I Once Was Blind

John 9:25 ““I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!””

Introduction:

There has been a great deal of fog here lately. It makes getting to the car and then driving to work very difficult. You have to make appropriate plans to get to where you are going. Imagine what it is like for the big ships with no navigation and no ability to see where you are going. Imagine what it would be like to never see the smile of your newborn baby or see the sun come up or sunset. Imagine never getting to see anything!

1. The Man

John 9:1–3 “As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.”

Though this man could not see Jesus, Jesus saw him! And it is the same with us! PTL

The disciples automatically assumed it was sin that caused this man’s blindness.

Exodus 20:5 “You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.”

Sin is the cause, but it was Adam’s sin.

Sometimes, your own sin can cause problems.

Sometimes, other’s sins can cause you problems.

However, the question asked by the disciples is troubling to me. You see, they were more concerned about his condition, while Jesus was concerned about the man himself.

Our go-to move is to place blame.

We want to know why someone is sick, why they are missing limbs, or why someone is blind.

Jesus points out here that the power of God could be seen in him.

God is still in the healing business. He can heal you today.

but He also works through suffering / He allows it

Through difficulties, He is able to show His mercy, love, and power (Joni Eareckson Tada)

Suffering may also cause people to turn to Christ for help and spiritual salvation.

We don’t see the man asking for help from Jesus here in this story; Jesus just heals him.

2. The Time Frame

John 9:4–5“We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.””

I find it very interesting that following Jesus’ statement about the man’s blindness being so that God’s power can be shown in verse 3, He then says this.

As a follower of Jesus, I have heard many times that He never got in a hurry, but then I read this: “We must quickly carry out the tasks...”

Jesus understood that time matters. There is a time for everything under the sun.

It is not that Jesus can only work during this time or that time. God can work anytime! It is that we are only given so many days to do what we need to do.

Too often, we never do what we set out to do.

The old joke goes, “I bought a book about procrastination, but I haven’t got around to reading it yet.”

Let’s be very clear here: We are not guaranteed tomorrow, and we have been given the task of telling everyone about Jesus. So let us be about doing what we can while we can.

3. The Method & Instruction

John 9:6–7 “Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!”

Many ancient people found medicinal value in a person’s spittle. Today, this sounds pretty gross to most of us.

I also find it interesting that Jesus spoke to the paralyzed man in chapter 5, and he was healed.

Now Jesus does something that seems rather bizarre. He spit on the ground and made mud.

The spittle of our Holy God mixed with the dust from which man came combined to make a healing balm. This is a great description of Jesus Himself. He was all human and all Divine! PTL

Now Jesus applied this mud mixture to the man’s eyes and then told him to wash in the pool of Siloam. The name here is fitting as Siloam means “Sent.”

Jesus was sent, and He joyfully obeyed the Father.

Jesus sent the man, and he went, obeying the Lord.

Jesus is sending us. What will our response be?

4. The Change

John 9:8–9 “His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!” But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!””

The people were confused!

They could not believe that this was the same man.

It wasn’t because the man was now begging but could suddenly see. He was a beggar because he could not work like the rest of society. There was something preventing him from being a valuable member of society. He had to resort to receiving from others for his welfare.

Oh, but now that he could see, everything changed. He could now be a whole different person, and he could add value to those around him.

Life changed because he could now see.

What about you? How has your life changed since Jesus gave you sight? Have the people around you seen the change?

5. The Questioning

John 9:10 “They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?””

John 9:15–18 “The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them. Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, “What’s your opinion about this man who healed you?” The man replied, “I think he must be a prophet.” The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents.”

Jesus touched the man’s eyes, and the people were confused. Then the questions started coming in.

What happened?

Who did this?

How exactly did this all go down?

Some people are really interested in finding out so they can experience a miracle too!

Sadly, this isn’t the case here.

The blind had to investigate why the one who they thought was blind could now see.

They were filled with unbelief. Look what unbelief does:

Unbelief sets false standards. They said Jesus was an ordinary sinner. He can’t do this on the Sabbath.

Unbelief wants more evidence. They kept questioning.

Unbelief does biased research. They didn’t believe the man after his story didn’t change so they asked others.

Unbelief rejects facts. They just refused to believe. Many still do.

Unbelief is self-centered. They couldn’t understand why Jesus could do something that they could not.

Don’t let unbelief stop you. Not someone else’s and not your own.

6. The Rebuttal

John 9:27–33““Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.” “Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.””

This has to be one of my favorite discourses in the Bible.

The man who has now had his life turned upside down, one who had no hope, been giving hope can now question those who are questioning him.

He had been asked enough times and his story wasn’t going to change. “I told you once”

Wow! How the tables have been turned. Who is questioning who now?

Look at the arrogance of the Pharisees: “We are disciples of Moses!”

They couldn’t see the very promise that they had been hoping for all of those years when He was standing right in front of them.

How many of you would be willing to admit that you have opened the refrigerator and spent considerable time looking for something and closed the door, never finding what it was you were looking for?

Then your spouse comes in a points out that it was right in front of you.

This is what was going on, and the man who was born blind could now see.

Isaiah 29:18 “In that day the deaf will hear words read from a book, and the blind will see through the gloom and darkness.”

Isaiah 35:5 “And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf.”

They should have known that their own Scriptures pointed to what was happening!

7. The Consequences

John 9:34 ““You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue.”

The Pharisees questioned the man and he told them what happened.

They couldn’t sway his testimony so they asked the parents.

They were scared of the consequences of not bending to the power of the synagogue so they put it back on their son.

Being a part of the synagogue was a big deal for them.

It is a part of their lives. No one wants to be kicked out of the group. We all want to be a part of something and to be accepted. It is something that is a deep need.

The man who could now see wasn’t too worried about that. He wasn’t accepted before and didn’t feel any need to go be a part of their club now.

Many may read that they threw him out of the synagogue and feel bad for him, but in reality this was a good thing!

What would have happened if the man had become part of this group of unbelievers? They would have proceeded to convince him what he experienced wasn’t real and turned him into an unbelieving, law-abiding Son of Abraham.

No, sir, no thanks. I’ll take Jesus!!!!

8. The Search and Rescue

John 9:35–38 “When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!” “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.”

It would have been enough if Jesus had touched the man’s eyes and gave him his sight.

But Jesus didn’t stop there.

He knew what would happen to him once he began to testify about his healing.

Jesus knew that the man would be ridiculed and criticized.

We have no reason to expect anything different about our testimony. A holy life has the tendency to make people mad.

Jesus found the man and brought him into the fold.

Jesus not only healed him but saved him.

And the man worshiped Jesus!

What is your response????

9. The Purpose Revealed

John 9:39–41 “Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.” Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?” “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.”

John wrote his gospel some 60 years after Jesus’ encounter with this man who could now see.

It was a reminder to the church of what happened to them when they believed Jesus.

Jesus came to give sight to the blind, and though some did not believe, many did!

SLIDE of optical illusions

We all think we can see, but we’re wrong! It’s when we admit that we’re blind, then we can really see!

Jesus gave sight to this ole blind fellow. How about you?

Would you stand with me?

Jesus used this miracle to point people to their condition.

They were all blind; it was just this man who was only physically blind. They were much worse. They were spiritually blind.

You can go to heaven without your eyes, but you cannot go to heaven without your spiritual eyesight.

Are you willing to admit your blindness and let Jesus give you sight?

Where are you today? What is it that you need from Jesus, or what do you want to tell him today?

These altars are open.

We’d love to partner with you in prayer. Come and pray, come and worship, just come!