November 3, 2002

John 9

v. 5 - “ I am the Light of the world” - sign - semeion -

Throughout John, Christ works are presented as "signs" that

He is indeed, the Christ of God, the Messiah, the Savior of the world!

The Lord confirms by a sign to a man born blind that He

is the Light of the world, by giving eyesight as well as light!

“Known unto God are all His works from the beginning

of the world” - Acts 15:18

Psalm 40:7-8

He made light - Gen. 1:14-19

Unfortunately, throughout history, there have been people

who have worshipped the sun. By it, worshipping a thing

created instead of the Creator.

I have been talking about the greatest mistake one can

make:

ch. 7:19 - “ye know neither know me nor my

Father”

ch. 15:21 - “they know not Him that sent me”

ch. 5:40 - “ye will not come to me that ye might

have life”

ch. 7:19 - “Where is the Father?”

John 1:1-3 Col. 1:12-20

Malachi 4:2 - “But unto you that fear my name shall

the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in

His wings” -

Rev. 21:22-23 Luke 1:76-80

Greatest Mistake!

Background of Jesus’ statement in ch. 8:12

Instituted during inter-Biblical period.

Feast of Dedication - commemorated the

reconsecration of the Temple by Judas Macabaeus

after the gross profanation of it by Antiochus

Epiphanes who is connected by a subordinate

who attempted to offer swine on the altar.

The feast lasted eight days, the instance of the

feast mentioned in Scripture - it was distinguished

by the illumination of the city & temple with lights

increased each night - therefore it is called also

the Feast of Lights.

v. 3 - Purpose of the poor man’s life - a life long

blindness afforded an opportunity - a sign -

(as it were) to illuminate this man, both

bodily & spiritually - affecting him not only

physically, but morally and spiritually.

An occasion for the exercise & display of Divine

power and goodness!

v. 4 - Work for the Night is Coming - song - Christ

went about doing good every hour, every

moment - I have never reached this plateau!?

v. 5 - “I am the Light” - man is surrounded by floods

of light but mankind hates the light and loves

darkness. A radical and fundamental change

must come over him or he will never see.

It takes a new beginning, a new birth, a work on man

that only can be wrought by God!!!

vs. 6-7 - Jesus’ action - He said “Go” - the man “went”

“and came seeing”

It was more than grasping at a straw.

vs. 8-9 - I think of the blind man in Somerset back in

the 50’s that I used to see on the street corner

vending packages of chewing gum.

v. 41 - Trials and tribulations of life are hard

Ms. Augusta Freeman, my Grandmother, Mr. Hanberry,

Blindness, muscular disfunctiions, paralysis, deafness,

unfortunately, there are a worst things.

Matt. 13:14-15

v. 11 - “a man named Jesus.....said unto me, go...wash..

and I went.....washed...received my sight”

v. 14 - Sabbath Day - Mark 2:27 - Personhood

of the Pharisees.

v. 17 - Healing Power - a Divine Commission

vs. 18-23 - Pressure on the parents - threat of

excommunication/social & religious

sanctions/lies/peer pressure.

Mark the parents cowardice.

Mark the testimony of the blind man.

v. 25 - “one thing I know whereas I was blind, now

I see”

What happened to the man was impossible to ignore,

it was very difficult to explain.

The burden of proof was on the Pharisees.

Healing - the desire of all men.

Jesus - “the Desire of all nations” - can do this

Haggai 2:7

v. 26 - Twisting the truth/damage control/spin

doctors.

v. 27 - “I have told you” - with excommunication

hanging over his head also, but he remained

true to Jesus.

v. 29 - Greatest mistake reiterated - “as for this

fellow, we know not from whence He is”

v. 30 - “why herein is a marvelous thing” that you

don’t know Him!

How can one go through life in those days or now, in

this Information Age, and not know the King of Glory?

Also, in light of the fact - “the grace of God that

bringeth salvation, has appeared to all men.”

v. 31 - Ps. 66:18-19 - “we know” - by experience??

vs. 32-33 - There is no record in the Old Testament

of anyone ever cured of blindness.

“if this man were not from God” he could not do this.

“from God” - the final answer of the man whose sight

was restored.

What is your final answer? Would you give your eyes

for a million dollars? would you give your heart? for

your legs? for your brain? for some people the brain

isn’t doing them any good, neither the heart.

I have heard it said that many will miss Heaven by

12 inches, the distance from the head to the heart.

Then, what about your soul? would you sell it for

a cool million?

Jesus asked in Matt. 8:36-37

v. 34 - Innuendoes - they violently cast him out of

the synagogue.

They answer unanswerable logic with insults

Acts 6:10 Experiencing Jesus’ prophecy

in Luke 21:12-19

By confessing Jesus and supporting Christ’s highest

claims, the man made himself liable to the curse

mentioned in v. 22.

v. 35 - Christ brought the man to a much nobler

fellowship - Christ, the Good Shepherd,

seeks His sheep that was cast away.

“I am thy Shield and Exceeding Great Reward”

The Pharisees should have coveted this.

“Dost thou believe in the Son of God?”

v. 36 - A speedy reply!

“Who is He Lord, that I might believe?”

If you are making or have made the greatest

mistake in life - this should be your humble

and speedy request also!

v. 38 - May your testimony be his - “Lord, I

believe.......and he worshipped Him”

Those who believe will also worship Him!

“Lord, help my unbelief!” - the request of a

very concerned father in Mark 9:24

v. 39 - “For judgment I am come into this world”

“this world”- separated from God and in need

of His Grace.

What men think of Christ is the question demanded

in every age, which will determine our status for

eternity.

The effects - “that they which see not might see &

that they which see might be made

blind”

In their freedom of expression, privacy, and Pro-

Choice losing their spiritual sight while the

unsophisticated, needy, publicans and harlots,

sitting in the region of the shadow of death, find

that Light and see!

Isaiah 9:2

Unbelief always seeks to justify itself in some way -

none are so blind as those who will not see.

Quote in the fly leaf of my Bible.

Judicially blinded - they despise the revelation

of truth.

I

I Thess. 2: 7-12

The blindness is fatal.

You and I are responsible for this blindness

called, for a lack of a better term, all of us

included, called PRO-CHOICE.

v. 41 - “therefore your sin remaineth”

The center of sin is “I”

D. L. Moody

The blind man was not only physically cured

but spiritually ENLIGHTENED!