John 9

Intro

If you’re new I want to welcome you to REC today, if you have been with us a while, welcome back

We have been in the book of John just trying to learn the voice of Jesus And today we are in John 9 so I want to encourage you to flip your bibles there and I will try and intro us

Back in John 8 we were confronted with a verse

John 8:12 NIV

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

This is probably one of the most consequencial verses in this section of John

In is one of Jesus’ 7 “I am” statements in the book of John.

It is a reminder all the way back to the prologue of

John 1:5 NIV

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

That Jesus is something special.

We had talked about way earlier in this series about how God’s light is what the world originally existed in…And then on the 4th day God created the sun.

The light that Jesus is, is much more than mere sunlight. The light that Jesus is profoundly extinguishes the darkness.

Darkness can not overcome it.

And this is impotrant because what we have next is a living parable something to illustrate what it is like to walk in the light vs walk in the darkness

So what we just came from was the 8th day of the feast of Tabernacles. And we are some time in between the feast of tabernacles and the feast of dedication..>Which we will get to next week.

So let’s get into all of chapter 9 today…Guys…I say this about every chapter in John but this is just one of the best chapters!

let’s get into the text:

John 9:1–12 NIV

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.” “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked. He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some 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.” “Where is this man?” they asked him. “I don’t know,” he said.

Ok let’s pause here

The disciples of Jesus assume the link between suffering and sin. We do this all the time right. Especially if we are suffering. The question comes into our minds, “is God punishing me?”

Did I do something wrong? and in the case of the disciples, they ask…Did his parents do something wrong…

Now they are asking this question for a specific purpose….Because in Jesus’ day the rabbis taught that if a pregnant woman participated in a pagan festival that the unborn child was also participating in it too

The disciples here are really no different than Job’s terrible friends who told Job it must be all your fault that all this bad stuff is happening to you.

If you don’t know the story of Job, he was a blameless man that God allowed to be tested and so he went through unimaginable suffering and his friends all came in to tell him you are a sinner..you must have done something to upset God…

Also Job’s friend showed up as judges of him

Here us a great tip. There are two different ways to approach people in the suffering. One of these ways is to show up in Judgment. This is a bad plan…

But people do it…Oh well if you would have just listened to me…Oh will if you would have eaten better…Oh well if you would have xyz….Thats one way to go

The other way to show up for someone who is suffering is looking for an opportunity for God to work!

This is what Jesus did… His answer was that no one sinned

John 9:3 NIV

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

I love that response and let me tell you why

What opportunities does God have in my life to reveal his power?

Like I alluded to: Humans generally seek answers that can help us rationalize why something is happening…And if the blindness is his own fault…Then man…that’s on him and we don’t have to help…

In writing this sermon…I had this deep sense of conviction…Because I drive and ride my bike by the same homeless guy every single day. And in the back of my head I am realizing that I am definitely one of the disciples…I bet he did something wrong to end up here

Maybe he’s an addict. Maybe he was a criminal…In either case its his fault and because it’s his fault then I don’t have to do anything about it…

It’s not my fault…In fact…He is getting what he deserves…This is his fault

But the voice of Jesus is now messing with me.

What if this happened so that the works of God could be displayed in him?

What if this is just an opportunity for the gospel, for redemption for healing… rather than an opportunity for judgment

I also love this whole interaction because the Disciples are trying to make Jesus into a judge…Jesus Judge here who sinned? And Jesus is the Judge…He has said it over and over again: Here is just one example:

John 5:22 NIV

Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,

But instead of Judging the blind man

Jesus becomes a caretaker

And There is a pattern in the book of John…Sort of every opportunity for Jesus to judge someone…He instead cares for them…

The woman at the well…While he tells her her own sin and story…He also lets her know that he is the messiah

The woman caught in adultery…He protects her life and offers her forgiveness and a new life!

This all leads up to another big statement we will hear from Jesus next week, I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD!

Jesus will constantly show up as the good shepherd in the gospels because he is…He is to this blind homeless man too

Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg? No he only looks like him!

So here is what Jesus does…And I love the miracles in the book of John are called Signs…and what we will see here is the 6th sign…

All Seven Miracles or signs in the book of John have an element of obeying the voice of God

The first miracles is water to wine..They run out of wine and do you remember the famous word’s of Jesus’ mother….”Do whatever he tells you”

The second sign is healing the officials son over a distance…When Jesus told the man his son was healed…the text just says “The man took Jesus at his word”

The third sign is healing the crippled man…And Jesus had a command for him…”Get up pick up your mat and walk”

The next was feeding the 5,000…the command of Jesus was to “have people sit down and then pass out the food”

Then the next sign was Jesus walking on water and the command of Jesus was to not be afraid …and then the text says…They were willing to take Jesus into the boat and then immediately the boat reached the other side

Now when we look at the sixth sign…Jesus spits on the ground, makes mud and tells him to go wash in the Pool of Siloam.

The 7th sign which we won’t see for weeks is the rising of Lazarus and Jesus commands him to step out of the grave…And he does

The point is that I am trying to make is that Jesus seems to be

God's power is often released when we obey His voice.

The difference between walking in darkness and walking in the light is simply whether we obey the voice of Jesus.

Live in obedience to the word of God and you will see amazing things!

God's power meets people on the other side of obedience.

So Jesus tells him to go wash in the pool of Siloam.

Do you see in your bible that John adds an editorial note here: Siloam means sent…Jesus is the sent one and he is sending this man

But wait there is more

A few weeks ago I made a big deal about the last and greatest day of the feast of tabernacles when the priest would draw water parade it to the temple and pour it over the steps and they would recite

Isaiah 12:3 NIV

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

Well the water that they would use for this festival was from the pool of Siloam

And then Jesus shouted

John 7:37–38 NIV

On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

There is a connection here

It is just another reminder of all things pointing toward Jesus is the living water…He is our salvation.

And I love what happens after this…People see the man who was born blind and they are like…Is this the same guy I mean he looks the same but everything has changed!

When you have an encounter with Jesus you might look the same but everything is different.

People are like, this can’t be the guy and he just tells his story and his story is powerful

Jesus just made some mud told me to wash and now I can see

When I first surrender my life to Jesus I remember going to school the next day and I was like…Wow everything is different

For me I can describe it almost in terms of food

What used to taste good to me was no longer good

My friend would sit around and make fun of people and use bad words all the time and I did too

But when I said yes to jesus all the sudden I looked the same but when they were making fun of someone I had this deep compassion for that person

When they were inviting me into their language and I used those words it was like chalk in my mouth…

I was the same guy but nothing was ever the same again!

and that is the story of saying yes to Jesus

Ok let’s get into the next section here

In the next section we get into a theological debate...and as often is the case with the book of John…

The poor blind, cripple or woman is actually logically and theologically robust

John 9:13–34 NIV

They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided. Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, “He is a prophet.” They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?” “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?” Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.” The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.

So now we learned that it is the sabbath…

And Jesus is already in trouble for healing on the sabbath back in chapter 5 So of course they launch an investigation and

The bring the mans parents in and they affirm..>yes that is my son but everything is different about him!

He is old enough ask him

So they ask him what happened…They say we know Jesus is a sinner I mea he healed on the sabbath

John 9:25 NIV

He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

My simple story of God’s work in my life is the most powerful story

And this man is like look…I know nothing of the man’s morality…All I know is that I was blind but now I see

And then they keep asking him a bunch about his life and the snarkyness of this man’s response is just gold!

he is like I told you…do you want to become his disciples too! and of course, the pharisees are so consumed with the politics of power that

they take this as…Oh so you are a disciple…

Hey we are disciples of moses..>We know he is from God but we do not know where this man is from

and then as the kids would say.

The formally blind man “claps back” at them

John 9:30–34 NIV

The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.

Then see what happens here…

This previously blind man can see perfectly…Not just visually…But He know’s the truth! And just like back in John 8

If the Son sets you free then you will be free indeed!

He know that only God can do what happened to him! but God doesn’t listen to sinners !

And now its the pharisees who are really blind to God working…And these are the church leaders..The pastors..The shepherds of israel..>And they are totally blind to the working of God…Because they are focused on their own power and authority

the pharisees are stepping into the role of Judge and Job’s friends….See this guy is a sinner from birth

And again…Just like last week…When the pharisees are out of options they default to insults…

But now the man who has been healed has a boldness about him that allow for him to publically confess to these authorities that what Jesus did is from God. and he doesn’t care about the repercussions

Now Jesus had been paying attention to this situation

John 9:35–41 NIV

Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

I love that Jesus asks…Do you believe in the son of man and the man replies who is he sir tell me so I can believe in him

And Jesus responds…You have now seen him! He is the one speaking with you!

And I love this there is not a ton more to say than what is already in the text

The man makes a public declaration of his faith…I believe

and then the text says he worshiped Jesus.

The word worship here is a falling down on his face and worshiping Jesus

I mean some people think that following Jesus takes so magic words…We pray a prayer here…But its honestly a heart shift…its an internal move to I believe and now I am no longer the authority of my own life…I am going to bow at the feet of Jesus and worship him!

he is the only one worthy of my praise!

remember a few weeks ago Jesus said that the pharisees were the children of the devil because they were trying to kill him…Now Jesus is definitely putting them on the side of darkness by saying that they are blind…

They are blind to the works of God…The most religious people, in the most religious place…

They can see with their physical eyes, but they are choosing to deny the truth!

So Jesus is like look you are still guilty of denying me since you can see but are choosing your own power and position over me!

Recap

Jesus keeps declaring and demonstrating that he is the light of the world

This man who was born blind had seen nothing but darkness his entire life and now the light of the world has transformed his whole life

But he gets much more than physical sight out of this! He gets the truth…

And the thing I most love about this story is that it called for the man’s obedience

Its like Jesus is looking for a willing partner.

A person who will take him at his word

A person who will do whatever he says

Its like

God wants to work in your…He wants to offer you his best…but He won’t force his goodness on you. He wants you to obey his word

Conclusion

As I look back over this story, I don't think the greatest miracle is that a blind man received his sight.

The greatest miracle is that a man who had lived his entire life in darkness met the Light of the World.

Everything changed.

Jesus didn't simply heal his eyes.

He opened his eyes to God’s working in his life…He opened this mans eyes to the truth

And the amazing part is that every step of this story involved one simple act of obedience.

Go wash.

The man didn't understand everything.

He didn't have all the theology figured out.

He simply trusted Jesus enough to do what Jesus asked.

That's been true in every sign we've studied in John.

Again and again, God's power meets people on the other side of obedience.

The difference between walking in darkness and walking in the light is simply whether we obey the voice of Jesus.If you get nothing else out of today get this!

The difference between light and darkness is listening to the voice of Jesus and doing it!

Maybe today you're waiting for God to move.

Maybe He's waiting for you to obey.

Here is what we are going to do today.

On the first Sunday of the month, we celebrate communion. And in our church communion is open to all who put their trust in Jesus.

Communion for Jesus is the ultimate act of obeying his heavenly father

It is a meal that we celebrate …On the last night that jesus was with his disciples he celebrate the passover meal and he re-defined it for them…

They eat lamb…And that lamb is sacrificed to save them from death…Its an old story that goes back to Exodus…

And then they would take the blood of the lamb and spread it over the doorpost…

And Jesus would take the bread and break it and say this is my body…broken for you…And he would have them eat…They wouldn’t get it yet

And then he would take the cup and say

This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you

Jesus would then tell us to take of this meal regularly in remembrance of him

And this meal really is a little miracle…Because the more we come to the table in obedience

The more we come to the table and say Lord thank you for dying for me

Thank you for sacrificing your life on my behalf…The more we become like him

It’s God’s inititative and our obedience

A famous church reformer, John Wesley would call this a means of grace…Or a way that God reveals himself to you

So as you come to the table today I want you to treat the walk up here as a prayer…

Maybe your prayer today is Lord help me to see like the blind man!

Maybe your prayer today is lord help me to obey you

Maybe it is just a simple declaration…Lord I trust in Jesus!

And I guarantee that you will look the same at the end of the day but everything will be different…

Let’s pray