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Children’s Sermon

John 9:1-41

Jesus Helps The Blind To See

March 15, 2026

4th Sunday in Lent

Lectionary Year A

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ASK (a.k.a The On-Ramp)

Good morning!
Can some of you tell me what your favorite toy is? [feel free to ask whatever general question you want to ask here. The purpose of the question is to get the kids to tell a little bit about themselves. Your job is to say from time-to-time “I see.”]
Thank you all for sharing with me your favorite toys.
Did you by any chance hear what I was saying as you were talking? (Yes, you were saying, “I see.”)
And what do you think I meant when I was saying “I see”? (you meant that you understood what we were saying)
So, usually, when we talking about “seeing” or “to see,” we’re talking about seeing things with our eyes, right?
But then there is the type of seeing where you understand things in your mind…
For example, sometimes in comics or cartoons, a character will have a little lightbulb light up above their head [optional: If you have the image, show it now] as a way to show this kind of seeing; the lightbulb is a way to show that the character can SEE a new idea/a new thought.

TELL (a.k.a. The Freeway)

I am talking about these two types of seeing because both types of seeing are in today's scripture story.
We hear about the first type of seeing (seeing with eyes) when Jesus heals a man who was blind.
Being blind means what, again? That's right! Someone who cannot see with their eyes.
So Jesus, with God's help, healed the man's eyes so that he could see.
But then the Pharisees, who are the religious leaders of Israel, they get upset because Jesus healed on the Sabbath.
The Pharisees think Jesus did work when he healed the man.
And because they think that working on the Sabbath is a bad thing to do, they are very upset with Jesus.
Which brings us to the whole point of the story: Because the Pharisees are all upset about this "working on the Sabbath" thing, they can't "see" God's work.
They don't see and don’t understand what God is doing through and with Jesus.
There is no light bulb going off above their heads.
Which is why at the end of the story, Jesus has to tell them that even though they can see things with their eyes, they cannot see the things that God is doing right in front of them.
In other words, even though the Pharisees can see with their eyes -- they are actually blind to what God is doing.

SHARE the Good News (a.k.a. The Destination)

Although the healing of the blind man is a very cool and exciting thing, how the Pharisees act make this a pretty sad story.
The very people who should be most excited about how God is at work were completely blind to how God was at work.
But, today’s story is a reminder that we don’t need to be like the Pharisees.
In the same way that Jesus helped the blind man to see with his eyes, Jesus also helps us “see” how God is at work in the world – through us.
Jesus shows us how to invite God into our lives so that God can work with us and through us in the world.
And as we invite God into our lives like Jesus shows us to do, then we are doing the same things Jesus did – which is helping others see God better, too.
That's the Good News for today. Let’s pray.

CLOSING Prayer

This is a repeat-after-me prayer.

Dear God,
Dear God,

Thank you for Jesus…

Thank you for Jesus…

…who teaches us how...

…who teaches us how…

…to see you better…

…so that others can also see you better.

Thank you and Amen.

Originally posted March 21, 2014
Updated on February 14, 2026
Written and edited by Nathanael Vissia

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