Blind From Birth, John 9:1-11

BLIND FROM BIRTH

John 8:59-9:11

JESUS IS MY PROTECTOR

V.8:59. 9:1. " Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

9 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth."

A. Your testimony about Jesus will not always be received with joy.

     1. Some people will resent your testimony about Jesus.

     2. People can get hostile when you talk about the good news.

B.  To the leaders of Israel, Jesus defended His Sonship.

    1. Having heard the Word, the leaders decided to kill Jesus on the spot.

    2. They took up stones to stone Jesus to death.

    3. But Lord made himself invisible to His enemies.

        a. Jesus walked through the mist of them without being seen.

        b. God will protect you from your enemies.

C. You can't allow your circumstances to stop you from doing God's work.

   1. God will protect you while you are doing His work.

   2. By the time someone try to harm you, God will have His shield up around                 

       you to protect you.

D. Jesus saw ( eido) a man blind from birth.

   1. We are all blind from birth.

   2. It is faith in the Word that lifts the veil from our eyes.

   3. When Jesus looks at us He sees our needs.

   4. For Jesus to see, is to know all about us.  

STUDY TO UNDERSTAND THE WORD

 V:2 -3. "And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him."

A. Some of your problems are not caused by you.

    1. The disciples probably had a misunderstanding of scripture.

    2. According to the disciples perhaps the man sinned in his mothers womb

        before his birth. He was born blind.

        a. Perhaps God was angry with parents and blinded the child before birth.

    3. God does not judge the sons based on the sins of the father.

        a. The disciples may have had a misinterpretation of Exodus 34:7

    4. Some of your problems maybe by God's plan for you life so that

        He gets the glory at some  future time.

B. Even though the man had a handicap, he was blessed with parents who

       loved and supported Him.

    1. He probable had friends who brought Him to the temple.

    2. Even at our worst, God surrounds us with what we need.

C. Sometimes your problems are a setup for a future blessing.

    1. God gets the glory when men see His works in you.

    2. Out of your problems, may come your blessings.

GET BUSY DOING GOD'S WORK

V:4. " I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.'

A. The mission of Jesus on earth was to complete the will of the Father.

    1. The Lord Jesus had a time limit set to complete the Father's work on earth

    2. The Lord has set a time limit on our lives.

        a. Three score and ten, seventy years is the average life span.

        b. God has appointed work for each of us to do.

        c. God has equipped each of us with gifts and skills to do His will.

        d. God empowered each us with Holy Spirit.

        f. Each believer will have to give an account to God for what he

           did with His gifts.

 B. The night time could be the day we die or the day we can no longer

      work.

    1. Jesus  was speaking of His death on the cross.

    2. God has called us to work, not to sit on the sidelines.

    3. God has not given us a time when He is coming back for us.

    4. One thing we know for sure is death is eminent.

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

V: 5. " As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

A. Without the Word, the world would be in a state of darkness.

     1. Jesus said , I am the way, the truth and the life.

     2. Jesus is the way to salvation.

     3. Jesus is the truth about salvation.

     4. Jesus is the life of salvation.

 B. As long as believers are around, lies will be exposed.

     1. As long as you are around, injustice will be exposed.

     2. As long as you are around, the truth will be told.

     3. As long as you are around, love will be the example.

     4. As long as you are around, hate should not be tolerated.

     5. As long as you are around, sin will be exposed.

     6. The Lord commands us to let our light shine.   Matt 5:16

FAITH IN THE WORD BRINGS BLESSINGS

V: 6 -7 " When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. 7 And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing."

A. When Jesus comes into your life, change will take place.

    1. Jesus may take what seem ordinary and do the extraordinary.

    2. He took some dust from the ground and saliva or spit from His mouth as His

        anointing ingredients.

       a. It was the dust of the ground that God started with to make Adam.

       b. What is spit or saliva but water.

       c. This was no ordinary water, it was Jesus  living water.

       d. What better to use to eliminate blindness but living water.

       e. What was dead in his body came alive.

 B. Here is the key to gaining sight.

     1. Position yourself to hear the Word of God.  He was at the temple.

    2. Act on the Word of God.

    3. Be obedient to the Word of God.

    4. Do what the Word says do.

    5. Be patient while God works in your life.

        a. You may have wait before God acts.

        b. You may have to travel in your blind state before God acts.

    6. The pool of Siloam may have been 1/3 mile away the front

        of the temple.

        a. If the Blind man was at the door of the temple, he would have

            been a great distance above the pool.

        b. He would have traveled down a brick road  to the pool.   

    7. It was the Blind man's obedience to the Word that resulted in him

        receiving his sight.

 C. The previous  blind man  step into the pool and received his sight.

      1. When Lord has done something for you ought to show your gratitude.

      2.  When blesses you, become a testimony for His goodness.

      3. He return to Jesus, seeing Him for the first time.

YOUR TESTIMONY ABOUT JESUS IS IMPORTANT

V: 8-9. " Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?" 9 Some said, "This is he." Others said,  "He is like him."  He said, "I am he."

A. You can't judge someone's testimony about the goodness of Jesus by your

      unbelief.

    1. Satan will work to undermine your testimony.

    2. There are some people who are uncomfortable with your recovery.

    3. There will be some who are jealous of what Jesus has done in your life.

B. But you can't let anyone cause you to doubt the work of God in your life.

    1. You can't let anyone put a damper on your faith in Jesus.

    2. You have to stand up for the truth so people can hear your story.

BE PREPARED TO DEFEND THE WORD

10 Therefore they said to him, "How were your eyes opened?" 11 He answered and said, "A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed, and I received sight.

A. Your testimony about Jesus is important to all who hear you.

    1. People are encourage by what you say about Jesus.

    2. Non Believers are drawn to Jesus by your testimony.

    3. Your faith is strengthen by your continuous reviewing of the goodness of Jesus.

B. Jesus was just a man to the blind man before he received  his sight.

    1. After his encounter with Jesus, the previous blind man had a

        testimony about his savior.

    2. He was blind, but now he could see.

    3. He had to be led to Jesus, but now he could lead others to Jesus.

    4. He had to be taken care of by others, but now he could take care of

        others.

Rev M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church