The Difficult Doctrine of Judgment

John 9:1-41

The starting place

They begin in the story the same place as the blind man- blind

This man had been born blind, and so had they

So it is with all men

John 3:19-20- And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

John 1:1-5- In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

The blinding of the blind

On the one hand, the blind man begins to be softened and receives spiritual sight

He knows nothing of Jesus and is spiritually blind

He says that Jesus is a prophet

He says that all he knows is that he was blind and now he can see

He says boldly that Jesus is from God

He has his eyes opened and worships Jesus

On the other hand, the Pharisees are becoming increasingly blind

They demand to know what the blind man says about Jesus

They don’t believe that He was even blind

They command him to give glory to God by saying that Jesus is a sinner

They angrily throw the blind man out after receiving a rebuke from him

They have slide down the slope from blind to blinder

How is it possible for the same miracle of Jesus to have such starkly different responses from men who had the same starting place?

For judgment, He came into the world

We have a major problem

This statement seems to be a complete contradiction of John 3:17

John 3:17- For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

How can Jesus say that He has come into the world for judgment after John has said that He did not come to condemn but to save the world?

The answer lies behind the nature of what it means to save

If he has come to save those who will believe, then inevitably others will be condemned because they will not believe

This means that the primary purpose of Jesus’ coming was not to condemn

He would have accomplished this by not coming

His main purpose was the save, but that doesn’t mean that it was His only reason for coming

He came so that the blind might see and the seeing might become blind

The Pharisees ask if they are blind

They are not genuinely inquiring about their spiritual estate

They are using a question to dispute what Jesus just said

They are claiming that they can see

In the Pharisees the judgment purposes of Jesus are seen

Matthew 13:13- This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

Matthew 11:25-27- At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Romans 11:7-10- What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.” And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.”

The sin of the blind remains

“If you were blind, you would have no sin”

This is not teaching universal salvation

Jesus is referring specifically to the sin of reject the revealed Messiah

If they would have admitted their blindness and cast themselves on Him in faith, then they would no longer have guilt for their sins

“Now that you say ‘we see’, your guilt remains”

They say that they see, but they don’t

They are self-deceived and self-righteous, and therefore stand condemned in their sin

Is this really what the Bible teaches?

This may be the question in your mind right now

We have briefly looked at passages that show the Bible’s unity on the work of God in making blind men blind, but that certainly doesn't mean that plenty of questions, hesitancies, and skepticism still remain.

The reality behind this passage

There are eternal realities that precede and undergird everything that we have seen in this passage

I pray that this will help as you meditate on these truths this week

The giving of sight to some of the blind and the blinding of some of the blind was determined before the world existed

Romans 9:14-23- Bible

How is this good news and what does it mean for you?

This is Good News because God is a God of mercy

If this were not so, then every person on earth would go to hell

But God…

Romans 5:6-9- For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

What does it mean for you?

Humble yourself

We ought the be the most humble of all people

We wrath-deserving blind sinners were met with unspeakable grace and God saved us through Christ

100% Him and 0% us

If we truly understand the gospel, then there is no longer any room for pride or arrogance

Weep, weep, weep

May we never become calloused to the reality of the lostness of the world

Weep with broken-heartedness over the state of unbelieving souls

Pray, pray, pray

He is the powerful One who is able to give sight to the blind and faith to the unbelieving

He is the merciful One who hears when you pray, so plead for the spiritually blind

Love, love, love

Give your life to the cause of Christ and the shining the light of Christ to the lost

Plead with unbelievers to believe in Christ. It is the most loving thing you could do for them

God is able to use your loving kindness and pleading as the means by which He gives them sight

Trust, trust, trust

Rest in knowing that God is good and faithful, and He will ALWAYS do what is right even when we don’t understand

Remember that God is infinitely wise, and He will ALWAYS do what is best for His people and His glory

Rejoice, Rejoice, Rejoice

Sing for joy that you have a redeemer who has broken through the darkness to shine light in and give you life

Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice!

Manuscript

Intro

This morning our text is the same as last week, but we will focus in on the second dimension of the passage. Before we get there, however, I do want to give a few pastoral clarifications. First, this message will admittedly only begin to touch on the truths that we will begin to see from John 9. Secondly, I realize and publicly acknowledge that this morning’s theological subject is one of the most polarizing and difficult doctrines, and I want to speak with pastoral sensitivity and grace to those of you who will probably struggle with some of these doctrinal truths. It is not my goal to shove theology down your throats, but rather to be the most faithful preacher and shepherd that I can be. I stand before you each week and the fallible human-being tasked with the study and preaching of the Word, so my prayer is that I do that effectively and faithfully this morning. Thirdly, the Bible is the authoritative Word of God and what I say will have no authority unless it’s what God has said, so do not simply believe me because I say it. Rather, the only confidence that you can have that it’s the truth of God is if you see it in the book. Finally, I pray that our great God will powerfully apply these truths to our hearts this morning for our good and God’s glory.

So we begin again at the beginning of the passage. We know that we have four main characters and groups- a man born blind, Jesus, His disciples, and the Pharisees. The two that I want to really key in on this morning are the Pharisees and the man born blind. I want to take a step back and point something out. The blind man and the Pharisees have the same starting place in the passage. This man had been born blind, and so had they. The physical blindness of the man points to the deeper problem, and the Pharisees shared in this problem. Neither of them see Jesus the Savior of the world. But it is not only the Pharisees and this man. This is with all men. This is the foundation for the rest of the text and our understanding of it. We have seen this established in John 3:19-20, where John says: “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.” John most likely also lays down this truth at the very beginning of the book in John 1:1-5: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” The word “overcome”, as the ESV translates it is the Greek word καταλαμβάνω, which has a range of meaning. It can mean “overcome” or “overtake”, and this is a legitimate possibility. In this case, verse 5 is saying that the wickedness of the world and dark works of Satan will never overtake or overcome the Light who is Christ. In fact, John uses this same word twice this way in this book. However, the word can also mean “perceive” or “grasp”. In the context of the clear point and theological thrust of John’s Gospel, I think that this is very likely what he means here. The darkness, the sinful world which is void of light, cannot even perceive the Light of Christ. Man is utterly blind to the realities of Christ and therefore cannot believe. You can also go to Romans 1:18-23 to see this work itself out. There, Paul calls it “suppressing the truth and having their hearts darkened. This is the natural state of every person in every place on earth. If this is true, then the blood of Christ MUST be more than purchasing justification and forgiveness. It must also be omnipotent power that pours into the heart at His command and gives sight supernaturally. This means that the sovereignty of man’s will is a myth and that man utterly depends of God even to see the truth of the gospel. Now, from this foundation, we can begin to see movement in the passage.

There are two movements happening here, and they are happening in opposite directions. On the one hand, the blind man begins to be softened and receives spiritual sight. He knows nothing of Jesus and is spiritually blind. Then, he says that Jesus is a prophet. But then, he says that all he knows is that he was blind and now he can see. After they press him again, he says boldly that Jesus is from God, but there is still one more step: sight and faith. Finally, as Jesus finds him and speaks again with him, he has his eyes opened and worships Jesus. He sees for the very first time and he believes.

On the other hand, the Pharisees are becoming increasingly blind. They hear of the miracle done by Jesus, which Jesus did in an intentional way. Why? So that it would cause the response that we see in them. They demand to know what the blind man says about Jesus. They are so skeptical that they don’t believe that He was ever blind. They command him to “give glory to God” by saying that Jesus is a sinner. Now, suddenly their idea of giving God glory is actually blasphemy against Him. Finally, they angrily throw the blind man out of the synagogue after becoming exceedingly angry with him over his testimony. They have effectively slid down the slope from blind to blinder. So how are we to make sense of this? How is it possible for the same miracle of Jesus to have such starkly different responses from men who had the same starting place?

Jesus speaks (verse 39) and says “For judgment, I came into this world”. But some of you might have some alarm bells ringing on your heads because it seems that we have a major problem. This statement seems to be a complete contradiction to John 3:17 where John says “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” so, how can Jesus say that He has come into the world for judgment after John has said that He did not come to condemn but to save the world? Did John get it wrong in 3:17? Or did Jesus misspeak? If we have confidence in the Word of God, then we have to say no.

The answer lies behind the nature of what it means to save. I think D.A. Carson is exactly right when he comments: “If he has come to save those who will believe, then inevitably others will be condemned because they will not believe.” If there are those who will be saved, then there are also those who will not be saved. This means then, that the primary purpose of Jesus’ coming was not to condemn but to save,. He would have accomplished condemnation as the main goal simply by not coming. That would have given a 100% condemnation rate.

However, the fact that His main purpose was the save does not mean that it was His only reason for coming. This is why people get themselves into a lot of trouble when they build an entire theological belief on one verse because rarely is it that linear and simplistic. He came to save the world, to be sure. But He also came for judgment. He came so that the blind might see and the seeing might become blind

Now, the Pharisees ask if they are blind. They are not genuinely inquiring about their spiritual estate. They don’t really care for Jesus’ assessment of their spiritual lives. They are using a question to dispute what Jesus just said. They see themselves as the most well-sighted people in the world and they are using the question to actually claim that they can see. So when Jesus says that for judgment He has come into the world, we are given a visible example in Jesus working out His judgment purposes in them. But this is not the only time that He says and does this. We see it in Matthew 13:13 He says “This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” And Matthew says, in Matthew 11:25-27, “At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” And Paul says, in Romans 11:7-10, of an unbelieving Israel: “What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.” And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.”

Who is the one who has stopped their eyes and kept their eyes covered? Who has hidden the truth from some and revealed it to others? Who is the one who has darkened the hearts of unbelieving Israelites? It is none other than God Himself. All who see only see because God has caused them to see, and all who remain blind is because God has left them in their blindness, even possibly causing their blindness to be deepened as it is with these Pharisees. And it is now that we begin to get into the realms of truth that we cannot fully comprehend. The sovereign choice of God and the accountability of man.

The sin of the blind remains. Jesus says “If you were blind, you would have no sin” This, of course, is not teaching universal salvation. He is referring specifically to the sin of reject the revealed Messiah. If they would have admitted their blindness and cast themselves on Him in faith, then they would no longer have guilt for their sins. He tells them, “Now that you say ‘we see’, your guilt remains.” They say that they see, but they don’t. They are self-deceived and self-righteous, and therefore stand condemned in their sin because they have not believed in the only one who can take away their guilt of their sin.

But there are probably some of you asking “is this really what the Bible teaches?” We have briefly looked at passages that show the Bible’s unity on the work of God in making blind men blind, but that certainly doesn't mean that plenty of questions, hesitancies, and skepticism still remain. This is a difficult doctrine, and in an attempt to help give confidence here, I want to briefly point us to the reality behind this passage that precedes and undergirds it, and I pray that this will help as you meditate on these truths this week. The giving of sight to some of the blind and the blinding of some of the blind was determined before the world existed. That means it was always GOd’s good and wise plan from eternity past. Look with me quickly at Romans 9:14-23. Paul says: “What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—” Christ’s purposes are eternal and He is always right in doing them. He never wrongs anyone but always upholds His righteousness, faithfulness, and glory; and He will always work for the eternal good of His blood-bought bride.

I want to close with the answer to two questions that will help us apply what we have seen in John 9: How is this good news and what does it mean for you? This is Good News because God is a God of mercy. If this were not so, then every person on earth would go to hell.

In Romans 5:6-9 Paul says: “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” Our God is a God of boundless grace and mercy and love.

And finally, what does it mean for you? #1) Humble yourself. We ought the be the most humble of all people. We wrath-deserving blind sinners were met with unspeakable grace and God saved us through Christ. It was completely of Him and none of us. #2) Weep. May we never become calloused to the reality of the lostness of the world. Weep with broken-heartedness over the state of unbelieving souls. #3) Pray. He is the powerful One who is able to give sight to the blind and faith to the unbelieving. He is the merciful One who hears when you pray, so plead for the spiritually blind to see and be saved. #4)Love. Give your life to the cause of Christ and the shining the light of Christ to the lost. Plead with unbelievers to believe in Christ. It is the most loving thing you could do for them. God is able to use your loving kindness and pleading as the means by which He gives them sight. #5) Trust. Rest in knowing that God is good and faithful, and He will ALWAYS do what is right even when we don’t understand. Remember that God is infinitely wise, and He will ALWAYS do what is best for His people and His glory. #6) Rejoice. Sing for joy that you have a redeemer who has broken through the darkness to shine light in and give you life Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice