18th October 2026 : John ch 9 v 1 - 12

John ch 9 v 1 - 12

I'll be reading from John's gospel chapter 9. The whole passage is really from verse 1 to 41, but I'm only going to read verses 1 to 12. You've got the hub of the passage and all that took place can be followed up if you read through for homework, which is a blessing to you. Right through to verse 41. I will refer to it though. John's gospel 9, 1 to 41, but I'm only going to read up to verse 12 because I didn't get any other readers and I might get tired. All right. I'll read the word first and then we'll invite the Lord's blessing.

Now as Jesus passed by, he saw a man who was blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Rabbi, who sinned, This man or his parents that he was born blind? And Jesus answered, neither this man nor his parents sinned. but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of him who sent me while it is day. The night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When he had said these things, he spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And he said to him, go wash in the pool of Siloam, which is translated sent. So he went and washed and came back seeing. Therefore the neighbours and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, is not this he who sat and begged? Some said, this is he. Others said, he's like him. He said, I am he. Therefore they said to him, how were your eyes opened? He answered and said, a man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, go to the pool of Siloam and wash. So I went and washed and I received sight. They said to him, where is he? He said, I don't know.

Let's pray. Precious Lord, make your purpose known in this reading of scripture today. Lord, open it up, Lord, in that way that only you can to the people that you want to speak to in a special way, and Lord, to everybody else in terms of their understanding. And Lord, enable us all therefore to glorify you when we pray, and Lord, when we testify with our lives to the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Something that perhaps I've said before, but I will remind folks of, that when we look at the Gospel of John, the structure of that gospel is really wrapped around 7 I am statements that Jesus gave. I am the bread of life, I am the vine, I am the gate, I am the good shepherd, can you remember any more? Go on. I am the way, the truth and the life, I am the resurrection and the life and so on. And we get to this one, in verse 5. And really it's the key to understanding a passage when you see one of those statements, it says, I am the light of the world. I am. So when you turn the light on, what happens? People can see what they're doing. If there's no light, you've only darkness and you can't even see where you're going. And that's what it's like spiritually for some people. There's no light. There's no light. They can't see. They don't know. And for those whom God has enlightened, they see clearly the love of God in Christ Jesus, their own personal Saviour. But for that, of course, for that light to get switched on, folks need to be born of the Spirit, don't they? Otherwise they're still blind. Okay? I hope you've grasped that bit anyway.

It's so simple, you can't miss it, really, is it? leads us into that question, what is the purpose of Jesus healing miracles in the gospel? A lot of people flash through them and say, well, this is wonderful, we've got to do the same as him, and I'm sure we've got to do the works of the Lord who sent us. But the purpose, the grand purpose, the overriding primary purpose of all these miracles is to bring glory to God and to bring people to the focal point of his purpose, which is his plan of redemption. And that's what this passage is talking about, really. Primarily, we will look at the healing as well, by the way.

But when Jesus said, I am the light of the world, that's exactly what he meant. No one can come to the Father except through me. If I don't switch the light on for them, they'll be blind permanently. That's it. There's no compromise on that. And so he is the light of the world. And when he switches that light on for you, can see clearly, can't you? And he does that a number of times, not only when you're born again, but when you need to see something afresh. And when he needs to refresh you personally in the spirit. I am the light of the world. And if we keep our focus there, we won't go far wrong.

So we start with this man who's helpless in verse one. He's absolutely helpless. I'm sure he can reach out and feel things. Blind people do, don't they? I've seen them walking along with a dog and a stick and they seem to do quite well. But I wouldn't exchange places with them, would you? No, I wouldn't. Neither would I exchange places from where I am now with the person I was before. Would you? I wouldn't exchange my life and my experience of the love of God for somebody who's blind. They're spiritually blind. That's really what we're looking at in this passage. And he was so blind, he'd been blind from birth, he'd never seen anything. And that is the way with all unsaved people. They don't see the light of God. They don't see their own sin because otherwise they might be opened up to repentance. You can't repent unless you've seen what you're repenting of and God has to show you your sin.

But if people are blind, they can see nothing. He must switch the light on. Salvation is of God. I am the light of the world. And you know, it leads us to that place and certainly to his disciples at the time, they would be very conscious of this, that when God first revealed himself to Moses and Moses said, whom shall I say sent me? What shall I say when they said, who sent you? Who do you think you are? What shall I do? What's your name? And the Lord said, I am. I am who I am. Say that to them.

They won't be impressed, but they'll be understand. They'll understand. I am. And that's where that phrase comes in, that saying comes in. And then in John's gospel, you get seven of those, the complete perfect number. Jesus, I am. And in this case, I am the light of the world. So it's in that sense that we should understand this passage. Firstly, that his purpose, his plan of redemption is to open the eyes of the blind. Now, if I read something to you now, I'll read to you from Luke chapter 4, but you will find it in the book of Isaiah as well, because it's Jesus quoted directly from Isaiah the prophet, and I'd like to explain why in a moment. But this is what he said in Luke's Gospel chapter 4, he entered the synagogue, he was handed the scroll, he was invited to read it. Where did he read from? He read this, verse 18, Luke 4, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted.

Are you poor? Are you broken-hearted? Where are you looking for the answer? Hallelujah. To proclaim liberty to the captives, people who are in bondage to things he sets free. Recovery of sight to the blind. And that's where we go back to our passage, isn't it? Recovery of sight to the blind, but I'll finish it anyway. Jesus did, so I will. To set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. And that's exactly how he's going to do it. When you see him healing people and doing things and setting them free, they all typify God's purpose in his plan of salvation. Yes, they were healed physically, but the Lord never left them just like that, did He? We read this passage down. If you do do your homework, you get right down into verse 35 and really to the end. I'll read that tiny little bit. I said I wasn't going to do, but I will.

Jesus heard that they'd cast him out. That's the blind man was excommunicated. That's not bad when you've just been healed, is it? They threw him out. We'll come to that in a minute. But when Jesus found him, he said to him, do you believe in the Son of God? He'd been healed, but he wasn't saved yet. A lot of people can be touched by God and blessed by God and still not know the Lord. That's what happened to this man. Do you believe in the Son of God? Have you got there yet? Are you born again? Do you know him? And he answered, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe in him? And Jesus said, You've both seen him and it is he who is talking with you now. And he said, Lord, I believe.

Verse 38, isn't it brilliant? He said, I believe. And he worshipped him. Oh, he was changed. He could see clearly now, couldn't he? His physical eyes were open, but now the eyes of his heart were enlightened. Sounds a bit like the Bible, doesn't it? I pray that the eyes of your heart will be enlightened. Who said that? And that's what it takes for someone to be born again. A complete healing, not just a little tiny bit, the eyes. That was the easy bit for Jesus. The miracle is when he saves a person's soul because they're saved from sin and hell and from death. Hallelujah. And that's where we find this man at the end, being able to see so clearly he wasn't blind in any respect whatsoever. All right.

So that's the primary purpose of the healing and the miracle overall when we look at it. Let's break it down a little bit and answer one question. What did the disciples do wrong? They said, who sinned? This man or his parents, that he was born blind. Who was it? Whose fault is it? You ever heard that before? Have you ever heard that sentiment before? I've heard it tons of times. I've met Christians who feel guilty because they're sick. You know, a phone call one morning, I can't make it today, Roger. I've got a streaming nose and streaming eyes. I'm going to bed. And they might feel guilty for not coming. I say, no, don't be daft, you can't come like that, get to bed. But it's often, quite often you know, you meet a Christian who's sick in various ways and they feel guilty for being sick as though Christians were immune. That is ridiculous. Christians are not immune from illness and sickness, that's ludicrous. Your spirit is born, your soul is born again, but we live in a body like everybody else until death comes and separates us from it. Up until then, it's a vulnerable body like everybody else, you have flesh and blood.

It's true. Otherwise, why did Timothy have a poorly tummy so often, drink a little wine and it'll do you good? You know, why did Elisha, the great prophet with all those miracles, die of a disease? He said he lay there dying of a disease, a fatal disease, and the king came to him to seek one last piece of wisdom, one last miracle, and that was done while he was dying. We're not immune from those things, that's ludicrous. Why else did the Apostle Paul take with him Luke, the good doctor, unless from time to time people were sick and God chose not to heal them directly? Why was Epaphras sick and almost died and Paul prayed for him, but he wasn't healed instantly. It took a while. And then he gave such thanks in his letter to the Colossian church. Oh, I was fearful for him. I was worried about him. I prayed for him. But praise God, he's all right now, you know.

But he had been sick. Beloved, we're not immune. And don't at any time feel guilty if you think, you know, I must have sinned. Not necessarily. It could be a medical reason that people are sick. It could be an accident. You go rock climbing or something like that. Every now and then you'll slip. Let me assure you. When you do, you find yourself going down the rock like that and all your hands are grazed and your face and praise God, I'm still here by the grace of God. But if you slip and fall, that's an accident and you get hurt. Simple, isn't it? There are medical reasons, there are accidents, there are other things. You can end up in a fight or a battle. People can be sick for lots of reasons, but they can also be sick because they've sinned. There is some baby in that bathwater.

The disciples weren't completely wrong. How was their theology based? It was based back in the old scriptures, wasn't it? Exodus chapter 20 verse 5. Numbers 14 verse 18, check that one. Deuteronomy 5, 9, they all more or less say the same thing. It was a generational thing. That's why they believed it could have been his parents. I will visit the sins of the fathers upon the children to the 3rd and 4th generation of those who hate me and do not keep my commands. You see, there's the key. Somebody might, it's not that God punishes them, they bring it on themselves in that way. That's a New Testament principle as well. 1 Corinthians 6.18, it says, all of the sins a man commits outside his body, but sexual sin, he sins against his own body. What does that tell you? He could be sick. Some people are, that's why we've got all these clinics. Because of sin.

We go back into John 5. Just a few pages back from where we are now, John 5, round about verse 14, you'll meet the man who was healed at the pool of Bethesda. And he was lame, he was as helpless as this blind man, he couldn't get down to the water to be healed. And Jesus came up and said, do you want to get well? And that's a powerful question, isn't it, beloved? Some people rejoice in sickness, that's another reason they're sick. There's all sorts of things. That's a big subject. A big subject. This will bring us to the point shortly, but that man answered yes, but I can't get down into the water. There's no one to help me. I can't save myself. Do you see the point in the miracle? I can't save myself. And Jesus healed him.

But then later in verse 14, he caught up with him. Again, I say don't leave people alone. And he said to him, don't sin like you've done before or something worse will happen to you. So his sickness seems to have been sin related. There are some cases. So where did the disciples go wrong? The theology wasn't entirely wrong. What they did wrong is this. They made the assumption that that's always the reason. They were a one-trick pony. It's a bit like technique, you know, see someone and say, what do we do now? You've sinned, confess it, we'll break for you, you'll be healed, you know, and you can't do that. Every case is different. You look at every case of healing with Jesus, and then there's never two the same. You'll get some similar. You go into Mark's gospel, chapter eight, and you'll see the man. Jesus spat on his eyes as well, didn't they? And he wasn't healed straight away. So what can you see? I could see people walking around like trees. And Jesus touched his eyes again. if he had to do that, there might be occasions where we have to pray again. We don't have to expect an instantaneous result when you can see so many examples in the Bible where people were touched again and again and again.

And that woman blessed me last night saying that she'd prayed for her son for 43 years. Goodness me, how faithful is that? His life was a mess, I won't go into detail, but goodness me, if she hadn't have been praying for him, where would he be now? Such is the grace of God, and we don't have the answer for everything, but he doesn't do everything by formula and technique. Nonsense. Nonsense. And the disciples had assumed that this would be the same as other things that they'd seen or understood. And you have to take each case on its own merit whether it's a healing or anything else. No two people are the same, no two sets of circumstances are the same.

Where do you find the answer? It's not in the Daily Mirror, is it? It's not on the internet. Try looking in there, you know. Try looking in there for the answer. That's where God's purpose is revealed. And in the Spirit, when you pray, it's simple things. It's not magic. It's prayer and the Word of God that reveals His purpose and the way forward for you. Well, are you blind? Have you seen? Have you had your eyes open? Come on, church. Listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. God wants to open all our eyes.

You know, so many people's testimonies locked so far in the past that you think they're living there? How many testimonies have you heard? Someone says, I used to be a biker, you know, I used to ride motorbikes, so what? You know, didn't go round a uniform on, all they need is a handbag to finish the job, isn't it? I mean, realistically, you know, anybody can put the throttle back and ride off into the sunset, so what? I used to do this, I used to be that, and I think, well, I know that. Look around and I know you're all sinners. I was, don't live there. It's possible to fall into a trap. We'll have to do this one day, won't we? Look into how to do your testimony. I promise we'll do that in a few weeks. But you know what? It's often that people fall into the trap. I used to be like that and now I'm not. Amen. And that's not really very hopeful.

Let's look at this man's testimony, shall we? Very, very powerful. He doesn't live in the past at all. Let's take a look at what happened. Already in verses 8 to 10, people are saying, who are you? You know, these are his neighbours. They didn't recognise him. He was changed. God had done something in him. And they couldn't recognise. Someone said, yes, it's him. And others were saying, no, it's not him. He's a beggar, he's blind, he's no good, you know, he's useless and all that. We know him. No, you don't, because God has done something in him different. And they said to him in verse 10, how were your eyes opened? It's just a little tinge of unbelief in that question, isn't there? In fact, this passage speaks more about unbelief than it does of faith. When you look at the responses this miracle got, how were your eyes open? And he said, a man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said, go and do this. So I did.

When Jesus spoke to you, is that what you've done? Might seem odd when somebody's going to be healed. Let's spit on the floor, shall we? Let's make some mud, you know. Now go and have a wash, you know. Well, you would do, wouldn't you? It's a very unusual thing to do. You ever wondered why? Go back to the Garden of Eden for that one. When God made the first man, he made him from the dust of the ground. How do you get dust to stay together? You ever ask that question? I won't do it, but get some water, spit, whatever you want, and mix it into mud. So you've got a muddy nose, muddy ears, muddy feet and muddy hands. And it's still not got life in it. It's just dust held together. But then the Lord breathes his spirit in and it becomes a living soul, the first man. Jesus was taking him back to the beginning. If he's born blind, he's, you know what I believe? I don't believe he had eyes. That makes sense. That part of the world, that's very possible at that time. When he touched his eyes, I believe he got new ones. I can't prove that. But there is a precedent for it in scripture. When God at creation made man, he looked upon his creation and said, behold, it is good. It's not blind. It's not lame. It's not deaf. It's not sinful. It's good.

When Jesus touched that man's eyes, he made them good. Isn't that wonderful? But anyway, that's what he said. That's my answer to that question. But then, I mean, they grilled him, didn't they? Look at verse 12, they said, they're still grilling him. Where is he?

One thing that Sammy said last night, I remember right now, I'm sure I'll remember a lot of things she said in the future, but she said, you know, with evangelism, you mustn't dress it up or be dishonest with it or embellish things, exaggerate things. If you're going to be successful, you need integrity. Remember she said that? Integrity. And this man was very truthful in his answer. He just said, I don't know. Where is he? I don't know. I've just started out. I don't know anything. Are you getting my honest answer? And I remember doing that. When I first got there, a crowd of people around me pummeling me questions, you know, the ones, why is there so much suffering if there's a God, you know? I said I don't know. Because at the time I didn't know. I couldn't give an answer. I was just honest. And then they stood there in front of me. I could see the faces now. They were stunned because they expected some answer that was carefully prepared. They'd heard before. I said, I don't know. I don't know everything. Who do you think I am? You know? And that impressed them more than if I'd have dressed things up. And I've never forgotten that.

When Sammy said that last night about integrity, it was a reminder. And when I looked at this verse, they said, where is he? I don't know. A lot of people look for the Lord and they don't know where to find him. They don't know. It's you, it's me that point the way to him, isn't it? Hallelujah. But they were still grilling him. Verse 13, they brought the man who was formerly brought to the Pharisees. That was a bad idea, wasn't it? And they said to him, they said to him, How have you received your sight? Verse 15. What did you do to you? Come on, you know. And he said to them, he put clay on my eyes and I washed and I see, simple answer. And then you get down to verse 17 and they're still grilling him. They said to the blind man again, what do you say about him because he opened your eyes? And he gave his answer. He's a prophet, that's all he knew at the time.

You get down to verse 24, you can look right through this and count the number of times. And they called the man again who was blind and said, give God the glory, we know this man is a sinner. And yet he was stood there perfectly well and before he'd been blind. Hard to imagine that they'd respond that way, but sometimes people do. If they responded to them, to Jesus, to this man in this way, if they hated them, they'll hate you. Don't expect an easy ride. And he just replied in an honest answer again, I don't know if he's a sinner, but nobody could open the eyes of the blind unless he's from God. And they were still grilling him. They said to him again, verse 26, how did he open your eyes? You can hear the unbelief right the way through this passage. They are not going to receive God's glory. And they didn't. And it was getting a bit tedious for this bloke so in verse 27, he said, I told you already. You know, didn't you hear the first time. You didn't listen, did you? Do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples as well?

Oh, he really knew how to upset them. And they threw him out. He was ex-communi ..., thrown out the synagogue, thrown out. But as I mentioned earlier, Jesus came to him and consolidated God's grace in him. Has God done a work of consolidation in you? You might say, I know him, I've met him, he even healed me, you might have other testamenties, but he wants to consolidate his presence with you. His spirit in you. His testimony to you, not yours to someone else. But all the way through this passage, you can see him giving his testimony, his straight answers to straight questions. He doesn't exaggerate anything. He doesn't fantasize. He just answers the questions and gives it to them straight, the reality.

And beloved people must have the reality. If you don't give them that, God will not stand with you. He doesn't go in for fantasy or exaggeration and you don't need to dress things up. One of the reasons why people are successful in outreach is if they are honest and straightforward with the gospel. This man was and the outcome was glorious for him. What a start to your faith. He didn't even know he was going to give a testimony that day, did he? But did you notice it's all about what God's doing with me now? He didn't stand there and say, I used to be a biker, aren't you impressed? He said, this is what God's doing now. And that is always the most powerful testimony.

And I know what God's going to do with me and calling me to do. Do you know that? Or are you blind to it? You know, people can often be open to what God has done and yet at the same time, blind to his calling as to what they may be involved in next. Has God spoken to you in that respect? Or is it still a mystery? Why don't you pray and say, Lord, open my eyes, let me see things I haven't seen before. Show me what I can't see yet. That's a testimony, where I'm going, not where I've been. I don't want to live there, do you? I wouldn't go back there. I don't want to live in that rubbish. God forbid it. I want to live in God's grace.

So my testimony is what God's doing now. This man's testimony is lovely if you read through it. All the time, he healed me, he touched me, he saved me. And then when Jesus did consolidate his purpose in the man, he worshipped him. The first call on your life, beloved, is that you are a worshipper before you do anything. It's true that. The purpose of God in man is that man should know the Lord and worship him and enjoy him forever. Don't let anybody put something on you or put some guilt trip on you. You're a worshipper first. That was his first experience of Jesus and it was a lasting one and that's going to be mine.

How about you? Is that okay for you? Is that what your testimony is going to be? Lord, open my eyes to see what you're doing with me now and how you can involve me in the future. I want to do that. Amen. Let's pray.

Lord, open my eyes, open all our eyes and give us grace to see what we have not seen so far. Give us grace to understand we have not seen yet the people we've prayed for. Give us that vision, envision us with clear sight to their salvation and see them as they shall be. Give us your own perspective on these things, Lord. Speak to us in that way, Lord, that we see clearly and powerfully all the love of God in Christ Jesus unfolding before us. The past behind us, the way before us, I have decided to follow Jesus. And this shall be our testimony. Lord, I want you to make it so and so real for everyone in this room that our eyes are clearly opened to your great love for us and your grand purpose in us in Jesus' lovely name. Thank you for the body that works together in this way.