Act III Blind Sight

Blind Sight

Hopewell Baptist Church

November 24, 2019

Opening Illustration – Talk about the “I am a Christian” skit

Transition – Just like the kids in the skit weren’t really a frog, bird, or a “Christian”, we see Jesus explain in our text that…(Big Idea): just because someone knows about Jesus, has heard the gospel, sings in church, etc. does not mean they KNOW Jesus.

I. The Blind Sees – (A Positive Response to the Special Revelation of Jesus Christ)

a. Here, the man born blind continues to respond to God’s special revelation of Himself in His Son, Jesus Christ

i. General Revelation ()

ii. Special Revelation ()

b. v.35 – Do you believe in the Son of Man?

i.

ii. Jesus became aware of the man’s excommunication from the Synagogue, and goes to him and asks him if he believes

c. v.36 – And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?

i. This man still sees Jesus as a prophet, definitely from God

ii. He already believes in “him” (Jesus), he just doesn’t know that Jesus is the “he” whom he already believes in!

iii. The man, in responding with this question, genuinely wants to know the identity of this man, of the messiah.

1. This man has truly been drawn (6:44), given to Jesus (6:37), bought by God (6:45) and chosen by Jesus (6:70).

d. v.37 – “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.”

i. Here, Jesus tells the man born blind that He is the Messiah, the Christ, the savior of the world.

1. He is the Son of Man from

ii. The man’s faith is moving from one based on general revelation regarding creation to special revelation, that Jesus is the Savior, the Messiah, the Christ.

e. v.38 – Lord, I believe,” and he worshipped him.

i. He believes in Jesus, as contained in the Gospels.

ii. He worshipped him – he laid down prostrate on the floor

1. This is how we should worship him, without hesitation, in spirit and in truth, and, we should be able to recognize.

II. The Seeing Are Blind – – A Negative Response to the Special Revelation of Jesus Christ

a. Those that think they see are truly blind to their own blindness, blind to their need for a savior.

b. v.39 – “that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind”

i. blind – g:typhos -> a person unable or unwilling to perceive or understand

ii. Those who have a false sense of Biblical superiority/knowledge are blindly opposed to the things of God. They are blind to the light because they live and love living in darkness, and they don’t realize that they are in darkness.

iii. Those who recognize their blindness…

1. See the goodness of God, and the sinfulness of man. They see that we cannot pay the price or bear the burden of that sin, and see that Jesus, the Savior, paid that price and bore that burden on our behalf…So that we might become the righteousness of God ()

c. v.40 – Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things and said to him, “Are we also blind?”

i. heard – g:akouo-> to hear with intention to learn, to become aware of.

ii. The pharisees are looking for their own self-interests here. They are a prime example of those who see who are really blind.

1. They have no idea that the “blindness” that Jesus talks about is a lost condition.

d. v.41 – If you were blind, you would have no guilt, but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

i. The Pharisees have so much more education and knowledge, that they are really without excuse for not knowing about Jesus, for not seeing all the OT prophecies about Jesus (of which there are over 300)

1. (read some from list)

ii. Their guilt remains because they have this knowledge, they’ve seen the signs and wonders, heard testimonies (such as the man born blind and the invalid of 38 years), yet they continue to not only deny the reality of who Jesus is, but they try to kill him!

1.

2.

III. Application

a. If you recognize your blindness, Jesus has given you sight – v.39a

i.

b. If you don’t recognize your blindness and think you can see on your own, you really can’t, and Jesus has not (yet) given you your sight – v.39b-41

IV. Invitation

a. If you’re here and you realize that you have been blind, unable to see the things of God, but now you’re realizing the seriousness of sin, as it says in Scripture, call out in the name of the Lord! For a godly grief produces a repentance which leads to a salvation without regret ().

b. If you’ve known that God has given you sight and that you were formerly blind to the things of God, but have never taken that first step of obedience of Believer’s Baptism, I urge you to come and talk to me and set up a time to be baptized, making that two way commitment between you and the church!

c. If you are here and you feel a call to ministry, whether full time or just volunteering a couple hours a month within Hopewell Baptist Church, I urge you to surrender your life to that call of ministry on your life.

However, it is that you feel you’re being called by God, I urge you to respond! I will be up front while they sing the final hymn and would love the opportunity to pray with you and encourage you.

Let’s Pray.