John 9: Spiritual Sight vs Spiritual Blindness

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

We have just a couple of quick announcements before we get started today.

First, just a reminder that TODAY is our last class of 2023!

Over the break you only need to complete 1 lesson- lesson 14!

and then we will meet back here in 2024 on Wednesday, January 10.

MINI STUDY

and..just as a reminder, right when we come back, we will be having our Mini Study.

which is a chance for you to invite your friends to come and check out BSF.

The mini study will last for 2 weeks, on January 10 and 17 and your friends can come for both or even just 1 of the weeks.

The QR code behind me has a link to the lessons and notes for those 2 weeks, or your GL also has the link if you need it.

If they have children they can come with them as a 1x visitor in our preschool and student program. If they choose to register we will let them know if we are able to place their children at that time.

JOHN BOOKS:

Also- our wonderful host church has let us know that they frequently find the John booklets around the church after Wednesday’s.

Their desire is to get these books back to you- but it would REALLY help them out if you would put your name in the front!

So- right now- go ahead your book and write your name in the front.

JO ERICKSON:

Before we get started I have one more announcement....it is with a heavy heart that I share with you that our long time class member, Jo Erickson, went to be with the Lord last week.

I had the privilege of getting to know Jo over the last several years- and I can tell you that her love for the Lord and his word was evident in all of my conversations with her. She spoke frequently of her many personal encounters with Jesus and while we are so sad she is no longer with us, we are rejoicing that she is at home, fully at rest with the Lord.

A celebration of her life in Christ Jesus will take place at a later date and once we have that information we will share it with your group leader, so please let her know if you would like it.

Let’s Pray...

INTRODUCTION:

After we got married, I moved into my husbands bachelor pad- a teeny tiny one bedroom apartment..now he had lived there for over a year alone and had his way of doing things. And when I moved in to his space, I was not given a thorough rundown of the house rules.

So, before bed. I closed the bedroom door just like I have always done my whole life.

However- unknown to me, apparently, my husband had always left the bedroom door open.

See- he has really terrible eye sight and without his glasses he can barely see anything.

So by keeping the door open, he had a straight path from the bed to the bathroom and he didn’t have to worry about maneuvering around anything or putting on his glasses.

Well- on one of our first mornings after we got married- he got up to get ready and head to the bathroom and bamb- SLAMMED straight into the NOW closed bedroom door.

Because when I closed the door- I all of a sudden disrupted the darkness my husband was used to.

Last week, in John chp. 8, Jesus revealed himself as the light of the world. The one who had come to disrupt the darkness..

Today, Jesus disrupt’s the darkness by offering spiritual sight to the blind.

Jesus doesn’t just say He is the light of the world…he proves it..

He renews, restores and regenerates our lives from living like we are blind to Him…to living for Him.

That’s the real gift He offered the man born blind that we read about in John 9 this week.

He physically healed His eyes but that was just a sign of the total healing He was offering for His spirit eternally.

And today we will read about the man’s slow but sure transformation from spiritual blindness to spiritual sight…

but we will also sadly see how the Pharisees encountered the man’s healing and chose to stay spiritually blind to Jesus the savior.

........

so we are going to break chp. 9 into sections.

Spiritual Sight vs 9:1-12

Spiritual Blindness 9:13-41

Open Bibles

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SPIRITUAL SIGHT

in vs. 1-12 we will see that spiritual sight gives a new perspective....is personal....and testifies about Jesus.

Everything Jesus does throughout this miracle is a physical representation of what happens when a person receives spiritual sight.

So I want us to view this miracle through the lens of Jesus…lets focus on what the miracle points to and represents as Jesus starts off by giving a new perspective.

NEW PERSPECTIVE

vs 1… “As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

At this time, the Rabbinic Law taught that if you were BORN with a disability, it was because your parents had sinned in some way and this was the consequence of their sin.

however…Jesus says something surprising here..vs. 3:

3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

In other words- Jesus says- you have been looking at this all wrong…yes- there are times that as a result of sin we see consequences such as a disability. But…here..Jesus says…that his disability had absolutely nothing to do with the sin of the parents....

All suffering is a result of sin and brokenness in the world BUT, not ALL suffering is a result of specific sin.

Jesus tells the disciples that God had allowed this mans blindness SO THAT the works of God..or the glory of God...might be shown through him.

The disciples and people of Judea had a limited and narrow view of suffering and disability…and that narrow view led them to become so LEGALISTIC that when someone had any sort of physical suffering, they automatically started pointing fingers…

and by doing that- they MISSED what God might have been doing in and through a person’s life.

so Jesus widens their perspective to help them see more clearly.

Where might God be trying to change, or widen your perspective?

Living with Spiritual Sight means seeing things God’s ways and not limiting our perspectives to only what is right in front of us…

Now, let’s not forget that they were having this conversation RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE MAN. Could you imagine what must have been going on in his head as he hears this...

The disciples see the man....not as a person in need- but instead as a theological problem to be solved.

But again, Jesus changes their perspective by approaching this man and treating him with the dignity and respect he deserved.

It is only through BELIEF in Jesus- through spiritual sight- that we can begin to see people and circumstance’s through God’s perspective...

and when Jesus saw this man- he was filled with compassion- ..and because Spiritual Sight..is personal…Jesus pursues this man..he moves towards him…offering him physical and spiritual sight that is going to transform not only his eyes, but his life..

IS PERSONAL

So they are standing near this man and Jesus is in the middle of giving his disciples a new perspective and in vs. 5 he says: While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

We know that this story is taking place somewhere sometime shortly after the Feast of Booths

Meaning..that Jesus’ I am the Light of the World statement from last chapter was still very fresh in their minds.

And Jesus wants to make sure that the image- of him as the light of world-is at the forefront of their minds BEORE he performs this miracle....

Why…BECAUSE HE IS ABOUT TO HEAL A MAN WHO HAS NEVER SEEN LIGHT.

remember- he was BORN blind..don’t miss that detail...

in chp. 8 Jesus exposed human darkness and now..he is about to remove it.

Jesus- who is the light is about to give GIVE HIS Light as he Gives physical sight to a man who has never known anything but darkness.

See, the whole job of our eyes is to process light.

When light hits the retina, or the back part of the eye- photoreceptors turn the light into electrical signals which then get processed by the brain as images.

Vision is all about seeing and processing the light.

it’s why in the book of Matthew 6:22 Jesus says that the eye is the Lamp of the body…he says if your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.

Something about this man’s ability to process light was broken. It wasn’t that he wasn’t exposed to light.

He went outside during the day…he wasn’t living in a dark room where there was no light…but his BRAIN could not process the light that was in front of him…so when the light came in- what he saw…was darkness...

So here is this man, standing their begging…like he does day after day...

and then Jesus-walks by saying he is the light of the world…

vs. 6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.

..now you might think..mud..that’s strange, extremely dirty and unnecessary. But picture this with me..

The Creator of the Universe…bends down…and puts his hands into the dust- the same dust that in Genesis 2:7 we are told he used to create Man…and then…the creator…spits into it- giving a part of himself, his own DNA…and then puts it onto the man...

This mud- would TRANSFORM this man’s eyes-allowing the light to come in.

When we have spiritual sight- we are filled with Jesus’ light which gives life to all mankind.

This is the first time that Jesus heals through physical touch.

Jesus didn’t need to touch him to heal him…he could have simply walked on by-and continued with his day and STILL healed him...

But he didn’t…he stopped…he reached out..and touched him…giving him a part of himself...

But…remember…the man still can’t see...

See what really matters to Jesus is that this man comes to know him..to have a relationship with Him…and in order for that to happen, he is going to have to LEARN to listen to and obey his words...

So, in vs 7, Jesus says: 7 “Go,”....wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”).

BEFORE you can have SPIRITUAL SIGHT- you HAVE to take the action of saying “yes” to Jesus.

The man could have been like- you know what…I think I’m just gonna walk around with this mud on my eyes.

But if he had done that…if he had IGNORED Jesus’ words…he would have remained in DARKNESS.

In the same way- if you IGNORE Jesus’ words- you will remain in darkness- you will remain spiritually blind

Jesus says..GO..listen to my words..obey my words…TRUST my words. and when you do…I will open your eyes…

Shine into your darkness.

and give you spiritual eyes to see.

and as the man washed..THE LIGHT that he had not been able to process-the darkness that had been disrupted came into focus as the light that had always been there came flooding in…

and as the light became clear…his life was transformed as he stepped in to a LIFE of LIGHT...

Testifies

The man’s darkness had been disrupted by the light that he had now allowed in because of his willingness to LISTEN and OBEY Jesus’ words…

and when his darkness was disrupted- so was the darkness of every person that knew this man.

In vs’s 8-12 his neighbors are like...hold up- wait a minute- something has changed, but I don’t know what..

How can the blind man..now see???

For years they probably passed the blind man daily...

and now...it’s like someone got up in the middle of the night- and shut the door that was usually open.

The neighbors start feeling around…trying to figure it out…something was out of place...was he healed???..is he a different dude???..what’s happening???

so there they are…talking amongst themselves trying to figure this out WITHOUT even acknowledging the presence of the man.

so in vs. 9 he is finally like…hello..I can HEAR you…I am the guy you are talking about..

let me just tell you what happened..

vs 11…The man they call Jesus made mud and put it on my eyes…He told me to go to Siloam and wash…So I went and washed, and then I could see.

The man couldn't explain the healing- all he could do- was point them to JESUS…

His EXPERIENCE with Jesus-pointed people straight to him…

it’s important to note here that at this time- the man DOES NOT have spiritual sight…yet...

but remember- we are viewing this miracle through what it represents in regards to our spiritual lives.

When you have been transformed by Jesus..your life should become a living testimony..pointing those around you to the SOURCE of your transformation.

Putting your faith in Jesus doesn’t mean you are going to have the answers to all of your questions or to everyone else’s.

when asked details about Jesus and his whereabouts- the man is like..listen..I dunno...

But just like this man had a story to tell...If you have put your faith in Jesus- you have a story to tell....so GO....tell someone…you may not have all the answers to their questions

but it’s hard to argue with your PERSONAL testimony of what IS TRUE in YOUR life…

PRINCIPLE: Spiritual sight leads to a transformed life which points others to Jesus.

If your eyes have been opened-then GO and tell how you have personally been transformed by Jesus...

Invite them..to come and see as you share your testimony of how Jesus brought you from darkness…to light...

SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS 13-41

Moving into the rest of chapter 9, vs’ 13-41,- we are going to see that those who are spiritually blind reject truth and are blind to blindness...

Reject Truth (13-24)

So- the neighbors are like- ok- how do we process what we are seeing and hearing?

..he was blind..but now he sees...

Again- we are talking with Jews..they had not only been waiting on the Messiah, they had been taught to look for him.

So- they knew that opening the eyes of the blind was something ONLY GOD COULD DO, a sign of the Messiah…or what is sometimes called, a Messianic Miracle.

The OT pointed to specific MIRACLES that would be SIGNS that a person was the Messiah…listen to one of those prophecies from

Isaiah 42:6-7 “...I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a LIGHT for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in DARKNESS…

I mean is that not what Jesus is doing here…is he not screaming to everyone watching…I AM THE MESSIAH as he opens eyes of the blind and offers LIGHT to those in darkness.

So, in vs 13 the neighbors decide to bring the man to the people who SHOULD know what was happening- the Pharisees...

So- again- the man once again tells his simple, personal testimony....

and just like with the neighbors…the disruption of the darkness causes division and confusion…this time, amongst the Pharisees

Is he from God? Is he a sinner?

And- in their spiritual blindness, instead of accepting the truth that was in front of them, they instead go to great lengths to REJECT it.

because once again the Pharisees can’t reconcile what they WANT to be true with what is true…‌

So- they start by trying to trap Jesus and accuse him of breaking the Sabbath Law.

One of the Rabbinic laws that THEY had CREATED was that a person was not to make clay on the Sabbath..or…mud.

But while Jesus broke their manmade law, he did not break the Sabbath Law from God…

In their blindness they falsely believed that THEIR TRUTH was THE TRUTH…

but in order to PROVE their own truth, they had to first reject JESUS- who is THE TRUTH…

but, in vs’s 16 and 17 we see that their efforts to prove their own truth had failed because apparently the Pharisees definition of truth varied from person to person, resulting, once again in division amongst them.

So…as they continue their search for what they want to be true, the spiritually blind pharisees decide to try a different approach...

to prove that the miracle didn’t actually happen.

So they bring in his parents HOPING that they will stop this whole thing by saying that He was never actually blind.

but, in vs 20 the parents do just the opposite...

“we know that this is our son and we know that he was born blind.”

and with these words..the miracle has been confirmed..

he was blind..but now he sees..

but the parents want no part in answering their questions because they are afraid they will be put out of the synagogue.

So- the Pharisees turn back to the man…here we go again

vs 24…...”Give Glory to God by telling the TRUTH,” they said. “We KNOW this man is a sinner.”

They are so worried about truth, but yet, because of their blindness- they can’t see it…even when it is right in front of them.

Have you ever gone crazy searching for something that was right in front of you the whole time?

Your purse…your phone...your keys…your sunglasses..

Jesus has displayed his power and authority and REVEALED himself as the Messiah…he was standing in front of them and they were busy- looking in all the wrong places but, instead of SEEKING the truth about who he was- they desperately work to REJECT him.

now-Jesus already told us that this man IS going to give glory to God because, as he said in vs 3…the works of God were going to be displayed through him.

but this man had been personally touched by Jesus…nothing could change the facts about what happened…he could not deny what happened to him,.

and as he answers simply, he exposes the foolishness of their attempts to reject the truth.

vs 25: Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I know. I was blind, but now I see…

And while the man at this point is still referring to his physical healing, these words point to what God does in the life of those whose eyes have been spiritually opened...

through grace and grace alone- Jesus opens the eyes of those who put their faith in Him- he saves lost sinners- wandering around, lost in the dark..we know this truth and have sung it many times...

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.”

and then, in vs 26- the man is asked for the 4th time…in case anyone was counting...HOW did he open your eyes?

it’s interesting that everyone seems to be more concerned with HOW his eyes were opened vs’s WHO opened his eyes.

but the Pharisees were hunting for a natural explanation of the healing which would be understandable since according to them- Jesus was a fake.

The man knows they are trying to discredit the miracle and the one who did it…and in vs. 27, he calls them on it.

I already told you. Why do you want to hear it again?....

Do you want to become his disciples too?

Well- this sends the Pharisees over the edge. They are furious.

and they start hurling insults at him..but unlike his parents...

the man’s boldness seems to be increasing the more they push and the more times he shares the testimony of what Jesus had done to restore his sight.

30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

His bold response contained truth- that not even the Pharisees could deny…

there is not 1 instance in the OT of a healing of a person born blind.

What had happened to this man was monumental- and he knew it…And he was so confident that he boldly stood up to those who were rejecting him, even though it would come at great cost...

and in vs 34- the Pharisees respond with complete rejection of the man, the truth, and of Jesus. AND after one last insult, they throw him out of the synagogue.

....but as the leaders of the temple throw him out, the true temple comes to the man.

As Jesus approaches him he asks in vs.

35 “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”

37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”

38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

Throughout this chapter we have witnessed how the man’s faith grew. He started with intellectual knowledge of Jesus in vs. 17 when he called him a prophet.

He had experiential knowledge of Jesus in vs 25 when he said “One thing I do know: I was blind but now I see”.

But it isn’t until vs. 38 where Jesus sought him out and identified Himself as the Son of Man that the man believed and worshipped.

Sadly, the Pharisees remained spiritually blind, unable to see or understand the things of God. They were prisoners to sin’s darkness, & their guilt remained.

For the formerly blind man, Jesus’ words brought life. For the Pharisees, His words brought eternal judgment.

so they ask Jesus…are we blind too?

41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

The humility of the man to recognize his need for Jesus as his savior resulted in him walking away with not only physical sight, but spiritual sight.

Sadly, the Pharisees were unwilling to admit their blindness and the fact that they were lost and sinful...

Jesus had exposed their sin- he disrupted their darkness and exposed the places that they were blind.

If they would have listened to his words and put their faith in Him- he would have shown them grace and opened their eyes.

But instead…they were convinced that nothing was wrong with them.

They SAW the change in the blind beggar…They SAW Jesus perform miracles as he healed the blind man and the paralytic…

but...

They were blind to their own blindness…blinded by their pride, their self-righteousness, their tradition and their false interpretation of the word of God.

so, they chose to reject Jesus…and in doing so, they chose to remain blind…walking around with mud on their eyes- refusing to take it off...

but for those who seek Jesus…he is there- waiting to open their eyes and offer spiritual sight.

PRINCIPLE: Jesus opens the spiritual eyes of those who seek Him.

So- have your eyes been opened to the truth about Jesus?

Or are you rejecting Him and living in spiritual blindness?

Jesus wants to open your eyes- If you are resisting him today, would you stop walking in darkness and walk into the light by letting Jesus be the Lord of your life..

If Jesus has opened your eyes and the light is in- where are you looking this Christmas season?

Take time to really look at what…or on who are you fixing your eyes?

Is it Jesus?

If not- maybe it’s time to take this Christmas season and refocus your gaze and update your prescription..

and do just like the old hymn says...

O soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There’s light for a look at the Savior, And life more abundant and free!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.

LET’S PRAY and then let’s close out 2023 by standing and singing together