Grace Baptist Church, Nokomis, IL.

Text:

Amazing Grace is perhaps the most recognized song sung today. Written in 1773, it was originally titled “Faith’s Review and Expectation.” The song talks about how we were once blind, but now we see, if you know Jesus as Savior.

‘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?” 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.” ‘ (John 9:1-5)

So Jesus was walking by, and noticed a blind man. Jesus’s disciples asked a question that we still hear a form of today. We might ask, “God, why am I going through this?” Jesus responded that it was not because of his sin or his parents’ sin. Sometimes we go through things not because of sin, but so that God will receive glory.

Then Jesus makes an unusual sounding statement (v. 4). It helps to know that it was the Sabbath (v. 14). No work was to be done on the Sabbath. But it was also a metaphor of His own life (v. 5). And it’s a reminder that our lives are short, and we must use every moment to do God’s work.

Jesus claimed to be the Light of the World. He would not cease to be the Light of the World after His ascension. But His earthly life would be more so in that His work would be most evident. Many times, Jesus gave Himself a title in association with a miracle, reminding us that we should focus on Him rather than on His miracles.

“Having said these things, he spat 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 Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing” (John 9:6-7).

Jesus healed a blind man. It’s true that some born blind today have gained sight through medical advances. But these are not miracles. And they certainly weren’t possible 2,000 years ago. Jesus could have healed the blind man without the mud, but this demonstrated very tangibly to the blind person who it was that healed him.

Verses 8-34 tell a somewhat humorous story. Let me sum them up for you because I want to get to the end of the chapter. All kinds of people couldn’t believe what they saw and heard about this miracle. They took the man who was healed to the Pharisees, who questioned him. The man tells his story. They don’t believe him, so they ask his parents, and they say, “Yes, he was born blind, and now he can see, but we don’t know how this happened. Ask him.” So they ask him about it again, and the man testifies about Jesus and starts to teach the Pharisees a thing or two (v. 30-34).

We receive at least two challenges from this story. 1) Be like the blind man. Tell people boldly about Jesus and what He’s done for you. 2) Don’t be like the Pharisees. They weren’t interested in the truth. They wanted power.

‘ “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 worshiped 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” ‘ (John 9:35-41).

In these verses, the man formerly blind saw Jesus for the first time. He worshiped Jesus. The Pharisees, on the other hand, could see Jesus all along, but would not worship Him. It’s not enough to believe that Jesus exists. We must also worship Him with our lives.

Take another look at verse 39. Jesus isn’t talking about physical vision anymore, but spiritual. His healing people of their blindness is ultimately an illustration that He gives life. God does not desire that anyone be spiritually blind. But it is an inevitable consequence of free will. God allows us to choose whether we will accept Him or reject Him. To illustrate how God saves the lost person, Jesus healed people of blindness. Will you ask Him to heal you of your blindness?