New Life Bible Fellowship Church
2-23-25
      • Bible Trivia
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      • Psalm 96:7–10NKJV

  • We Come O Christ To You
  • Our God Reigns

      • Psalm 119:129–144NKJV

  • Introduction:

    As we continue in our study of the Gospel of John, we saw last week that Jesus had openly declared himself to be the great “I AM”, revealing to his oppressors that Abraham, who they thought was their Father, rejoiced to see the coming of Jesus by his belief in the shadows revealed to him of the coming of the Messiah. This of course made the religious leaders furious and we left off last week with a mob frenzy, seeking to stone Jesus for blasphemy without trial or authorization. Jesus of course, walked away unscathed since his time had not yet come for his death.
    This morning, we shall look at a rather lengthly narrative, as Jesus, still in Jerusalem, heals a man born blind, and uses it to teach a profound truth regarding what is true blindness, and how one comes from this true blindness to receive his sight, from John 9:1-41.

    Text: John 9

    John 9 ESV
    1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. 8 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?” 9 Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” 10 So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 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.” 12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.” 13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 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.” 16 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. 17 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.” 18 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 19 and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21 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.” 22 (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.) 23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” 24 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.” 25 He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 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?” 28 And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 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. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out. 35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

    Main Idea: Because true spiritual sight comes through faith in Jesus, all those who trust him are able to see God's truth and reject spiritual blindness.

    I. Sight Through Sovereignty (9:1-12)

    1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
    who sinned. Many first-century Jews believed, as did Job’s friends, that every temporal misfortune was God’s punishment for some specific sin, this is known as retribution theology.
    With this man being blind from birth, the explanation could be that the sin had been committed in the womb, or by the parents, whose sinful act victimized their child. In this instance, Jesus dismisses these as improper explanations (v. 3)
    This does not mean however, that certain trials are not God-ordained chastisement for certain sins (e.g., the life of David after his adultery and murder, including the death of his newborn son [2 Sam. 12–21]).
    Neither does Jesus here dismiss the biblical doctrine of original sin (Rom. 5:12–21), which teaches that all suffering is ultimately the consequence of our corporate sin and rebellion in Adam. But it is unwise and uncharitable to judge that the sufferings of others are specifically punitive (Matt. 7:1) or to assume a direct correlation between individuals’ suffering and their degree of guilt (Luke 13:1–5).
    The question put to Jesus presents a false dilemma. Only two possibilities are given as reasons for the man’s affliction—his own sin or the sin of his parents. Jesus offers a third option (v. 3).
    3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.
    that the works of God might be displayed. Some of our sufferings, like the trials of Job, are for God’s glory, to refine us (1 Pet. 1:6, 7), through His grace sustaining us in our distress (2 Cor. 12:9–11), or through a spectacular healing, as in the present case. God’s purpose is not always presently known to us, but we have God’s assurance that His purpose is good (Rom. 8:28).
    Romans 8:28 ESV
    28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
    Jesus transitions once again the purpose of his coming…
    4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.
    While it is day refers to the time when Jesus is here in his earthly ministry, for he is “the light of the world” (8:12; 9:5) whose presence makes everything “day.”
    night is coming would then be the time of Jesus’ crucifixion and death.
    Jesus shows an intense awareness of the need to fulfill all that the Father sent him to accomplish during his earthly ministry; we indicates that he is involving his disciples in that work as well.
    It should be noted that those who are of Christ’s kingdom are to carry on that light at Jesus departure (Matt 5:14-15).
    Matthew 5:14–15 ESV
    14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
    5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
    I am the light of the world. Jesus has already declared himself to be the Light of the World (6:35 & 1:4–5). Jesus exposes God’s truth as light exposes the darkness, in which we will see, some of that darkness was their own religious prejudices.
    6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud
    he spit on the ground. In Mark 8:23–25, Jesus also used saliva in the course of a healing. It is not a medical agent, but provides an opportunity for the man to show his faith by obeying Jesus’ command (v. 7).
    It is unclear why Jesus made mud and put it on the man’s eyes. There may be an echo of God’s creative activity in Gen. 2:7 (cf. John 20:22): the Creator is now re-creating.
    7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
    Go, wash in the pool of Siloam. Washing not only expresses the man’s faith and completes his physical healing, but it also symbolizes spiritual cleansing (13:5–11).
    which means Sent. John explains the meaning of the pool’s name to help readers who do not know Hebrew to see the connection between this water and Jesus, the one “sent” by the Father (v. 4).
    This miracle became immediately evident to those around this blind man…
    8 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?” 9 Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.”
    he is like him. The miracle is so amazing that onlookers could not believe it is the same man.
    10 So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 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.” - the neighbors listen in amazement as this once blind neighbor relates the story of how he received his sight…
    12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”
    I do not know. As the story develops, the healed man moves forward in the path of faith.
    Here, he does not know where Jesus is;
    later he asserts that Jesus is a prophet (v. 17);
    later still he raises doubts about the accusation that Jesus is a sinner (v. 25); and
    finally, after meeting Jesus again, he acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of Man and worships Him (vv. 35–38).
    These steps of faith illustrate what the author of the gospel wants his readers to do as well (20:31).
    The neighbors decide that this is such a big deal that it’s time to get the religious leaders involved…

    II. Faith versus Formality (9:13-23)

    13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 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.” 16 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. 17 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.”
    This body of religious leaders, begin an inquisition into the happenings of this once blind beggar that is no longer blind and no longer begging. As we shall see by this inquisition… we’ve been here before in the gospel of John…different circumstance but same problem.
    He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see. - this simple answer to their inquisition shows his simple faith and unabridged truth. However, we see that it did not take them long to make an assessment of the facts…
    This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.The formalism or sometimes termed as legalism, is seen here against the backdrop of God’s sovereignty.
    Instead of being grateful for this supernatural work of God’s grace, the Pharisees begin to haggle about the observance of the Sabbath. Their concern is specifically about their traditional interpretation of what the fourth commandment requires. Not one of the actions involved (spitting, applying mud, going as far as Siloam, washing one’s face, healing a blind man) is forbidden by the law. Rather than question their own understanding of the law, they reject Jesus and His ministry. Obstinate unbelief has blinded them spiritually, despite their clear physical eyesight (v. 39).
    We see here the contrast between a blind man made to see, and seeing men that are and continue to become blind.
    What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.
    After their assessment of Jesus, the Pharisees, hoping to convince this poor, simple man of Jesus being an imposter, ask him to give them his assessment.
    But this seemed to backfire as he seems to have a sight that goes beyond the physical miracles,… stating that Jesus, according to his estimation, is a prophet, since the prophets of the Old Testament were sent by God and given the power to do miracles.
    So the Pharisees decide to get to the bottom of this...surely there is some logical way of explaining this to their satisfaction, they must have thought, let’s get the parents involved...
    18 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 19 and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21 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.” 22 (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.) 23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
    We see here an amazing contrast between the skepticism and disbelief of the learned Pharisees against the faith of this simple blind man.
    We see here also that the religious leaders ruled the people by fear, creating a fear in the common person by excluding from the spiritual life of the community if they dared to question their authority or their interpretation of truth.
    The Pharisees, realizing that the blind man’s parents were no help, return to the source of their indignation, the blind man, for another series of questions…

    III. Testimony and Triumph (9:24-34)

    24 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.” - they begin with their emphatic statement determined by their traditional interpretation of the law.
    25 He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 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?”
    One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see. - this simple faith and testimony of the once-blind man is irrefutable much to the chagrin and irritation of the Pharisees.
    Do you also want to become his disciples? - This once blind man either sarcastically or trying to understand their constant interrogation, asking the same questions, and receiving the same answers, asks them this explosive question…to which they exploded…
    28 And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” - the only thing they could do in response to such simple truth is deride this man and claim their superiority over him…
    30 The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. - once again, the testimony of the simple facts…he declares to them truths that cannot be disputed…
    31 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. - this is a truth that even the Pharisees could not refute.
    The man’s major premise, that God does not listen to sinners, reflects a theme in several OT passages (Psalm 66:18 “18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”)
    The man’s minor premise, that there was no precedent for the opening of the eyes of a person born blind, is also confirmed by the absence of similar instances in the OT or extrabiblical sources. The man’s conclusion concurs with the common Jewish view that miracles were performed in answer to prayer. He continues to drive this point home…
    32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
    Never since the world began. The man is correct—there is no previous record in biblical history of the granting of sight to one born blind.
    So again, not able to refute the accurateness of this once-blind man’s truth, they resort to the only thing the can do to save face…slander…
    34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.
    You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us? - who do you think you are teaching us, you uneducated, illegitimate sinner.
    they cast him out. The excommunication from Israel’s worshiping community that his parents feared (v. 22) is imposed on the once-blind man himself. This is done in retribution for his clear-sighted perception and confession that God listened to Jesus (v. 31), a fact supported by Jesus’ power to grant sight to a man born blind. However, Jesus seeks after him…

    IV. Enlightenment over Ignorance (9:35-41)

    Jesus now brings this ridiculed man from simple faith to saving faith…
    35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
    Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him - though the religious establishment excommunicated him, Jesus nonetheless pursues him and finds him for further revelation about himself.
    Do you believe in the Son of Man? - Jesus favorite title for himself is declaring himself to be the promised Messiah.
    Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him - In this second encounter with Jesus, the healed man’s faith moves from a general confidence in Jesus’ godly mission to a joyful acceptance of Him as the Messiah, worthy to be worshiped.
    39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”
    For judgment I came. The first coming of Christ did not bring in the last judgment (3:17; 12:47), but He confronted people with the obligation to decide for or against Him. Until the second coming of Christ, this is still the age of redemption during which the blind are made to see and those dead in trespasses and sins are raised to newness of life (Eph. 2:4).
    those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind. - this judgment that Jesus is describing is one the separates those who acknowledge their blindness and are made to see from those who think they see but continue in their blindness…
    But we are not done with the Pharisees…they are not about to be overruled…
    40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.
    Are we also blind? - in other words, are you including us in this blindness?
    If you were blind, you would have no guilt means if they had no knowledge at all about God’s words or his laws, and no knowledge about who Jesus is. You would have no guilt does not mean that they would be free of a sinful nature inherited from Adam, but that they would have no “guilt” for violating specific teachings or commands that they had received. Paul makes a similar argument in Rom. 1:18–3:20, namely, that all have received some knowledge of God (see Rom. 1:18–20, 32; 2:14–15).
    We see. The opponents lack the elementary humility of acknowledging that they are sinners.
    In this epilogue, Jesus brings to light the impact of His coming: those who falsely imagine they have special insight into the things of God become blind opponents of God’s ways, and those who seem less informed are able to see when the Spirit of God opens their eyes and leads them to faith. When people are spiritually blind though physically sighted, the truth that their eyes take in is not perceived by their hearts (Is. 42:18–20).
    Isaiah 42:18–20 ESV
    18 Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see! 19 Who is blind but my servant, or deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is blind as my dedicated one, or blind as the servant of the Lord? 20 He sees many things, but does not observe them; his ears are open, but he does not hear.

    So What?

    Do we understand that Jesus is indeed the only one who can change blind beggars into seeing disciples?
    Do we understand that even when we faithfully declare the light of the Gospel, there will be those who think they see but will remain in darkness?
    Are you still in spiritual darkness?
    If so, turn from your sin and put your faith in Jesus Christ alone, and be translated from darkness to light.

      • John 9ESV

      • John 9:1–3ESV

      • John 9:1–3ESV

      • John 9:1–3ESV

      • Romans 8:28ESV

      • John 9:4ESV

      • Matthew 5:14–15ESV

      • Matthew 5:14–15ESV

      • John 9:5–12ESV

      • John 9:13–23ESV

      • John 9:24–34ESV

      • John 9:35–41ESV

      • John 9:35–41ESV

      • John 9:35–41ESV

      • John 9:35–41ESV

      • John 9:35–41ESV

      • John 9:35–41ESV

      • John 9:35–41ESV

      • Isaiah 42:18–20ESV

  • Spirit Of The Living God
New Life Bible Fellowship Church
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