John 9, Sermon Reviews 06/17/15 Morning

The pool of siloam was discovered in 2004, the pool previously identified was wrong
The pool of siloam and hezekiah
Nehemiah 3 mentions siloam
Siloam is in the south of Jerusalem
The pool would have been the first thing the man would have seen
John 9 takes place in Jerusalem at the feast of booths (something to do with water)
They’re looking at the cause of this man’s blindness
The thing to look at is how God is going to be glorified in this situation
Why is this happening? Jesus’ people’s first reaction should be ‘how does God mean to glorify himself?”
In what way is this going to advance the purposes of God?
How can God be glorified in this situation?
Jesus is acting out a parabale in this man’s life by using the mud
Siloam means sent – why does John tell us?
Jesus is reacting in parable form the creation of man when God took the dust of the earth
Adam was made from the dust of the earth
Sinclair Ferguson believes this is Jesus re-enacting, a symbol, of creation
Re-creation, regeneration
The feast of tabernacle and the pool of siloam
The pool is Sent – when we are able to see, we too go to Jesus
They were blind to the blind man, they couldn’t see
You should not be kneading on the sabbath day – the pharisaic conclusion
But some were good men. A division.
They get the man’s parents who are obviously intimidated out of their minds
They can’t get this man, so they go after the one’s he loves, his parents
“He’s old enough” which would suggest he might be young
They reviled him – like Jesus. He is becoming like Jesus. Everything was at stake. Excommunication.
His boldness increases, he’s almost taunting them now.
The prophets in the old testament would taunt the unbelievers
You don’t know where he comes from. You are supposed to know everything.
They cast him out – that means, they excommunicated him.
So Jesus comes to him.
V11, the man that healed him, then the prophet, then the one that was sent to save him, now the Son of Man
His understanding of Jesus advances
Lord I believe. And he worshipped him.
Jesus opens the eyes of those born blind. When Jesus opens blind eyes, we become worshippers of him, we become like this man enboldened. We become prepared to count everything as lost when compared to the excellence of Jesus.
If you were physically blind, you would have no guilt, your guilt remains.
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Phil Johnson
Healing of physical blindness, healing of spiritual blindness
This miracle occurs at a dangerous time in Jesus’ ministry
Jesus was calling the pharisees murderers and liars
Jesus calls them the children of the devil
This was a huge confrontation which infuriated them
Jesus took the name God used when he appeared to Moses in Exodus 14
He was telling the pharisees that he was their God
Because of their spiritual blindness, they wanted to kill Jesus
Jesus’ life was in real danger at that point
They hated Jesus, but he doesn’t stop doing these things.
Jesus continues to demonstrate his deity. He affirmed his deity, now he displays his deity.
Jesus life was in peril, but he turns aside to help one individual in need
His mercy contrasts with their hatred
They wanted to know who’s fault it was that this man sufferee
Why is there suffering? Why do some suffer more? Why would God allow anyone to suffer from birth?
How is it just for someone to suffer from some one elses sin?
Trials and suffering are always a result of sin. Theirbelief. Our society has gone to the other end of the spectrum.
David is an example. His troubles were often the consequence of his sin. Think of their first baby.
Personal suffering is the direct result of personal sin. Thats what they were taught.
But what about babies born with disabilities? This was a debated issue. Between the rabis. Some believed it was due to the parents sin. Some believed its because of sin in the womb. Thatc dilema is what was in their mind. They believed he had an answer.
Jesus’ answer is simple. He doesn’t go into detail. Instead, he focuses on the work.
Jesus answer is succint. He doesn’t explain the mystery of pain and suffering. He doesn’t even try. He doesn’t do anything to speculate or inquire further. He gives them a simple answer and then he turns his attention to the work at hand.
Deut 29:29 the secret things belong to the lord our God — so that we may DO the words of this law.
God has given us work to do and our task is to do it without being diveted by vain speculation
Spurgeon says “it is ours not to speculate, but to perform acts of mercy and love”
Jesus was not saying this man or his parents were sinless. He was simply saying their personal acts of sin were not the cause of their blindness. He was blind by God’s design. Does that seem fair? What do you think this man would say today if we could ask him today?
This was an ocasion for God to display his glory.
The physical healing is symbolic of a greater work
There are no human co-wrkers here. Jesus alone does this work. All the work of redemption is his work. Eph 2.10
We dont participate in being given sight.
Christ is the light of the world. Night is coming he says.
Vs 5 – Iam the light of the world. Day time is over.
This is clear echo of his deity claims in john 8 – look at verse 12 “Iam the light of the  world”
This was th estatement that began that conflict in chapter 8. He was making claims only God could make, but they didnt believe him.
John 1.5 ‘ the darness comprehended it not’
Men loved darkness rather than light
All of those were familiar messianic prophecies (In Isaiah) ***think of Jesus preaching on Isaiah in galilee
Jesus saw the man, the man didn’t see Jesus. He had no capacity to see Jesus. His blindness is symbolic of every sinner who is without christ.
Jesus initiated this whole exchange. This is also symbolic of how God works. We are not saved because we sought Christ.
No man can come to me, unless the father draw him.
Iam found by them that sought me not
This man didnt ask for a miracle. Symbolic of how sinners are saved. We didnt initiate the thing, we didnt seek christ. If you came to christ for salvation it is because you were first sought and drawn by him. Don’t congratulate yourself for making a choice. His free grace is given to us before we eve have a desire for it.
He is always the one that initiates and draws.
Jesus loved this blind man before this man even knew who Jesus was. He had no idea who Jesus was. Thats how it is with all of us who are redeemed. 1john 4.19. We cann’t take any credit.
Sprgr:do you dislike this, a fragment of the glory.
This man was born blind so that Jesus would receive glory by giving him sight.
His skill as the great physician. This man is obviously intelligent. He’s got wit and a sense of humor. He is sarcastic. He is bold. He is not the least bit intimidated. No one could deny this miracle. This guy was known.
You explain what happened to this man. They had no idea. They didn’t know. But they affirm he was blind from birth.
No one could deny the actual miracle itself.
It takes a lot of spit to make a ball of clay. (This would be a good experiment outside)
Mark 8.23 he spits directly on the mans eyes
Mark 7.37, man deaf put his fingers in his ears and he spit on this man’s tongue?
This image makes a good picture of the gospel. In a sense, it is offensive. It offends our good taste. It’s an offense to our sense of culture.
The way Jesus did it had to admit it was Jesus’ power, no one would say the mud did it. Or that the spit did it. The glory went to christ. He did what was unconventional. Unsanitary, messy, indecent. God has chosen the foolish things of the world…
The wisdome of God is foolishness – 1cor
There is no healing efficacy in clay. It isnt the clay.
It was a creative miracle. What better proof for deity.
The issue of the sabbath. It is is lawful to do good on the sabbath. That infuriated these legalistic pharisees. Even when they knew when the miracle itself was real. They blaspheme because Jesus violated their manmade rules.
All this man did was obey the words of Jesus.
He didnt object to the mud. He didnt have to pray about it. He jusr went and washed. He obeyed one simple command.
This man knew he was blind. A heart that longs for the light might indicate Chrst is drawing you.
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His salvation was a more profound miracle that restoring his physical eye sight
The pharisees put him through a form of inquisition
They ban him from the temple
The angrier they get, the more forceful he becomes
It shows the utter irrationality of unbelief
It shows the wicked extremes unbelievers will go
It shows the cruelty of unbelief
He knew Jesus represented the truth
The opening of his eyes had convinced him that the pharisees were phonies
He doesnt yet really understand who Jesus is
Jesus will open his spiritual eyes
The Jews is normally a reference to the Jewish leaders. Not to the jews in general or ethnically. But to a ruling class of leaders who represent the jewish religion.
The religious leaders, the sanhedrin, were made op of saducees and pharisees. This man was brought before the pharisees.
There was nothing wrong with the people doing this. This was entirely appropriate.
Notice the progression in this man. V11, a man made clay, the emphasis was on Jesus humanity. He knew very little. As far as he knew, Jesus was a man. In v17, the man begins to realize that he is mre than a mere man, he says now that Jesus was a prophet. The truth is beginning to dawn on him.
This and john 4 are the only places where Jesus just comes out and says it that he is God. He reveales himself to these outcasts.
When he doesnt know or understand something, he admits it
But when he knows the truth, he says so with boldness
Very refreshing. Very rare
He’s not an expert in theology like the pharisees, but he knows what he knows and he’s not hesitant to challenge them and in reality he makes them look stupid
They are going to reject Jesus no matter what (see v22)
Its almost as if Jesus saves his miracles for the sabbath
It becomes obvious jesus is deliberate to do his work on the sabbath to challenge the jewish leaders
They had turned the sabbath into a huge burden
If your goat fell into the well, you could pull him out, but if your neighbor fell in the well, then you had to wait until the next day
They had turned the sabbath into an ordeal. A burden.
They werent rejoicing this man could see, they were upset.
Their concern for te sabbath was a pretended concern.
The sabbath had become a symbol of their authority. This was the day of the week where they could wield their power. They were the authority. They resented Jesus not honoring their rules. It was a threat to their authority.
This man just tells the simple truth. And it confounds these people.
There was a debate among these men. Suggests there were some among them that were not as blind. Men like Nicodemus, Joseph of Aramethea, or Gamaliel, all men who were on the sanhedrin.
This was the same argument Nicodemus made in John 3
So they shift their argument to the miracle must have been a fake, so they summon the parents
Now that was an obvious mistake,
The parents embody carnal fear
In the one hour in their son’s life where they shoul dhave rejoiced the much, they defer to their fear
Their fear spoiled their joy. They out to be so amazed that they ought to testify  boldly to anyone. It’s almost as if theyre embarrased.
Fear of testifying christ among people. Most have felt that fear. It’s crippling. The fear of men seems to increase over time after conversion. This man is so bold.
They thought this man was an easy target. But they were mistaken
He responds with sarcasm. He resorts to sanctified mockery.
He mocks them like Eliaja.
He says what he knows,, he doesnt speculate. He has his testimony.
The crowd probably laughed with his response. The pharisees were enraged, they lose their temper.
He’s making fun of them. He reduces them. He gives them a lecture.
He’s saying, DO THE MATH
Theyre stuck. 1st they question the miracle. Then they question the sabbath violation, but Nicdemus’ article refutes it, so they’re stuck.
Blindness versus sight.
Theyre reduced to calling him a name. And then they excommunicate him.
This miracle only hardened their hearts.