"Who Sees?" (Scruggs) | John 9:24-41

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Please stand for a reading from John chapter 9, verses 24 through 41.

John 9:24–41

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?

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 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 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.

This is the word of the Lord.

Please be seated.

Welcome to Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church as we continue our sermon series in the Gospel of John.

Last week we considered from John 9 who sinned because this individual was born blind, his parents, or was it him?

And this comes up again in our passage this morning as the Pharisees call him a sinner, that he was born in sin.

But this passage is also about who sees clearly, the Pharisees or the blind man.

I wanted to begin with an illustration as we consider John 9, verses 24 through 41, with a child who needed glasses.

John 9:24–41

So the child goes to the eye doctor and is engaging with the optician, and she just lets the child know I'm gonna hold up various pictures, and when you see the picture, I want you to say, What is it that you see?

The first picture that is held up, she gets it with enthusiasm and confidence.

It's a giraffe.

She was right.

Problems occur with her eyesight in the second pitcher.

Same thing the pitcher has held up.

What do you see?

This time with confidence and enthusiasm, the child says, Five men in a hot tub.

The optician looks at the child, looks at the parents.

It's actually five candles on a birthday cake.

Who sees clearly?

I began that illustration for three reasons this morning.

The first is we have an individual, a man born blind, who is seeing with new eyes.

He sees clearly, physically and literally.

If you think about this from last week, he sees his family for the very first time.

He sees his community for the very first time.

He sees Jesus for the very first time and gets to talk with him and know him and worship him.

He is seeing with new eyes for the first time.

The second reason for this illustration is this man is also seeing spiritually.

Jesus becomes real and personal to him.

Upon interrogation from the Pharisees, this man grows in confidence about who Jesus is and what he has done on his behalf.

And as the reader, we should be growing in confidence too of this Jesus.

What it means to him personally.

In the words of another about this man, he will be testifying to the world in a very personal way about a very personal God.

So he sees physically and literally, he sees spiritually, but lastly, there is a lesson in those who need glasses, are spiritually blind, who say with confidence and enthusiasm, like the child, five men in a hot tub.

What do we make and how do we see this Jesus?

And what he will say to them in verse 41, Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no guilt, but now you say we see your guilt remains.

And only Jesus will open up their eyes and our eyes, so that we might actually see him with new eyes.

And a question for us of application before I pray and we consider these points.

Will anyone see Jesus?

Will anyone listen to Jesus?

Will anyone know this Jesus from John 9?

And if we see, and if we listen, and if we know, might we say like this man who was born blind who now sees?

This is a verse, kiddos, that you could remember this afternoon.

In confidence, he says, one thing I do know, though I was blind, but now I do see.

Let's pray as we consider these three points together this morning.

Father, we would pray that we would have eyes to see Jesus, to know him personally.

We would also pray by your Holy Spirit that we would hear from you in your word as you can spit continue to speak to us today.

Father, I would just pray for those who are blind, you would use your Holy Spirit to help them to see who Jesus is based on what he does on this one man's behalf that was very real and very personal.

And might it be real and personal for us today, we pray.

Amen.

Let's begin with our first point this morning.

The blind man who sees is now cast out.

You will see in your verses.

So for the second time they called the man, verse 24, who had been blind and said to him, Give glory to God.

We know that this man is a sinner.

These words are similar in Joshua chapter 7, where for those of you who are in the men and women's Bible study studying Joshua, the story of Achan, where Joshua brings Achan in front of Joshua and he says, Similar words, give glory to God in Joshua 7.

Joshua 7 · chapter mention

Tell the truth and confess your sins.

But in this account, the Pharisees is asking of the man who was born blind, confess, but it's not your sins, it's actually confess the sins of another that Jesus sent, that he's a lawbreaker.

And what you need to know about the Pharisees said this passage could be four to six sermons, but I'm trying to stay focused the best that I can.

But the Pharisees, they were educated in Old Testament law.

So when you think of Genesis and Exodus and Leviticus and Numbers and Deuteronomy, if you had a question about the law and how that might apply to your life in the community, you would ask the Pharisees.

So they were educated, not only were they educated, they were teachers of the strict obedience to the law.

This is what God says for us to do.

This is what you can do, and this is what you can't do.

And what happened over time, some was actually in Scripture, and others became these words oral tradition of, let's say, for example, what can you do on the Sabbath?

Can you heal a man born blind?

So they're educated, they're teachers, and they even say to this man, who do you think you are?

Basically, in verse 34, you would teach us.

Don't you realize we're disciples of Moses?

God said to Moses as the lawgiver, we know everything that Moses said, and we're putting it into practice.

And part of why they would put it into practice, we learned in John 8, based off of what you do, can you belong to God?

And according to the Pharisees, yes, it is based off of what you do.

And Jesus isn't introducing, no, you belong to God because of me, not based off of what you do.

So then, as educated teachers, they ask of this man, I want you to stand in the place.

Why don't you go ahead and confess?

What has been done to you by Jesus is sin.

He's a lawbreaker.

Is he innocent or is he guilty for breaking these rules?

And they criticize in this moment Jesus as a sinner.

But by the end of the passage, they also criticize the man that you were clearly born an utter sin.

The discussion was right where all this started.

Who sinned?

The parents or this man, and then the Pharisees conclude, you were born blind, and your suffering is because of your sin.

Not all suffering is because of sin.

So they're calling Jesus and criticizing him for being a sinner, and we know that he is the sinless Savior.

And they criticize the man.

Clearly, you are born into sin.

Why don't you go ahead and confess?

And the Pharisees, in this moment of self-confidence and self-importance, and pride think that they know Jesus and they think that they see him clearly.

If you look back over this passage, they say multiple times, we know.

We know about Jesus, we know we're disciples of Moses, we know that you're a sinner, we know all these different things.

And you have to appreciate the man.

Because even when they say we don't even know where Jesus comes from, this has been argued in John 1 and John 8, his legitimacy.

We learned in John 8 that they have already asked him, Jesus, clearly you have a demon.

We think that you're crazy.

Clearly you lack legitimacy.

They say your father's probably a Samaritan, which is as close as we get to.

Does Mary even know who the father is?

They've already questioned his legitimacy, but what the Pharisees are doing in this moment with the legitimacy of Jesus.

Jesus, did you even go to law school?

Jesus, can we ask of you, which state did you pass the bar?

And you've got to appreciate the man's response so much.

He just says, uh, I don't know.

Give glory to God.

We know that this man is a sinner.

He answered, okay, that this you're the Pharisees, you're educated, you're the lawyers, you're the teachers, you're the ones who cast judgment, you're the ones who make a verdict, you're the ones who tell us what to do on a Sunday.

I don't know.

Whether he is a sinner, I do not know.

One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.

I know that.

And not only do I know that, this man goes into the eyewitness accounts of like, Pharisees, we've already had this conversation.

I've already told you what Jesus did to me.

We've already talked about this, and here we are talking about it again.

Verse 27.

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 disciples of Jesus over being a disciple of Moses?

You have the eyewitness accounts.

I told you.

The community told you I was a blind beggar that everybody could identify, and I could only identify people by their voice.

Why don't you go ask my parents if I was born blind?

I'm seeing mom and dad for the first time on this day.

Go ask everybody.

I know eyewitness accounts.

Go listen to them, but he says of the Pharisees, but you don't listen.

And then he continues, I know something more amazing in verse 30.

The man answered, Why, this is an amazing thing.

You do not know where he comes from.

And yet he opened my eyes.

What he's doing in this moment, there's something more amazing than this miracle.

Your unbelief.

Your unbelief.

That you do not see Jesus clearly.

And in this moment, I think this man is becoming more and more like Jesus.

Is he not?

I'm trying to tell you the truth, and I'm trying to be gracious about it, and I'm saying that you don't listen, and I'm also saying that you don't hear.

And this is an amazing thing as he defends Jesus.

In the words of another, what he finds remarkable is not his own belief, but the unbelief of the officials.

He has come to the end of his confidence in the traditional religious authorities and the Pharisees and their interpretation of the law on the Sabbath.

And what happens?

We find out in our points that he actually gets cast out, and that could have been the synagogue, so that's the local place of worship for the Jewish people.

Worship and Scripture, locally among people in a place.

But then it also most likely, if you're thrown out of or cast out of the synagogue, this local place of worship, that you would also be thrown out of the temple.

Again, just get in this man's skin for a second.

It's probably most likely the first time he has been in the synagogue, and maybe the first time that definitely the first time he has been into the synagogue and he can see.

And the same thing for the temple of seeing the temple and being in the temple.

You're like, man, what a first day.

You're seeing, and you're probably really frustrated that you're even trying to see a beetle on the ground, and the Pharisees keep interrupting all the things that you can see to interrogate you again on who gave you sight.

And he's cast out this place of worship in Scripture.

Being among people in a place worshiping with his family, with sight, maybe for the first time, he's thrown out, and he's cast out.

And can you imagine his confidence in standing up for Jesus what this cost him and the loneliness he might be feeling?

Where do I go?

What do I do?

Now I have all the time in the world to watch and follow the beetle walking on the ground.

But then we find out in verses 35 and 38 that the blind man who sees is sought out.

30, verse 34 concludes, and they cast him out.

Verse 35.

Jesus heard that they had cast him out.

And having found him, he said, Do you believe in the Son of Man?

He was cast out, and Jesus finds him.

The same Jesus who initiated sight with this man is the same Jesus who found him.

And maybe you could say of this Jesus in your own life, yes, the same Jesus who initiated a relationship with me also found me.

I am the one who was found.

And he's been talking about Jesus.

And now he gets to talk to Jesus.

David Pallison wrote in his devotional take heart these words that I think are accurate about this man's life and your life as well.

But God's perspective on your life is very different from your own perspective or others' perspective.

His perspective, your life is precious to him.

Initiated with you.

I heard about you.

I found you.

He knows everything about you, even how many hairs are on your head.

He loves you to such a degree, according to John 3, that he sent his own son to die for you and to find you.

The one who is precious to Jesus.

And they talk.

And as they begin to speak and trust and to listen, Jesus reveals himself to this man.

And 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 might 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.

And what's happening in this moment is Jesus reveals himself, so that that just means Jesus is knowable and he's nameable.

He actually wants to be known by his people, and he uses the Son of Man, which in Matthew, Mark, and Luke to identify his name, that he is namable and he is knowable.

He does it 66 times in John's Gospel 12 times.

He's giving us his title, Son of Man.

And in the Son of Man is from Daniel 7.

The power and the glory of Jesus in this passage.

Jesus is doing only what God can do.

He heals a man born blind.

And in Daniel 7, it's not only about power, it's also about glory that God would get the credit, who enters in and helps this one who has been suffering for so long.

In the prophets, it's predicted in the prophets and a unique among the prophets in Daniel 7 and this self-designation Son of Man.

Because God's visible, the people of God, were longing for the day where power and glory in God's presence would actually be embodied in a person, the God man.

And they were longing for that day because it means a sinless Savior will rescue his people.

And the appropriate response would be worship and adoration.

And this is exactly what we have playing out in this passage for this man.

He responds and he does so.

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.

Lord, I believe, and he worshiped him.

And it is following this pattern of Jesus initiated with you.

Jesus found you.

Jesus revealed himself to you.

And the appropriate response would be devotion and adoration and worship.

I think that's why we long for this day, this Sunday, to be peopled in a place and think about worship and adoration and God's word.

Because nothing else happens like this day through the rest of the week.

And I think that's why by Tuesday or Wednesday or Thursday we're longing for this day again.

Of this Jesus and worship and adoration.

And I want you to consider this application question for the rest of the day.

What does Jesus mean to this man?

What does Jesus mean to you?

Jesus initiated this blind beggar now sees.

Jesus initiates with you.

Jesus found you.

Is Jesus personal to you?

Do you worship this Jesus, the Son of Man?

This brings us to our third point this morning.

The religious people who think they see are called out.

Verses 39 through 41.

And John has been making the point throughout his gospel.

It begins in chapter 1 that Jesus is from God.

Jesus is God.

Jesus is doing God's will.

He is knowable and nameable.

We can hear from him.

We can believe in him.

We can see him.

We can know him in personal ways.

But here's the tragic irony of John's gospel.

Those who know the Old Testament so well do not see the person of Jesus.

They do not believe and trust him at his word.

I read in an article yesterday this tragic irony.

It was just about an author, and he was republishing some of his work from the past, and they were interviewing okay, you've now decided to publish a book that you wrote in articles for magazines years ago.

So it's his past work.

And the question, are you working on anything new?

And in this interview, he said, Well, I've actually had trouble with my brain.

And now that's fixed.

But in my current state, it takes forever for me to write.

I don't think I'm going to write anymore.

I'm trying to just republish past work.

Tragic irony.

The writer who is no longer able to write.

The tragic irony of this passage of the Pharisees know the law, know Moses, and know the lawgiver, but forget that it's graciously been given by God.

And Deuteronomy 18, Moses, connected to John 1, actually predicts a prophet that is like Moses and encourages God's people to listen to him.

And John makes the point, Pharisees, that now is Jesus.

Listen to him and trust him at his word.

Because when you think about the law, it was graciously given by God your father after Egypt.

And when you think about the law, it's about relationship, it's about love, and it's about loyalty.

I want to share these words from Daniel Bloch in his book for the glory of God, which I like highly recommend.

I return to it a lot.

But he writes this the biblical notion of love to demonstrate covenant commitment through actions that serve the other person's interest and well-being, like healing someone on the Sabbath.

Yahweh demonstrated such love and loyalty when he chose Abraham and his descendants as his covenant people.

God demonstrated love and loyalty when he rescued his people from Egypt.

God demonstrated his love and loyalty when he gave them law and land, and he protected him from their enemies, and he established a king with the kingdom, and he brought his people back for exile, and he demonstrated his love and loyalty in the sending of his son.

Bloch continues to write, This is what God demonstrated for the world when he gave his only son in John 3, Galatians 2, and 1 John 4.

This is what Jesus demonstrated in love and loyalty when he initiates with this blind man so he can see with new eyes.

And I also think in the demonstration of love and loyalty, who purposefully goes after the lawyers and lets them know that they are blind, that they are unable to actually see.

And may they see their own self-importance and human striving.

And I will say of this room, and I am moving towards the conclusion, my gut, if you're like me, you get a lot of things done.

Like you can really take care of business.

You probably have a list, and you go down that list and you like to mark things off.

What happens when you connect that spiritually?

Now stay with me for just a moment because my story is the story of the Pharisee.

Get things done.

Do things for God.

Make things happen.

Human striving.

I'm gonna be a good boy today.

I'm wondering if I've done enough.

It's my story.

Until you realize that you're blind.

And this is based off of what Jesus has done for you.

Not all the things that you have done for Jesus to make you think that you belong to God.

That's what God's done for you and his son.

And the Pharisees realize what Jesus saying about them.

Your human striving and your self-importance.

They ask the question, are we also blind?

And Jesus basically responds with yes.

I am talking about you.

The answer is yes.

But I think he's letting them know that they are blind because he also wants them to see.

And I recognize the conclusion of this passage is they are left blind.

And I wanted to close with this illustration.

A local Anglican church minister was appointed in England to his congregation in the late 1700s.

And when the congregation realizes the man's name, because the man his name is given to the congregation, they're like, oh, he's educated.

Oh, he has all the credentials.

Oh, he went to the right college.

But in a letter, there was a quote, and it filled them with much grief.

And then we find out that the congregation, hey, why don't you come over?

I'm going to host a lot of people from the church and we're going to pray for this minister's conversion.

So they don't think he's a Christian.

Well, guess what?

The minister finds out that the congregation that he has been appointed to are meeting and they're praying together about his conversion.

And you read in the letter, he was greatly offended.

But then they continue to pray and pray and pray.

And he begins to exchange letters with John Newton.

And the conclusion of his ministry was he was faithful and fruitful.

Because he was blind and then he could see and he knew Jesus, and it was real and it was personal to him.

Again, my own story of human striving.

And you know, when you know you're a Pharisee, it played out in my own life how unloving and judgmental I was to everybody else.

And thankfully, God and his son did not treat me like I treated others.

And the blind see.

And when the blind see, they make those confessions of this man.

One thing I do know, though I was blind.

But now I do see.

It's an invitation for us all from John chapter 9.

John 9 · chapter mention

Let's close in prayer.

Father, we continue to be grateful for your word.

We're so grateful for your son and what all he has done on our behalf.

I would just pray as we continue the sermon series and the gospel according to John, that we would see Jesus and that we would know Jesus and that we would listen to Jesus, the one who John says is full of grace and truth.

And Father, I would pray by your Holy Spirit that you would give us eyes to see this day and hearts to long for this Jesus, that we might see him and that we might know him like the blind man in this passage who truly sees.

Father, thank you again for the Son and what he has done on our behalf, so we don't have to strive anymore to belong to you, but we belong to you because of Christ.

In his name we do pray.

Amen.