I was blind, now can see- Pt. I
So that you may believe - Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted
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· 3 viewsAim: Looking at Part I of a man born blind and the glory of God in him and through him.
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A continuing story.
A continuing story.
First off we now come to the 5th miracle (some say 6th) of Jesus in gospel of John. There is only one more after this. Tonight we look at the continuing story after the problem that not all Abrahams descendants are children of Abraham.
Your life consists of many stories, or continuing story in which you are living the “dash” between birth and death. Well, with Jesus from a miraculous birth and a tragic but necessary death is eminent we see the story of His life in the flesh.
Your life consists of a series of events, or continued events that sum up your life.
If someone were to look at your life, how do you think they would sum it up?
Thus far with Jesus life how would you, can you sum it up?
We left off last time with (Jn8:59)
59 Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
Jesus just passed by those who wanted to stone Him, and now as He is going we get to our story tonight. This story takes the entire chapter in the gospel and we will break over several weeks. Tonight the emphasis is on the first encounter with the blind man.
The Jews who were incensed by Jesus claim to deity, equality with the Father they had picked up stones to kill him. Now our story starts, or continues just a stone throw away from where he was teaching in the temple.
1 As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?”
3 Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
4 “We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5 “While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.”
6 When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes, 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and washed, and came back seeing.
8 Therefore the neighbors, and those who previously saw him as a beggar, were saying, “Is not this the one who used to sit and beg?”
9 Others were saying, “This is he,” still others were saying, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the one.” 10 So they were saying to him, “How then were your eyes opened?”
11 He answered, “The man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash’; so I went away and washed, and I received sight.” 12 They said to him, “Where is He?” He said, “I do not know.”
Any general observations?
How are the main characters in this passage?
What is the theme?
Where does this take place?
Do you see any other location noted in the passage?
What do you think Jesus demeanor was in this section?
What can we know about the blind man (v.1)?
What was the disciples question, and assumption they make (v.2)
Jesus talks about works (vv.3-4); what works?
What is the “I AM” statement in (v.5)? Do you see any significance when you look at that along with (v.4)?
Jesus did something out of the ordinary, unusual in (v.6) but then gives instructions (v.7) what were the instructions?
What were the results and the response of others (vv.7-10)?
What is the man’s response (vv.11-12)?
Spurgeon, and I will use him several times tonight said:
“One of the things worthy to be noticed in our Lord’s character is his wonderful quiet of spirit especially his marvelous calmness in the presence of those who misjudge, and insulted, and slandered him.”
Jesus may have often been reviled, but never ruffled, now back to our passage and see what we can learn and take away from it tonight.
Why?
Why?
The disciples ask the age old “why” question (vv.1-2)
Is that not often what we ask God when we or someone we love is going through suffering?
The disciples make an assumption that it is because of sin. That was not really out of the ordinary for many had been taught that.
Morris said: “It was widely held that suffering, and especially such as disaster as blindness, was due to sin. The general principle was laid down by Rabbi Ammi: ‘There is no death without sin, and there is no suffering without iniquity.’”
The blind man was sitting begging (Jn9:8) or there would have been no reason for the disciples to ask the question (9:2)
The disciples looked at the age old question, or what many would call an unanswered riddle. They don’t show any interest in helping, but in discussing the cause of the problem.
Jesus is about to show another, different way. He won’t dwell on the theological puzzle, but on actually helping the man.
Spurgeon said:
“It is not ours, not to speculate, but to perform acts of mercy and love, according to the tenor of the gospel. Let us then be less inquisitive and more practical, less for cracking doctrinal nuts, and more for bringing for the bread of life to the starving multitudes.”
Jesus Answer
Jesus Answer
Jesus is good about responding to a question, without directly answering the question. Or even expanding for teaching purpose.
3 Jesus answered, “His blindness has nothing to do with his sins or his parents’ sins. He is blind so that God’s power might be seen at work in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must keep on doing the work of him who sent me; night is coming when no one can work.
5 While I am in the world, I am the light for the world.”
It is true that all sadness and sorrow are the indirect result of sin. This is not saying it is cause of someone else, in this case the parents.
Old proverb no longer should be used (Eze18:2) the response is much better (Ez18:3-4)
2 “What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, ‘The fathers eat the sour grapes, But the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
Many believe that things are generational. My dad was such and such, so I am too. Look what more the Lord said through Ezekiel
3 “As I live,” declares the Lord God, “you are surely not going to use this proverb in Israel anymore. 4 “Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.
The man was born with a birth defect, not a sinful result.
Now there are some birth defects that are directly or indirectly from sinful behavior of the parents, but there is no indication of this here.
Birth defects are a result of us living in a fallen world, not due to any specific sin.
Look again at the verses, why is the man blind? So that the works of God should be revealed in Him.
This does not mean that God caused the man to be blind for all these years to do this, but that God uses this to reveal His works through the situation.
28 We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose.
Jesus changed from the why, to the what. What can God do. God was going to heal the man who was not even asking for healing.
Do you think that God can touch you in ways you did not even ask for Him to?
Jesus states the night is coming, and He while He is there is the light of the world. (9:4-5)
There is only so long Jesus is going to be among them and they will be able to see the work of God right before their faces.
Jesus portrays a sense of urgency to do this and do it now, while it is still day. Day being the time of His earthly ministry.
I know I’m using Spurgeon more than usual but here is another good quote on this section of scripture.
“Whenever you see a man in sorrow and trouble, the way to look at is, not to blame him and inquire how the came there, but to say, ‘Here is an opening for God’s almighty love. Here is an occasion for the display of the grace and goodness of the Lord.”
When going through difficult or trying times or living through a tragedy, be sure you don’t turn inward and be in a depression asking “why” but to turn to the Lord and say, “Lord use this for Your purpose and glory.”
Jon Courson said:
“It’s not a time to speculate philosophically, it’s a time to reach out compassionately.”
See someone hurting, don’t ask why, ask what can I do to help!
This passage, of which we have not gotten to all of it, does not only explain about suffering but about salvation too. The blind man did not see Jesus, yet he followed Jesus instructions by faith. The same is true of believers today, they may not see it, but come to believe and obey the gospel message. Before we were saved, we too were in darkness
18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;
Here’s mud in your eye
Here’s mud in your eye
Have you ever gotten mud in your eye? Not very comfortable is it?
What had Jesus said previously (see v.5) before he made the mud? So, why do you think this is here? What are Jesus intentions?
You would not think that mud, made from ground and spit, saliva, would be a normal thing, would you? Jesus could be trying to make a couple of points by this unusual method
Jesus created man from the dust of the ground, and was going to do the work of God in using this to create sight in a man born blind from birth.
Jesus did not want to use any method that anyone else could replicate. The power was in God not in a method.
Jesus, a man of mercy and compassion, had compassion on the man. A friendly touch, even though in a weird way, would be a welcome touch.
The man did not see Jesus, did not call out to Jesus. Jesus saw the man and went to him. We were blind in our sin, and Jesus sought us out and invited us to come to have sight in Him.
The man an irritation in his eye, so, of course he was willing to follow instructions on what to do to get rid of the irritation.
Isn’t that what happens with us too, we have some type, sort of irritation that the Lord uses to get us to turn to Him and follow directions that lead us to salvation?
On Puritan writer said “the man blindly obeyed the Lord’s command.” - not a bad statement is it?
If you have an irritation in your life are you willing normally to do something about it?
What do you think brought about the healing, was it the touch of the Lord or the obedience of the man? or both?
Some people may this this was not a sign of compassion putting mud in his eyes, thinking this was offensive, inadequate, or even harmful. But, in reality is that not like the gospel? Some find it offensive, inadequate or even harmful to them and their lifestyle? Consider
21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
Jesus told him to do something specific, what was it (v.7)?
Does the bible, Jesus, tell us to do something specific if we want to receive the healing?
The man came back seeing. A man who was blind from birth. A miracle, a healing that there is record of happening previously, but was prophesied would happen, had happened.
8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; The Lord raises up those who are bowed down; The Lord loves the righteous;
oh, wait, that is good, but here is a better example
5 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped.
Commentator Alford said on this - came back seeing.
“The word rendered received sight is literally, recovered sight. Sight being natural of men, the deprivation of it is regarded as a loss, and the reception of it, thought never enjoyed before, as a recovery.”
Hum, another interesting quote, something to consider is what Trench (Anglican Arch-Bishop) had to say.
“As impotent man of chapter 5, cured after 38 years of sickness (also seen at the pool of Siloam), as a type of Jews who are yet to be healed: So may this man of chapter 9, blind from birth, be viewed as a type of the Gentiles whose healing was about to begin and who were about to believe into Jesus as Him who was “sent from God.” - - - and the translation for Siloam is “sent” (v.7).
OK, this is as far was we are going to make it tonight in Part-I, we will pick up next week with Part-II, but here are some thoughts to close this out.
59 Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.
The Jews, leaders, picked up stones to to throw as Jesus and here He is just a stones throw away and heals a man with blindness from birth.
The man was obedient to the words of Jesus and received his sight. Could you imagine what he saw? How about you, when you received your salvation you looked at life, the world in a different way.
Maybe someone who needs what Jesus is offering, mercy, compassion, grace, forgiveness is only a stones throw away from you and you are Jesus tool to be used.
Jesus did not think of self, he thought of the man, and turned to the Father to see what the Father would do. We too can learn by taking our eyes off of ourselves and putting them on Jesus so He may use us to fulfill the needs in others.