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John 13 Lecture
The first time we took my little sister to Disneyland, she was only two years old.
Now I had been before, so I had a very different perspective than she did.
I knew what was in store when we were waiting in line at the entrance, and I got excited
when I saw the iconic castle. But my little sister was pretty much unfazed by all of that.
To her, the castle was just a normal gray building. It didn't mean anything.
She and I were both seeing the same sights, but she didn't understand what it all meant
because she didn't have the context that I did.
And we were in the park at least 30 minutes before we saw Minnie Mouse.
And my family got in line to meet her, and once we got in the front of the line,
that's when it all clicked. My sister knew who Minnie Mouse was. She loved Minnie Mouse,
and seeing her face to face was monumental. She gasped and reached out her little hands
to touch Minnie's face. And we tried to take a picture as a family, but my sister could not stop
staring at Minnie. My sister's perspective had changed because of who she had met.
After that, she began to share in my excitement because she understood she actively looked around,
she eagerly participated and viewed the world around her differently because of who she had
encountered. And we see the same thing happen in John 9. ♥Jesus gives a blind man physical sight,
but he also gives him spiritual sight because the man understands Jesus' identity as the son of
God, the man's view of life is transformed.♥ Just like my sister's vision was changed by meeting Minnie
Mouse, the blind man's vision was changed by meeting Jesus. ♥Today, Jesus continues to give us
spiritual sight through the Holy Spirit working in our hearts. We view the world differently,
and we have a deeper, eternal understanding about our purpose.♥ Understanding Jesus' identity
gives us spiritual sight. That's my prayer for each of you today. I am praying that you will have
spiritual sight to focus on Jesus, and I'm praying that your spiritual eyes will be opened to what
God has for you to learn from this week's lesson. We will look at our passage in two divisions.
First, Jesus gives physical sight, John 9 verses 1 through 12. And second, Jesus gives spiritual sight.
John 9 verses 13 through 41. John 9 presents one man's story of his encounter with Jesus,
and how it left him permanently changed. Throughout the chapter, this man is not given a name. He is
only referred to as the man who was born blind, or the man who was formerly blind. ♥The man's identity,
before meeting Jesus, was defined by his disability.♥ Also, since he had been born blind, he had no
frame of reference to work from. It wasn't as if he had once been able to see his home, his parents'
faces, the stars in the sky, and he had memories of these sights to guide him as he navigated a
sightless world. ♥He had never seen anything. This man had spent his whole life struggling and adapting,
and many hurtful assumptions were made about him because of his blindness.♥ Verse 1 says,
As Jesus went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned?
This man or his parents that he was born blind. The disciples were operating from an
assumption that many of us still hold today, maybe even without realizing it. ♥They believed this
simple formula. Good behavior brings God's favor, and sin brings suffering. If you have a good
life, it must be because you pleased God. And if you have a hard life, it must be because God is
disappointed in you.♥ We see this belief surface in our own hearts when we think things like,
I have done everything right. So then after obeying God, why doesn't he give me a spouse,
a child, a job, a healed body, the money I need, fill in the blank. ♥The reality is that all
suffering comes from sin's curse, but not all suffering is linked directly to personal sin.♥
♥Sometimes suffering is a result not of a person's sin, but just because sin has broken this world.♥
Things are not as they should be, and we sense this deeply. So how do we respond to this brokenness?
Solution is not to minimize our suffering or pretend or just find or quote platitudes about
joy that don't acknowledge our pain. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the solution is also not
to give up hope, become bitter, and isolated in our sadness. Second Corinthians 4, verse 16 through
18 offers an answer. And as I read these verses, I want you to notice how Paul both acknowledges the
weight of suffering, but also looks to Jesus for comfort. ♥He writes this, therefore, we do not lose
heart, though outwardly we are wasting away yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day,
for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them
all. We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. Since what is seen is temporary,
but what is unseen is eternal.♥ These verses are talking about our theme of spiritual sight.
♥When we have the broader perspective that we gain through spiritual sight,
we see suffering in the light of eternity.♥ ♥We understand that all this brokenness is temporary,
we recognize that believers who suffer will be healed, they will be vindicated, they will be
restored, it just might not be on this side of eternity, and God has many purposes in which he
allows suffering.♥ ♥Sometimes in his justice, he does allow it as a fair consequence for sin,
but sometimes God allows suffering as a training tool to strengthen us. Sometimes he allows
suffering to teach us greater dependency on him. Sometimes we will suffer and we won't ever understand
why. In the blind man's case, God allowed suffering because he wanted it to become a testimony of his
power.♥ Jesus tells his disciples in verse 3, neither this man nor his parents sinned, said Jesus,
but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ♥The man's blindness was an
opportunity for God to reveal his power. What if you reframed your suffering and disappointment
as an opportunity for God to work? It may not always work in the way you expect him to or even
the way you want him to, but we can trust that he will work.♥ Paul writes in Philippians that
he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Your story isn't over. ♥God has a plan for you and it's a good plan.♥ Jesus then told his disciples
in verse 4, as long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming
when no one can work. And the day-night metaphor here refers to Jesus' mission on earth. He's
simply saying that ♥while he's here on earth as a man, he must continue doing the work God intended
for him to do through healing, teaching, and demonstrating God's compassion.♥ And then Jesus says,
and we're going to park here and think about this. So let's really soak in these words.
Then Jesus says, while I am in the world, I am the light of the world. And this connects back
with what we read last week in John 8. Jesus told the people in John 8, verse 12,
I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light
of life. In fact, throughout John's gospel, we see Jesus portrayed as the light that breaks the
darkness brought on by sin. ♥When we consider the function of light, we see that it provides
knowledge and security. Without light, we cannot see because we cannot see, we cannot know our
surroundings. And there is a fear that comes from the unknown. If you were put in a new place and not
given any light to see where you were, think about how you would feel. Your natural survival
instincts would trigger an alertness and a healthy fear as you determine whether you are safe or
not. Without light, we cannot know for certain what's around us, and we feel afraid. Conversely,
light gives us knowledge and a sense of security. So when Jesus calls himself the light of the world,
that is a powerful description of his identity. He is saying that he provides us with the knowledge
that we need to break through the confusing darkness sin causes. He is saying that he gives us security
when we find ourselves in those unknown dark places, because he is our light, believing in who
Jesus is means seeing what matters most.♥ How does learning about Jesus give you a fresh perspective
on your life? How does he give you a transformed view of the world around you? It is so fitting
that Jesus declares himself the light of the world at this moment in our passage right before he
heals a blind man. ♥Who could better understand what it's like to live in a lightless world
than someone born blind?♥ Jesus then spits on the ground and makes mud out of his saliva and smears
it on the man's eyes. He gives the man the simple instruction to go and wash his eyes in the river
and the man obeyed. And this reminds me of the story of Naaman in Second Kings that we read in
our study last year. Naaman had leprosy and Elijah instructed him to wash in the Jordan River to
be cleansed. And Naaman at first scoffed at the simplicity of the instructions, but his servants
convinced him to wash and he was healed. Both stories emphasize that God alone is responsible
for the miracles. Washing mud from eyes and washing in the river are both simple, unassuming tasks.
The simplicity of these tasks clarifies. ♥It was not the task itself that healed these men.
The power did not lie in the mud or in the river. The power came from God alone. And these stories
also offer us a reminder that God can and often does work in unexpected ways.♥ Naaman expected
a dramatic performance by Elijah to cleanse his skin disease. And perhaps the blind man or even
the disciples expected Jesus' actions to be more elaborate. Here is a comforting reminder as you
wait in your current circumstances. ♥Sometimes God will work in big grand ways that serve as
powerful testimonies to others, but also God delights to work in quiet, simple ways that take us by
surprise.♥ ♥The blind man immediately obeys Jesus' odd instructions, which could reveal his humility,
his desperation, his trust in Jesus or all of the above.♥ When he washes in the river,
he is given physical sight. Notice that Jesus did not go with the man to the river. ♥The blind
man went alone. And this is helpful to remember because it explains why the man did not know
what Jesus looks like later. He had never actually seen Jesus with his physical eyes. He had only
been a kind voice in gentle hands to the man. The blind man had also been given very little
explanation as to who Jesus was.♥ He had overheard Jesus say that he was the light of the world,
but that was really the only thing mentioned when he came to Jesus' identity. And this is
important to recognize because it gives us a greater appreciation for the spiritual sight
that Jesus gives the blind man later in his confrontation with the Pharisees.
Well, when the man came home seeing everyone naturally had questions. In verses 8 through 12,
the man's community asked whether he was truly the same man, how he had been healed, and where
Jesus was now. And the man's response is honest. And a testimony of the radical change that occurred
when he met Jesus. ♥There is power in a personal testimony because theology can be debated,
but a personal experience cannot. Sometimes Christians are reluctant to share their testimony
because they are afraid of being judged for their past sins or flattened to only be viewed
by their past tragedy. Other Christians think that their story is not worth sharing because
it's not as painful and that's not as effective as someone else's. When we think this way, we forget
that our testimony is not about us. It's about Jesus because each of our stories are unique.
They all reveal different attributes about who Jesus is. The Holy Spirit can work through the
sharing of our stories to give people spiritual sight.♥ The man spoke openly about his experience
with Jesus and everyone in his community noticed. His testimony spread and people's curiosity about
who Jesus was spread to. ♥The man's life had changed and his focus was on Jesus.♥ Our principle,
for this first division, is this truth. Spiritual sight focuses us on Jesus. Spiritual sight
focuses us on Jesus. There's an old hymn that I've always loved and it has come to mean even more
to me as an adult. And the chorus says this, turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful
face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.
♥When we fix our spiritual eyes on Jesus, what we're actually doing is declaring that he
is the most important thing.♥ We are only enabled to do this by the Holy Spirit and when we feel
unfocused, when we feel that things of the world are becoming our main priority, then we can ask
the Holy Spirit in prayer to help us focus on Jesus. When we do focus on him, the things of earth
that seem so shiny and alluring and the things that seem so important suddenly fade in light of
how much more important Jesus is. And a great question to help you identify where your focus is right
now is to ask yourself, what do I currently spend the most time thinking about? Once you realize
what your focus is, then the follow-up question is to ask, what truth about Jesus do I want to
remember in light of my current focus? If you're focusing on your pain, maybe you want to remember
that Jesus is the ultimate healer and he will redeem all brokenness and eternity. If you're
focusing on your anxiety, maybe you want to remember that Jesus brings peace that surpasses all understanding.
So what truth about Jesus do you want to remember to help you focus on him? Well, the community could
not stop buzzing about the blind man's new vision. So they brought him to the Pharisees and the
Pharisees were divided over the details that Jesus healed the man on a Sabbath day. Some argued that
because Jesus broke the Sabbath, that means he must be a sinner. Others point out that a sinner
couldn't heal a blind man. ♥And it's interesting that four times under different circumstances,
the blind man is asked the same question, how were you healed?♥ We see this in verses 10, 15,
19, and 26. Like many answers to dilemmas, the issue is not how, but about who. ♥A Theologian wrote,
we want to understand the mechanics of a miracle instead of simply trusting the Savior who alone
can perform the miracle.♥ The community and the Pharisees are asking the wrong question. They're
focusing on the how when they should be focusing on the who. And we do this too sometimes. We focus
on the how in our situations. ♥We get preoccupied with how will everything work out instead of
focusing on who is in sovereign control of our lives.♥ The Pharisees call the man's parents to
testify, but the parents are afraid of ostracism and they pass the responsibility of answering the
religious leaders back onto their son. ♥The parents fear provides a contrast to the man's spiritual
sight because the man understands the power of Jesus. He views the Pharisees in a proper perspective.
Although they may have earthly power, the man is not afraid of them. He does not fear being
outcasts by them. After all, he's been an outcast all his life. And now that he's experienced Jesus's
power, their power fades in comparison. The Pharisees authority doesn't impact the man at all because
he has been impacted by the greater authority of Jesus.♥ The Pharisees then change their tactic
and try to get the man to say that Jesus is a sinner. Read with me in verse 24. A second time,
they summon the man who had been blind. Give glory to God by telling the truth, they said.
We know this man is a sinner. He replied, whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I
do know. I was blind, but now I see. The man could not explain the cause of his healing,
but he could explain the effects. ♥And we see that the man does not get entangled in the details of
theology, but instead focuses on the impact Jesus had on his life.♥ Maybe you worry over what words
you're going to say when you interact with people who do not know Jesus. While it can be helpful to
know theology, God alone can open someone's spiritual eyes. You don't have to know the answer
to every question. You can simply share the effect Jesus has had on your life and trust that God
will do the work of changing hearts. Now, I'm going to read a longer excerpt to you here because I
want you to notice the spiritual site. The man was given in this moment as he responds to the
Pharisees inquisition. ♥Keep in mind that this man had not received the formal religious education
that the Pharisees had and that he had only heard Jesus say that he was the light of the world.♥
But in spite of that, the Holy Spirit will give the man spiritual site to see the truth,
beginning in verse 28. They hurled insults at him and said,
You are this fellow's disciple. We are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses, but as
for this fellow, we don't even know where he comes from. The man answered, Now that is remarkable.
You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners.
He listens to the godly person who does his will. No one has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man
born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing. So the man started out claiming that
Jesus was a prophet earlier on, but by the end of the confrontation with the Pharisees, he is
boldly proclaiming that Jesus is from God and that he is not a sinner. ♥Only the Holy Spirit could
give the man the spiritual insight to know that.♥ And we see here the sharp contrast of the Pharisees
spiritual blindness. ♥They are presented with the same facts that the blind man was given.
Jesus gave a blind man physical sight, but even though they are witnessing the same miracle,
their hearts are callous. They refuse to believe that Jesus could be the Son of God because it is
inconvenient for them, because it threatens their authority, because it's not what they want.♥
No one can remain neutral in response to who Jesus is. ♥A theologian once wrote,
the same sun that melts the wax also hardens the clay.♥ Jesus is liked the sun and some people
will respond to him like the wax, influenced and shaped by who he is. Other people respond like
the clay, hardened and resisting to who he is. No one can remain neutral. The Pharisees throw
the formerly blind man out. ♥And it is significant to note that very soon after the man was given
spiritual sight, he was also rejected by the religious leaders. And he faced broken relationships
with his community and possibly his family too.♥ It is so reassuring to me that it is during this
time of feeling rejected and excluded that Jesus finds the man. Jesus then asks him,
Do you believe in the Son of Man? This was one of Jesus' favorite titles for himself. He uses it
frequently and it has a double meeting. On the one hand, the Son of Man can mean what it seems to say
at face value, Son of a man, fully human. And Jesus is emphasizing his humanity here,
but it also links back to his scripture many Israelites would know from Daniel. This is Daniel
chapter 7 verses 13 through 14. And here is what it says about who the Son of Man is.
In my vision at night, I looked and there before me was one like a son of man coming with the clouds
of heaven. He approached the ancients of days and was led into his presence. He was given authority,
glory and sovereign power. All nations and people of every language worshiped him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away and his kingdom is one that will
never be destroyed. ♥So when Jesus calls himself the Son of Man, he is also emphasizing that he is
fully God as well as fully human.♥ ♥Jesus is explaining who he is.♥ ♥He is one part of the Trinity, of God
the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit.♥ The Father gave Jesus the power to seek and to save
the lost. He healed. He taught. Eventually we will read that Jesus died to save us from the
consequences we all deserve for our sin. When we do not believe who Jesus is, we live in fear
and restlessness like the Pharisees. ♥When we do believe who Jesus is, we live with purpose and
freedom.♥ If you have questions about who Jesus is, I encourage you to talk to your group leader
about him. ♥We can gain spiritual sight when we humbly ask for it and when we recognize our need
for Jesus.♥ And that's what we see the formerly blind man do. Jesus asked him if he believed in
the Son of Man. And in verse 36, we see the man's response. Who is he, sir? The man asked.
Tell me so that I may believe in him. Jesus said, you now have seen him. In fact, he is the one
speaking to you. Then the man said, Lord, I believe and he worshiped him. ♥Jesus sought out this man
and he revealed who he was lovingly and personally. The man had the spiritual sight to see and understand
and he worships Jesus for who he is.♥ Chapter ends with a wise warning. Jesus says,
For judgment, I have come into this world so that the blind will see and those who see will become
blind. Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, what? Are we blind too?
Jesus said, if you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin. But now that you claim you can see,
your guilt remains. ♥Jesus is speaking about spiritual sight and spiritual blindness. He's
saying that if the Pharisees were unexposed to the truth and were completely ignorant of who he was,
then they would not be guilty. But because they have heard Jesus teaching the truth,
because they have seen Jesus performing miracles, because they have rejected the truth,
they are guilty and they are blind.♥ Our principle for the second vision is this truth.
Spiritual blindness rejects Jesus. Spiritual blindness rejects Jesus. ♥So often,
spiritual blindness stems from fear. People are afraid of how the truth about Jesus will
change their lives, what they will have to sacrifice, and so they put themselves first.♥
This does not excuse spiritual blindness, but perhaps it helps us to have more compassion
and persistence in pursuing those who are currently rejecting Jesus in our lives.
Who is God laid on your heart to pursue in their blindness? How specifically will you pray for them?
How will you reach out to them this week? And if you're not a Christian, what fears do you have
about believing who Jesus is? Who is a safe Christian that you could voice these fears to?
We should remember that we've all been spiritually blind. Like the man in John 9,
we were all born blind without light. We lack knowledge and a feeling of security.
But Jesus is the light of the world and he cuts through the darkness, giving us knowledge and peace.
♥Jesus is the son of man because he was a human. Jesus is able to empathize with our human suffering.♥
♥And because he was fully God, he's also able to rescue us from that suffering.♥
♥As the Holy Spirit works in our hearts and gives us spiritual sight,
we focus on Jesus above all else and he transforms us.♥ Second Corinthians 3.18 says,
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into
his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord who is in the Spirit.
I remember as a kid being told not to look directly into the sun. And we wear sunglasses to protect
our eyes from the power of the sun. ♥But this verse encourages us to look directly at the Son of Man,
to unveil our faces and to fix our eyes on Jesus. The more we contemplate his character,
the more we worship who he is, and the more he will transform us to look like him.♥
This lecture was written and produced by Bible Study Fellowship. For more information on BSF
resources and Bible Study groups, please visit bsfinternational.org.
The first time we took my little sister to Disneyland, she was only two years old.
Now I had been before, so I had a very different perspective than she did.
I knew what was in store when we were waiting in line at the entrance, and I got excited
when I saw the iconic castle. But my little sister was pretty much unfazed by all of that.
To her, the castle was just a normal gray building. It didn't mean anything.
She and I were both seeing the same sights, but she didn't understand what it all meant
because she didn't have the context that I did.
And we were in the park at least 30 minutes before we saw Minnie Mouse.
And my family got in line to meet her, and once we got in the front of the line,
that's when it all clicked. My sister knew who Minnie Mouse was. She loved Minnie Mouse,
and seeing her face to face was monumental. She gasped and reached out her little hands
to touch Minnie's face. And we tried to take a picture as a family, but my sister could not stop
staring at Minnie. My sister's perspective had changed because of who she had met.
After that, she began to share in my excitement because she understood she actively looked around,
she eagerly participated and viewed the world around her differently because of who she had
encountered. And we see the same thing happen in John 9. ♥Jesus gives a blind man physical sight,
but he also gives him spiritual sight because the man understands Jesus' identity as the son of
God, the man's view of life is transformed.♥ Just like my sister's vision was changed by meeting Minnie
Mouse, the blind man's vision was changed by meeting Jesus. ♥Today, Jesus continues to give us
spiritual sight through the Holy Spirit working in our hearts. We view the world differently,
and we have a deeper, eternal understanding about our purpose.♥ Understanding Jesus' identity
gives us spiritual sight. That's my prayer for each of you today. I am praying that you will have
spiritual sight to focus on Jesus, and I'm praying that your spiritual eyes will be opened to what
God has for you to learn from this week's lesson. We will look at our passage in two divisions.
First, Jesus gives physical sight, John 9 verses 1 through 12. And second, Jesus gives spiritual sight.
John 9 verses 13 through 41. John 9 presents one man's story of his encounter with Jesus,
and how it left him permanently changed. Throughout the chapter, this man is not given a name. He is
only referred to as the man who was born blind, or the man who was formerly blind. ♥The man's identity,
before meeting Jesus, was defined by his disability.♥ Also, since he had been born blind, he had no
frame of reference to work from. It wasn't as if he had once been able to see his home, his parents'
faces, the stars in the sky, and he had memories of these sights to guide him as he navigated a
sightless world. ♥He had never seen anything. This man had spent his whole life struggling and adapting,
and many hurtful assumptions were made about him because of his blindness.♥ Verse 1 says,
As Jesus went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned?
This man or his parents that he was born blind. The disciples were operating from an
assumption that many of us still hold today, maybe even without realizing it. ♥They believed this
simple formula. Good behavior brings God's favor, and sin brings suffering. If you have a good
life, it must be because you pleased God. And if you have a hard life, it must be because God is
disappointed in you.♥ We see this belief surface in our own hearts when we think things like,
I have done everything right. So then after obeying God, why doesn't he give me a spouse,
a child, a job, a healed body, the money I need, fill in the blank. ♥The reality is that all
suffering comes from sin's curse, but not all suffering is linked directly to personal sin.♥
♥Sometimes suffering is a result not of a person's sin, but just because sin has broken this world.♥
Things are not as they should be, and we sense this deeply. So how do we respond to this brokenness?
Solution is not to minimize our suffering or pretend or just find or quote platitudes about
joy that don't acknowledge our pain. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the solution is also not
to give up hope, become bitter, and isolated in our sadness. Second Corinthians 4, verse 16 through
18 offers an answer. And as I read these verses, I want you to notice how Paul both acknowledges the
weight of suffering, but also looks to Jesus for comfort. ♥He writes this, therefore, we do not lose
heart, though outwardly we are wasting away yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day,
for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them
all. We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. Since what is seen is temporary,
but what is unseen is eternal.♥ These verses are talking about our theme of spiritual sight.
♥When we have the broader perspective that we gain through spiritual sight,
we see suffering in the light of eternity.♥ ♥We understand that all this brokenness is temporary,
we recognize that believers who suffer will be healed, they will be vindicated, they will be
restored, it just might not be on this side of eternity, and God has many purposes in which he
allows suffering.♥ ♥Sometimes in his justice, he does allow it as a fair consequence for sin,
but sometimes God allows suffering as a training tool to strengthen us. Sometimes he allows
suffering to teach us greater dependency on him. Sometimes we will suffer and we won't ever understand
why. In the blind man's case, God allowed suffering because he wanted it to become a testimony of his
power.♥ Jesus tells his disciples in verse 3, neither this man nor his parents sinned, said Jesus,
but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ♥The man's blindness was an
opportunity for God to reveal his power. What if you reframed your suffering and disappointment
as an opportunity for God to work? It may not always work in the way you expect him to or even
the way you want him to, but we can trust that he will work.♥ Paul writes in Philippians that
he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Your story isn't over. ♥God has a plan for you and it's a good plan.♥ Jesus then told his disciples
in verse 4, as long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming
when no one can work. And the day-night metaphor here refers to Jesus' mission on earth. He's
simply saying that ♥while he's here on earth as a man, he must continue doing the work God intended
for him to do through healing, teaching, and demonstrating God's compassion.♥ And then Jesus says,
and we're going to park here and think about this. So let's really soak in these words.
Then Jesus says, while I am in the world, I am the light of the world. And this connects back
with what we read last week in John 8. Jesus told the people in John 8, verse 12,
I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light
of life. In fact, throughout John's gospel, we see Jesus portrayed as the light that breaks the
darkness brought on by sin. ♥When we consider the function of light, we see that it provides
knowledge and security. Without light, we cannot see because we cannot see, we cannot know our
surroundings. And there is a fear that comes from the unknown. If you were put in a new place and not
given any light to see where you were, think about how you would feel. Your natural survival
instincts would trigger an alertness and a healthy fear as you determine whether you are safe or
not. Without light, we cannot know for certain what's around us, and we feel afraid. Conversely,
light gives us knowledge and a sense of security. So when Jesus calls himself the light of the world,
that is a powerful description of his identity. He is saying that he provides us with the knowledge
that we need to break through the confusing darkness sin causes. He is saying that he gives us security
when we find ourselves in those unknown dark places, because he is our light, believing in who
Jesus is means seeing what matters most.♥ How does learning about Jesus give you a fresh perspective
on your life? How does he give you a transformed view of the world around you? It is so fitting
that Jesus declares himself the light of the world at this moment in our passage right before he
heals a blind man. ♥Who could better understand what it's like to live in a lightless world
than someone born blind?♥ Jesus then spits on the ground and makes mud out of his saliva and smears
it on the man's eyes. He gives the man the simple instruction to go and wash his eyes in the river
and the man obeyed. And this reminds me of the story of Naaman in Second Kings that we read in
our study last year. Naaman had leprosy and Elijah instructed him to wash in the Jordan River to
be cleansed. And Naaman at first scoffed at the simplicity of the instructions, but his servants
convinced him to wash and he was healed. Both stories emphasize that God alone is responsible
for the miracles. Washing mud from eyes and washing in the river are both simple, unassuming tasks.
The simplicity of these tasks clarifies. ♥It was not the task itself that healed these men.
The power did not lie in the mud or in the river. The power came from God alone. And these stories
also offer us a reminder that God can and often does work in unexpected ways.♥ Naaman expected
a dramatic performance by Elijah to cleanse his skin disease. And perhaps the blind man or even
the disciples expected Jesus' actions to be more elaborate. Here is a comforting reminder as you
wait in your current circumstances. ♥Sometimes God will work in big grand ways that serve as
powerful testimonies to others, but also God delights to work in quiet, simple ways that take us by
surprise.♥ ♥The blind man immediately obeys Jesus' odd instructions, which could reveal his humility,
his desperation, his trust in Jesus or all of the above.♥ When he washes in the river,
he is given physical sight. Notice that Jesus did not go with the man to the river. ♥The blind
man went alone. And this is helpful to remember because it explains why the man did not know
what Jesus looks like later. He had never actually seen Jesus with his physical eyes. He had only
been a kind voice in gentle hands to the man. The blind man had also been given very little
explanation as to who Jesus was.♥ He had overheard Jesus say that he was the light of the world,
but that was really the only thing mentioned when he came to Jesus' identity. And this is
important to recognize because it gives us a greater appreciation for the spiritual sight
that Jesus gives the blind man later in his confrontation with the Pharisees.
Well, when the man came home seeing everyone naturally had questions. In verses 8 through 12,
the man's community asked whether he was truly the same man, how he had been healed, and where
Jesus was now. And the man's response is honest. And a testimony of the radical change that occurred
when he met Jesus. ♥There is power in a personal testimony because theology can be debated,
but a personal experience cannot. Sometimes Christians are reluctant to share their testimony
because they are afraid of being judged for their past sins or flattened to only be viewed
by their past tragedy. Other Christians think that their story is not worth sharing because
it's not as painful and that's not as effective as someone else's. When we think this way, we forget
that our testimony is not about us. It's about Jesus because each of our stories are unique.
They all reveal different attributes about who Jesus is. The Holy Spirit can work through the
sharing of our stories to give people spiritual sight.♥ The man spoke openly about his experience
with Jesus and everyone in his community noticed. His testimony spread and people's curiosity about
who Jesus was spread to. ♥The man's life had changed and his focus was on Jesus.♥ Our principle,
for this first division, is this truth. Spiritual sight focuses us on Jesus. Spiritual sight
focuses us on Jesus. There's an old hymn that I've always loved and it has come to mean even more
to me as an adult. And the chorus says this, turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful
face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.
♥When we fix our spiritual eyes on Jesus, what we're actually doing is declaring that he
is the most important thing.♥ We are only enabled to do this by the Holy Spirit and when we feel
unfocused, when we feel that things of the world are becoming our main priority, then we can ask
the Holy Spirit in prayer to help us focus on Jesus. When we do focus on him, the things of earth
that seem so shiny and alluring and the things that seem so important suddenly fade in light of
how much more important Jesus is. And a great question to help you identify where your focus is right
now is to ask yourself, what do I currently spend the most time thinking about? Once you realize
what your focus is, then the follow-up question is to ask, what truth about Jesus do I want to
remember in light of my current focus? If you're focusing on your pain, maybe you want to remember
that Jesus is the ultimate healer and he will redeem all brokenness and eternity. If you're
focusing on your anxiety, maybe you want to remember that Jesus brings peace that surpasses all understanding.
So what truth about Jesus do you want to remember to help you focus on him? Well, the community could
not stop buzzing about the blind man's new vision. So they brought him to the Pharisees and the
Pharisees were divided over the details that Jesus healed the man on a Sabbath day. Some argued that
because Jesus broke the Sabbath, that means he must be a sinner. Others point out that a sinner
couldn't heal a blind man. ♥And it's interesting that four times under different circumstances,
the blind man is asked the same question, how were you healed?♥ We see this in verses 10, 15,
19, and 26. Like many answers to dilemmas, the issue is not how, but about who. ♥A Theologian wrote,
we want to understand the mechanics of a miracle instead of simply trusting the Savior who alone
can perform the miracle.♥ The community and the Pharisees are asking the wrong question. They're
focusing on the how when they should be focusing on the who. And we do this too sometimes. We focus
on the how in our situations. ♥We get preoccupied with how will everything work out instead of
focusing on who is in sovereign control of our lives.♥ The Pharisees call the man's parents to
testify, but the parents are afraid of ostracism and they pass the responsibility of answering the
religious leaders back onto their son. ♥The parents fear provides a contrast to the man's spiritual
sight because the man understands the power of Jesus. He views the Pharisees in a proper perspective.
Although they may have earthly power, the man is not afraid of them. He does not fear being
outcasts by them. After all, he's been an outcast all his life. And now that he's experienced Jesus's
power, their power fades in comparison. The Pharisees authority doesn't impact the man at all because
he has been impacted by the greater authority of Jesus.♥ The Pharisees then change their tactic
and try to get the man to say that Jesus is a sinner. Read with me in verse 24. A second time,
they summon the man who had been blind. Give glory to God by telling the truth, they said.
We know this man is a sinner. He replied, whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I
do know. I was blind, but now I see. The man could not explain the cause of his healing,
but he could explain the effects. ♥And we see that the man does not get entangled in the details of
theology, but instead focuses on the impact Jesus had on his life.♥ Maybe you worry over what words
you're going to say when you interact with people who do not know Jesus. While it can be helpful to
know theology, God alone can open someone's spiritual eyes. You don't have to know the answer
to every question. You can simply share the effect Jesus has had on your life and trust that God
will do the work of changing hearts. Now, I'm going to read a longer excerpt to you here because I
want you to notice the spiritual site. The man was given in this moment as he responds to the
Pharisees inquisition. ♥Keep in mind that this man had not received the formal religious education
that the Pharisees had and that he had only heard Jesus say that he was the light of the world.♥
But in spite of that, the Holy Spirit will give the man spiritual site to see the truth,
beginning in verse 28. They hurled insults at him and said,
You are this fellow's disciple. We are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses, but as
for this fellow, we don't even know where he comes from. The man answered, Now that is remarkable.
You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners.
He listens to the godly person who does his will. No one has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man
born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing. So the man started out claiming that
Jesus was a prophet earlier on, but by the end of the confrontation with the Pharisees, he is
boldly proclaiming that Jesus is from God and that he is not a sinner. ♥Only the Holy Spirit could
give the man the spiritual insight to know that.♥ And we see here the sharp contrast of the Pharisees
spiritual blindness. ♥They are presented with the same facts that the blind man was given.
Jesus gave a blind man physical sight, but even though they are witnessing the same miracle,
their hearts are callous. They refuse to believe that Jesus could be the Son of God because it is
inconvenient for them, because it threatens their authority, because it's not what they want.♥
No one can remain neutral in response to who Jesus is. ♥A theologian once wrote,
the same sun that melts the wax also hardens the clay.♥ Jesus is liked the sun and some people
will respond to him like the wax, influenced and shaped by who he is. Other people respond like
the clay, hardened and resisting to who he is. No one can remain neutral. The Pharisees throw
the formerly blind man out. ♥And it is significant to note that very soon after the man was given
spiritual sight, he was also rejected by the religious leaders. And he faced broken relationships
with his community and possibly his family too.♥ It is so reassuring to me that it is during this
time of feeling rejected and excluded that Jesus finds the man. Jesus then asks him,
Do you believe in the Son of Man? This was one of Jesus' favorite titles for himself. He uses it
frequently and it has a double meeting. On the one hand, the Son of Man can mean what it seems to say
at face value, Son of a man, fully human. And Jesus is emphasizing his humanity here,
but it also links back to his scripture many Israelites would know from Daniel. This is Daniel
chapter 7 verses 13 through 14. And here is what it says about who the Son of Man is.
In my vision at night, I looked and there before me was one like a son of man coming with the clouds
of heaven. He approached the ancients of days and was led into his presence. He was given authority,
glory and sovereign power. All nations and people of every language worshiped him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away and his kingdom is one that will
never be destroyed. ♥So when Jesus calls himself the Son of Man, he is also emphasizing that he is
fully God as well as fully human.♥ ♥Jesus is explaining who he is.♥ ♥He is one part of the Trinity, of God
the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit.♥ The Father gave Jesus the power to seek and to save
the lost. He healed. He taught. Eventually we will read that Jesus died to save us from the
consequences we all deserve for our sin. When we do not believe who Jesus is, we live in fear
and restlessness like the Pharisees. ♥When we do believe who Jesus is, we live with purpose and
freedom.♥ If you have questions about who Jesus is, I encourage you to talk to your group leader
about him. ♥We can gain spiritual sight when we humbly ask for it and when we recognize our need
for Jesus.♥ And that's what we see the formerly blind man do. Jesus asked him if he believed in
the Son of Man. And in verse 36, we see the man's response. Who is he, sir? The man asked.
Tell me so that I may believe in him. Jesus said, you now have seen him. In fact, he is the one
speaking to you. Then the man said, Lord, I believe and he worshiped him. ♥Jesus sought out this man
and he revealed who he was lovingly and personally. The man had the spiritual sight to see and understand
and he worships Jesus for who he is.♥ Chapter ends with a wise warning. Jesus says,
For judgment, I have come into this world so that the blind will see and those who see will become
blind. Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, what? Are we blind too?
Jesus said, if you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin. But now that you claim you can see,
your guilt remains. ♥Jesus is speaking about spiritual sight and spiritual blindness. He's
saying that if the Pharisees were unexposed to the truth and were completely ignorant of who he was,
then they would not be guilty. But because they have heard Jesus teaching the truth,
because they have seen Jesus performing miracles, because they have rejected the truth,
they are guilty and they are blind.♥ Our principle for the second vision is this truth.
Spiritual blindness rejects Jesus. Spiritual blindness rejects Jesus. ♥So often,
spiritual blindness stems from fear. People are afraid of how the truth about Jesus will
change their lives, what they will have to sacrifice, and so they put themselves first.♥
This does not excuse spiritual blindness, but perhaps it helps us to have more compassion
and persistence in pursuing those who are currently rejecting Jesus in our lives.
Who is God laid on your heart to pursue in their blindness? How specifically will you pray for them?
How will you reach out to them this week? And if you're not a Christian, what fears do you have
about believing who Jesus is? Who is a safe Christian that you could voice these fears to?
We should remember that we've all been spiritually blind. Like the man in John 9,
we were all born blind without light. We lack knowledge and a feeling of security.
But Jesus is the light of the world and he cuts through the darkness, giving us knowledge and peace.
♥Jesus is the son of man because he was a human. Jesus is able to empathize with our human suffering.♥
♥And because he was fully God, he's also able to rescue us from that suffering.♥
♥As the Holy Spirit works in our hearts and gives us spiritual sight,
we focus on Jesus above all else and he transforms us.♥ Second Corinthians 3.18 says,
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into
his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord who is in the Spirit.
I remember as a kid being told not to look directly into the sun. And we wear sunglasses to protect
our eyes from the power of the sun. ♥But this verse encourages us to look directly at the Son of Man,
to unveil our faces and to fix our eyes on Jesus. The more we contemplate his character,
the more we worship who he is, and the more he will transform us to look like him.♥
This lecture was written and produced by Bible Study Fellowship. For more information on BSF
resources and Bible Study groups, please visit bsfinternational.org.