Seven Signs Revealing His Glory: Session 7 – Once I was Blind but Now I See

Notes:

Once I was blind, but now I see!    See Session Slides Here

John 8:59. The Jews took up stones. As He passed by He saw this blind man.

1) To the disciples he was a case for theological speculation

  • Who sinned? Jewish theology: only sinful people suffer. Or he sinned as an embryo or in a previous life
  • Jesus didn’t endorse that theology. Tower of Siloam.
  • For Him it was an opportunity for the glory of God and to do someone good. We are ministers of Mount Zion, not Sinai. We are called to bless, not to see that people get what they deserve.

2) To the neighbours he was ‘he that sat and begged’

  • It appears they didn’t know his name
  • And they weren’t sure if it was him. Opinions divided. ‘This is him.’ ‘It’s not.’ ‘It looks like him.’ ‘It’s me!’

3) To his parents he was a threat to their standing in the religious community

  • If they were seen to be siding with Jesus they could have been excommunicated. This was serious.
  • Persecution and ostracism from the religious community is promised to the disciples, Jn.16:2.
  • When people are cast out of the temple, the Lord of the Temple comes to them.

4) To the Pharisees he was a tool for their purposes

  • The Pharisees had been telling people that Jesus was a deceiver. Now what will they say?
  • They said, ‘He has violated the Sabbath, therefore He is a sinner. The miracle is from the wrong source’.
  • There was a division among them. ‘How can a sinner do such things?’ Jn.9:16.
  • They asked the man: ‘What do you say about Him?’ ‘He is a prophet’. A man with a message from God.
  • They then called his parents. ‘Was this, your son, born blind? How was he cured?’ ‘Yes he is our son and he was born blind. How he was cured, we don’t know. Ask him.’
  • They said the man: ‘Give glory to God. This man is a sinner.’
  • ‘Whether He is a sinner or not, I don’t know. What I do know is that once I was blind but now I see.’
  • ‘How can a sinner do such signs? Unparalleled miracle. Why do you keep asking? Why are you so concerned about this miracle? Do you want to be His disciples?’
  • They replied they are disciples of Moses but he of an unknown man, a sinner. He was excommunicated.

5) To Jesus he was the reason He came to earth

Jesus’ mission: ‘I must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day’.

  • Jn. 9:4. I must…’Woe is me if I preach not…’ Unless there is that imperative there will be little impact.
  • I must work the works of Him who sent me. Not just, ‘I must do something’. His work was chosen for Him. If you don’t know what God wants you to do, you will end up doing what others want you to do.
  • This man was healed because he encountered Him who was sent by the Father (used more than 40 times in this gospel). Siloam – sent. Water of life sent into the world.
  • Our works, too, have been chosen for us. They are works chosen before the foundation of the world.
  • I must work; some must speculate, isolate, don’t want to get involved; others must find fault. We must do the works of Him who sent us.
  • Limit of time – while it is day. We cannot write a postscript or appendix. We must work now.

Jesus comes looking for the excommunicated

  • If anything has happened to grieve us Jesus has heard about it. He sought out this man.
  • This was a sign, Jn.15:24, so that God’s glory might be seen. Clay parallels the creative act of God.
  • Jesus asked him: ‘Do you believe in the Son of God?’ This is the crucial question. A divine Saviour will more than compensate even if the whole world would excommunicate you.
  • See this man’s progress from darkness to light. 1) ‘The man they call Jesus’ (in reference to his healing) (Jn. 9:11); 2) ‘…a prophet’ (Jn. 9:17); 3) ‘…from God’ (Jn. 9:33); 4) ‘…Son of God’ (Jn. 9:35); 5) ‘…Lord’ (Jn. 9:38).

This event is about a man who came out of darkness into light and those who went further into darkness by their rejection of Him. We are blind or we see, in proportion to our ability to see Christ’s glory.


# Answers to this quiz are found in the notes above. Click on quiz to commence. Only correct spelling is recognised. A minimum 70%  correct is required to advance to the next session.