Lesson 134 - Senior
Memory Verse
Cross References
I The True Light
1. Jesus, in answer to His disciples' question about a man born blind, said he was in such condition not because of sin, but that the works of God might be manifested in him, [JHN:9:1-4]; [JHN:11:4].
2. The works of God were manifest to present the truth that Christ was the Light of the world, [JHN:9:4-5]; [JHN:8:12]; [JHN:1:9]; [JHN:12:35-41]; [MAT:13:13-17].
3. Jesus anointed the blind man's eyes with clay and spittle; and upon washing his eyes in the Pool of Siloam, the blind man received his sight, [JHN:9:6-7].
II A True Testimony
1. Many who saw the miracle of the blind man's receiving his sight doubted that Jesus really performed the act, [JHN:9:8-21].
2. The blind man's parents and neighbours were afraid of the Pharisees' opposition to Christ, and were afraid to make any statements that they knew Christ had done the miracle, [JHN:9:8-9], [JHN:9:18], [JHN:9:22]; [JHN:16:2]; [JHN:12:42]; [JHN:10:19-21].
3. The man born blind did not hesitate to boldly declare he was the man that had been given sight, and that Christ was the One who had performed the act, [JHN:9:9], [JHN:9:11-12], [JHN:9:17].
4. The Pharisees derided the testimony of the blind man, but he stoutly resisted their unbelief with his statement, "Whereas I was blind, now I see," [JHN:9:15-17], [JHN:9:24-34].
III Light Rejected
1. The blind man, for his bold testimony of Christ, was cast out of the synagogue, [JHN:9:22], [JHN:9:34].
2. Jesus, hearing that he was cast out, sought him out, revealed Himself to him, and instructed him in the true worship, [JHN:9:35-38]; [JHN:4:23-24]; [ROM:16:25- 26]; [PHL:3:3].
3. Jesus told the Pharisees they had sin in their lives and therefore were spiritually blind, [JHN:9:39-41].
Notes
Truth and Light Revealed
The Gospel according to John says of Christ, "In him was life; and the life was the light of men," and again, "That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (John 1:4, 9). How dramatically this truth was presented to an unbelieving world we see in the record of the blind man whose sight was restored by Christ.
The disciples asked Jesus whose sin was responsible for such a tragedy, such as this man's being blind from birth. They did not seem to doubt that it was caused by someone's sin -" perhaps the blind man's own sin, or his parents'. Jesus pointed out to them the fact that while affliction and disease was upon mankind in general because of sin, it did not always mean someone was guilty of sin himself when affliction was upon him. In this case Jesus told His disciples it was that the works of God might be manifested.
Jesus never performs a miracle to satisfy idle curiosity. When He performed those wonderful acts and deeds it was to present to men the truth that he who had power to do such things should be at least worthy of hearing. Jesus said of Himself, "If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him" (John 10:37, 38).
When Jesus anointed the eyes of the blind man with clay and spittle, He had more in a view than the mere healing of a man's eyes. Marvellous miracle though it was, yet it was insignificant alongside the truth of who Jesus was and what His business was. Jesus said here, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Therein was the mission of Christ. He was not just a healer of men's bodies. He was the Saviour of men's souls, for He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). He was the Light of the world. By opening this blind man's eyes He hoped to demonstrate to all that He could also open eyes blinded to the truth that all men are sinners and are in need of the salvation which only God can give.
Darkness into Light
To obtain his sight, this man merely did what Jesus told him to do: go to the Pool of Siloam and wash his eyes of the clay and spittle Jesus had placed on them. This he did. He returned, seeing!
There was no medicinal power in the clay with which Christ anointed the man's eyes. Neither was there any healing power in the Pool of Siloam. The Bible tells us to call for the elders of he church to anoint us with oil and pray for us when we are sick ([JAM:5:14-15]). There is no healing virtue in the oil. It is obedience to the command of God, and faith in Christ, that bring the healing virtue from God.
Much reproach has been brought upon the Gospel because of many who have claimed to be able to heal people. The world is full of so-called "faith healers" who claim to be able to heal. But it is obedience to the Word of God, and faith, that bring healing from God -" nothing else.
We can well imagine with what wonder this man raised his head from washing his eyes as new sight burst upon him. Who could express his feelings, except one who has never seen the light of day, never seen the beauties of nature and the handiwork of God? Then to have blinded eyes opened to the full glories of sight! With wonder, then, does the sinner open his blinded eyes to the truths of the Gospel! With what wonder he sees for the first time the beauty of Christ, whereas before he could see nothing!
Peter speaking of Christ and the Word of God, said, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; where-unto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts" (II Peter 1:19).
It was the beginning of a new day for this man born blind. Yet it was more than having eyesight given him. He had become a firm believer in the Hand that healed him.
The Day Star of salvation, Christ, was about to rise in all His beauty in his heart. He had his eyes opened, but most of all, his eyes of understanding were being opened to the truths of God.
Transforming Grace
With astonishment the neighbours received this man back from the Pool of Siloam. They were over-whelmed with the miracle they had just witnessed. Many did not recognise him. When a man has been with Christ, and received of Him some of that heavenly power of God into his life, he is different. No man has ever been in contact with Christ for long and ever been the same again. So some of his neighbours said it was he -" the blind man; others said it was like him. He said, "I am he."
They said unto him, "How were thine eyes opened?" He said, "A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight." With what simplicity this man told the story of a miracle. He met Jesus; he was told to go and do. In substance he said, I went, I did, and I received! The gates of Heaven are opened to him that will only believe.
A man seeking Jesus in behalf of his daughter, who was at the point of death, was informed by his servants that she had already died. Whereupon Jesus told him, "Be not afraid, only believe" (Mark 5:36). Jesus went to the man's house and raised the daughter from the dead. One might as well try to explain the mysteries of the skies above as to try to explain the mysteries of God. "How were thine eyes opened?" the world still wants to know.
Belief and Unbelief
Then the Pharisees asked him how he had received his sight. If salvation were a thesis dependent upon much learning or a great deal of knowledge and understanding, the world would flock to the gates of those pro-claiming it. Salvation is not merely a mental concept or a thesis. It is fact, and that fact is received by faith, and not merely by knowledge or understanding. God in His love and mercy has seen fit to reveal this salvation to the babes and hide it from the sceptical and unbelieving. This great truth is spoken by Jesus: "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him" (Luke 10:21-24).
We know this man received salvation, for Christ was finally revealed to him. The Pharisees full of religious pomp could not see the divinity of Christ at all because they were steeped in their own traditions and unbelief. There is no premium with God on knowledge that leads men away from faith in God. The man born blind was a babe perhaps, in the sense that he knew little of theology and church dogmas, but he was a man of growing faith in the eye of God because he could recognise that Jesus was no ordinary man. He did not question Christ's ability to heal him. He did what he was told, and received his sight.
A minister once asked to explain salvation replied that he did not pretend to explain it; it was his duty and privilege to believe it, and to proclaim its good news. A great many religions of our modern world have pretended to explain salvation so clearly that repentance with faith in God is not even mentioned in their doctrines. Least of all is the divinity of Christ of any importance to them, or the virtues of His shed Blood.
The Pharisees made the statement that they knew not this "fellow" (Christ) nor from whence he came. The man born blind answered very effectually: "Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshiper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing" ([JHN:9:29-33]).
The Pharisees did their best to get some logical explanation from this man born blind, that they might twist it to some advantage of their own. He presented them with the same thing that every man is presented with when he deals with salvation -" facts without learned explanations. "The just shall live by faith" is God's plan (Ro-mans 1:17).
Nicodemus faced the same situation when Jesus spoke to him about the necessity of a spiritual rebirth. He did not under-stand, and Christ used the wind as a comparison and explanation. You can see the wind's effect but you cannot see the wind. Neither can any explain the wind: where it comes from or whence it goes (John 3:1-13).
The great miracles of Jesus were performed to lend ample evidence to the fact that Jesus was the divine Son of God, the Redeemer of men's souls. If a miracle is performed today it is performed with the intent that it will point someone to the One who did it, God Almighty, and His Son, Jesus Christ. The whole Heaven is but a signpost pointing men to the Creator. Yet many men spend their whole life trying to solve the mysteries of Heaven. They are like the Pharisees who could not see this Jesus at all as the Son of God, regardless of the miracles He performed.
Cast Out
The Pharisees did not accept the testimony of Jesus Christ. They did not accept the testimony of the man born blind, although many of the people who grew up with him knew it was a miracle that only God could per-form. The majority of the world is not accepting the testimonies of God's people today. They still wish to know how and why.
Jesus went to this man when He heard they had cast him out, and revealed Himself to him. When Jesus asked the man born blind if he believed on the Son of God, he asked Him who He was. Jesus said, "Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee." How clear was the blind man's testimony, "Lord, I believe"! While the man born blind had been the recipient of a marvellous miracle in receiving his sight, it does not seem that he really received salvation until he had the conversation with Christ, when Jesus revealed Himself to him. It was with the acknowledgement, "Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?" and his testimony a moment later, "Lord, I believe," that he received salvation. "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:10).
The Pharisees heard Jesus say: "For judgement I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind." They said, "Are we blind also?" Jesus told them: "If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth."
The blind man by simple faith and belief received his sight, and salvation for his soul. The others, because of their unbelief and contention, could not see the hand of God at all, and were still spiritually blind. Because they were unable to see the truth of Christ, and their need of Him, they wee still blind, and sinners.
Questions
1. Why was the man born blind?
2. What did Jesus do to heal this man?
3. Where did the power to heal the blind man come from?
4. How are Christian people healed today?
5. Why did the Pharisees doubt the man's testimony?
6. What did the Pharisees think of Jesus?
7. What did the man think of Jesus?
8. Were the Pharisees blind?
9. What is spiritual blindness?