I was blind but now I can see

John 9:25....I was blind but now I can see..

Psalm 16:8 “I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.”

INTRODUCTION

When anyone hears these words, I was blind but now I see the first thing they think of is the beautiful song, Amazing Grace. The song that started out as a poem written by John Newton in 1772 and later turned into a hymn in 1779.

But as believers in the Holy Bible. Believers that know the bible is God’s inspired word that was written by man. His word that is as Paul would say, 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,”

His word has been here since the beginning of time and John said it best, John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” TALK, PREACH…(when He stepped and created the world the word was right there)

So where did Newton get his lyrics from, the bible. And specifically the text we are working with today. So these words have been around a long time. Amazing Grace was wrote in 1772 but the Book of John was wrote between 80-95 A.D.

So over a century before Newton was born, these words were being said and they had meaning then, they had meaning in 1772 when Newton wrote them again for his poem, and they have meaning in 2023.

We are going to look at the blind man here in a few moments but what made Newton write these words, Newton was a slave trader that got beat by the captain of the ship, he had a hard life and he said he remembered how his mother called upon the Lord and He did. It was at that moment his eyes were open. Newton said I was blind but now I see.....TALK,PREACH(work the points)

As we prepare to walk thru the text we will see that many today are still walking around blind. But just how Christ healed the blind man then, He can open our eyes today and when He does let the praising begin...

Body/Points

Let’s walk.....

John 9:1 “Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.”

Scripture lets us know that he was born blind. He had never seen the light of day or the light of the world. But on this day, Jesus saw him. He sees us today…TALK....

Jesus had compassion on this man, The compassions of our Lord Jesus towards him were very tender. He saw him; that is, he took cognizance of his case, and looked upon him with concern. When God is about to work deliverance, he is said to see the affliction; so Christ saw this poor man.....TALK, PREACH...

So he was born blind but the difference today is that we not have been born blind but sometime during our lives we BECOME BLIND....

We become blind to the light of the world, we become blind to the word, we become blind.....TALK, PREACH....

Why?

When our innocence is taking away....TALK(this world)

Because we become focused on the things of this world. We become focused on our wants…TALK, PREACH....

we have become blinded by the carnal ways of this world....Romans 8:6-8 “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

We are blinded by our own carnal minds. we become blind and miss out on what God has set before us. TALK…

The disciples would have missed out on what God had put before them if it had not been for Jesus. they were focused on who had sinned but Jesus...John 9:3 “Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.”

Different translations use different words here, the NKJV used revealed, the New American standard used displayed, but the orginal KJV uses manifested. Which all of them means to be basically be seen.

So his blindness was going to be used for a purpose…the purpose of man seeing the compassion of God, seeing the power of God and seeing God work thru Jesus Christ, that man should come to Jesus…TALK, PREACH...

But we have become blind. So blind that we cant see the manifesting of God. How many of you know that God shows himself everyday..you don’t believe, let me call the roll....TALK, PREACH....

So when we finally have our eyes opened and we see Christ for who and what He truly is, there will be a change in our lives and people will notice that change and guess what they will talk about you and this so called change…look at this next part.

Tell the story…V6-7

So now people are noticing that the man that they knew to be blind and a beggar was with sight. V8-24....

work text....TALK...

Such a wonderful event as the giving of sight to a man born blind could not but be the talk of the town,

They doubted whether he had indeed been born blind, and demanded proof of that

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible Chapter 9

Foiled by the testimony of the young man himself, they hope to throw doubt on the fact by close questioning his parents,

They even tried to ruin Jesus’ name The Pharisees attacked Christ by saying He was not of God (v. 16) and calling Him a sinner

Jesus such a bad man, they started to disagree among themselves, V16, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles?

They even kick him out of the church, V34

What we learn from this

People will question your change just like did this man’s. They will try and bring you right back down....TALK, PREACH....

So because of ourselves we become blind and miss out on God’s glorious wonders at first but when our eyes do open and that change happens, the devil stays busy and people will talk about you and question your change, but stay true.

But despite all that questioning I can still see the man praising Jesus. Look at v 25, John 9:25 “He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.””

John B. Perplexity of the Pharisees (9:13–34)

In his growing faith, the man recited his simple testimony: One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see! But the questions persisted.

Let me close this thing on out...

I am like that man. I was blind but now I see. Let me say it this way, I was on my to hell but God made a way for me. When Jesus came into my life.

CONCLUSION...

You do know that when you are blind, you are in the darkness. But Jesus is the light of the world.

I had my eyes on carnal things and missed God’s work. But I am like the song writer, Lord, I know have been changed. How? Because Jesus opened my eyes and saved me....TALK, PREACH, CLOSE

Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1992), 236.