Text – John 9: 24-41; Mathew 15:14; 13:15; John 12:40; Matthew 12:34
This is the story of the man that was born blind, and Jesus saw him, and took the initiative to get to him, and use the clay to open his eyes, and as he went in obedience to the word of Christ, he came back seeing. And as you obey the word of God, what you have not seen before, you will see, the blessing of God that have been hidden from you, you are going to see and receive in Jesus Name.
And as he came back, neighbours, community people saw him, that he can now see, they were confused, and he said that I am the one born blind and now can see. How did your eyes got opened. Somebody called Jesus, touched my eyes and open them. And then, they brought him to the Pharisees, they could not believe that his eyes were opened, so they brought him to question him, and his parents were brought too to be questioned. They did not believe.
“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” (John 9:25)
One thing I know. Have you met Jesus, has He transformed and changed your soul, then you must know something, and can tell that to all around you, and they will not be like the Pharisees, they will believe and be saved in Jesus Name.
See this man, his eyes now opened, intelligence, insight and wisdom has come, as he got his eyes opened. He was not afraid, not intimidated, not coward down, and was talking to them intelligently.
They cast him out. They didn’t want to be taught nor hear the Truth, but I want to hear the Truth.
As you look at this chapter, and the whole of the New Testament, there is something you are going to find out. Those religious leaders and their followers exposed themselves as blind people, they exposed their spiritual blindness.
“Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” (Mathew 15:14)
The leaders were blind, and their follower were blind as well. The teachers were blind, and the students were blind. The preachers were blind, and their hearers were blind.
They closed their eyes deliberately that they will not see the Truth. The evidences, proofs and miracles were plain, but they closed their eyes.
You see that, their heart wax gross, hears dull of hearing the truth, and their eyes, they have closed. They don’t want to see the power, miracles that Jesus did to prove that He is the Son of God, the Christ and the Expected Messiah.
That miracle of conversion, their eyes being opened, would have come to them, but they closed their eyes. They hardened their hearts against the word of the Lord, that they will not see, but thank God you will see. Eyes blind, ears closed, hearts hardened.
There is connection with the heart and the tongue. And this is like that with the Pharisees, every sinner, and religious people of today, who is blind to the truth, they have hearts that are hardened, and tongues that tell lies, untamed tongues.
If the heart is dirty, the tongue will be dirty, the language will be dirty. If the heart is false, the tongue, mouth and lips will be false. If the heart is un-regenerated, uncircumcised, the tongue, will be untamed
This is the problem of the people, and these includes
- Uncircumcised Hearts – Acts 7:51; Luke 16:14,15; Acts 28:27; Romans 1:21; 2:5; Hebrews 3:8,10,12,15
“Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye” (Acts 7:51)
It is a problem of the hearts, uncircumcised, un-regenerated, uncleaned and hardened hearts. God knows the condition of your heart.
Whatever the heart is will determine the condition of your life, tongue, language and whatever you do. Your behaviour will be affected by the heart.
Their hearts were hardened and impenitent. That was the reason why their forefathers could not enter into the promised land Canaan. They saw miracles, and the manifestation of God’s power. But their hearts were hardened. And the Lord is warning us that we should take care, that such a heart is not in us today.
“Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12)
They hardened their hearts, that was why their tongue said that the man should not give glory to Christ, but to God only.
- Untamed Tongue – John 9:24; Matthew 12:34; James 1:26; 3:5-6,8; Romans 3:13; 1 Peter 3:10
If we say that we are christians, and we are saying things that are wrong, false, unclean, dirty, unrighteous, dirty, lies, sinful, then you are not born again yet.
Those Pharisees, their tongue was untamed, they were not born again, uncircumcised, not saved, religious but not righteous.
“For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile” (1 Peter 3:10)
Those Pharisees closed their eyes, stopped their ears, shut the doors of their hearts that no light of the truth, of testimony will get in, they also made their tongues to be loosed, without control, like a sword turning here and there, to keep teachers and testifiers far away from them.
Here was a new believer, with his eyes open, got a miracle touch from the Lord, and now you can tell from his testimony, the way he was testifying, and they wanted to destroy his faith, confidence in the Lord, but they could not silent him. They will not stop you, they will not break your backbone, they will not take your conviction away in Jesus Name.
3 points;
Point 1. The Depravity of Carnal Religious Sinners
John 9:24-29; 8:46-48; 1 Corinthians 4:12,13; John 5:45-47; 7:19; Acts 7:51-53; Romans 8:6-8; Jeremiah 13:23; 9:5; Ephesians 4:18,19; Matthew 23:33,14,15,23-28
“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” (John 9:24)
Was blind, but now can see, no blind.
I am following, do you want to follow too. I am a disciple, do you want to be a disciple too? I am a believer, do you want to believe too? I am for Jesus, do you want to be Jesus disciple too?
None of them could convince or convict Him of sin.
If somebody is of God, born again, he will love, accept, believe and delight in the word of God, but if he is not born again, he will distaste, pushes away, react against the word of God.
See this man, he was reviled, but he never reviled them back, this is how we know he was saved, his life has been transformed. He maintained his testimony.
They professed that they were following Moses, but it was all a lie.
“Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?” (John 7:19)
Moses gave them the law, but they did not obey the law of Moses. You see this was always their attitude, always rejecting, resisting the word of God, always wanting to have their way. And yet, they are always saying that they are Moses disciples.
They were not only blind, they made others blind. They didn’t entered into the Kingdom of God, and they stopped others that were entering into the kingdom. They taught themselves lies, falsehood, and compelled others to believe the lies and to die for and in falsehood. They sealed their own doom, and also sealed the doom of their past, present and future generations. Has the depravity of a religious person compelled you to remain blind, or you want to remain blind without seeing the goodness of the Lord.
Their problem is the problem of carnality, and being deep and rooted in sin. They were entrenched in their sins.
“For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:6)
They were carnally minded. In the natural self, depravity, original self, without a change of life, transformation, the touch of the Lord, you cannot please God.
“Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil” (Jeremiah 13:23)
If you are like the Pharisees, that you have not being to Jesus, to touch and change your heart and life, you will be accustomed to do evil. And whatever comes out of you, will the life of those who have not known the Lord Jesus. You will not be able to change your character, actions, behaviour, and you will be acting the same old way.
They deceived their neighbours, and threat them to throw them out of the Synagogue if they confess the Lord Jesus Christ.
They have taught their tongue to tell lies. Lying has become their second nature, no transformation, no change of life from the Lord. They will go about, make effort, spend energy, time, money to commit iniquity. There is sinfulness, iniquity, deliberate lie and sinfulness that they practise.
Every one that is born into this world, comes with the blindness of the hearts. It is when you come to Christ, that He opens your eyes spiritually, turns you around, and shows you the light of the gospel, that you can say that now I can see. And you can praise the Lord now, that once I was a sinner, but now, I can see, and things are different now. Once I was in iniquity, but now, I am free.
When you meet Jesus tonight, a change, a transformation will happen, that you will go the right way from the wrong way.
They are greedy of committing sin, iniquity, that which is not right, but your life will not be like this in Jesus Name.
These Pharisees were religious, prayed, evangelise to make proselytes. On the outside, they appear correct, right, righteous, but they are within full of dead men bones, full of iniquity and sinfulness. Is your life like the Pharisees, that outwardly, you appear righteous, but internally, there is sinful thoughts, you need to come to Jesus Christ, because He has the power to forgive, cleanse, to save, transform your heart, and make you new. That you can say like this man that once I was blind, but now I can see.
Point 2. The Discernment of a Courageous Ransomed Soul
John 9:30-34; Psalms 66:18-20; Proverbs 15:29; 1 John 3:21-22; Isaiah 64:6; 66:5; 1 Corinthians 1:27-29; Acts 4:13; Hebrews 13:5,6
When you are born agin, God grants you a real change of life, of heart. If you are timid, fearful before, that you have no backbone. But if you will come to the Lord, He changes your life, He gives you conviction, you are converted and a mighty change that will bring boldness and courage.
“Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth” (John 9:31)
See the blind man now preaching sound doctrine to the Pharisees. See the courage of this man, but the Pharisees cast him out. They didn’t want teaching. Those who are dropped out in the society, will want everyone else to be dropped out. So likewise the backsliders, apostates, sinners, fearful people, timid, religious scoffers, self-deceivers, hardened in sin, they will want you to be like them. But thank God you are not like them.
These Pharisees were deliberately hardened, adamant in sin, unteachable, they were deliberately in sin, closed their eyes to the truth, they tried to make this new convert to deny and give up the faith, but they failed. And they will fail in your situation. They will not convince you, not confuse you, not make you to change your faith.
They will notice that you have being with Jesus, and those evil things will not have taste in your life anymore.
They drove him out of the darkness in Synagogue. No eternal life, no way to the Light in that Synagogue.
They drove him to the Light of the World – Jesus Christ. Jesus looked for him, and found him. He will find you today.
They cast him away from sinners, and they cast him to the Saviour.
The cast him out of the Synagogue to the Shepherd and Bishop of his Soul
They cast him out of the Revilers and to the Redeemer
They cast him out of the Unteachable to the Teacher come from Heaven
They cast him out of the fear of the Jews, and into the Freedom in Jesus
They cast him out of the religious bondage to the Reliable Liberator, the Yoke Broker
It was a good thing for him. Do be afraid, if they cast you for coming to DeeperLife. Don’t you see the Light tonight.
This new believer receives;
- Discernment
- Wisdom from the Lord
- Insight from the Lord
- Courage
- Boldness
- Unbroken backbone and conviction. They couldn’t destroy his faith and conviction. You will not bend to evil, nor bow to sinners
- Uncompromisable Conviction. Unbroken, unbendable when you are truly saved.
The man seems to know more Scriptures than those religious sinners, the Pharisees, the uncircumcised in hearts and untamed tongues.
Jesus has done something for you that no other person would have done, He saved me, transformed my hearts, sanctified me. So this Jesus is Unique.
Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed” (Isaiah 66:5)
They cast him out, and Jesus saw him, to his joy, and those people were ashamed.
Those Pharisees, they thought they were wise, but GOD used this blind man to confound them.
What we noticed about this man? We noticed that the man had courage and boldness. And you too will have boldness and courage to stand for righteousness and the Truth everywhere you go. You will never go back to those covetousness anymore. You will be the Conqueror, and Overcomer in Jesus Name.
Point 3. His Devotion to Christ, the Revealed Saviour
John 9:35-41; 3:15-17; 20:31; Acts 8:35-39
He knew Him as Jesus, as a Man of God, a True Worshipper of God, and as Lord. You see Jesus has many titles.
And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.
He called Hm Lord, believed and worshipped Him.
Revelation of the title the Son of God – Matthew 16:16-17; 14:33; Hebrews 1:2-6
The disciples worshipped Him. The angels worship Him, and we are to worship Him as well.
You will not worship idol, Satan, occult power but worship Him, and you will be saved eternally.
“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:31)
This is why John the Gospel was written, that you will believe that Jesus is the Son of God. And as you believe, you will be saved.
“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” (John 9:39)
That those who did not see joy, eternal life before, but now they can see joy, eternal life, that was why He came the first time. And for the Pharisees, they see religious, synagogue, sacrament, rituals, old covenant, sacrifices, and they are made blind.
This is the problem of people, they don’t want the word to come straight, directly to them like the Pharisees.
“Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth” (John 9:40)
If you come quickly with confession and faith in Him,He will save you tonight. But if not, you are not born again, only religious and you are satisfied, then your sin will remains. He will forgive, change your life, and turn every thing around in Jesus Name.
Look at this blind, he receives sight and saw greater revelation.
As we summarised this
- He saw farther than the religious – the Pharisees
- He heard greater than the fearful – his parents
- He understood better than the Self-Deceivers
- He became wiser than his Counsellors
- He yielded deeper than the multitudes
- He looked higher to the Son of God
- He believed stronger and firmer than earlier before
He worshipped Jesus as
- His Lord
- Son of God
- Saviour, the Only Saviour
- The Expected Messiah
- The True Light. He saw the Light, the True Light that came from Heaven. Other did not see the Light, but this man that was born blind, he was poor, has no money, and yet he saw the Light. Thank I have seen the Light.
- His Liberator
- The Door, the Only Door of Hope and Way to Heaven. He say bye to all the people that they were trying to confuse him.
Somebody there is going through the Door today. Where is he/she? You will go through the Door, into Life Everlasting in Jesus Name.
Ponder on this! If the heart is dirty, the tongue will be dirty, the language will be dirty. If the heart is false, the tongue, mouth and lips will be false. If the heart is un-regenerated, uncircumcised, the tongue, will be untamed. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.
Reflection – If somebody is of God, born again, he will love, accept, believe and delight in the word of God, but if he is not born again, he will distaste, pushes away, react against the word of God. Pastor (Dr) W.F Kumuyi.