Peter's confession begins the passion narrative, the road to the cross.

v22-24... The people asked him to heal their friend, he touched his hand and spit on him and he was partially healed. Then he laid his hands on the man's eyes and he was healed completely.

Why the delay? A miracle in two stages. He didn't have to do it this way. He chose to... He's acting something out for our benefit. He's showing us how the apostles themselves were still blind even after hearing the Gospel.

He's giving us a picture of opening the eyes of the spiritually blind.

1. Lead the blind to Jesus - be a friend of the blind and bring them to him! He says he's in our midst when we gather... So bring them to church!

2. Jesus leads him by the hand.

3. Jesus opens his eyes. Unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom. Salvation belongs to the Lord only; we cannot save, so we bring them to him who can!

4. Jesus asks the man what he sees. It's true that new believers can't see clearly yet... We don't see the depravity of our sins right away; that awareness is a process.

5. Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again. The number one thing a believer can do is get in front of Jesus... and then stay there! He'll continue to bring clarity to our eyes. We must only abide in him, and continue to abide!

6. His sight is fully restored.

7. He sees everything clearly!

8. Jesus tells the man not to even enter the village. To follow Jesus is to walk a new way!

We were blind, God touched our eyes, now we see. Let's admit our need for his work in our lives. We'd all be monsters without him!

Why does the man see trees? Maybe this is what Jesus wanted him to see, in a spiritual dimension...

2 Kings 6:15ff... Elisha's city is under siege. He sees a vision of an army of fire surrounding it.

... There are spiritual things happening around us that we can't see.

We look not to the seen, but the unseen, invisible.

Ps1:3, etc... Righteous man is like a tree... Healthy tree bears good fruit...

The blind man may have gained access to a spiritual dimension, and people resembled trees, as if he was seeing a spiritual place.

Rev 2:1-3: church is a lamp stand, shaped like a tree.

v27... Peter confesses. There's revelation in two stages: 1. He's one of the prophets. 2. He's the Christ!

Matthew 16... Peter said he's the Christ, the Son of the living God! This was revealed to Peter only by God, not by Peter himself.

Peter's spiritual eyes are not yet perfectly clear... as if he still sees people as walking trees.

A few thoughts...

1. Jesus is the Christ! Greek word for the Hebrew "Messiah", anointed one.

2. The revelation of Jesus as Messiah happened through Peter, a person from Caesarea Phillippi. A very pagan, perverse place. God can illuminate anybody, anywhere!

3. Revelation... God has opened my eyes! Our faith is a gift from God; our righteousness is not our own! We did nothing to earn it. We should be the most thankful people!

Revelation is a process. We have it easy nowadays, everything's instantly available to us. Christians are content to stay stagnant. We must reject this kind of shallow life, and long for more! We must have a desire to grow.

John 16:12... Jesus has many things to say, but the people can't bear them yet. Don't let that be you! Be available to the deeper things of God.

Psalm19:18... Open my eyes so I may behold the wondrous things!

Teach me your word that I may understand it!

John 15:1-5... Abide, remain, in him! Stay attached to Jesus and continue to receive life!