“The Blind Man” 6-21-08
John 9:1-34
Today I want to talk for a little while about what we read in John 9: to do with this blind man that Jesus gave sight, so I want you to pay close attention.
This man life was changed so dramatically that to him every avenue of his life had a different meaning.
This dear man got up that morning unaware that his world was about to change because he was about to meet Jesus the Christ, the True Healer.
And in much the same way for spiritual blind people, Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:3--Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. A lost sinner just can’t see it.
When a person comes to Jesus Christ the Bible says in 2nd Cor. 5:17 all things become new. They pass from death to life, from darkness to light, from hell to heaven. That experience is called salvation.
In John chapter eight Jesus said that he was the “light of the world” and in chapter nine Jesus proves it. As Jesus and His disciples leave the city of Jerusalem after the Feast of the Tabernacles – they came across a man blind from birth.
Listen as I read today’s text found in John 9:
1And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
3Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. 4I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. 5As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
6When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, 7And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
8The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?
9Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he. 10Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened? 11He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.
12Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.
13They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. 14And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.
15Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see. 16Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.
17They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.
18But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight
19And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see?
20His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: 21But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.
22These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
23Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him. 24Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.
25 He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.
26Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes? 27He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?
28Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples. 29We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.
30The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. 31Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.
32Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. 33If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.
34They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
35Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?
36He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?
37And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.
38And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.
39And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
40And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
41Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.
The Pharisees were eyewitnesses to many of the miracles that Jesus did, but even though they saw, they did not believe.
Jesus gives an important principle found in verse 39. “And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.”
The great truth we find here is “Believing is Seeing,” not “seeing is believing,” but “Believing is Seeing.” When Jesus found this man, he asked him a question. Dost thou believe on the Son of God?
Notice verse 37 of the text. “He answered and said, Who is he lord, that I might believe on Him?” The question asked by Jesus brought this man to carefully consider the miracle that had just happened to him. There were already some things this man believed.
This man believed the word about Jesus. There is a good possibility that the man had heard others speaking about Jesus, and calling Him a prophet. So the man believed the word about Jesus.
This man believed something else about Jesus. He believed the work of Jesus. verse 25. “He answered and said, whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.” Although the man didn’t have a complete knowledge about Jesus, he believed that Jesus made a difference.
To this man Jesus made a difference. It still holds true today. Today, Jesus still makes a difference.
When Jesus asked the question, “Dost thou believe on the Son of God? ,” He was already aware of this man’s measure of faith. Faith is progressive. Jesus knew the man believed the word about Him. Jesus knew that this man believed He makes a difference. The question now was, did this man believe in a person?
The man’s faith had progressed. It had reached a certain point. Why then was it necessary for the man to take another step forward, and believe in the person of Christ? Because, faith that sets bounds to itself, that will believe so much and no more, that will trust so far, and no further, is not saving faith.
When this man learned the truth about who this man Jesus really was, he believed. His faith progressed from believing the word about Jesus, to believing that Jesus can make a difference, to believing in the person of Jesus Christ.
Why is it so important that people believe?
Jesus said in verse 39. For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.”
“For judgment I am come into this world--
1 Timothy 1:15, “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief?” This verse describes the mission of Christ. He did come to save sinners, to call the sinner to repentance.
Here in our text, this verse does not describe the mission of Jesus, but the end result of Jesus Christ in His mission.
When a person comes face to face with Who Jesus really is, that He truly is the Son of God,[ and that its show down time so to speak,] that person finds them self in a crisis.
When the blind man saw Jesus for who He was, he was automatically placed into this very crisis. He could believe, or he could reject the Messiah.
When we come face to face with the opportunity of believing on Him, we can believe, trust, put our faith in the person of Jesus, or we can reject Him and refuse to believe His claims. There is no fence straddling; there are no gray areas. John 3: 18, “He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” When a person rejects Jesus Christ, it’s not Christ that judges you, but it is in fact you that has judged yourself.
Jesus used the blindness of this man to illustrate the darkness of sin, and to show that His purpose is for them as well as you and I to come out of that darkness, and see clearly the truth of His claims.
Vs.39 “For judgment I came into the world so that they which see not might see; and they which see might be made blind.”
The Pharisees claimed to have spiritual sight, but Jesus told them that it was their very claims to spiritual sight that made them blind. The Pharisees did not see themselves as sinners, verse 34, and Jesus told them in Matthew 9:13, “for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Because they refused to see their condition, they had no need to believe in Christ. They refused to see themselves as sinners.
The Scripture is clear when it says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. That little word “all” includes all. Because they refused to see the truth about themselves, they would not believe in Jesus. The light of the world stood before them, and because they refused to believe, they were blinded to Him.
Notice what the once blind beggar did. “And he said, Lord, I believe.”
The Pharisees who refused to believe could not see the truth about this person of Jesus. They could not see that He was the promised Messiah, the Son of God. But, the blind man believed, and worshipped Him. He saw the truth about Jesus, because he believed in Him.
What did this blind man see?
He saw a friend when others rejected him. The Pharisees rejected him, and not even his own parents would help him. You may think you have loyal friends. You may think that they will stick with you through anything. But rest assured, every person has a limit.
Remember that this man’s own parents in essence forsook him. Not only did his parents forsake him, but due to the fact that he was excommunicated, all of the community forsook him as well.
Because this man believed, and he saw that friend that sticks closer that a brother. He saw the one that laid His life down for His friends. He saw a friend when others rejected him.
