Sunday, February 21, 2021 ~ The Book Of John ~ Series: LOVED BY JESUS ~ Message: The Blinding ~ Scripture: John 9:1-41 ESV ~ Pastor Philip Miller

Image: “Christ Healing the Blind” 1682 by Nicolas Colombel

WELCOME

Sunday, February 21, 2021

The Book Of John

Series: LOVED BY JESUS

Message: The Blinding

Scripture: John 9:1-41 ESV

Pastor Philip Miller

Scripture Reading Psalm 143:1–10 ESV

Psalm 143 ESV and Audio

My Soul Thirsts for You

143 Hear my prayer, O Lord;

give ear to my pleas for mercy!

In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!

2

Enter not into judgment with your servant,

for no one living is righteous before you.

3

For the enemy has pursued my soul;

he has crushed my life to the ground;

he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.

4

Therefore my spirit faints within me;

my heart within me is appalled.

5

I remember the days of old;

I meditate on all that you have done;

I ponder the work of your hands.

6

I stretch out my hands to you;

my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

7

Answer me quickly, O Lord!

My spirit fails!

Hide not your face from me,

lest I be like those who go down to the pit.

8

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,

for in you I trust.

Make me know the way I should go,

for to you I lift up my soul.

9

Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord!

I have fled to you for refuge.

10

Teach me to do your will,

for you are my God!

Let your good Spirit lead me

on level ground!

Image: The Blinding

SERMON NOTES

Sunday, February 21, 2021

The Book Of John

Series: LOVED BY JESUS

Message: The Blinding

Scripture: John 9:1-41 ESV

Pastor Philip Miller

The Blinding: Will you let the Light in?

The book of John is a curated collection (events, interactions, and dialogue) written so that the you may believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that by believing you may have Life in His name.

In John 9, the author is again curating the story so that we would more clearly see the person of Jesus. We see four refractions of Jesus as the Light of the World. Each of these refractions shed light on who Jesus is and who we are as well.

The Parable of the Light (vs. 1–7)

1) The Parable of the Light: The story begins with a man born blind, and the disciples ask if his condition is a result of personal sin. Jesus responds by saying “I am the light of the world…” So, we have a man who can’t see any light in this world, and Jesus about to enact a kind of miraculous parable to illustrate what it means that He is the "Light of the World," and how some eyes will be opened while other eyes are closed.

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.

The Polarization of the Light (vs. 8–16)

2) The Polarization of the Light: The people cannot believe their eyes that the man is healed, and the healing creates polarized views of who Jesus is. While the Light is shining, some eyes are opened and some are intentionally shut, because the light of Jesus is polarizing.

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.

The Piercing of the Light (vs. 17–34)

3) The Piercing of the Light: Jesus opened the blind man's eyes to the light, and now his eyes are also being opened spiritually to who Jesus is. Despite opposition from the Pharisees, the man who was healed stands up for Jesus, saying "I was blind, but now I see." The man claims that Jesus has to be from God, because only God alone can open the eyes of a blind man. Here’s the irony: this man sees things with perfect clarity, but it is the Pharisees' eyes that are clouded. The clearer the light shines, the more piercing it is, revealing what’s really going on in the Pharisees’ hearts.

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.

The Paradox of the Light (vs. 35–41)

4) The Paradox of the Light: On the one hand, no one has ever seen Jesus with more clarity than this man does. He goes from total blindness to crystal clarity in just a few hours. And at the very same time, processing the very same information, in the very same place, the religious leaders have never been so blind as to who Jesus is. They actively resist the light. And here’s what’s amazing: the blind man everyone assumed was furthest from God, ends up closest; and the religious leaders everyone assumed were closest to God, end up furthest away. The Light does that; it draws some close and others it drives away. There is no greater blindness than that which insists it can see.

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.

Takeaway: Jesus’ light is blinding to some and beautiful to others.

It all comes down to whether we’re willing to admit our blindness or not. That’s why sinners draw near, and the self-righteous stand far off.

So how about you? What will you do with the Light?