Words of Jesus Part 55

John 9:1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

While it is true that sin opens the door to some sickness and afflictions, while it is true that a return to sin will cause a worse thing to come upon us, we have to get away from any idea that when we see someone sick, deformed or impaired in some way that it is the result of our own sin. The sin nature is in all of us at birth. Some diseases are inherited, some are environmental and some are the cause of other conditions that have nothing to do with our own choices or sins. So we know that sin can cause disease but we also know that it is not always the direct cause of disease. The innocent also gets sick. Babies get sick and sometimes die through no fault of their own.

John 9:3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

On this occasion God chose this man's situation to be a means to show us the power of God to heal sickness as well as forgive sins.

John 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

When Christ is not present or there is no one representing Christ with the message of the gospel, the land will be full of darkness.

John 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

It is an act of faith to obey the words of Jesus to go wash in the pool of Siloam. The pool had no healing virtue but it took faith to cause the man to do as Jesus asked. If he did not believe, he probably would have went home.

John 9:8 The neighbors therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?
9 Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.
10 Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened?
11 He answered and 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.
12 Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.

This should have made them instant converts to Jesus Christ but apparently they were reluctant to believe.

John 9:13 They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.
14 And it was the Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.
15 Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.
16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keeps not the Sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.

We have to very careful not to get religion with no compassion. They did not understand the meaning of the Sabbath by finding fault with Jesus for healing on the Sabbath. I can't see a better way to keep the Sabbath than to deliver a man from blindness on the Sabbath day.

John 9:17 They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.
18 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight.
19 And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see?
20 His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:
21 But by what means he now sees, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.
22 These words spoke his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
23 Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.
24 Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.

Imagine a religion where it is a sin to make a sick person well on the Sabbath day.

John 9:25 He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.
26 Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he your eyes?
27 He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?
28 Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples.
29 We know that God spoke unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.

Actually their were plenty in Moses' day who doubted who he was too.

John 9:30 The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvelous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.
31 Now we know that God hears not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he hears.

This is a quote from the man who was healed, not the actual words of Jesus. We know that God will hear sinners if a sinner seeks God with a repentant humble heart.

John 9:32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.
33 If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.
34 They answered and said unto him, Thou was altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.

This man actually knew more than the highly educated Pharisees. It is very hard to reach a person filled with pride and self-centeredness. All of us was born in sin, not just this blind man. Jesus came to save sinners.

John 9:35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?

Jesus cared enough to go to this man and make sure of his salvation. Although he was healed of blindness, he still needed to believe in Jesus as the Son of God.

John 9:36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?
37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talks with thee.
38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.
39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

Jesus came to bring the truth and bring judgment. He came to give sight to the blind both literally and spiritually. Those that refuse to believe think that they see but in reality they are more blind that those that are without natural eyesight.

John 9:40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remains.

They were well learned in the law of God, they were highly esteemed in religious hierarchy of that day, and they supposedly were looking for the Messiah to one day come, not realizing that He stood before them. Because they thought they were spiritually alert, they were actually blind. If one admits spiritual blindness and seeks to have their eyes opened to the word of God, they will no longer in sin but free. Those in spiritual darkness who reject the word of God and do not believe will remain in their sin until they die. They no longer can be free from that sin. When the night comes (night meaning death) it is too late to repent and be saved.

Words of Jesus Part 56

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