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Text: John 9
Condition of the blind man
- Outside the house of God (8:59)
- His problem originated at birth (9:1)
- Beyond human help (9:2, 32)
- Jesus came to him (9:1)
Context becomes the glory of God (vss 1-3)
- Tragedy is given a context in God’s redemptive power.
- There is no sin directly linked to this man’s blindness, but what can happen here is the glory of God can be revealed.
- God’s glory begins to show up in the strangest places. But you think about it and it’s not really a strange place because where man is weak God is able to be strong.
Christ is the light of the world (vss 4-5)
Cleansing that brings sight (vss 6-7)
- Vision came as the result of cleansing.
- Jesus Christ spits and makes mud then puts it on the man’s eyes. You say that’s gross. I say, that’s the point. You need Jesus Christ to show you the dirt, so you’ll get clean.
- Driving behind a truck who was kicking up mud and slop on my windshield. And it got to the point where I could hardly see even with my windshield wipers going. Driving so slow because I couldn’t see. Goliad cleaned the windshield and didn’t realize how dirty it was. Got back on the road, no longer driving 45, but the speed limit… or more. Why? I could see now. Vision came as the result of cleaning.
- Ephesians 4:17-18
Change that is noticeable (vss 8-12)
- Vision changed his testimony
- Vision changed his occupation
- Looks the same, but seems like a different person. Kind of like a new creature.
Cast out because of the light (vss 13-38)
- Vision introduces you to new enemies. Now you didn’t think anyone would be opposed to you sobering up, loving God, loving your family, and trying to do right. But you find out not everyone is in love with God’s goodness like you are.
- You see the nature of your enemies when they scoff at the change in your life. Christian stops cussing, drinking, starts attending church, praying, loving his wife and children, becomes a better employee and you mean there is someone out there against that?
- Jews didn’t believe so they begin to make up stories like he wasn’t really blind.
- The enemies say in verse 24 forget about Jesus, give God the praise. And that is the thing enemies of the gospel hate. Jesus can be a teacher, he can be a philosopher, he can be a good guy, but don’t you dare equate him with God.
- The blind man’s sarcasm is funny
- vs 27 – blind man begins to get sarcastic telling them they’ve asked the same question several times now so maybe they want to become disciples of Jesus Christ now. Then they reviled him.
- vs 28 – childish enemies. This is the equivalent of saying, “We’re not dumb, you’re dumb.”
- vs 30-33 – blind man says, well here is a funny thing, people who claim to be closest to God don’t know anything about a man who does the works of God
- Belief in Jesus Christ is the point of John’s gospel (vss 35-38)
