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Willing To See John 9:1-41
Have you ever struggled to see?
In today’s study, we are going to discuss people that had trouble
seeing. But these people who were struggling, it was not an issue of
physical sight. Rather, it was a spiritual one. They were not able to
see the One that claimed to be the Light of the world.
When Jesus established Himself as the light of the world, He did so with
evidence.
The purpose of the gospel of John is so that we will believe in Jesus.
John, as the author, repeatedly makes this clear to us. And he presents
to us evidence that we are to consider and examine. One aspect of this
evidence was the miracles. Whether it was changing water into wine,
walking on water or feeding over 5,000 people, each miracle pointed to
the supernatural and heavenly origin of Jesus. Miracles were his
credentials. And when they are given proper consideration, they point
the examiner to the deity of Jesus.
Today’s study brings more evidence. It is a story about a man that is
born blind who really gets to see.
In the study of the man born blind found in John 9:1-41, we will find
seven stops that will aid us in understanding spiritual blindness.
The first stop is basis (1-5).
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked
him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born
blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his
parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must
work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when
no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the
world.”
It is interesting to note that the disciples do the same thing many of
us do when we are confronted with a disabled person. We ignore them. And
though Jesus has deliberately seen him, they, instead, want to enter
into an abstract discussion. What they communicate to Jesus is the
popular premise of the day. The man was born blind because of sin. But
whose sin?
The lesson we find here is that sin is not the issue. Instead the issue
is that we are to do good while there is opportunity.
In a sense, the blindness is a blessing. I know that doesn’t make sense
on the surface. And to the blind man, it initially does not make any
sense at all. Nevertheless, this blindness was an opportunity for the
demonstration of the power of God. It was a demonstration that was both
physical and spiritual.
But before that happens, Jesus wants us to understand that He has a
mission to fulfill. His mission is to do the works of the Father, to do
what the Father wants. And in the process, to do so, He must be the
light to the world. He will love God and love others into the kingdom.
He will do good as long as there is time.
The second stop is restoration (6-7).
Having said these things, he spat on the ground and made mud with the
saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him,
“Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and
washed and came back seeing.
The touch of Jesus is effective.
One thing that we find in the gospels is that the Lord varies His
methods when it comes to healing. The application is obvious. People
have the tendency to focus on the method in which the healing takes
place and miss the message entirely. So Jesus never does it the same way
twice so that the larger message won’t be missed.
What is interesting is that Jesus makes the mud, gives the instructions
and disappears. So, the man is alone. He does what Jesus says. He goes
to the pool of Siloam. He washes. And He sees. Can you imagine what this
was like? He begins to see light. He sees his own reflection in the
pool. He sees other people. And he knows the touch of Jesus on his life
is effective. He sees.
The third phase is investigate – PART 1 (8-12).
The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying,
“Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is he.”
Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.”
So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “The
man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to
Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” They said
to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”
When God brings change in people, there is an identity issue. The whole
neighborhood is in an uproar. For whatever reason, they don’t seem to
believe it. Is this the same guy? It can’t be. It is impossible.
What is ironic is that the neighbors should have been rejoicing. But for
whatever reason, they are determined to have an explanation. People just
don’t change. They are getting all the ducks in a row. So right now,
this is not making sense.
The fourth phase is investigate – PART 2 (13-17).
They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now
it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. So the
Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to
them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” Some of the
Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the
Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such
signs?” And there was a division among them. So they said again to the
blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?”
He said, “He is a prophet.”
Now the neighborhood brings the man to the Pharisees. After all, this is
so big that there has to be some kind official word on it. So the former
blind man gives the report again. But instead of focusing on the wonder
of the healing, they are focused when it occurred. Since Jesus mixed mud
and anointed the eyes, and did this on the Sabbath, according to the
tradition of the Pharisees, this was work. So, they condemn Him as a
sinner.
Identity is also an issue for Jesus. These leaders have a problem. They
don’t agree about who Jesus is. There is a division among themselves.
They are in a deadlock. So they ask the former blind man about what he
thinks.
Are they ever stuck or what?
They have already made the case that God doesn’t listen to sinners. You
see, they have taught people well. Note the following Scriptures:
Psalm 66:18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not
have listened.
Proverbs 15:29 The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer
of the righteous.
So, the former blind man easily concludes that God obviously listened to
Jesus. It is blatantly clear. Moses, Elijah, and Elisha performed many
miracles. They were men of God who did wonderful things by the power of
God. So it is only logical to have the same conclusion. He is a prophet.
Obviously, this was not a conclusion the Jewish leaders were satisfied
with.
The fifth phase is investigate – PART 3 (18-23).
The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his
sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his
sight and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How
then does he now see?” His parents answered, “We know that this is our
son and that he was born blind. But how he now sees we do not know, nor
do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for
himself.” (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews,
for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to
be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.) Therefore his parents
said, “He is of age; ask him.”
When you are being intimidated, it is easy to “pass the buck.”
The Jewish leaders now turn to the parents, who are clearly frightened
by their questioning. They testify to the truth about the blindness, but
they are beating around the bush. They fear excommunication. They do not
want to be expelled from the community life that centered at the temple
and they believe the leaders will do it.
This is a sad time for them. They should be rejoicing over their son’s
healing. But there is no joy. There is no excitement. Instead they are
left to dissociate themselves from their own son. All because the Jewish
leaders will not face the truth.
The sixth phase is investigate – PART 4 (24-34).
So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said
to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” He
answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know,
that though I was blind, now I see.” They said to him, “What did he do
to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I have told you
already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do
you also want to become his disciples?” And they reviled him, saying,
“You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God
has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes
from.” The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know
where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does
not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his
will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard
that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not
from God, he could do nothing.” They answered him, “You were born in
utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.
When you know the truth, don’t get talked out of it. When you know the
truth, speak about it openly. This is exactly what the son does. And we
discover that he is made of sturdier stuff than his parents. He answers
them boldly, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know,
that though I was blind, now I see.” He could now see and nothing could
change that.
You have to admire his boldness. He fearlessly stood his ground, and
then adds a touch of sarcasm. Do you want to believe too?
The former blind man does not give in to the pressure. He will not
distort the story. He will not deny what has happened. And as a result,
he shows the Pharisees how foolish their thinking was. The
simple-hearted believer knows more spiritual truth than the educated
theologians
Nevertheless, as far as the Jewish leaders were concerned, the verdict
is in. They believe Jesus committed a crime, but there is a problem.
They can’t pin it down. But they do what they can! They cast the son out
of the temple. He is excommunicated.
The seventh phase is Revelation (35-41).
Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said,
“Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir,
that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and
it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he
worshiped him. Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that
those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Some
of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we
also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no
guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.”
The former blind man has not been out of the mind of the Savior. The
Jews may have cast him out, but Jesus takes him in. The Jews cast him
out of the temple, but the Lord of the temple found him and proves what
Jesus will say in the very near future, “My sheep hear my voice.” This
man is both willing and ready to believe. And when he is faced with the
full truth about who Jesus was, he not only does he trust, he worships
Him.
But the lessons are not over for us at this point. For we must learn we
can be blind to the truth when we don’t face our pride.
Some of the Pharisees were concerned that Jesus was referring to them as
blind. Jesus lets them know that if you claim to see, then you are
guilty. And they did know what was going on. Jesus had performed many
miracles and yet they ignored the evidence to make the right decision.
Their pride was keeping them from the truth.
There is an old proverb that says, “There is none so blind as he who
will not see.”
APPLICATION:
But there is a way to see the truth.
WE MUST FACE THE DARKNESS IN ORDER TO SEE.
Interestingly, the text demonstrates to us that the blind sinner
receives the truth and sees. And it shows us that when you know you are
blind, you are the kind to whom Jesus can give sight. When you can
recognize your own darkness, it is then Jesus can be light. When you
know how deeply infected you are with sin, it is then you realize the
need of a Savior.
The trouble is that we too easily allow evil to spread unrestricted in
our souls. And as a result, our minds get made up. We reject the truth
and become even blinder spiritually.
We must recognize that each of us has blind spots. We are susceptible to
not seeing what God is doing. So we must avoid becoming an authority to
ourselves. When we believe the truth to be whatever we think and say the
truth is, it is then the darkness has overtaken us.
Charles Spurgeon once said…
“It is not our littleness that hinders Christ; but our bigness. It is
not our weakness that hinders Christ; it is our strength. It is not our
darkness that hinders Christ; it is our supposed light that holds back
his hand.”
Are you willing to see?
Do you want to be open to the truth?
Then recognize that which keeps us from seeing. It is the darkness of
our own hearts. For when we get that right, then God can do His work in
us, and we will know the truth.
Face the darkness darkness in your life so that you know your real need
– a Savior; and when you discover this, you will know a Savior that
loves you, desires you and will always perfectly work for your good.
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