.
send them out with a verse
Read John 9:38 together: “Lord, I believe,” he said. And he worshiped Jesus.
When class gets hard
Someone says church people once pushed them out, like the synagogue did to this man.
Don't defend the church. Acknowledge the hurt, point to v.35, and note that Jesus went to the one who was thrown out.
Someone hears “your guilt remains” as Jesus being harsh or unfair.
Admit it is a hard word. Then show that the door is open: the one who admits he can't see is the one who sees. The guilt stays only with those who insist they need nothing.
Silence after a question
Wait. Then rephrase simpler, or ask them to talk to a neighbor first.
One person dominates
“Thanks. Let’s hear from someone who hasn’t spoken yet.” Talk privately if it continues.
A question you can’t answer
Say so, write it down, bring an answer next week.
A tangent takes over
“Great question. Let’s catch it after class so we can finish the passage.”
Read this week
- Luke 15:1-7
- Luke 18:9-14
- John 3:17-21
For kids
The printable guide puts this on the back of the handout, with a word search and a secret code.
Jesus comes to find us.
- Leaders throw the healed man out.
- Jesus goes and finds him.
- Jesus asks, “Do you believe?”
- Jesus says, “I am the One.”
- The man bows and worships Jesus.
- The man when he was thrown out: sad
- The man after meeting Jesus: happy
- The Pharisees: worried
- Jesus when he found the man: happy
Memory verse: ““Lord, I believe,” he said. And he worshiped Jesus.” John 9:38
Act it out: One child sits alone outside a circle. The teacher, playing Jesus, walks over and asks, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The child answers, “Lord, I believe,” and kneels.
Draw it: Draw the man bowing down to Jesus. Show his wide-open eyes.
Finish the sentence: Jesus came looking for the man because...