The Sign of Sight

The Sign of Sight

John 9:1-41

INTRODUCTION

Our world is in chaos.

Ukraine/ Israel

Demonstrations all around the world.

We live in a dark world.

Light and darkness continue to war.

Physical world tries to reject the spiritual world.

How do you see the world?

Physical sight

Spiritual sight

Matthew 23:16-19 (Blind Guides)

Matthew 23:16–19 ESV

16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?

Let’s see who is truly blind in this passage...

John 9:1–7 ESV

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 was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.

Religion blinds the eyes of man.

This takes place on the Sabbath. They miss Jesus because they couldn't see past their tradition.

6 Ways People Miss Jesus

1. They Judge Man Instead of See Jesus (1-7)

Their culture saw all sickness and handicaps as judgment for sin.

They are worried about judging sin, Jesus worries about God's glory.

Reminds me of Naaman who had leprosy. Elisha told him to go dip 7 times in Jordan.

Why go to the muddy water of Jordan to be cleaned.

This is a story of surrender- not works.

Naaman saw water as physical- and it was dirty.

2. They Question Man Instead of See Jesus (8-12)

John 9:8–12 ESV

8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” 10 So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” 12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

The testimony doesn't fit their agenda.

They found testimonies that fit their agenda.

We are closed minded- we only listen to people we agree with. (Politics)

Big election week- how can two sides see the same events and interpret so differently?

Difference of world view- our foundation to interpret is different.

They did this- they didn't like what they heard so they found someone saying something that they agree with.

Don't miss Jesus because it doesn't fit the way you want to see the world.

Many atheist have come to Christ when they read through the Bible. Through it they were able to put away their biased and see truth.

3. They Obey Man Instead of See Jesus (13-17)

John 9:13–17 ESV

13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. 17 So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”

God gave them the command to keep the Sabbath.

Man made up the rules on how that was to happen.

They could not see what God was trying to teach them because of their religion.

Religion= man's way of trying to manipulate God.

Faith= God's way of teaching us. We must surrender so he can manipulate us. It's not about us.

4. They Intimidate Man Instead of See Jesus (18-23)

John 9:18–23 ESV

18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19 and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21 But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” 22 (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.) 23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

They bring in his parents.

They are so intimidated that they feared for their life.

Pharisees were not looking for truth. They were trying to bully their way to stay in power.

Don't use your position to try to manipulate other people.

we don’t want people to be intimidated by the Gospel, we want them to meet Jesus.

5. They Follow Man Instead of See Jesus (24-29)

John 9:24–29 ESV

24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” 28 And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.”

Bring him a second time- want him to renounce his story.

Pharisees claimed to be disciples of Moses (the Law).

This previously blind man speaks with great clarity on why Jesus is greater than Moses.

Testimony- all I know is I was blind but now I see.

We are to be disciples of Jesus- not man.

Not preacher followers. Jesus followers.

6. They Reject Man Instead of See Jesus (30-34)

John 9:30–34 ESV

30 The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.

He was rejected because of their belief that his blindness was punishment from God for sin.

Jesus already made it clear it was for the glory of God.

It showed light- Pharisees preferred darkness.

it showed truth- Pharisees preferred lies.

Our world rejects Jesus!

We can proclaim truth with great clarity and many will refuse to listen.

He Believed Jesus- John 3:16

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

We are either like the Blind Man and spiritually see or like the Pharisees and are spiritually blind.

CONCLUSION

How The Blind Man Saw Jesus (35-41)

John 9:35–41 ESV

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

Are you missing Jesus?