Why the Blind See and the Seeing Are Blind
(John 9:1-41)
1. There are many things in life that once bore us and then they later
become enjoyable and fascinating.
2. Me and my music.
3. Art. Recycling.
4. The same is true in the spiritual realm. Many of you may have
thought Christianity boring, the Bible irrelevant, church for duds.
Question: Why is it the same Gospel that draws us to Jesus repels
others? Why do some believers burn their eyes out reading their Bibles
while others retire in spiritual nursery school?
PROP: If we want to serve the Lord, we will respond to Him despite
obstacles in our paths; if we do not want to serve the Lord, we’ll find an
excuse.
I. The Account Itself (9:1-41)
1. Man blind from birth, a beggar
2. Theological question: Who sinned?
3. It is on a Saturday, Jesus mixes clay, puts it on blind man(6-12)
read verse 6
(1) why clay? ---created man/dust, creating new eyes...
(2) man washes---why washing? Namaan 7X...a test
(3) can see...walks home, recognized (or look alike?)
---"I am the man...." he insists...Explains what he knows..
4. Man is brought to the local Pharisees...explains how cured (13-
(1) a sinner: working on the Sabbath...
(2) They ask parents, parents say this is our son, ask him
---parents poor--fearful of being cast out of Synagogue
5. Question him again,same: Their response: this man is a sinner...(24)
(1) don’t know that, but he healed me
(2) Pharisees ask again....healed me accuses them, "Do you want to
be one of His disciples?--bit of a smart mouth...
(3) We are disciples of Moses, but we don’t know where this...
6. Wonderful leaders you are! You don’t know where he comes from, he
heals me, and you say a sinner...God doesn’t listen to sinners...if not
from God, He couldn’t do this...
7. Note their reply in vs. 34---back to the "who sinned" question...
8. They cast him our of synagogue...
3 types of casting out for discipline
(1) N-ZIFAH--cast out for 7 days/1 person
(2) niddui--thirty days/3 persons--9 ft away
(3) cherem---treated like one dead
9. Jesus finds Him, says "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
Who is He? You have seen Him...and He WORSHIPPED Him...
10. Read 9:39-41
II. Let’s Note How This Healed Man Overcame
Obstacles...
1. He trusted the Lord first....walked to pool...must have sensed at least
the possibility of being healed....
(1) faith does not always mean we understand it all...
(2) we first, "Taste and see that the Lord is good."
(3) some people ready to be saved, others need to acclimate...
2. He would not compromise the truth, even though he was pressured...
(1) his parents
(2) the townspeople
(3) the Pharisees/synagogue officials
3. He overcame His ignorance of Who Jesus is
(1) He knew He was a righteous man (heard prayers)
(2) Jesus asked Him if He believed in the Son of Man (Messianic)
---when taught, received
(3) He worshipped Him--understood deity...
III. Let’s Note How the Pharisees Found An
Excuse Not to Believe
1. Claiming Jesus violated the Sabbath Day
(1) The OT Commandment says to rest, not work
(2) At what point does work begin? The Jewish theologians could
not leave this to personal judgment, but debated every detail
(3) kneading and building
2. If Jesus had disobeyed the Sabbath Day command, as a Jew under the
Law, He would have sinned...
3. Jesus’ origin was not known...obscure town of Nazareth, not a
Pharisee; not schooled under a great Rabbi...
4. After attacking Jesus credentials and behavior, they attacked the man:
born blind, must be scum in God’s eyes....
------very far from true----righteous suffer with the unrighteous
PROP: If we want to serve the Lord, we will respond to Him despite
obstacles in our paths; if we do not want to serve the Lord, we’ll find an
excuse.
IV. How Does This Apply to Us?
1. If we love the Lord, we’ll make things happen for the Kingdom of God;
we will show our devotion in practical ways; if we do not, we’ll find no
shortage of reasons why not...
2. But it is possible to love the Lord and not get to the things that matter
most....THE TYRANNY OF THE URGENT...a little booklet...
---the urgent (meeting deadlines) vs. the important....
--e.g., finish decorating a house (urgent) vs. taking time to grow in
the Lord, fellowship (the important)
---Mary (sat at Jesus’ feet) and Martha (worked at the meal)
3. Generally, If our hearts are not hungry for God, we will not find time
for God; the secret to the Christian life is to maintain a growing walk
with the Lord, but if we have little hunger to know God, any excuse will
do.
4. Next year, 2001, A Spiritual Odyssey....QT, LEAP, regular attendance
-----If you want to know the Lord better, really want this, obstacles will
trouble you but not stop you....
5. Let’s pray that the Lord will give us a spiritual hunger for Him...Let’s
prepare for what He wants to do in our lives this coming year!
