So John chapter 9 verses 1 to 8 and then verses 24 to 41
As he 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 and 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
And having said these things he spat on the ground and he made mud with the saliva
And then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud and he said to him go wash in the pool of Siloam
Which means sent
So he went and washed and he came back seeing and the neighbors and those who had sent him before
Seen him before as a beggar were saying is this not the man who used to sit and beg?
in the verse 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
He answered
Whether he's 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 and he answered them?
I've 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 Utterson and would you 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 that 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. This is God's holy word
Tonight we are looking at the story of Jesus healing the blind man and John 9
The man born blind I think is someone even if we've read this for the first time someone that we
Instinctively cheer for Jesus heals him off his blindness
He comes back from washing his face in the pool and then almost the whole chapter from then on is filled with him being interrogated
by his neighbors by the Jews by the Pharisees and we didn't read it but his parents are
off-scared hiding and as the audience we just read it we're watching it all go down the elite
you know they back him into a corner and he just shrugs his shoulders speaks his mind
and it's a pretty lively guy and
I you know we I think we call them comebacks today if someone's having a go at you you've got a quick way to reply
And either they leave you alone or they get more wound up and the man born blind is full of comebacks and he carries the story
Through this interrogation which gets more and more intense
until the very end when Jesus returns and speaks to the man and the Pharisees and it's when Jesus returns right at the end of the story
and he says something absolutely central
to why we celebrate Christmas
this huge discussion takes up the whole chapter and that the very end Jesus comes back and he says this is why I came
this is why I came you know I think we work out
quite quickly in the story is that physical blindness has very little to do with the story at all
we do have it we do have this blind man
but blindness isn't really seen in him it's seen in the Pharisees
the problem is not a tall physical blindness
but spiritual blindness
that becomes clearer and clearer until eventually Jesus returns at the end of the story and he says this in verse 39
for judgment I came into this world
that those who do not see may see
and those who see may become blind
why was Jesus born why do we celebrate Christmas
because he came so that those who do not see may see
he came to give sight to the blind
so we have three main ideas to think about tonight in relation to that
Jesus was born to give sight to the blind
just three things to think about
firstly something about suffering and judgment
two huge ideas and the book end this chapter
in verses 2 and 3 the disciples ask if it was specifically because of this man's sin
that he was born blind and Jesus says no no not at all
it was so that the works of God might be done in him
this chapter raises a lot of questions about suffering
too many to ask an answer tonight
one takeaway when Jesus says that
is the fact that God values human life very very highly
here you've got this man born blind
which in his day meant complete separation from the rest of society
there's no cure there's no relief whatsoever
and it puts you in the margins in a way that it doesn't really today
or not as much at least
Jesus in another scene he's at a feast and he tells his host that
he shouldn't be inviting just the rich and the prominent people
but he should be inviting the poor the crippled and the blind
blindness was so common and so serious that you were marginalized by your society
and the only choice for many like for this blind man in verse 8
is to sit at the side of the street and beg
and not only that but the people think he deserves it
the religious view of the day was that
specific sin will absolutely lead to specific suffering
if you do this then you will suffer in this way
the disciples wonder just maybe if it's because of this man's sin
that he was born blind did he somehow sin in the womb
and that's why he's born with this condition did his parents do something
and he's been punished for it ever since
they're only wondering that the Pharisees come on the scene in verse 34
and say you were steeped in sin from birth
that's the cultural view you've got a man who's cut off from the rest of society
and society looks at him and says you deserve it
you deserve it
Jesus is leaving the temple
he sees him he goes to him and he says no that's not the case at all
but it's so that the works of God might be displayed
and when he's saying that one thing he is saying is that human life is valuable
this man is valuable he might have been born blind
he might be on the side of a street begging the people might think he deserves it
but what does God say what does Jesus say his life as a purpose
his life is valuable
and you know God looks at you
and he says that your life is valuable
we've been thinking about that recently in the mornings looking at creation in Genesis 1 and 2
it's not your ability to reason and work and plan for the future
that makes your life valuable
it's not any of that that gives life value
life is valuable because God thought and knew you and created you
God says that much to Jeremiah
before I formed you in the womb I knew you
life is valuable because the one God father son and spirit spoke about you before time
he loved humanity he loved you before you even made Robert Jensen
he's an American theologian or he was and he helps us picture this when he says that
we exist because before time God spoke about us
I exist and you exist because God spoke to himself about us
and called us valuable is it suffering that determines the value of this blind man's life
no life is valuable your life is valuable because God says it is
because God the maker of the universe loves the people that he has made
at the same time Jesus comes in verse 39 and says that he came for judgment
what does he mean?
alarm bells should be ringing if you've read the rest of John's Gospel
in John chapter 3 Jesus says I did not come for judgment
and here he says for judgment I came
Jesus did not come to judge specifically he didn't come to point the finger
but he enters into history and becomes one of us and begins to tell the world
he begins to tell us that there is something wrong with our hearts
he tells us that we're blind and he has stepped into humanity to make it right
and humanity is divided that's what judgment means
Jesus came to show what life is meant to be and humans have said ever since that day
that they're either compelled by him or against him
history is divided God values and loves every person that he has made
he knew us before time began he sent his son to fix our blindness and we are divided
we don't want to be told that we are blind so secondly
see here our spiritual blindness the point of this chapter
what does it mean that we are blind? Jesus says he came to give sight to the blind
what about that has been causing division ever since he said it
the Bible speaks about sight and it doesn't always mean physical sight
very often it doesn't mean physical sight and nor do we
this past week Spotify Wrapped came out
something that we all look forward to at this time of the year now it's become a bit of a tradition
Spotify will keep track of the artists, the albums, the genres that you listen to
for the whole year and then at the end of the year it will create this remontage
and it will tell you all about your listening habits
and well we listen to music based on how we feel
we listen to music based on what we're going through
and it can be a bit surprising maybe for some of us when Spotify says
you listen to this one song hundreds of times
you were in the top 0.5% of listeners for this one album or for this one band or singer
or that July was your synth pop phase and October was your classical concert phase
you're surprised at first maybe and then you think about it and you say
oh I see, I understand, it makes sense, that's how I was feeling at that time in the year
six months ago that's why I listened to that type of music so much
I see, well you don't see anything but you realize you understand why for me I understand
or I understood the way I was feeling or thinking six months ago
and you say I see now, I understand what has been true of me this past year
the Bible speaks of sight in the same way very often
and when it speaks about sight as knowledge it speaks about spiritual sight
and it says we don't have it as the theme all the way through the Bible
we don't have spiritual sight but we are spiritually blind
what is spiritual blindness?
what does it mean to be spiritually blind?
it means to not see, to not know, it means to be blind to the seriousness of your sin on one hand
and at the same time be blind to the fact that you need someone to save you from it
Cody mentioned this morning that he'd been trying to find a clear definition for boredom
and what it means and I had been doing something similar with spirituality
there is a rise in spirituality, more and more people today say that they are spiritual
but it comes with a lot of questions, what does that mean to be spiritual?
people say many different things, is it religious?
is it not religious?
am I a body with a soul?
am I a soul with a body?
one theme or idea from what I find out, one theme or idea that runs through every definition
is the idea of turning inward and seeking the depths of your existence
and finding ways to help you understand your existence more and more
you can go on Google Maps and type in spirituality into the limits of Edinburgh
and you find crystal shops and palm readers and meditation centers all over the sea
you can buy or experience something that's going to tell you more about your inner self
Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians says that spirituality is not firstly about growing in yourself
or loving yourself or healing yourself
not in any way, in chapter 4 of 2 Corinthians he says firstly that spirituality is about knowing the gospel of the glory of Christ
spirituality is about knowing and seeing what God has said in the gospel about who you are
and more importantly who he is
spiritual blindness is not knowing what has always been true of us
we are far worse sinners than we think we are
we are not as good as we think we are
we are broken and on top of that we need to be saved
so look at how that's seen in this chapter
Jesus heals this man of his physical blindness
we didn't read the middle of the chapter but the man's neighbors are sure that this can't be the same man
is this really the man that was blind that we knew?
yes it's me he says
how do you see them? this man Jesus he healed me
and then the pharisees appear
did this man Jesus really heal you on the Sabbath?
he must be a sinner what did he do to you?
I've told you already you want to hear that again?
you want to become his disciples? no no we are disciples of Moses
well if this man wasn't from God he wouldn't have been able to do it
how dare you they say
how dare you
you were born in utter sin and would you teach us?
what is spiritual sin here?
or spiritual blindness here
it's to ask why Jesus healed him on the Sabbath
it's to claim to be disciples of Moses
it's to say that this man is a sinner and you are not
in other words it's to think that you're better or safer than you are
Tim Keller on this chapter he says it's a question of pride
and you see that in the pharisees they obey the Sabbath
they are disciples of Moses they obey the law they live well
they're not a sinner like this man clearly is he was born blind
they think they're better than they are
spiritual blindness is not just knowing that you're a sinner
you're a sinner or that you sin
and leaving it out of that
we can acknowledge all of us can acknowledge that we sin
we talk behind each other's backs we lie we put people down
we make out that we are better than other people
the list goes on we know that we act in a way
that strikes the conscience that says man I shouldn't have said that
I shouldn't have done that
we all do that
spiritual blindness is understanding that and not seeing that you need to be saved from it
spiritual blindness is the pride of the pharisees to believe that you are better than you are
and to believe that you don't need to be saved
do you see the importance of coming tonight and saying very simply
I am a sinner
I have put my hands up to God and said no thank you
I have run away from him and no amount of being good is going to fix that
however hard I tried to convince myself
Jesus came so that you would see who you really are
he came to tell you you are blind you are not as good as you think you are
and actually you need grace
that's what spiritual sight is to see who you are apart from God
and know that you need grace
Jesus was born to tell you that
so lastly see Jesus in this chapter who seeks out the spiritually blind
God highly values the people he has made
we reject him in our spiritual blindness
and yet Jesus was born and he came to seek out the blind
Jesus we have already made clear
he said that this man's suffering is not specifically because of this man's sin
in a more general sense it is the result of living in a fallen world
things not being as they should be
he is not blind as a consequence of something he has done
he is blind simply because he and everyone else around him
and everyone that has ever existed apart from Jesus is a sinner
he is suffering in a fallen world and that is clear the more we read into this chapter
the man he doesn't know who Jesus is
the Pharisees say in verse 24 give glory to God
in other words whatever you say next better be the truth
we know this man was a sinner
and he says I don't know
I don't know if he is a sinner or not
the man born blind on his own he doesn't know what to say
he doesn't go after Jesus
what is the significance of Jesus being the one who finds the man
at the end of the story
at the start it makes sense that the man can't see
of course Jesus approaches him
but why at the end does John make the point of saying that Jesus finds him
in verse 35
it is just to say that spiritual blindness
can only be turned to spiritual sight
because Jesus is the one who comes after us
spiritual blindness is not knowing how damaging our sin is not understanding
that we need to be saved from it
and Jesus is the one who comes and opens our eyes
he says here is what has always been true about you
what is the significance of Jesus
seeking out the blind man
seeking out the spiritually blind
you can never know him if he didn't do it
at the start of the chapter Jesus calls himself
the light of the world
and when he is saying that he is just repeating and summing up what he has been saying
for the past three chapters in John
in chapter 8 he speaks to the crowd and he says
I am the light of the world whoever follows me will not walk in darkness
but will have the light of life
darkness, spiritual blindness
is healed
because the light stepped into the darkness
not because we reach our hand out of the darkness
life as it was meant to be
a relationship experiencing the grace of God now
and in eternity the light of life he calls it
can only be known because he stepped into the darkness
why do we put Christmas lights up
at this time in the year some of us far too early I think
why do we put Christmas lights up
because we know that we need light in the darkness
inside ourselves
we know there is something in us that says we need light to shine in the darkness
how can you receive spiritual sight
how can your blindness be healed
because the light stepped into the darkness
and became a man
and because he fell every part of that darkness
when he hung on the cross
Mark in his gospel says this about Jesus' death
and when the sick thawed had come
there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour
and Jesus cried out
my God, my God, why have you forsaken me
Jesus seeks the same thing
Jesus seeks the spiritually blind
we are given sight
we are given life as it is meant to be
not by reaching out
but because the Son experienced such darkness for us
that he had to ask his own Father
why have you forsaken me
the blind are found
we are found because Jesus came into the darkness
and experienced every part of it for us
God loves His creation
He values it far more than we know
we reject Him because we are spiritually blind
and yet Jesus came to give sight to the blind
He stepped into the darkness
and experienced it himself
what can you do
Jesus asks one thing to this man at the end
do you believe in the Son of Man
do you believe that the God of Heaven who you can never reach
came down and was born to suffer
so that you would see
that's what Jesus is asking
He calls himself the Son of Man
do you believe that
the blind man gives the right response
Lord, I believe
and He worshiped him
Jesus needs to be the object of your faith
if you're going to have life as it's meant to be
if you're going to see life as it's meant to be
we're going to sing in a minute
I think we've sung it before
but it's all about Jesus' life
from his birth to his death
and it says this about him on the cross
he fights for breath, he fights for me
losing sinners from the claims of hell
and with a shout, our souls are free
death defeated by Emmanuel
our souls are freed
we see life as it is meant to be
when we say with the blind man, I believe
just to end
one more thing to know in this chapter
each time the blind man speaks to Jesus
he gives him a different title
so in verse 11 he's getting asked about Jesus
and he calls him a man
then in verse 17
they ask why he thinks about Jesus
and he calls him a prophet
and in verse 35 when he's speaking to Jesus
he calls him sir and then finally
he can say nothing but Lord
he calls him Lord
and when he moves from man to prophet to sir to lord
these titles are becoming more and more reverent
more and more honourable
it seems that his insight into who Jesus is
is growing and growing and growing
his affection for Jesus
is growing in these moments
and at the same time
the Pharisees become more and more stuck
in their unbelief
they go from questioning Jesus
and disagreeing with each other
to finally telling this blind man
he's completely wrong and they throw him out
Jesus came to give sight to the blind
that's divisive in this story
and it's divisive tonight
do you believe
and if you do
is your affection growing
like the blind man moving from man to prophet
to sir to lord
are you approaching Christmas
with a growing love for Jesus
are you approaching Christmas
with a growing love for the one
who stepped into the darkness
who rose again
and who now intercedes and prays for you
every day
for your sight to grow
let's pray
Lord we thank you for
the story of you healing this man born blind
and Lord we pray
that in our own hearts tonight
we would reckon with ourselves
do we believe that the son of God came
and was born to give us sight
and if we do believe that
is our love, is our affection
growing more and more
we pray that it will
and we ask these things in Jesus' name
Amen