Fourth Week in Epiphany – Saturday

And he said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped Him. – John 9:38.

In the last year of His visible sojourn on earth, when He had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of the Tabernacles, Jesus restored a man’s eyesight who had been born blind. He did it on a Sabbath day. The man born blind knew, indeed, that it was Jesus who opened his eyes, but he did not know Jesus as he should.

Now when the Pharisees, who were hypocrites and hated Jesus, said to the man born blind that Jesus could not be of God because He did this on a Sabbath day, he answered: “He is a prophet” (John 9:17). And when they continued to revile Jesus, and said that He was a sinner, and that they knew not whence he was, the man born blind answered: “Why, herein is a marvelous thing, that ye know not from whence He is, and yet He hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners, but if any man be a worshiper of God, and doeth His will, him He heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, He could do nothing” (John 9:30-33).

Then the Pharisees said to him: “Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out” (v. 34)? Then Jesus found him and “said unto him: ‘Dost thou believe on the Son of God?’ He answered and said: ‘Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him?’ And Jesus said unto him: ‘Thou hast both seen Him, and it is He that talketh with thee.’ And he said: ‘Lord, I believe.’ And he worshiped Him” (John 9:35–38).

All the angels of God worship our Lord and Savior. And the hour shall come in which all must bow their knees before Jesus, whether they want to or not (Philippians 2:9–11). Now, then, O sinner, whom Jesus has redeemed, and whom He so kindly approaches through His Word, revealing Himself as the Savior, continue to believe in Him and continue to worship Him with exceeding great joy through the Holy Ghost, working through His Word, that when He shall appear in His glory, you may rejoice and cry: “My Savior!”

PRAYER. – Lord Jesus, true God and man, my Savior and Redeemer, I believe in Thee; I love and praise and glorify Thee; I worship Thee with all the angels and the elect in heaven and on earth. Preserve my faith through Thy miraculous Word, through Thy gracious Holy Spirit, working through that Word. Bring me where believing shall be turned to seeing, where my love shall be perfect, my praise and glorifying shall be heavenly, my worship an everlasting joy. Amen.

We all believe in Jesus Christ, His own Son, our Lord, possessing

An equal Godhead, throne, and might, source of every grace and blessing.

Born of Mary, virgin mother, by the power of the Spirit,

Made true man, our elder Brother, that the lost might life inherit;

Was crucified for sinful men, and raised by God to life again.

Hymn 251, v.2 (TLH)