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1 NT3.6 Jesus Heals the Blind © Beverly Wilson 2015 Unit 3: Miracles of Jesus NT3.6 Jesus Heals the Blind Scripture: Mark 8 22-26; Luke 18: 35-43; John 9: 1-41 Lesson Goal: Jesus was a very powerful teacher. He proved to everyone that he was really God by healing the sick and forgiving people of their sins. In this lesson we will see how Jesus healed some blind men. Introduction: This is the sixth lesson in Unit 3:The Miracles of Jesus. The life and ministry of Jesus is told to us in the first four books of the New Testament. Jesus was a very powerful teacher. He proved to everyone that he was really God by healing the sick and forgiving people of their sins. In this lesson we will see how Jesus healed some blind men. The Gospels are the first four books in the New Testament. The gospels tell about the life and ministry of Jesus. The word "gospel" means the good news about Jesus. Let's say the names of the gospels together. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Attention Getter: Have you ever thought about what it would be like to be blind? These are some blind children at a preschool. Did you know that blind children can learn to read the same stories that you do? The stories that blind children read are written in Braille. Learning to read Braille takes a lot of time. Your fingers have to feel each letter. Each letter is a different combination of raised dots in a pattern of six. For example here are some of the letters. A B C This is the word EMILY, EMMA, and Kaity. This lesson is about people who were born blind. They lived before Braille was invented so they could not see to read. In fact they could not see anything. They didn't even have seeing eye dogs. That is why they wanted Jesus to help them. (If possible bring a book written in Braille to class. Check your local public library for a copy. Allow your students to “read” with their fingers. Braille playing cards, writing utensils (slate and stylus) and other games are also available online.) Opening Prayer: Let's pray. Dear Father, we thank you for the gift of sight, but more than that, we thank you that one day we will see you in heaven. We have learned to day that you came to earth not just to bring physical sight but more importantly to help people see who You really were--the Son of God. Thank you that you came as the Light of the World so we could go to heaven. Thank you for dying of the cross and paying the price for our sin. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Memory Verse: Our memory verse is Psalm 17: 6 "I call on you, O God, because you will answer me!" Lesson Video: https://youtu.be/eqN-RNfoTJY One of the ways that we can know that Jesus was really the Son of God is that He could heal the blind. Hundreds of years before the prophet Isaiah wrote, "In that day...out of the gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind will see." Jesus fulfilled that prophecy because He was the Promised One! (Isaiah 29:18; 35:5; 42:7) Luke 18: 35-43 tells us about a time that Jesus was preaching near the city of Jericho. He was about to enter the city when he saw a blind man. This blind man was sitting by the side of the road, begging. During Bible times begging was the only way that people who were blind could get money. The blind man heard many people going by and began asking what was happening. He heard that Jesus was coming so He cried out, "Jesus Son of David, have pity on me."

Unit 3: Miracles of Jesus NT3.6 Jesus Heals the Blind · Some people brought a blind man to Jesus and begged him to heal him. Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him outside

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Page 1: Unit 3: Miracles of Jesus NT3.6 Jesus Heals the Blind · Some people brought a blind man to Jesus and begged him to heal him. Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him outside

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NT3.6 Jesus Heals the Blind © Beverly Wilson 2015

Unit 3: Miracles of Jesus NT3.6 Jesus Heals the Blind

Scripture: Mark 8 22-26; Luke 18: 35-43; John 9: 1-41

Lesson Goal: Jesus was a very powerful teacher. He proved to everyone that he was really God by healing

the sick and forgiving people of their sins. In this lesson we will see how Jesus healed some blind men.

Introduction: This is the sixth lesson in Unit 3:The Miracles of Jesus. The life and ministry of Jesus is told to us in the first four books of the New Testament. Jesus was a very powerful teacher. He proved to everyone that he was really God by healing the sick and forgiving people of their sins. In this lesson we will see how Jesus healed some blind men. The Gospels are the first four books in the New Testament. The gospels tell about the life and ministry of Jesus. The word "gospel" means the good news about Jesus. Let's say the names of the gospels together. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Attention Getter: Have you ever thought about what it would be like to be blind? These are some blind children at a preschool. Did you know that blind children can learn to read the same stories that you do? The stories that blind children read are written in Braille. Learning to read Braille takes a lot of time. Your fingers have to feel each letter. Each letter is a different combination of raised dots in a pattern of six. For example here are some of the letters. A B C This is the word EMILY, EMMA, and Kaity. This lesson is about people who were born blind. They lived before Braille was invented so they could not see to read. In fact they could not see anything. They didn't even have seeing eye dogs. That is why they wanted Jesus to help them. (If possible bring a book written in Braille to class. Check your local public library for a copy. Allow your students to “read” with their fingers. Braille playing cards, writing utensils (slate and stylus) and other games are also available online.)

Opening Prayer: Let's pray. Dear Father, we thank you for the gift of sight, but more than that, we thank you that one day we will see you in heaven. We have learned to day that you came to earth not just to bring physical sight but more importantly to help people see who You really were--the Son of God. Thank you that you came as the Light of the World so we could go to heaven. Thank you for dying of the cross and paying the price for our sin. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Memory Verse: Our memory verse is Psalm 17: 6 "I call on you, O God, because you will answer me!"

Lesson Video: https://youtu.be/eqN-RNfoTJY One of the ways that we can know that Jesus was really the Son of God is that He could heal the blind. Hundreds of years before the prophet Isaiah wrote, "In that day...out of the gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind will see." Jesus fulfilled that prophecy because He was the Promised One! (Isaiah 29:18; 35:5; 42:7)

Luke 18: 35-43 tells us about a time that Jesus was preaching near the city of Jericho. He was about to enter the city when he saw a blind man. This blind man was sitting by the side of the road, begging. During Bible times begging was the only way that people who were blind could get money. The blind man heard many people going by and began asking what was happening. He heard that Jesus was coming so He cried out, "Jesus Son of David, have pity on me."

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The people around told him to stop shouting and be quiet. Jesus stopped and told the people to bring the blind man to Him. When the man was near Jesus asked, "What do you want Me to do for you?"

He answered, "Lord, I want to see," Jesus replied, "Then see! Your faith has healed you!"

At once he could see. He followed Jesus, giving thanks to God! The people around also started praising God for the miracle they had just witnessed.

Another time Jesus was preaching in the city of Jerusalem. This account is told to us in John 9: 1-41. As Jesus was walking through Jerusalem he saw a man who had been born blind. This man had never seen anything! His disciples asked Jesus, "Teacher is this man blind because he did wrong or was it that his parents did wrong?" The disciples wrongly thought that being blind was a judgment from God and caused by someone's sin.

Jesus replied, "His blindness is not because of his sin or his parents,. Instead this happened so that the work of God would be displayed in his life." Jesus was saying this blind man was going to be used by God to teach the disciples about faith and how we are to glorify or honor God. "I am here to do what God wants," Jesus continued. "I am the Light of the World."

Then Jesus spit on the ground. He made some mud with his saliva and then put it on the man's eyes. "Go!" Jesus told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam." The man felt his way through the narrow streets to the pool.

Finally the blind man arrived at the pool and washed. He felt the cool water on his face and then raised his head. He could hardly believe what was happening! When he washed the mud from his eyes, he could see! "I can see! I can see!" the man must have shouted. What an exciting thing that must have been! But not everyone believed the man when he told his wonderful story.

His neighbors and friends asked, "Isn't this the man who used to sit and beg?" People who doubted said, "No! he only looks like him." "It's me!" the man exclaimed and explained what had happened. "Where is the person who healed you?" they asked. Because the man had not seen Jesus yet, he said, "I don't know."

The doubters took the man to some Pharisees who also asked, "What happened to you?" The healed man replied, "He put mud on my eyes. I washed it off and now I can see!" The Pharisees were very jealous of Jesus because they could see that lives were being changed by Him.

They began to look for a way to discredit Jesus. When the Pharisees realized the miracle that had taken place on the Sabbath some thought this miracle could not be from God. But others insisted it had to be. What an argument arose! The Pharisees said that if Jesus kneaded the clay and healed the man on the Sabbath that this was "work" and that would break the one of the laws that the Pharisees had made.

So they sent for the man's parents, "Is this your son, the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?" "He is our son," the parents answered, "and we know he was born blind. But we don't know how he can now see. Why don't you ask him?" His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. They did not want to be thrown out of the synagogue.

The Pharisees called to the man again. "Tell the truth," they ordered. "We know the man who did this is a sinner." But the healed man was not afraid of the Pharisees!

He replied, " Now that is remarkable! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God listens to the godly man who does his will I don't know whether he is a sinner, nut I do know I was blind but now I can see!"

"How did he open your eyes?" they demanded. "I have already told you; the man told them. "Do you want to become His disciples too?" The Pharisee hurled insults at him. The man protested, "If the man who did this was not from God, he could not have healed me."

"How dare you lecture us! We don't even know where this man comes from!" the proud Pharisees retorted. "You were full of sin from birth." Then they threw him out.

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When Jesus heard the man had been thrown out he went looking for him. "Do you believe in the Son of God?" Jesus asked. "Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in Him." "You can see him now." Jesus replied. "In fact he is the one speaking with you."

"Lord, I believe," the man said and worshipped Jesus. The longer the man experienced his new life in Christ the more confident he became in the one who healed him. He had gotten not just physical sight but spiritual sight as well. He knew Jesus was the Son of God!

Mark 8 22-26 tells about another time that Jesus was preaching. He was preaching near the city of Bethsaida which was a town on the north side of the Sea of Galilee. Some people brought a blind man to Jesus and begged him to heal him. Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. Then Jesus spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him. Jesus asked him, "Do you see anything?"

The blind man looked up and said, "I see people, they look like trees walking around.

Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened and his sight was restored. He saw everything clearly.

Why did Jesus touch the blind man a second time before he could see? This miracle was not too difficult for Jesus. Instead He was showing the disciples who were with Him that they were being slow in seeing who He was. Jesus wanted them to have complete faith in Him.

Jesus sent the man he had just healed home. Jesus said, "Don't go into the village." He did not want the blind man telling everyone that he had just been healed. This would have caused a big crowd to start following Jesus and He needed more time to teach the disciples in private.

These are all wonderful stories about how Jesus healed the blind. When the blind men asked Jesus for help He showed how much he loved and cared for them. Jesus cares about us too.

We can pray and ask for God's help anytime. He will always listen to and care for us.. Psalm 17: 6 says "I call on you, O God, because you will answer me!" Let's say that verse together again, Psalm 17: 6 "I call on you, O God, because you will answer me!"

When we follow Jesus' example in caring for people like the blind man, we are showing God's love to them. Because Jesus cares for each person, He wants us to care for them too. Sometimes it may be difficult to know how to be a good friend to people who can't see, hear, or walk or have other disabilities. But as we care for friends and others with disabilities, God will help us know how to show His love to them. Remember Jesus came to give sight to the blind.

Review Questions: "Drawing the Short Straw" (Grades K-5) Say: "Sometimes people who are born with disabilities are said to be very "unlucky." They have drawn the "short straw." Today we are going to play a game called "Drawing the Short Straw." Cut straws or paper strips into equal lengths, one for each student. Cut one again so it is shorter than the others. Hold straws or papers in your hand so they look even. Each student takes a straw or paper. The student with the shorter straw or paper has to answer one of the following questions. (Be sure to explain that everything that happens to us is not happen stance. God is in control and even though we may not understand why difficulties come to some people it is really not by luck! God is good and He knows what is best for us all the time.)

1. When Jesus put mud in the blind man's eyes, what did He tell the man to do? (Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.)

2. What question did the disciples ask Jesus about the man who was born blind? (They asked Jesus who had sinned--the man who was blind or his parents.)

3. What reason did Jesus give for the man being blind? (The man was going to be the instrument through which God would be glorified.)

4. When the healed man was taken to the Pharisees, why were they so angry? (They were jealous of the influence that Jesus had over the people and they wanted to discredit Him.)

5. What law did the Pharisees think they had cause to find fault with Jesus? (They used the Law of the Sabbath which said that there was to be no work. But the rule was one that they had made. It was not

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God's view. God had said that you can help an oxen in trouble and a man needing healing was certainly not prohibited.)

6. Who did the Pharisees call to verify that this man had indeed been born blind? (They called his parents who said it was their son and he had been born blind.)

7. Why did the parents tell the Pharisees to talk to their son? (They were afraid of the Pharisees and that they would be thrown out of the synagogue.)

8. When the Pharisees talked to the blind man how did he answer them? (He told them that he had once been blind and now he could see. He told them that no one except God could have performed this miracle.)

9. Was the blind man bold or timid in his answer to the Pharisees? What did he say to them? (He was very bold. He asked them if they wanted to become His disciples!)

10. How did Jesus show love to the man who had been born blind? (He healed him) 11. When Jesus healed the blind man, what kind of power did that show to the disciples and to others?

(Jesus had divine power. Only God could work that kind of miracle.) 12. After the healed man had been thrown out of the synagogue, what did Jesus do to help the man trust in

God? (Jesus found the man and explained to him who He is and offered Him the opportunity to believe in Him. )

13. In the account of the blind man in Mark 8 what happened the first time Jesus put spit in his eye? (He could see but only dimly. He said that people looked like trees walking around.)

14. What happened the second time Jesus touched the man's eyes? (He could see clearly.) 15. Why did Jesus not heal the man perfectly the first time? (Jesus was using this to teach the disciples a

lesson). 16. What lesson was Jesus teaching when he was performing in this miracle? (Jesus was showing the

disciples that they were like the blind man. They were very slow to believe that He was truly the Son of God and to understand why He had come from heaven to earth.)

17. What lesson can we learn from the example of Jesus' love and compassion for the blind? (We are to be kind and compassionate toward those who have disabilities. We are to be concerned and help them.)

18. What is our memory verse today? Psalms 17: 6 "I call on you, O God, because you will answer me"

Bible Memory Verse Activity: "Word Wisdom" Two Dimensional Posters Psalm 17: 6 says "I call on you, O God, because you will answer me!" Let's say that verse together again, Psalm 17: 6 "I call on you, O God, because you will answer me!" Have students look up verse in scripture and read together several more times.

Say: "Everyone including people with disabilities can call on God for help. This verse promises that God will hear and answer prayer. In this verse are several key words. What words do you think are especially important? (call, God, answer) Are there any words or phrases that express what this verse means? (Answered prayer; prayer; Faithfulness, etc.) People with blindness often have to have words or pictures that are two dimensional so they can feel the letters. Today we are going to make a two dimensional poster. You are to think of a word or phrase that expresses the meaning of this verse and use it to make a poster. You can make a marker poster, fabric poster, or yarn poster." Give each students a sheet of poster board.

Glitter or Fabric Bubble Marker Poster: Students are to write the key words or phrases with glitter or fabric bubble markers on large sheets of paper. Then students are to draw pictures of ways to show God's love to people with disabilities. (Glitter or Fabric Bubble markers can be found in craft stores. These markers leave glitter or a plastic texture to the finished surface.)

Fabric Poster: Students choose a key word or phrase and cut the letters from fabric, glue the letters to the poster board; then use the fabric shapes or design to illustrate the word or phrase and a way to show God's love to people with disabilities.

Yarn Posters: Students glue yarn to large sheets of poster board to spell a key word or phrase from the verse. Form the yarn in the shape of pictures to illustrate ways to show God's love to people with disabilities.

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Group Learning Game: Touch and Find (Grades K-3) Group your students into pairs. Have partners stand very close to each other. Have children close their eyes as you read the instructions below one at a time. Encourage them to use their fingers gently to help them find things. You may need to remind children to keep their eyes closed. Say:

Find your partner's nose.

Find your partner's shoes.

Find your partner's knee.

Find your partner's hand.

Find your partner's hair.

Find your partner's ear.

When you have finished the list, have the children open their eyes. Talk about what it was like to find things they couldn't see. Tell children that today's story is about a man who was born blind. He had never seen his family. Imagine trying to figure out what your family looked like by only touching them.

Group Learning Activity: Touch and Identify Nature Box (Grades K-3) Materials: shoe box with lid, Bible, scissors, two pairs of common nature items such as nuts, feathers, stones, shells, sticks, leaves, acorns, etc.) Prepare: In the end of the shoe box cut a hole large enough for the child to put their hand through. Secretly put one nature item into the box. Display the other set of nature items on a table top. Children are to take turns putting their hand through the hole in the box to feel the item and tell which item on table matches the one in the box. Continue until all the items have been matched. Encourage the children to handle the items on the table. Say: "Our story today was about a blind man. Because he couldn't see this man used his hands to feel things. Today we are going to use our hands to feel things. You are to reach your hand into the box and see if you can find the objects that are displayed on the table. Who would like to be first? ....How does the rock feel? Does the rock feel bumpy? rough? smooth?" Invite the child feeling an item in the box to describe it so another child can match the item with its pair on the table.

Group Learning Activity: Where Are You? (Grades K-3) Purpose: Explore challenges faced by people with blindness. Choose one child to be the Sound Maker and give that person a sheep sound maker or just have them say "Baa, baa, baa!" Have the rest of the children close their eyes while the Sound Maker moves to a corner of the room. Explain that when the Sound Maker makes the sheep sound the children are to crawl toward the noise and try to find the Sound Maker. The Sound Maker will continue to make sheep noises to give the children lots of clues. The first person to find the Sound Maker becomes the next Sound Maker. As children play the game remind them of the lesson about the blind man. He was a person who had to find his way around by listening carefully to the sounds around him because he couldn't see. Since younger children often want to open their eyes during a game like this you may want to provide blind folds to make the learning experience more meaningful.

Group Learning Activity: "Shout it Out!" (Grades 3-5) Materials: Bibles and blindfolds. Students will play a game like Marco Polo. Blindfold a volunteer. The volunteer begins calling out, "Who needs help?" The students respond, "I know" while moving at random around the room. The volunteer continues asking question and students respond until the volunteer has tagged a student. The tagged student names a type of disability (blindness, deafness, crippled, etc) and then the volunteer who is blindfolded has to tell a way to show God's love to a person with that disability. Say: "What are some other kinds of disabilities besides blindness that people might have? (cannot hear; cannot walk or move, cannot talk; sees words or pictures differently.) What are some ways people with these disabilities might need help? (A blind person might need to be told when someone else comes in or out of the room. A person in a wheelchair might need a door opened or something carried for him or her. A deaf person might need to see your mouth to be able to read your lips when you talk.) What are more ways to show God' love to people with disabilities?

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Group Learning Activity: "The Blind to See!" Skit (Grades 3-5) Print out the script template below--one copy for each child. Choose volunteers to read and act out each part. Act out the story using the following script. Write the names of each character on a small sign and hang it around the actor’s necks. Have the actors highlight their lines so they are ready to speak their parts on cue. Bible costumes is optional.

Group Learning Activity: Braille Names (Grades 2-5) Purpose: Explore challenges faced by people with blindness. Before class print out one copy of the "Braille letters" chart below and the Braille Letters template for each of your students. Provide crayons, needle, and stiff paper for each child. Use a pen to write out your first name in Braille referring to the handout. Then use a needle and a sheet of paper to copy your name in raised Braille letters. Set out the raised letters and let the children feel them. Give the children a copy of the "Braille Letters" chart. Help them use crayons to circle the letters in their names on the handouts. Explain that blind people can't see to read words or pictures in books so they read by feeling Braille letters and words. Review the Bible lesson about the blind men who met Jesus.

Group Learning Game: Mud in Your Eye (Grades K-3) Say: "Let's see what it might have felt like to have mud on our eyes." Take two pieces of modeling clay and then form them into flat circles. Gently hold them over the eyes of one of the children. Ask the child to tell you how this feels. Say: "Jesus cares about all kinds of people." Remove the modeling class as you say "And he care about you." Repeat this with each child who would like a turn. To make the activity move more quickly give an adult helper some of the modeling clay and have this person complete the activity with half of the children. Say: "I wonder if the blind man thought it was impossible to be healed. But with God everything is possible."

Group Learning Activity: Doing It Differently (Grades K-5) Purpose: Explore challenges faced by people with disabilities. Materials: Bibles, several pairs of garden gloves or mittens; blindfolds, paper, pencils, paper clips, re-sealable plastic bags. Procedure: Students take turns completing one or more of the following tasks while wearing garden gloves or mittens to pick up paper or paper clips, turn pages of a Bible, and seal a plastic bag. Have students wear the blindfolds and then try to do the following: draw a picture of a certain object (car, house, tree); fasten papers with a paper clip, put pencils in re-sealable plastic bags. Say: "How did you feel when you were trying to (turn paper with gloves on)? What other daily activities would be difficult to do while blindfolded or without being able to use your hands very well? (Brushing teeth, eating, walking near traffic, or in crowds of people, etc.) People who are blind or have other physical disabilities often feel like this. What are some ways that we can help and care for people with all kinds of disabilities?

Group Learning Activity: Blind Man Shoe Race (Grades K-5) Purpose: Explore challenges faced by people with blindness. Say: "Today we are going to play a game that will help us understand the challenges that a blind person feels in just putting on their shoes." Have children take off their shoes and put them in a pile at the end of the playing area. The children will then be blindfolded one at a time and will run to the shoe pile and try to find their own shoes. For younger children, have the children remove ONE shoe instead of both shoes. They could then feel of their own shoe to know which shoe to choose to match it.

Craft Learning Activity: Pipe Cleaner Silly Glasses (Grades K-2) To help students remember the story have children make glasses out of pipe cleaners and shower curtain rings. Use the pipe cleaner to connect two shower curtain rings in the middle, then a pipe cleaner to make two legs for the glasses to connect them to each side of the glass lens. Remind the children that the blind man was able to see again because he had faith and we should have faith to face our difficulties as well. Optional: Use 4 pipe cleaners per child to make silly glasses. Use two pipe cleaners for the eye rims. Bend each one into a circle with about 1 inch left free. Twist the two ends together to form the nose piece of the glasses. Use the other two pieces of pipe

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cleaners for the arms of the eyeglasses. Twist about 1 inch length around the top of the rim on each side. You can cut circles of cellophane and use your glue gun to stick them to the arms.

Craft Learning Activity: Blind Art Have the children draw one BIG closed eye on the top of a sheet of paper and one BIG opened eye underneath. Between the two eyes, have the children write, "I was Blind but now I See" and add the Memory Bible verse for this lesson. This activity could also be combined with the two dimensional art project for the memory verse above. Alternative Activity: If you have a chalkboard, blindfold two children at a time and have the children draw a picture of the teacher's choosing. It will be fun for the children to see what they drew while blindfolded, and it'll also be fun for the class to watch them draw the picture. If a chalkboard is not available, this could also be done individually on a sheet of paper. (Some suggestions might include draw a heart, a cross, a house or a church.)

Craft Learning Activity: Seeing is Believing Give each student a half sheep of black card stock, a silver gen pen to write the verse, and some magazine pictures of eyes and some bright orange or yellow paper. Have students write the verse or the scripture references on the bright orange or yellow paper. Attach the verse or scripture references to the black card stock. Have the students find eyes in old magazines and cut them out. Glue the cutout magazine pictures to the black card stock.

Craft Learning Activity: Blind Man Sack Puppet Materials: two copies of the blind man template; scissors, glue, bandages, crayons or colored markers. Directions: Print two copies the blind man template below for each child. Have the children use markers or crayons to color the faces. Cut out and glue the faces to a paper lunch bag to make a sack puppet. Cut on solid line just under the nose and place the top portion of the face on the bottom flap of the sack puppet. Position the lower half of the face appropriately under the bottom of the sack flap so the puppet mouth will move. Make a second puppet and place Band-Aid bandages over the eyes to show how the blind man was before Jesus healed him and how he was after! Let students use the sack puppets to retell the Bible story.

Snack Learning Activity: Mud Eyes Be sure to wash children's hands before eating or use baby wipes. Give each child two vanilla wafers, a marshmallow, and several raisins. Have each child assemble a face on a paper towel using the wafers for eyes, the marshmallow for a nose, and raisins for a mouth. When the children have assembled their face. palace a spoonful of chocolate pudding ona square of wax paper. Have the children put the chocolate pudding "mud" on the vanilla wafer eyes, just as Jesus put mud on the blind man's eyes. Lead children in thanking God for the snack and the gift of sight. Life Application Challenge: Prayer for Those with Disabilities Help your students to become more comfortable with people with disabilities by sharing your own experience of friendship with people who have disabilities. Emphasize the fact that people with disabilities can do most things that other people can, they often just need to adjust or adapt the way they do a particular task. Ask students if they know someone who has disabilities. Ask students to tell prayer requests for people they know with disabilities. Lead students in prayer, praying for needs mentioned and asking for God's help in showing His to to people with disabilities.

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Blank Braille Template

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The Blind To See Lesson Focus: Healing of the Blind man (John 9:1-25)

Act out the story using the following script. Write the names of each character on a small sign

and hang it around the actor’s necks. Have the actors highlight their lines so they are ready

to speak their parts on cue.

9 Characters: Jesus, disciple, Pharisee, blind man, mother and father of the blind man,

neighbor, townsfolk, narrator.

Narrator: The Old Testament predicted that when the Messiah, God’s Son, would come to

earth, he would heal the sick and the blind. Our story begins with Jesus walking along with

one of his disciples. Listen to what happens next.

Blind man: (sitting down and begging) Money, money, I need money!

Disciple: Jesus, why is this man blind? Did his sin, or his parent’s sin, cause this?

Jesus: No, he was born blind so that God can work a miracle in his life. Then he and others

will believe and follow me.

Narrator: So Jesus spat on the ground and made mud, then put it on the man’s eyes.

Jesus: (to the blind man) Go wash your eyes in the Pool of Siloam.

(blind man goes and washes his eyes)

Blind man: (joyfully jumping up and down) Praise God, I can see, I can see!

Neighbor: Isn’t this the guy who was blind and begged for money?

Townsfolk: No, it just looks like him!

Blind man: No, it IS me! LOOK, I can see!

Townsfolk: How can you see?

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Blind man: (excitedly) A man named Jesus spit on the ground and made mud. Then he put it

on my eyes and told me to wash it off in the Pool of Siloam. So I did what he told me to do

and I CAN SEE!

Townsfolk: Where is this man named Jesus?

Blind man: How should I know? I went to wash my eyes like he told me to.

Narrator: Then the towns people brought the man to the Pharisees, the people that are in

charge of the Synagogue. They brought him to the Pharisees because Jesus had made the

mud and opened the man's eyes on the Sabbath. You see the Pharisees didn’t want Jesus

doing good works on the Sabbath because they considered it to be working, and a good

Jew wasn’t suppose to work on the Sabbath. However, healing someone on the Sabbath

wasn’t work at all; it was a blessing for the blind man.

Pharisee: How can you see?

Blind man: Jesus put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and now I see!

Pharisee: Jesus can’t be from God because he worked on the Sabbath!

Neighbor: But how can a sinner do such an amazing miracle?

Narrator: So they didn’t know what to think and argued with one another.

Pharisee: (to the blind man) What do you have to say about Jesus?

Blind man: He was sent from God. He must be a prophet!

Narrator: The Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, so

they sent for the man's parents.

Pharisee: (to the parents) Is this your son? Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it

that now he can see?

Father: He is our son and he was born blind. But how he can see now, we don't know.

Mother: Ask him. He’s old enough to speak for himself.

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Narrator: His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had

decided that anyone who believed that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the

Synagogue.

Pharisee: (angrily to the blind man) Tell the truth! We know Jesus is a sinner!

Blind man: (to the Pharisees) Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. If this man were not

from God he could do nothing! One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!

Narrator: This made the Pharisees so mad that they threw the man out of the Synagogue.

But, when Jesus heard that they had thrown him out he went to find him.

Jesus: (to the blind man) Do you believe in the Messiah, the Son of God?

Blind man: (to Jesus) Who is he so that I can believe?

Jesus: You’re looking at him, it is me!

Blind man: (bows down and worships at Jesus’ feet) Lord, I believe!

Narrator: Jesus said, "...I have come to earth, so that the blind will see..."

-- The End --

Conclusion: There is something much worse than being physically blind, and that is spiritual

blindness. When people are spiritually blind they do not believe in Jesus or obey him. Nor

will they go to heaven when they die. But when people trust in Jesus to save them, they are

given "spiritual eyes" to see God’s will for their lives. They are able to see and understand

things about the world and about God that other people do not see and understand. Psalm

119:18 says, "Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law." We must ask

God to save us and to help us to understand his ways more clearly. The good news is that

God promises spiritual sight to those that ask for it!

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