Introduction
John’s eyewitness
account of an incident of someone coming to faith because he starts thinking
about the evidence while some rejecting Jesus Christ because they stopped
thinking about the evidence.
Personal, experiential
testimony, though very important, is not the Gospel. Our witness is to a living
Christ today & our experience. The witness of the disciples was to the Word
made flesh.
Secrets of
the Kingdom
John’s Gospel reveals
the secrets in teachings about the kingdom that is being ushered in – new birth,
water of life, the Divine Son, the Bread of Life, the Life-Giving Spirit, the
Light of the World and the Good Shepherd – the discourses or that is being
ushered in.
Jesus turning water
into wine was the first sign of John’s Gospel – a new creation was on the verge
of coming in, the generous gifts of God would soon flow, the abundance and joy
of the new kingdom. Entry into this kingdom requires a new birth certificate and
even sinners like the Samaritan woman could also get in. What God wants in his
kingdom – true worship in contrast to the existing temple worship.
God’s
Rescuer
The theme of John
8:12 where Jesus made the claim: “I am the light of the world”, refers to the fulfillment
of God’s promises hundreds of years ago to send a Rescuer to bring God’s people
from darkness and being cut off as a result of rebellion against God, to light,
to know God and live with God. (Isaiah 61:1,2; Deuteronomy 29:2-6)
Light of
the World
The theme of John 8
now comes and focuses on one man, the light shines on one man. Not only does
the light shine, but his eyes are going to be opened.
1. The
Claim and Demonstration that Jesus is God’s Rescuer (9:1 - 8)
Work of God
Disciples’ popular
theology assumed suffering comes from things we do wrong. Jesus is very clear
in v3: suffering is not caused by our own wrong doing. So why is he blind?
That God's glory
might be seen. He's actually here in the providence of God so that at this
moment as Jesus passes by and work this great miracle, all men might see what
is the distinctive work of God that Jesus has been sent into the world to do. And
what is that work of God? To open people's eyes to the truth - that is the heart
of apostolic ministry (Acts 26:16-18).
Light for
Life
Jesus, the Light of
the World claims to give light for life (John 1:4; 8:12). He’s the one who
understands about life. If you follow Jesus, you will understand about life. If
you don't follow Jesus, you'll never understand what life is about. Jesus is
able to enlighten you for life.
Spiritual
Blindness
To think of life as
if it is only now is to completely the wrong way to think of life. But for
Jesus, there is healing. May not be now, but there will be in the ultimate. Here,
a person with congenital blindness is healed simply by the Word of Jesus.
It's really a
secondary picture of spiritual blindness. What are the marks of spiritual
blindness?
Firstly, there is a carelessness about God.
The mark of spiritual blindness is I don't worry about God and I don't want him
to worry me.
With regard to the
Bible, I never read it. These are the marks of the spiritually blind.
With regard to
prayer, I don't engage in it unless there is a crisis.
There's an
uncontrollable pride in the spiritually blind. Pride which pushes God aside and
expresses itself in self sufficiency and often tells Christians they are weak
and feeble if they have to trust and obey God.
The spiritually blind
are careless about life after this one and the judgment of God is given very
little thought.
The spiritually blind
generally are unhappy about God’s people and do not want to be with them.
Jesus takes the
complete initiative in opening these blind eyes and it is exactly the same in
the spirit world. God took the initiative by doing for us what we cannot do for
ourselves. Only God can help. He has taken the initiative. Jesus coming into
the world, died on the cross and rose again from the dead so that I can be forgiven, and he sends his Holy
Spirit to change us and empower us to live new lives.
This miracle is
evidence that backs up Jesus' claim to be the Light of the world
2. OPENING
OUR EYES TO JESUS (v9 – 39)
Faith and
Evidence
The blind man's
understanding of Jesus changes gradually from Jesus being just a man, to being
a prophet, to being from God and finally coming to faith in Jesus and worships
him. (v12, 17, 35, 38)
Far from switching
off his mind, he comes to believe as he rationally, logically dwells on the evidence.
This is faith, not faith despite, but faith because of the evidence.
Evidence
Denied
It's frightening to
realize that it doesn't matter how many times the evidence is stated before the
authorities, they are determined not to believe. They are basically
disinterested in the evidence.
Sometime later, a man
is raised from the dead and the same authorities try to kill him to get rid of
the evidence. The evidence does not change their minds.
Needing
Help
Blind people cannot
open their own eyes and need a miracle to see who Jesus is. Jesus enables the
blind man to believe. We need help to see straight. We need to pray for help.
3. CLOSING
OUR EYES TO JESUS (v39 – 41)
Blinded
Others get sight from
Jesus, others blinded by him. Jesus is saying those who get blinded are those
who say they see, they think they have perfect spiritual sight, they think they
know what's what with God - that really sums up the Pharisees.
We think we can see.
If we do, if we think we can see on our own by ourselves, Jesus says we are in
danger of becoming blind, which means confirming, deepening our blindness.
It's very dangerous
to close our eyes to Jesus Christ.
Jesus claims that he
is the watershed and the divide. It is in our attitude to him that either makes
you blind or gives you sight. It is the way I respond to Jesus as to whether my
guilt is forgiven or my guilt remains.
Physical
There is an extraordinary
account, without precedent, of a chronically sick man, without the capacity to
see (v1), washing in a pool and coming back seeing. There can't possibly be a
greater miracle?
Spiritual
The greater miracle
in this chapter is how a man who is quite ignorant of Jesus came actually to
worship Him (v35-37). Jesus’ own disciples
hardly in a position to confess Jesus as God; the church not yet formed, yet
this man has become a worshiper.
CONCLUSION
3 great truths to understand carefully:
1. Man's
case is hopeless
It is very important
to realize that Man is blind from birth (v1). They see Gospel as foolish
because they are blind, not because the Gospel is not there (1 Cor2:14). Bear
this mind or else we will be disillusioned and discouraged as we try to share
the Gospel. The Bible makes it very clear we are all incapable of living
together and incapable of living with God without the grace of Christ. Therefore,
need to cry out to and depend on God to have mercy on them.
2. Our only
hope lies in the free and sovereign grace of God
Our hope does not lie
in men. If you put your trust in them, and their ways of describing and
explaining the Gospel, we shall fail. Our hope is in God alone. John 9 doesn't
even mention the faith of the blind man. It is entirely God in mercy, moving
into a situation where a man is incapable of seeing or believing and giving him
sight. Man is incapable of believing or obeying God. What we should call upon
men to do, as in this account, is obey the Lord when they hear his voice. Belief
without that obedience will lead to nothing.
3.
Conversion brings Radical Change
The change brought
about by conversion is very radical.
This man comes to
have unshakable convictions – was blind, but now I see (v25).
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