Jesus Is the Light of the World
Notes
Transcript
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John 9:1–7 (ESV)
1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
Opening Prayer
Opening Prayer
Setting the Stage
Setting the Stage
Jesus has just walked away from the religious leaders who wanted to stone Him.
And, so we read…
John 9:1 (ESV)
1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.
So, Jesus is moving on to the next opportunity to minister.
We were told in John 8:30 that His followers had grown in number.
They take note of this man who was known in the area of the temple in which people begged.
It seems to be common knowledge that this man had been blind from birth.
And so the disciples inquire about Him.
John 9:2 (ESV)
2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
This question is grounded in good theology…
But immediately departs from good theology and becomes bad theology.
The good theology is that all suffering is a result of sin.
When sin entered the world at the fall of Adam…
Suffering, Disease, Pain, & Death entered into the world.
The whole of creation is groaning under the curse.
And, so sin is the ultimate cause of suffering.
Not all suffering is brought upon us because of specific, individual sin.
We see this truth specifically in the book of Job.
Job suffered, not because of sin, but because he pursued obedience to the Lord.
King David certainly had times where his sin brought suffering…
But, he also suffered at the hands of Saul for nothing more than being the Lord’s anointed and living for the Lord.
We could say the same for Moses, as well.
Lots of OT examples of suffering for doing the right thing.
But, we also see plenty of examples in which outside on-lookers…
Those who witness the sufferings making harmful and unbiblical judgments on why the suffering was occuring.
Remember Job’s three friends…
Remember Job’s three friends…
Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar.
They gave numerous speeches to Job.
Displaying an improper theology of why God allows people to suffer.
Believing that ultimately Job was suffering because there was unrepentant sin in his life.
And, so they continued incessantly to urge Job to admit his sin and repent so that God would bless him again.
In the words of Job, they were miserable comforters.
In the end, God blasted their doctrine of God and suffering.
David recorded in psalms how his suffering was misdiagnosed by on-lookers.
And, so we must be very cautious in our judgments, as well.
What’s Behind the Disciple’s Question?
What’s Behind the Disciple’s Question?
There were two popular thoughts within Judaism at this time regarding suffering, particularly the suffering of an infant from birth due to lameness, blindness, deafness or some other malformation.
#1 - The belief that a baby could sin in the womb.
Rabbinic teaching taught that a baby in the womb could be guilty of doing wrong in the womb.
Such as kicking a mother too hard…
Or having irregular behavior during the pregnancy.
#2 - A parent’s sin could bring suffering upon the baby.
So, if a mother did not perform a religious rite it could bring suffering upon a baby.
Or if parents neglected certain ceremonies, or offerings, their neglect could bring suffering upon the child.
If a mother carrying child took part in a pagan ritual, the baby in the womb would be considered a participant, as well.
Much of this, was taught to manipulate parent’s into obedience to the ceremonial laws.
Interestingly though, there was a Jewish Rabbinic teaching, from Ecclesiastes, that was well known and believed that at the time of the Messiah…
In the age of the Messiah, the behavior of the parents, whether good or evil would not affect the children.
And, so the disciples were asking this question with these common beliefs in mind.
So the question is likely being asked in this manner…
We believe you are the Messiah, so then it really couldn’t have been a sin on the part of the parents, if you truly are the Messiah…
So, what did this guy do to be born with such suffering as blindness?
But, in their minds it had to be one or the other.
So, Jesus gives the disciples the reason for the man being born blind.
John 9:3 (ESV)
3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.
Jesus is saying, there is another category.
A category you haven’t imagined…
And, that category is for the glory of God.
This man was born blind so that I could heal Him…
And, through this healing you may know that I am the Messiah.
What were the signs of the Messiah according to the prophets?
Isaiah states two, specific to what we see in our passage this morning…
Isaiah 29:18 (ESV)
18 In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see.
When John the Baptist doubted, Jesus comforted Him in saying…
Luke 7:22 (ESV)
22 And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.
Essentially, here in John 9 Jesus is telling us that through this healing you may know that God keeps His promise to redeem.
Through this healing you may know that the One that stands before you healing this man is the One…
The Deliverer.
The Savior.
The Great I am.
That you would place your faith and hope in JC…
Because He is the only One that can lead us out of darkness into His marvelous light.
Let’s think about this…
Let’s think about this…
What do we take away from this answer given by our Lord?
What do we take away from this answer given by our Lord?
This is important for us to understand because we don’t want to be like Job’s friends…
Miserable counselors.
And, we certainly wouldn’t want Job’s friends sitting with us during a crisis.
How many times, when a diagnosis of suffering has been given to someone has someone religious person said…
Well, you know the sin in their life is what is causing that.
–OR–
You know, if they would just repent and believe their life would get better.
Dear friends that is not the testimony of the Bible.
Psalm 73 paints a picture of the worldly having no problems…
Psalm 73:12 (ESV)
Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.
Living in the lap of luxury and those who love God having the difficulties in life.
The Bible tells us that leading a godly life will cause you to suffer persecution.
We need to have a proper biblical understanding of suffering and God’s permitting of it…
Of course there are actions that can bring suffering.
Sometimes suffering comes upon us because we are living in opposition to a fallen world.
But, many times, suffering is something that comes upon us because we are partakers in a fallen world.
And, sometimes suffering comes upon us so that God can deliver us from such suffering and bring glory to Himself.
It’s interesting to note that the disciples were more concerned about hoe the blind man got that way.
—> Where to lay blame?
Jesus was more interested with what can we do for him.
Let’s be more like Jesus in our dealing with those who are suffering.
Now, after Jesus sets the disciples straight about suffering…
He makes a very important statement…
John 9:4–5 (ESV)
4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
This statement is on the very heels of Jesus’ correction of the disciples theological puzzle.
And, Jesus is teaching us how to handle such situations.
And the way in which we handle situations is to be the way God intends us to handle situations.
We must work the works of him who sent me
There is a wrong and right way to do live life.
God has called us to love Him and love our neighbor.
You can live life like the pharisees and seek to use everything to benefit you and get rid of anything that stands in your way.
You can live life in a way the disciples just approached the scene of the blind man…
And, not help, but just speculate, conjecture.
Speak ill of people. Gossip. Slander.
Assume the worse.
Never really jumping in to make change.
Or you can love your neighbor and help your neighbor…
As Christ has set that very pattern.
Let’s look again…
John 9:4–5 (ESV)
4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
A few things here…
#1 – The disciples get to share in the work of God.
As do we once we are saved.
What a privilege to be able to take part in Kingdom work.
#2 – While it is day is as long as Christ was on earth.
Night would be after He ascended.
This is specifically speaking to the work of Christ in His ministry of redemption on earth.
Once He ascended, He would no longer be physically present.
While He is present He is the light of the World.
Light gives life.
He is the source of life.
And, that does not extinguish with His ascension...
But, the very presence of Christ with the people would come to an end.
#3 – Day and Night also applies to us.
Daytime was when people worked.
The sun coming up was the time to labor, to work.
The sun going down was the time to rest from your labors.
While we are alive, we are to serve the Lord.
We are not to allow darkness to sneak up on us…
But to use the light, our life, wisely in service to God.
Serve the Lord in the ways in which He calls us to serve.
Serve the Lord with gladness.
Serve the Lord in every way possible.
Serve the Lord by trusting in Christ’s finished work, alone, for your good standing with God.
Jesus says…
I am the light of the world.
He declares this with the intention of healing the blind man.
John 9:6–7 (ESV)
6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
The only way to know why Christ healed this man in this manner is for Christ to have told us…
—> He didn’t.
So we just accept that this way was the best way for Him to do it for the good of:
the blind man
the disciples
the crowd of on-lookers
the religious leaders who would soon question the man
It was all for the glory of God.
Could Jesus have just spoken a word? Of course.
But, He chose to do it this way.
But, the real point is that it was a sign that pointed to Jesus…
—> Who He was.
There were very few miracles in the OT.
Christ breaks into creation and miracles explode into being.
Droves and droves of miracles.
All were meant to grasp the attention of image bearers…
And, point them to the One that was the fulness of the image of God.
It was a sign that pointed to a hope for a suffering world…
—> A sign that was to grip the mind and heart…
And bring to memory, the promise of God to restore creation to it’s intended purposes…
To reverse the curse.
Will God keep His promise?
Who will God use to fulfill such a promise?
—> Here He is…the One…
The long awaited for, prophesied Messiah.
—> Jesus Christ.
He is the Light of the World.
He is the source of…
—> Not only physical life, but spiritual life as well.
He is the giver of eternal life.
He is the One whom all the promises of God are Yes and Amen in Him.
Look to Him all ye ends of the earth and be saved.
Only God can restore creation to what it is intended to be.
Only God can restore the sight of a man born blind.
Jesus is very God, and for our redemption, very Man.
And, that is what is being said in this healing sign…
Look with me at one thing…
The Pool of Siloam
The Pool of Siloam
John 9:7 (ESV)
7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
In v.4 Jesus is the sent One.
He has, by God, been SENT.
Sent to:
Cleanse and redeem His people
In v.7 the pool of Siloam or the pool of the Sent.
What is being taught is this:
What we need to be remade…
What we need to be born anew…
What we need to have our true sight restored…
What we need to experience life as intended by God…
Is to bathe in the SENT
Have you washed yourself in the cleansing blood of Christ, the SENT One?
Have you been cleansed by Jesus?
Have you leaped into union with Christ and been made whole?
Suffering points to this need.
Suffering points to looming death & judgment.
Suffering points to a need of being lifted out of the suffering.
And, that is why Christ came.
—> To lift His people out of suffering…
Not to remove us from suffering in this life…
But, to remove us from suffering after this life, forevermore.
Let’s think about this...
Let’s think about this...
It’s a hard truth to think of this man being born blind…
Being seemingly abandoned or neglected by his parents…
Resorting to begging for who knows how many years…
Enduring the suffering of his life…
All so that He would be a trophy of the glory, power and grace of God…
But, dear friends, the Bible teaches us that it is worth it.
We don’t know how old this man is…
But, one moment of glorying in God is better than an eternity of glorying in self.
—> Ask the thief on the cross.
This man may have suffered with blindness for three decades, maybe more…
But, by the grace of God, he will be glorying in God for all eternity.
This life is but a vapor compared to eternity.
And a long life on earth with one moment of glorying in King Jesus…
—> Will set you into an eternity of comfort and bliss.
The regenerating work of God in our lives…
The sanctifying work of God in our lives…
Changes our demeanor towards suffering.
Before Christ, we hated God at any and every moment of suffering.
After Christ, we hope that all of our suffering will be a means to the glory of Christ, our Savior.
And, the glory of our Savior, our God…
—> Is worthy of our suffering.
Closing Prayer
Closing Prayer
