I AM the light of the world

Hello everyone, we'll be reading from John chapter 9 today, starting from verse 1 and

John 9 · chapter mention

stopping at verse 14 and then jumping ahead to verse 24.

So if you'd turn with me to John 9.

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.

Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva.

Then he anointed the man's eyes with mud and said to him, Go, wash in the pool of

Siloam, which means sent.

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 it 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 him 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.

Moving ahead to 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 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 worshipper 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 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

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.

Father, I know that my words have no power, but your words do.

And so I pray that you would fill us all with your spirit, and I pray that your spirit would

help me to be clear and point to Jesus.

And as we just sang, I pray that for each one of us, you would convince our hearts that

your mercy is greater than the darkness.

In Jesus' name I pray.

Amen.

Well, I'm sure you're all equally as excited as I am that the English Premier League has

started again this week.

Now, if anyone tells me the score of Liverpool's game last night, I'm not sure what I'll do.

Like, it's not going to be pretty.

Like, you've seen me cry up front enough.

Like, you don't need to see me cry again.

Don't tell me the score.

Now, a number of years ago, there was some tough things going on in my life, and I'm not

going to go into the details, but what I thought was sure and certain and reliable was now just

confusing, uncertain.

I knew it was a difficult time, but I didn't realise how much it was affecting me until one

night, playing soccer with friends.

We were at Spears Point Park with the synthetic, like, it was perfect, it was a clear night,

stars were out, with friends, playing soccer.

Like, this is my lovely time, my idea of a lovely time.

It's probably not yours.

Now, the ball went out for a goal kick, so I had this moment of pause, just staring at

the stars, and just this wave of sadness came over me.

It was just in that moment I was like, oh, oh, this is really affecting me.

A few days later, I went to Warners Bay by the foreshore, coffee in hand.

I'm not really knowing what I was searching for, but I started reading John's Gospel.

I just started reading.

Now, I did not come away with this aha moment.

This is the key to unlock my problems.

Here's what I need to do.

I did not come away with that.

I was still sad.

But it's really hard to put into words the strength, the peace that came, just seeing Jesus afresh.

It was the person of Jesus.

There was something steadying about that.

Whatever else was chaos, I know him, and he knows me.

We come this morning to the second I am claim of Jesus.

Last week, we saw him feeding the 5,000, claiming that he can feed our spiritual hunger.

I am the bread of life.

And now he's saying that he's the solution to our spiritual blindness.

I am the light of the world.

So as we come into this story, I think a way to see what's going on in this story is just listen out for what people claim that they know.

They know for sure.

Okay, so Jesus comes across this man who's been blind from birth.

We don't know how old he is.

We know he could be in his 40s or older.

He's an adult.

He can testify in court for himself.

Jesus makes mud with his saliva.

It's strange.

Puts it on his eyes and sent him to a pool called, which the name means sent.

Now, I think the name is significant because it becomes the heart of the question that they're going to be debating.

Is Jesus sent from God?

Now, his neighbors, they had walked past this beggar.

He's a blind man.

He can't work.

So he's been begging.

They walk past him every day, all his life.

They know him the best.

And they're divided.

It's him.

It just looks like him.

Like, how is this possible?

They're divided.

And so they take him to the experts, the religious experts of the day.

Now, please don't be thinking that these ancient people were primitive in their understanding,

thinking that mud and saliva and washing could cure blindness.

We do eye surgery today.

The man, the neighbors, the religious experts, they're not focusing on that.

They're focusing on the person, Jesus.

But the experts who know their Bibles well, they're suspicious.

Well, most of them are.

There seems to be a minority group who are amazed.

But most of them are thinking, something fishy is going on here.

They call in the parents.

We didn't read this bit, but they call in the parents.

They don't believe he was blind from birth.

But the parents come in and they say, yes, this is our son.

Yes, he was blind from birth.

But they sense the danger.

And they're like, we don't know what's going on here.

Talk to him.

Because they knew that the experts had already decided, if you follow Jesus, you're excommunicated.

Leave.

Cut off from the community, which is a big deal.

You're treated as if you were cut off from God.

So let's take stock of what the experts know.

They've got the testimony of the man.

I was blind and now I see.

They've got the testimony of the neighbours who knew him best.

They've got the testimony of his parents.

This is our son.

He was born blind.

Now, according to the law of Moses, these experts had plenty of evidence to establish this matter.

But here's their conclusion.

We know this man, Jesus, is a sinner.

That's their conclusion.

We know.

He can't be sent from God.

Now, why are they so sure?

Not because of what he did, but when he did it.

He did it on the Sabbath rest.

Now, rabbinical teaching was that only God can work on the Sabbath.

Like the sun still needs to rise on the Sabbath day.

God is always working, bringing light and life to his world.

But his people need to rest on the Sabbath to remember that their life is from God.

That they were delivered by Moses from Egypt to be God's worshipping people.

God can work on the Sabbath to give life.

Everyone else must rest.

Jesus healed.

He did this work on the Sabbath.

Now, we've skipped a lot in John's Gospel.

This is the second time Jesus has done this.

He healed a man who couldn't walk for 38 years on the Sabbath.

And they questioned him about that.

And here's how he justifies himself in chapter 5, 17 and 18.

My father is working until now.

And I am working.

Let's just say that made matters worse.

Because John goes on to explain,

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.

He's claiming to be greater than Moses.

He's claiming that he can work.

Bringing light and life to the world.

He must be a sinner.

Now,

these experts,

they get in this irrational tangle.

Think about what they're doing.

They're accepting that the miracle happened

in order to conclude

he worked on the Sabbath.

This miracle happened

and so he broke the Sabbath.

They're conceding it happened.

And they're just ignoring the obvious question.

If Jesus can do this,

what does this mean about where he came from?

Look at the irony here.

These experts,

the emphasis in this passage is,

we know.

We.

We're the experts.

We know.

We see clearly.

Follow us.

Blind man,

give glory.

Well, he's not blind anymore.

He's seeing.

Give glory to God.

Tell the truth.

Follow our lead.

They're trying to pressure this guy

who has been blind his entire life

into denying the fact

that this man Jesus came along

and he saw light

for the first time.

They're trying to pressure him

into denying that.

It's good luck.

Good luck convincing him of that.

It's just irrational.

The healed man,

he starts with what he can't deny.

Whether he's a sinner or not,

I don't know.

One thing I do know.

That though I was blind,

now I see.

His sight seems to grow.

Verse 11,

this man called Jesus opens my eyes.

Verse 17,

he's a prophet.

A messenger from God.

Verse 27,

he implies,

I'm following this Jesus now.

And then he reasons from Moses,

from the prophets,

he reasons,

God only listens to those who worship him.

And no one's ever heard

of a man being born blind.

Seeing.

This has never happened

since the world began.

Jesus could not possibly

have done a thing

if he wasn't sent from God.

He's saying,

there is a greater marvel,

in a sense,

there's a greater marvel

than that I can see now.

It's the marvel

that you experts

can't see where he comes from.

Now,

for some reason,

they don't like this.

The experts,

to use a soccer phrase,

they play the man,

not the ball.

You're the one born in sin.

How dare you lecture us?

This is a strange scene.

Picture it.

This is a beggar.

I doubt he even owned nice clothes.

And he's standing on his own.

His parents,

not even his parents,

are supporting him.

He's on his own.

He's uneducated.

And he's surrounded

by this learned group

who have all the power in society.

They can excommunicate,

cut people off from...

And it's the experts

who are reacting so strongly.

They're so threatened.

I think it's their emphasis

on themselves

that show what's really going on.

We know.

How dare you lecture us?

Here's what's really going on.

They can't let go of the idea

that they can already see clearly.

They hate the idea

that they might be blind

so much

that when they see

this amazing victory

of light over darkness

in healing this man,

they ignore it.

and they ignore

what Jesus is doing.

That Jesus is giving

what the Sabbath rest was about.

Sabbath rest

was to remember

God created all things,

including humankind,

which Genesis 2, 7 says,

from the dust of the ground,

God formed man.

Maybe,

maybe,

him making the mud

was just a little signal

that he is the creator.

Either way,

what he did,

it's unheard of.

It's an act of creation,

giving sight to a blind man.

And Isaiah the prophet

says this is exactly

what the Messiah would do

in chapter 42.

Thus says God,

the Lord,

who created the heavens

and stretched them out,

who spread out the earth

and what comes from it,

who gives breath

to the people on it

and spirit to those

who walk in it.

I will give you

as a covenant

for the people,

a light for the nations,

to open the eyes

that are blind,

to bring out the prisoners

from the dungeon,

from the prison,

those who sit in darkness.

Much more than physical sight,

this man receives

spiritual sight.

He believed Jesus

came from God

and now he takes

one step

more

and he gives

Jesus

the reverence

that's only

appropriate to God.

He bows down

and he worships

this human being.

He

was once sure

that God

was punishing him

because of his sin

or his parents' sin,

someone's sin.

He was once sure

God was against him

and now

in Jesus

he's known,

he's seen.

He can see the grace

and mercy of God.

He can't,

to use Caroline's phrase,

he can't unsee Jesus now.

Now I doubt

he couldn't have known

what it would have

cost Jesus

to do this

because we later

find out in John's Gospel

that night

was coming.

Jesus had to trade

places with the man.

Those claiming to see

would decide

to snuff out

this light

but Jesus

chose

to trade

places

with this man.

He let the

darkness

have him.

So

John's clever,

isn't he,

writing this?

You see what he's doing,

don't you?

He's letting us

listen in

on these people

forming their conclusions

about Jesus.

Where is he from?

Because it makes us

reading it today

ask ourselves,

who do I agree with?

Do I more agree

with those

who are so sure

that they can already

see clearly?

They know what God's about,

they know what the world's about,

they know what my life

is about.

I've already got light,

I can see.

Or,

do I despair

of my ability

to know God,

my ability

to know my purpose,

my ability

to know what

life is about?

Am I willing

to say

I'm as blind

spiritually

as this man

was?

Shifting sport

illustrations,

sorry for all

the sport

illustrations today

for those

who hate sport,

but anyone

know who Tom

Brady is?

Okay,

there's a few

nods,

a few hands.

NFL,

American football,

quarterback,

now think

of the Super Bowl,

how many people

watch the Super Bowl?

It's over a billion,

isn't it?

You watch this

grand final

of this sport

every year.

Now he's played

in 10 Super Bowls,

this guy.

He's won seven.

He was most valuable

player for five

of them.

The country

worships him.

He's got a stadium

of worshippers

chanting his name.

Now he had a

TV interview

in 2005,

he'd only won

three Super Bowls

at that point,

and he said

in the interview,

why do I have

three Super Bowl

rings

and still think

there's something

greater out there

for me?

I reach my goal,

my dream,

my life,

and I think,

God,

it's got to be

more than this.

This can't be

what it's all

cracked up to be.

This guy's

a good looking

guy.

He's much

more handsome

than me.

He's got

everything going

for him.

I've never been

asked for a TV

interview.

Now the

interviewer asks

him,

what's the

answer?

I wish I

knew.

I wish I

knew.

how can

someone at

the top

think there's

got to be

more?

I've reached

my goal.

Can you

hear how

lost he

is?

Whatever

you make

your goal

in life,

your purpose,

your worth,

it leaves

you lost

and empty

and fearful.

Now there's

a danger.

You might

be hearing

me say,

those in

church can

see.

We know

what life

is about.

Those

outside living

for the

world,

they don't

know.

This passage

is saying

something much

worse than

that.

It's saying

we're all

born blind

to God

and what

life is

about.

All of

us.

all of

us are

spiritually

in

darkness

thinking

we know.

People can

come to

church their

whole lives

every week

and the

preacher,

the songs,

the conversations

are saying

life is a

gift,

life is a

gift in

Jesus,

life is a

gift and

they walk

out the

door going

I've got to

try harder,

I've got to

try harder,

I've got to

try harder.

you can

totally miss

it your

whole life.

On the

flip side,

someone can

be so

content in

what they're

living for

other than

Jesus and

then they

can find

Jesus'

light just

irresistible

even when

they don't

want him

to be.

So here's

Rosaria's

story.

As a

university

professor,

as a

professor,

doing pretty

well for

herself,

I tired of

students who

seemed to

believe that

knowing Jesus

meant knowing

little else.

Stupid,

pointless,

menacing.

That's what I

thought of

Christians and

their God,

Jesus.

The Christians

who mocked

me on

Gay Pride

Day were

happy that

I and

everyone I

loved were

going to

hell,

was clear

as blue

sky.

But that

is not

what Ken

did.

He did

not mock,

he engaged.

So when

his letter

invited me to

get together

for dinner,

I accepted.

Ken and

his wife,

Floyd,

and I

became friends.

they entered

my world

and they

met my

friends.

We did

book exchanges,

we talked

openly about

sexuality and

politics.

They did

not act as

if such

conversations

were polluting

them.

And when

we ate

together,

Ken prayed

in a way

I'd never

heard before.

His prayers

were intimate,

vulnerable.

He repented

of his sin

in front of

me.

He thanked

God for

all things.

Ken's God

was holy

and firm,

yet full of

mercy.

I started

reading the

Bible.

I read

the way

a glutton

devours.

I continued

reading the

Bible,

all the while

fighting the

idea that it

was inspired.

But the

Bible got to

be bigger

inside me

than I.

It overflowed

into my

world.

I fought

against it

with all

my might.

And then

one Sunday

morning I

rose from

the bed

of my

lesbian

lover and

an hour

later,

sat in

a pure

church.

I fought

with everything

I had.

I did

not want

this.

I did

not ask

for this.

I counted

the costs

and I did

not like

the math

on the

other side

of the

equal sign.

But God's

promises

rolled in

like sets

of waves

into my

world.

And then

one ordinary

day I

came to

Jesus,

open-handed

and naked.

Jesus

triumphed.

I am

the light

of the

world.

Whoever

follows me

will not

walk in

darkness but

will have

the light

of life.

Please

will you

pray with

me?

Father, I

pray that

you would

help us

to admit

that we

don't know

where we're

going.

that even

as a

society

we're

pretty

lost.

We don't

know

what life

is about.

And I

pray that

Lord Jesus

you would

make yourself

irresistible

to each

one of

us.

Help us

set our

eyes on

you.

And I

pray this

in Jesus

name.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.