John 9 - Light for sight

John 9:1-11

Light for sight.

John 1:4 “4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.”

John 1:9 “9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.”

John 1:14 “14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Jesus is the Healer.

Is it God’s will to heal? It is God’s will that His glory be revealed.

Jesus looked forward, the others looked back.

Jesus is after God’s glory, not our comforts. He will comfort us, but wants us to lean into contentment not circumstantial comfort.

..hard truths we don’t like to hear.

just because two truths are in tension, doesn’t mean they aren’t equally true.

we want to reduce God to something we control and predict; we can’t.

I have prayed for countless people; no healing. I have prayed for even more, that God did heal.

Our job is to bring the request, ask with boldness, and trust God to show His love. So we pray, lay hands, and anoint with oil.

In healing one can concentrate on either of two attributes; the power of God or the love of God. In every healing there is a manifestation of both.

Francis MacNutt

sin does bring suffering.

not all suffering is due to personal sin.

healing reveals God’s glory.

we pursue God, experience His glory.

gifts of healing is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit.

God is a healing God.

miraculously, medically, naturally, progressively and eternally.

the healing occurs after obedience.

our wholeness occurs when an encounter with Jesus meets our trusting obedience. (the man was healed after he went and was washed).

Jesus is the needed light to see. Do you have eyes to see?

We often have working eyes, but no eyesight.

Can we see in darkness?

Matthew 6:22–23 “22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness, how deep is that darkness!”

We have scales.

Perspective Matters

You don’t know how bad your eyes are, until you put on proper prescription

have a friend who said, “i’m seeing things in scripture like never before…the spirit has been opening my eyes.”

What is covering our eyesight?

pride

arrogance

unbelief

greed

trauma unhealed

Spiritual Blindness Syndrome

illus: Anton’s Syndrome - is a rare neurological condition where a person is cortically blind but denies their blindness. Symptoms include complete or partial vision loss, unawareness of the deficit in sight, and confidently describing or inventing visual details they cannot actually see..meaning they unintentionally create or tell false information, often as a way of filling in memory gaps or explaining something the brain cannot process correctly. The person isn’t deliberately lying—they genuinely believe the inaccurate details they produce.

One researcher said:

“One of the most striking features in the behavior of our patients was their inability to learn from their experiences. As they were not aware of their blindness when they walked about, they bumped into the furniture and walls but did not change their behavior. When confronted with their blindness in a rather pointed fashion, they would either deny any visual difficulty or remark: “It is so dark in the room; why don’t they turn the light on?”; “I forgot my glasses,” or “My vision is not too good, but I can see all right.” The patients would not accept any demonstration or assurance which would prove their blindness.[35]”

“Are you repeatedly bumping into obstacles in life that you didn’t see coming? Do you still make excuses for the bruises of your own making? Are you still pretending the problem is “out there” rather than “in here”

Two major symptoms of Spiritual Blindness (aside from unbelief in Jesus) that i observe in the church:

We see everything as a victim…

we blame the restaurant, the owner, the waiter, the small town - but we never see our entitlement, impatience, or arrogance.

An employee who consistently misses deadlines might say, “My boss is out to get me” rather than facing their own lack of discipline or time management.

A person drowning in debt may blame the economy or unfair systems while continuing to overspend, refusing to acknowledge their role in the cycle.

You believe they don’t belong or aren’t pursued by God—or lacking value in community. They say, “No one invites me,” while avoiding invitations, community, or contributing themselves.

Saying, “Everyone abandons me” while pushing people away or refusing healthy relationships.

their unbelief in Jesus kept them blind

they were so busy looking at the wrong things, they couldn’t see Jesus and the glory of God.

They believe failure defines them—not seeing God’s grace or identity as His beloved. They say, “I’m just broken,” and expect grace but don’t extend it to themselves or others—neither growing from mistakes nor receiving healing.

2. We focus on sin and miss God’s glory

When we limit people to their past, we’ll be blind to seeing God’s glory on display in their transformation.

Spiritual blindness causes us to be frustrated at other’s sins, while failing to confess our own in the light.

accepting publicly of sexual sin, cause we’re addicted to porn privately

mad at abuse of power, yet love being in control and a power trip

disgusted by legalism, but unwilling to walk in submission.

we point out people don’t trust God enough, yet ingnore that we can’t live without getting your questions answered.

Jesus can restore your sight.

A few main components to this healing.

dirt

Dirt: the one who makes us, recreates us.

This was the sixth sign…humanity needed cleansing and healing.

broken image barriers..need to be reanimated

spit

breathed into man…

Image & Idol are same word in hebrew.

“The ritual that was used to turn an image into a living statue (in the eyes of the ancient nations surrounding Israel) was considered a kind of cleansing ceremony. As they washed the image, one scholar observes, they believed this rite “activated the image’s senses and caused the human senses (smell, taste, seeing and hearing) to become enlivened so that the image became both human-like and a representation of the divine.”[11]” - God Is on Your Side, Joshua Ryan Butler

washing

Baptism —> Sent as Ambassadors

pool is water of life in Revelation

we get to behold His glory.

Wash in the pool of “SENT”.

Jesus was sent.

Jesus sends us.

Washing was an act of obedience

the healing occurs after obedience.

our wholeness occurs when an encounter with Jesus meets our trusting obedience.

The creator that formed you, wants to reform you toward His redemptive purpose.

This is redemptive formation.

you start to participate, and as you go, you’re healed more and more.

We are mended as we go...(formation course)

we have our eyes open, yet we don’t fully see His glory as He is, but we will one day.

Jesus sees you.

John 9:1 “1 As he was passing by, he saw a man blind from birth.”

John 9:35 “35 Jesus heard that they had thrown the man out, and when he found him, he asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?””

Like God passed by with His goodness to Moses and His presence in response to Job.

Jesus sees us. Jesus pursues us. Jesus is close and present with us.

Jesus found the man a second time…

often we have had our eyes open, but find ourselves discouraged, Jesus sees us and finds us then too.

Worship opens our eyes to see The Light.

John 9:38 “38 “I believe, Lord!” he said, and he worshiped him.”

When you wonder if Jesus can see you, worship.

When your eyes are opened to see, worship.

When you can’t see the good yet, worship.

When you can’t see Jesus clearly, worship.

Worship fixes your eyes on Him, and away from yourself.

RESPONSE + COMMUNION

Do you need healing?

Do you need your eyesight restored?

Do you need to see Jesus?

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Talk it Over (being honest & open with friends, a spouse, or your Group)

The message was about the Jesus, the Light for sight.. What is one idea from Sunday’s message that impacted you?

Read John 9:1-11. What is the Holy Spirit saying through these verses?

What does John 1:4 reveal about the nature of life and light found in Jesus?

How can we reconcile the tension between God’s will to heal and the existence of suffering? Why is it important to understand that not all suffering comes from personal sin?

What can we do to maintain perspective and avoid spiritual blindness in our everyday lives?

How does the concept of 'trusting obedience' play a role in our wholeness?

How can worship help us to restore our vision and focus on Jesus?