Father of my children, as well as my very own mother this morning.
Glad to have both of those precious women here.
! I'm glad for each of you moms.
We see you and the hard work you're doing.
It's a picture of God's grace in your life and to our church
and for your husband and your children.
We're glad for each and every one of you.
We have some ground to cover today.
We're going to look at the entirety of John chapter 9.
And so I'm just going to get right to it.
I'm going to read the chapter.
And then we'll go back and work through its content together.
So let's begin John chapter 9, beginning in verse 1.
As Jesus passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.
And his disciples asked him,
Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?
Jesus answered,
It was not that this man sinned or his parents,
but that the works of God might be displayed in him.
We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day.
Night is coming when no one can work.
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
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 and said to him,
Go wash in the pool of Siloam, which means scent.
So he went and washed and came back seeing.
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?
Some said, It is he.
Others said, No, but he is like him.
He kept saying, I am the man.
So they said to him,
Then how were your eyes opened?
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.
They said to him,
Where is he?
He said,
I do not know.
They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind.
Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.
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.
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.
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.
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
and asked them,
Is this your son who you say was born blind?
How then does he now see?
His parents answered,
We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.
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.
His parents said these things because they feared the Jews.
For the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be the Christ,
he was to be put out of the synagogue.
Therefore his parents said,
He is of age.
Ask him.
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.
He answered,
Whether he is a sinner I do not know.
One thing I do know,
that though I was blind,
now I see.
They said to him,
What did he do to you?
How did he open your eyes?
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?
And they reviled him,
saying,
You are his disciple,
but we are disciples of Moses.
We know that God has spoken to Moses,
but as for this man,
we do not know where he comes from.
The man answered,
Why, this is an amazing thing.
You do not know where he comes from,
and yet he opened my eyes.
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.
Never since the world began
has it been heard
that anyone opened the eyes
of a man born blind.
If this man were not from God,
he could do nothing.
They answered him,
You were born in utter sin,
and you would teach us,
and they cast him out.
Jesus heard that they had cast him out,
and having found him, he said,
Do you believe in the Son of Man?
He answered,
And who is he, sir,
that I may believe in him?
Jesus said to him,
You have seen him,
and it is he who is speaking to you.
He said,
Lord, I believe,
and he worshipped him.
Jesus said,
For judgment I came into this world
that those who do not see may see,
and those who see may become blind.
Some of the Pharisees near him
heard these things
and said to him,
Are we also blind?
Jesus said to them,
If you were blind,
you would have no guilt.
But now that you say,
we see,
your guilt remains.
Okay,
there's a lot of text to cover here,
and we're not going to look at every single word
and every detail found in this chapter,
but I promised you,
at the beginning of our study,
that I was going to follow the chiastic structure
through John.
All of chapter 9 is chiasm.
I'll make a couple of other comments about that later,
although not massively significant.
This probably, as a text,
could be broken up into three sermons.
I'm going to move pretty quick past some of it
to not keep us too long today,
but I think that the main thing
being communicated to us here by John
would be lost,
you know,
the forest for the trees,
so to speak,
if we spend too much time in this chapter.
So let's look first,
before I give you an outline,
at the first seven verses
and talk just a bit about the setting,
where do we find ourselves in the narrative,
and the miracle that's performed.
So we see right away in verse 1
that Jesus passes by a man.
He's just left the temple
where the Jews were looking to stone him.
He hides himself,
and he escapes.
At the time,
we're not totally sure,
although we find out later in the text
that it's on the Sabbath.
So some days have passed.
We don't know exactly how many
from the concluding words of chapter 8.
How many doesn't really matter,
but John's setting for us
that this is happening on a Saturday,
on the Sabbath.
We see Jesus send the man
that he heals to the pool of Siloam,
which is located in Jerusalem.
So they're still in the city,
or they're very near the city,
perhaps on the outskirts of the city.
Now, do you recall a mention
of the pool of Siloam
in our previous study?
Now, this is the first time
that we see the name of the pool
in John's Gospel,
but you may remember my explanation
of the Feast of Booths
in chapter 7,
and the carrying of water
from this pool to the temple
as part of their ceremonial tradition.
This is where that water originated from
that paraded through the city
to the temple
for that water ritual
performed at that feast.
You may remember
that it was in that setting,
John records,
chapter 7, verse 37 and 38,
on the last day of the feast,
the great day,
Jesus stood up and cried out.
Remember, there's all of this
water ceremony going on.
He says,
If anyone thirsts,
let him come to me and drink.
Whoever believes in me,
as the scripture has said,
out of his heart
will flow rivers of living water.
So that's where they're at.
On the Sabbath day,
encounter this man
as he passes by him,
performs this miracle,
sends him to this particular pool
in the city.
It bears some significance.
And his disciples ask him
in response to seeing this man,
rabbi, teacher,
who sinned,
this man or his parents,
that he was born blind.
Misunderstood Bible text
and poor rabbinical tradition
had many first century Jews
believing that all disablements
were directly tied
to either the sin of an individual
or the sin of their parents.
To be sure,
all ailments are a result
of the fall generally,
and some sins carry with them
consequences,
but not in the systematic way
the disciples are assuming.
This man born blind,
they want to know exactly
what did he do
or exactly what did his parents do
for this to be the case.
A lot could be impacted here,
but Jesus is making
the necessary correction
for our text today.
He says in response,
it was not this man sinned
or his parents.
Had they sinned?
Of course they had.
But that the works of God
might be displayed in him.
He's not blind
because of his particular sin
or their particular sin,
but that the works of God
might be displayed in him.
I could spend all morning
talking about verse 3.
What a profound pronouncement this is.
Not ultimately the point of the story,
but what Jesus is saying here
is that there's divine sovereignty
in this man's disability
disability that is purposed
for the glory of God.
Divine purpose
for the glory of God.
F.F. Bruce in his commentary on John
says this,
quote,
This does not mean
that God deliberately caused
the child to be born blind
in order that,
after many years,
his glory should be displayed
in the removal of the blindness.
To think so
would again be an aspersion
on the character of God.
It does mean
that God overruled
the disaster of the child's blindness
so that when the child
grew to manhood,
he might,
by recovering his sight,
see the glory of God
in the face of Christ
and others.
Seeing this work of God
might turn
to the true light
of the world.
God reigns in all things
for his good purposes.
He didn't smite the man
that he might then heal him,
but rather used this tragedy
in his life
for his glory.
The tragedy of this man's life
and all the very tragedies
of your lives,
however major
or minor,
are not outside
the sweep
of God's control.
right?
So,
Jesus goes on.
We must work
the works of him
who sent me
while it is day.
There's a work
to be done here.
Night is coming
when no one
can work.
There'll be a
final judgment
when the work
will cease.
And he says,
as long as I am
in the world,
I am the light
of the world.
So after saying
these things,
he spits on the ground,
makes mud
with saliva,
and he anoints
the man's eyes
with the mud
and says to him,
go wash
in the pool
of Siloam,
which John inserts,
which means
in the Hebrew,
sent.
So,
he went
and washed
and came back
seeing.
Note the obedience
of the man
and the complete
healing
in verse 7.
total obedience,
total sight.
There's a lot
of charlatans
in our day
that claim
to have
the gift
of healing
and somebody's
knee is a little
bit achy
and then it's
not achy
anymore
after the fact.
Beware of this.
Obedience
and then
total sight.
His sight
is
restored.
But why mud?
I think
the thing
that happens
here begs
the question.
Jesus certainly
could have
simply spoken
and the man
would have
been healed.
We've seen
this elsewhere.
Jesus wasn't
bound by any
formula
to enact
his power.
I thought that
blindness required
this kind
of action.
So,
why
did he make
mud
with saliva?
And oh,
do the guesses
abound.
some odd
guesses out
there about
this.
I'm going to
give you two
reasons that I
believe sufficiently
answer the
question and
are clear
and I think
textual.
Number one,
he is
creating
contractions
for the man
to go wash
the mud
off.
This is the
Sabbath and
the Jews
have missed
the point of
the Sabbath
and heaped
up extra
laws in
self-righteous
effort.
All of
these hedge
laws that
required all
of this
particular
activity or
lack
thereof.
Do you
recall at the
beginning of
chapter 5 when
Jesus first
visits Jerusalem
in John's
narrative,
he heals a
man who had
been paralyzed
for 38
years.
Much of
his life.
Everybody
knew the
man to be
a paralytic.
Where?
At a pool.
The pool of
Bethesda.
When?
On the
Sabbath.
In the same
way, he
heals a
man known
by everybody
to have an
ailment on
the Sabbath.
John records
in chapter 5
beginning in
verse 16,
and this was
why the Jews
were persecuting
Jesus.
Because he
was doing
these things
am working.
this is why
the Jews were
seeking all
the more to
kill him.
Because not
only was he
breaking the
Sabbath, but
he was even
calling God
his own
father, making
himself equal
with God.
The controversy
really starts
there, and it's
carried all
throughout.
It's reached
this white
hot fever in
chapter 8, and
then even as
Jesus escapes
being stoned,
because it's
not yet time
for him to
die, and
that's not
the way he
was meant
to die, he
goes off, and
he continues
to poke
the bear.
Jesus is
God.
He is the
Lord of the
Sabbath, and
in perfect
obedience to
the Father, he
is having this
blind man with
mud on his
eyes travel
through Jerusalem
to a significant
location to be
healed on the
Sabbath.
He's sent to
a place that
people would
see him and
know that
Jesus had
healed him.
God's
love.
A second
reason that
I think is
helpful to
us, John
Piper said
this in a
sermon on
this text,
quote, the
second reason
for the mud
is to show
that God
usually uses
means in
doing his
wonderful works
in this
world.
Jesus could
have simply
spoken, and
the man's
eyes would
have been
opened.
But most
of the wonders
of God in
the Old
Testament were
brought about
by the use
of human
means.
God is
decisive in
the victory,
but he
uses means.
He doesn't
need the
horse, but
he uses
the horse.
Ponder this
in the bigger
picture of
life for a
moment.
What this
means is that
God does not
despise the
physical world
he has made.
he uses the
means of
food to
sustain life.
He uses the
means of
sex to
beget children,
and he
uses a
thousand
remedies to
bring about
healing from
sleep to
penicillin,
from vitamins
to radiation,
from sunshine
on the skin
to cough
syrup for
the throat.
And I
will interject
here on
Mother's Day,
essential oils
and tinctures
of various
kinds.
Back to
Piper.
And lest
you think
this removes
the mystery
of God's
wonderful work,
consider boring
down through
layer after
layer of
physical causes
for why
antibacterials
work against
strep.
Forty or
fifty layers
down into
the molecular
subatomic
activities of
the smallest
particles or
non-particles,
there comes a
point where
there is no
explanation inside
this closed
material system.
The final
explanation is
always God.
And if our
hearts are alive
and humble
and worshipful,
we will not
stop until we
see God at
the bottom
of everything.
End quote.
So this
miraculous thing
happens and it
happens in a
particular way to
incite the
controversy that
we're going to
see more of
in this chapter
and on to
the day of
the Lord's
crucifixion,
but also that
we might see
that there's
means at
play.
Now for the
rest of the
text, let's
look at four
categorical
characters.
So here they
are.
Number one,
the confused.
Number two,
the fearful.
Number three,
the proud.
And number
four,
the believer.
First, the
confused.
Verses 8
through 17.
The neighbors
and those who
had seen him
before as a
beggar were
saying,
is not this
the man he
used to sit
and beg?
Because he
was blind,
he begged
for his
income.
Some said,
is he?
Others said,
no, but he
is like him.
He kept
saying,
I am the
man.
So they
said to
him,
then how
were your
eyes open?
So we see
this confusion
about the
blind man
from the
neighbors.
So he
goes on to
explain in
verse 11,
the man
called Jesus
made mud
and amoyed
to my eyes
and said
to me,
go to
Siloam
and wash.
Rehearsing
this pattern.
So I
went and
washed and
received my
sight.
They said
to him,
where is
he?
He said,
I do
not know.
So then
we see
this confusion
about the
location of
Jesus,
which I
believe John
is using
to highlight
the confusion
of the
Pharisees.
He's like
building this
confusion
pattern
leading up
to verse
13,
where they
bring to
the Pharisees
the man
who had
formerly
been blind.
And this
is where
John tells
us in
verse 14,
it was the
Sabbath day
when Jesus
made the
mud and
opened his
eyes.
First century
Jewish readers
would have
gone,
oh,
he's got
a problem
now.
So now
the Pharisees
asked the
man,
and he
said to
them,
he put
mud on
my eyes
and I
washed
and I
see.
His
explanation is
getting more
condensed.
He put
mud on
my eyes
and I
washed
and I
see.
Some of
the Pharisees
said,
this man
is not
from God
for he
does not
keep
the
Sabbath.
Their
reasoning
begins
with the
Sabbath
must
be
kept
in a
particular
way.
They
miss
the
point
of
the
Sabbath.
Their
presupposition
is wrong
and so
their
conclusion
is wrong.
This
man
is not
from
God.
He
can't
be
sent
from
God
if he
doesn't
keep
the
Sabbath
the
way
we
believe
the
Sabbath
should
be
kept.
But
others
of the
Pharisees
said,
how
can
a
man
who
is
a
sinner
do
such
signs?
Is it
even
possible
that
if
a
sinner
categorically
a
sinner
John
records
and there
was a
division
among
them.
And we
see this
John
does
this
throughout
his
narrative
pressing
to us
putting
before us
constantly
in our
reading
of it
who
is
Jesus?
What
are you
going to
do
with
him?
He
makes
such
astounding
claims
about
himself.
He
does
miraculous
works
that
are
recorded
here
for
us.
You
may
be
a
person
who
rejects
the
Bible
entirely
as
God's
word,
but at
least
accept
it
as
a
historical
account.
Very
few
academically
honest
people
will
deny
that
this
is
not
a
good
historical
record.
If
you
can't
believe
that
the
Bible
is
a
historical
book,
then
you
can't
believe
any
historical
work.
There's
so much
more
evidence
that
this
is
in
fact
a
good
sound
record
of
what
happened
in
history.
So
you've
got
to
do
something
with
this
Jesus.
We've
said
again
and
again
the
trilemma.
He's
either
a liar,
he's
a
lunatic,
or
he
is
in
fact
Lord.
And
so
there's
this
confusion
amongst
the
Pharisees.
What
do
we
do
with
him?
He's
either
from
God
or
he's
not
from
God.
So
in
verse
17
they say
again
to
the
blind
man
what
do
you
say
about
him
since
he
has
opened
your
eyes.
They
look to
him
for
some
judgment
to
settle
their
dispute
and
he
responds
he
is a
prophet.
At
this point
I say
that not
even the
formerly
blind
man
fully
grasps
who
Jesus
is.
Perhaps
some
unfolding
revelation
to him
but he
doesn't
quite
understand
yet
but he
at least
believes
that he
is sent
from
God.
So
there's
some
confused
individuals
in the
text.
We
then
secondly
see
some
fearful
people
in the
text
verses
18
through
23
we
find
in
these
verses
the
center
of
the
chiastic
structure
of
this
entire
chapter.
I
believe
that
John
is
presenting
to
us
a
new
category
of
respondent
to
Jesus'
miracles
and
claims.
We've
seen
throughout
the
narrative
so far
a
reject
or
receive
pattern.
There's
sometimes
some
confusion
but there's
reject
receive
reject
receive
reject
receive
but here's
a
new
response.
The
Jews
didn't
believe
he'd
been
born
blind
and
received
his
sight
but they
call
the
parents
so they
come to
believe it
when the
parents
come
they
ask
them
is
this
your
son
and the
report
back
is
yes
this
is
our
son
and he
was
in fact
born
blind
but verse
21
says
but now
how he
sees
we do
not
know
nor do
we
know
who
opened
his
eyes
ask
him
he
is
of
age
he
will
speak
for
himself
but
the
chiastic
center
is
verse
22
where
John
inserts
some
interpretive
help
for us
his
parents
did
know
who
had
opened
his
eyes
we
know
this
because
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
the
anointed
one
of
God
he
was
to
be
put
out
of
the
synagogue
they're
avoiding
the
question
altogether
because
they
can't
say
it
was
the
man
Jesus
who
healed
our
son
he
is
the
Christ
they're
saying
just
don't
ask
us
any
more
questions
our
son
is
old
enough
ask
him
he
will
speak
!
for
himself
being
expelled
from
the
synagogue
was
a
serious
form
of
religious
and
social
exclusion
since
synagogue
life
was
central
to
Jewish
community
identity
this is
where
they
would
have
held
the
teaching
the
temple
was
for
sacrifice
the
synagogue
was
like
outposts
of
God's
people
gathering
together
they
existed
all
over
the
place
this
one
likely
in
Jerusalem
it's
where
they
would
have
had
social
gatherings
being
put
out
of
it
would
have
meant
a
loss
of
social
standing
separation
!
from the
religious
community
economic
consequences
public
shame
being
treated
as
outside
faithful
Israel
essentially
it would
have
been a
loss
of
identity
to be
put
out
of
the
synagogue
my
reading
of
John's
parenthetical
reminded me
of Jesus'
parable
of the
soils
a
sower
goes out
to
sow
this is
Mark
chapter
four
as he
sowed
some seed
fell along
the path
and the
birds
came
and devoured
it
later
never
takes
root
this is
satan
coming and
snatching
away
that seed
so it
never
takes
root
other
seed
fell
on rocky
ground
where it
did not
have much
soil
and
immediately
it
sprang
up
since it
had
no
depth
of
soil
and when
the
sun
rose
it
was
scorched
and since
it had
no
root
it
rizzled
away
Jesus
tells us
later
that this
is
the ones
who endure
for a
while
and when
tribulation
or persecution
arises
on account
of the
word
they
immediately
fall
away
verse
seven
says
other
seed
fell
among
thorns
and the
thorns
grew up
and choked
it
and it
yielded
no
grain
Jesus
says
those
are the
thorns
people
who
hear
the
word
but
the
cares
of
the
world
and the
deceitfulness
of riches
and the
desires
for other
things
enter
in
and choke
the
word
and it
proves
unfruitful
and if
you're
familiar
with the
parable
you know
there's
a
final
seed
that
falls
on
good
ground
and
that
soil
are
those
who
hear
the
word
and
accept
it
and bear
fruit
thirtyfold
and sixty
fold
and a
hundred
fold
I don't
know how
to
categorize
this
man's
parents
if they
are
rocky
soil
or if
they
are
thorny
soil
but at
least
at
this
point
they
are
not
responding
to the
reality
that
Jesus
is the
Christ
because
they're
fearful
they do
not want
to be
put
out of
the
synagogue
and so
they
dodge
the
question
altogether
therefore
his
parents
said
verse
23
he
is
of
age
ask
him
there's
a
fearful
category
of
people
in
this
text
thirdly
there's
the
proud
verses
24
through
34
and
39
through
41
so
what
do
they
do
for
the
second
time
they
call
the
man
who
had
been
blind
and
said
to
him
give
glory
to
God
we
know
that
this
man
is
a
sinner
which
is
to
say
honor
God
by
aligning
with
the
truth
that
we
have
already
settled
in
our
own
minds
they
are
done
looking
for
what
truly
happened
they've
asked
him
once
they've
asked
his
parents
they're
back
to
him
now
just
saying
get
on
board
with
what
we've
said
is
true
but
he
answers
whether
he
is
a
sinner
I
do
not
know
one
thing
I
do
know
that
though
I
was
blind
now
I
see
they
said
to
him
what
did
he
do
to
you
how
did
he
open
your
eyes
can
you
believe
that
the
question
is
being
asked
once
again
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
I
am
grateful
for
a
bunch
of
reasons
that
I
get
to
preach
regularly
one
of
those
reasons
is
I
get
to
read
really
good
commentaries
I
get
to
spend
my
week
reading
things
and
often
I'm
dispelling
them
and
bringing
them
to
you
but
from
time
to
time
it's
good
for
you
!
share
brilliant
words
not
written
by
me
I
will
try
to
read
them
carefully
for
you
D.A.
Carson
if you're
going to
buy
one
commentary
on
John's
gospel
this
is
the
one
I
would
buy
D.A.
Carson
in his
commentary
said
this
just
listen
to
the
beauty
of
this
language
quote
the
healed
man
hitherto
polite
now
discovers
that
the
professed
impartiality
of his
inoculators
is
nothing
more
than
show
as a
result
he
begins
to
deploy
a
quite
marvelous
gift
for
sadonic
repartee
since
he
has
already
answered
all
their
questions
before
what
could
possibly
prompt
them
to
hear
his
answers
all
over
again
mere
cynicism
with
judicial
procedure
might
suggest
that
they
were
trying
to
trip
him
up
in
his
testimony
instead
with
a
show
of
innocence
he
asks
if
their
desire
to
hear
a
repetition
of
his
testimony
is
bound
!
up
with
a
secret
desire
to
become
disciples
of
Jesus
themselves
end
quote
not a
good
paragraph
he
just
wrote
like
that
I
would
never
let's
learn how
to
write
like
that
once
again
that's
what
he's
doing
he's
being
sarcastic
with
them
as
he
asks
these
questions
what
are
we
doing
here
guys
is
it
that
you
want
to
follow
Jesus
and
they
are
totally
picking
up
on
what
he
is
!
putting
down
I
did
write
that
sentence
verse
28
says
and
they
reviled
him
this
is not
a kind
response
they
get
what
he's
doing
to
them
they
say
you
are
his
disciple
but
we
are
disciples
of
Moses
we
follow
Moses
we
follow
the
law
you
are
but
as
for
this
man
we
do
not
know
where
he
comes
from
the
man
answered
why
this
is
an
amazing
thing
you
do
not
know
where
he
comes
from
and
yet
he
opened
my
eyes
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
never
since
the
world
began
has
it
been
heard
that
anyone
opened
!
where
was
put
out
this
cast
out
language
means
that
they
forcefully
removed
him
look at
that
picture
of
him
being
tossed
out
the
door
and
tumbling
down
the
steps
not
a
kind
action
on
their
part
they
have
started
confused
but
now
they
have
settled
in
their
minds
that
Jesus
is
not
from
God
they
no
longer
want
to
hear
any
testimony
to
that
effect
and
so
we're
going
to
see
Jesus
then
encounter
the
man
but
after
that
he
says
what
he
says
to
the
man
in
the
hearing
of
some
Pharisees
verse
39
for
judgment
I
came
into
this
world
that
those
who
do
not
see
may
see
and
those
who
see
may
become
blind
some
of
the
Pharisees
verse
40
near
him
heard
these
things
and
said
to
him
are
we
also
blind
have
no
guilt
but
now
that
you
say
we
see
your
guilt
remains
Jesus
having
healed
a
blind
man
of
his
physical
disability
and
as
we
will
note
more
fully
in a
moment
of
his
spiritual
disability
uses
this
sight
language
to
expose
the
prideful
Pharisees
they
think
they
see
they
think
they
have
the
law
and
understand
how
to
be
in
a
right
relationship
with
God
but
though
they
think
they
see
they
are
actually
blind
they're
speaking
here
with
great
irony
remind
me
of
Mark
chapter
2
verse
16
and
following
in
the
scribes
of
the
Pharisees
when
they
saw
that
he
was
eating
with
sinners
and
tax
collectors
said
to
his
disciples
why
does
he
eat
with
tax
collectors
and
sinners
and
when
Jesus
heard
it
he
said
to
them
those
who
are
well
have
no need
of a
physician
but
those
who
are
sick
I
came
not
to
call
the
righteous
but
sinners
is
Jesus
communicating
that
anybody
acts
fair
that
they
actually
see
that
they
think
they
see
that
they
think
they
see
which
is
the
problem
they're
so
full
of
pride
they're
not
willing
to
even
behold
the
light
of
the
world
ask
honest
questions
get
real
answers
they've
made
up
their
minds
they
think
they
have
it
all
figured
out
so
the
confused
the
fearful
the
proud
but
then
praise
god
we
see
a
believer
verse
35
through
38
35
says
Jesus
heard
that
they
had
cast
him
out
and
having
found
him
he
said
do
you
believe
in
the
son
of
man
first
note
that
Jesus
goes
and
finds
this
man
what
a
merciful
thing
to
seek
him
out
in
verse
1
as
he
passed
by
he
saw
a
man
blind
from
birth
and
he
heals
him
physically
now
he
seeks
him
out
for
his
spiritual
well-being
notice
that he
does
not
coddle
him
he
doesn't
say
oh
I'm
so
sorry
that
they
were
mean
to
you
because
I
healed
you
he's
not
curious
about
how
life
has
improved
since
he
can
see
for
the
first
time
in
his
life
he
doesn't
strike you
at all
he's
born
blind
he's
never
seen
anything
right
it's
so
interesting
that the
bible's
records of
physical
healing
are only
ever
hurrying
us to
hear
how we
can be
spiritually
healed
!
today, we come to believe that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus is always much more concerned
with eternal well-being than temporal well-being. And so he is direct with him, right? No coddling.
The man's just been thrown out the door of the synagogue, and he asks him the question,
do you believe in the Son of Man? Now, I've told you a number of times why Jesus refers to himself in this way.
And in case you've forgotten or you've just never heard this, this is a really important title,
most common way he refers to himself, the Son of Man. And it comes from Daniel chapter 7, right?
This guy's imagination would have lit up as that question is being asked, right? It doesn't hit
for us the same way it would have hit for all of these first century Jews. Daniel chapter 7,
verse 13. I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a
Son of Man. There's the title right there. And he came to the ancient of days and were presented before
him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and his kingdom
one that shall not be destroyed. He is the Christ, the one sent from God, the Son of Man, who would
establish a kingdom and rule forever. This is the question he asks. Do you believe in the Son
of Man? Of Man? Now, this man could have just said like, oh, sure, I'm familiar with Daniel chapter 7,
verse 13 and 14. Like, yeah, there's going to be a guy. But he says instead, and who is he, sir,
that I may believe in him? Maybe he's figurative. Help me understand. And Jesus says, you have
seen him, sight language, and it is he who is speaking to you. And that's all it takes. He said, Lord,
kingly language, Lord, I believe, and then we get this amazing four-word little summary, and he
worshipped him. Right? Not just, I give some assent to the fact. He says, Lord, I believe, and he
worshipped him. Now, I'm going to read you one more commentary quote today, a part of one. This is
commentary inception. This is John MacArthur quoting Charles Spurgeon. So here we go.
John MacArthur says, Charles Spurgeon summed up the joy and delight the man must have felt at that
moment. Now, Charles Spurgeon. Then further he acted as a believer, for he worshipped him. This proves how
his faith had grown. I should like to ask you, who are the people of God when you are happiest?
My happiest moments are when I am worshipping God, really adoring the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is the nearest approach to what it will be in heaven, where, day without night, they offer
perpetual adoration unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. Hence what a memorable
moment it was for this man when he worshipped Christ. Now, if Christ was not God, that man was an
idolater, a man worshipper. If Christ was not God, we are not Christians. We are deceived dupes. We are
idolaters, as bad as the heathen whom we now pity. It is making a man into a God if Christ be not God.
But blessed be his holy name, he is God. And we feel that it is the supreme delight of our being to worship
him. So let me ask this morning, are you confused? Don't be. This book was written that you would
know that Jesus is the Christ, and that by believing in him, you would have eternal life. Are you fearful?
Don't be. There is nothing that the world can do to you that will take the joy found in Christ
away from you. There is nothing that this world has to offer you that can eclipse the satisfaction
found in him. Are you prideful? Don't be. One day, every person will be humbled. We will all bow the
knee to the Son of Man. Be humble now. Recognize your need of a Savior. Perhaps today he will find you.
Are you a believer? Keep on believing and worship. Bend your whole life Godward. You will not
be disappointed at the end. Let's pray together.