Blind for the Glory of God B

We can't see God.

We can't see Christ, we have no way to initiate any kind of deliverance or rescue, and then God in his mercy Christ in his grace finds us, gives us insight and we forever seen that you may never have considered or maybe you simply forgotten them. It's part of his compelling series rediscovering the Christ of Scripture. What before we get to today's lesson John it's been a year now since the world began facing the effects of the covert, 19 pandemic and a really long year in some ways and it's not just about the health effects, but the ongoing economic challenges that are related to all the restrictions the government has put on us and I'm sure there are many listeners, wondering how is grace to you doing what you want them to know.

Well, grace to you is a no contact ministry right when you're sitting here and I'm sitting here but were not touching anybody so nowhere properly doesn't work properly distance we we do not have masks on.

Yeah it's been amazing to think about the fact that while many churches have decided to shut down, not ours, and most of you know what we've gone through to stay open and we still remain open but but for sure grace to you has not slowed down the pace at all in the midst of this time when many people don't go to church when many people are doing live stream or zooming or whatever it is and have missed Christian Fellowship and missed some opportunities in Bible study. The truth is grace to has flourished. It's just flourished our ministry continues to grow through this period of time and in the ways that you would wanted to grow up people hungering for the word of God hungering to know divine truth. It's not just Christian people who who want to keep being fed the word of God and and they're not not getting it in the usual way because her churches are open. It's the nonbelieving people are people who are wondering what in the world is going on and where can they find somewhere to anchor their souls. Where can they go to find truth. So there's never been a higher amount of interest and grace to you and the Lord has provided our needs financially through the people who continue to believe in what were doing. So it's it's amazing the ministry of grace to you hasn't missed a beat.

We haven't we haven't missed any opportunities that God has laid before us because the demand seems to be growing for the truth of the word of God, and I think that's not hard to understand. As the days get blacker and blacker and darker and darker people lose hope are looking for light and grace to you is light so where so thankful the radio, television, free books, CDs by mail sermon downloads and many many millions of sermons being listen to even on YouTube so were seeing the ministry flourish and were thankful for the support of many many people who make that possible.

Yes, with all the turmoil in society and people still feeling the effects of the pandemic clear biblical teaching is needed now, maybe more than ever. So thank you for your commitment to reaching people with biblical truth and out with today's lesson here again is John MacArthur. Open your Bible to John nine. The ninth chapter of John we read the opening 12 verses of this chapter. The first one as he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth and his disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sin this man or his parents that he would be born blind. Jesus answered, it was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me. As long as it is day night is coming when no one can work while I'm in the world I am the light of the world when he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and applied the clay to his eyes and said him go wash in the pool of Siloam which is translated, sent so he went away and washed and came back seeing. Therefore the neighbors and those who previously saw him as a beggar were saying is not this the one who used to sit and beg others were saying this is he still others were saying nobody is like him.

He kept saying I am the one so they were saying to him how then were your eyes open.

He answered the man who is called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me go to Siloam and wash.

So I went away and washed, and I received site. They said to him, where is he. He said I do not know.

I want to break these 12 verses down in the simple points of contact, darkness, light site and back the darkness, darkness, light site and back to darkness so let's start with the darkness of verse one as he passed by, he saw men blind from birth, blindness. We see it all over the New Testament. It's a very common experience in New Testament times. It was very, very common reality.

Linus well illustrates man's spiritual darkness and lostness helpless from the start. This blind man is at the mercy of somebody who comes up chooses to help him is like the sooner God has to take the initiative with the blind man through Christ God is to take the initiative through Christ for the sooner that's our grace operates were lost were dead were blind. We know no truth we see no Christ, we have no God, and God sees us comes in compassion, grace, and bestows spiritual site beautiful picture illustrated by this healing. So we see darkness. Then in verse one and verse two we see light verse two through five and his disciples asked him, Rabbi, teacher who send this man or his parents that he would be born blind. I will tell you where their theology was essentially that if sums wrong with you.

It's a sin issue not an indirect one, but a direct one. We would all agree that everybody's illness is related to the fall of Adam right but but you can't make a direct link between I'm sick because three months ago I committed a certain sin. But in their theology that's outworked.

If you're deformed if you're diseased. If you have some kind of illness. It's because of sin directly, not, not because of the fallenness of the world, but because there's guilt that you are bearing so they want to know the man sin somehow and did he sin in some way did he sin in the womb or or did his parents say you now he's cursed with blindness. They would use a couple of cases they would go to Aiken and they would say well when Aiken when Aiken stole things he wasn't supposed to steal when they went into the Landon Verdon in his tent. Remember, God said, stone him and his whole family. Why did God, why did God want the whole family killed answer complicity. They were all involved in it. They were all guilty and there are times when God did directly punish someone for sin by giving that person in illness and even killing some people in the Old Testament Miriam receive leprosy in numbers 12 as a direct punishment from God.

Uzziah direct punishment from God died touching the ark direct punishment from God. Death so there are occasions of that happening in the Old Testament, but the questions just reflects all of this theology. The answer, Jesus gives us verse three. Neither this man sinned, nor his parents.

This is an about that which with one statement completely. H.

That whole theological system because Jesus is now saying somebody can have as severe congenital lifelong illness that has nothing to do with his own sin, or the sins of his parents. That whole system.

He wiped it out with one statement. You can't make that conclusion. Here's the reason he's blind so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

He's blind for the glory of God is blind for the glory of God. He's blind so that we can come to this moment and this healing and the power of God be put on display in the works of God be manifest in God be glorified. Not all disease. Not all defect not all suffering comes from personal sin. This this is an about this man's parents were they sinful sure is he a sinner, of course, but this has nothing to do with that. There are healthy sinners in the world you notice really as some of them are wretched when some of them a wretched sinners and they live a long time and their healthy and there are sick believers who are faithful to the Lord, that you can't make those connections will Jesus is done with that theology just cuts the bottom out of all of it and says this is about the works of God. Purpose of the man's blindness is to reveal the miraculous power of God through the son of God to substantiate his claims to be the Messiah be God himself. He's going to do creative miracle so that it becomes clear to everybody that that he is the one who created as John begins his gospel, saying he's a prepared vessel to put God on display through Christ Jesus doesn't want to discuss theology in them any more than just a knock it off. Just cut it down at the root zone verse four without any more theological discussion than just to obliterate that that absolute connection that they had made.

He says we must work the works of him who sent me. As long as it is day night is coming when no one can work. Guess what is it that is as good have a theological discussion but sooner or later you need to go to work as I can stand there and debate theology with them at this point, it's time to go to work. Well, he says. Night is coming when no one can work. These are talking about physical night. I suppose it was daytime and I think he probably wanted to heal the man during the day so the man could see that he could see me it would be sort of a root if you're going to heal a guided way till it was dark, do me a break. This is pretty monumental. Please do this in the day so I think Jesus intended to heal them during the day but that's not the point.

The point is we I love that we a mother On that a minute we must work the works of him who sent me back in chapter 5 verse 17 following Jesus said, I work in. The father works the father and I work together that what what the father does I do with the father says I say with the father wills. I will father and I were together they they wanted to stone him for that because he was making himself equal with God. Remember that here. He pulls the disciples in with the we we are all together called to work the works of him who sent me. As long as it is day what what you mean. It is day, not daylight. Lifetime lifetime far greater spiritual implication here. Death is looming on the horizon. He has months.

The disciples, some of them don't have very long.

They have years but they're martyred is a far greater reality here. We only have a brief time. This is not a time to get caught up in theological debates.

We cut that theology at its foundation and we go to work. I love this. We Jesus says in John five. I work with the father. Here he says and we all work together with the father where calling is this staggering, staggering.

I love that we in the light of the fact that night is coming the end of your life. We know how much time we have what we don't know, months, years, we don't know. Ephesians 516. Paul puts it this way.

Making the most of your time, making the most of your time, because the days are really doing your life, what you doing your time frittering away with a bunch of nonsense.

It doesn't matter. I love that we're in the we hear that elevates the whole idea does not.

As long as it is day, listen to Christian cleanup your life get moving. Get the sin out.

The world is out.

The trivial stuff out the compromise. Stop wasting time stop flirting with the world, stop doing those things that have no value at all. In the future and get out of hand in hand with the Lord hand-in-hand with the father, what an incredible thing to to work with the one who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think.

Get to work. Jesus knew his death was coming just months. He says in verse five. While I'm in the world I am the light of the world but that's only for a while. He will always be the light in one sense, but it'll never shine in the world as brightly as it did for those three years I must use my power and light while I'm here. He's going to use his power to give this man's physical light but more importantly he's gonna give this man's spiritual light to get out of verse 38 the man himself said, Lord, I believe they worshiped for not only heals the blind man he saves him so I say versus 2 to 5 light breaks into the darkness. First, its physical light so he can see and then it's spiritual light, so that he can see God first, he could see the world around him and then he could see the world. The invisible world.

I am the light of the world. Chapter 8 he said I am the light of the world. He follows me will not walk in the darkness will have the light of life. Jesus is feeling the end of his life coming and he same guys gotta work. I can only shine at this level of brightness. While it's day and it's coming to an end. He repeated that kind of thing. A number of times this four times in the Gospels we talked about that he was the light but that wasn't always going to be like that. The time was limited. So the darkness and then the light and then we come. Thirdly, verse six and seven site when it said this spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and applied the clay to his eyes and said to him, go wash in the pool of Siloam which is translated, sent so he went away and washed and came seeing now if you read commentaries. They question comes up. Why did he use this method. While he did it a few times Mark seven.

He used saliva to mix with mud to put on somebody's ears. Mark eight. He did the same thing with another blind person he did that people say well why did he do that well I found some interesting suggestions. One guy said to make use of the healing quality of saliva really is a stretch. Another commentator said to make him even more blind you can't be more blind than totally blunt tiling mud on eyes that don't function doesn't make you more blind. Not a good perception. Another writer said to symbolize that man is made from dirt don't see the connection. Another said to give the eyes time to heal those eyes didn't need to heal.

They had to be replaced. Those are silly, why, why did you use this method.

I have no idea. Furthermore, I couldn't care less. He did, he did. There's an element in it that I do understand.

Just touch his eyes and he would've seen his tendency to criticize on the spot. Why does he send him somewhere because I think he's calling for is obedience or he's calling for the man to submit.

Remember the man doesn't know who's talking to never seen anybody, but he obeys. He goes send. Does that, he went away verse seven washed came see why would he do that if if you came up to a blind beggar and spit and put dirt on his eyes, he probably slap you if you know your word and when matter who you were. What is he do this because the divine compulsion of an irresistible power is beginning to work on his will is being transformed. Are we seeing here an illustration of regeneration. New life is bursting on his blackened soul. I don't think he had any hesitation at all. I think a spark of faith ignited in his heart as the spirit of God began to change him on the inside comes to fruition. In verse 38, when he says, Lord, I believe in worshiped these.

The first workings of the power of the Holy Spirit to draw this man to submit to Christ why the pool of Siloam. That's a very special place outside the wall there was a place called the spring of behind lot of water, but the city was very vulnerable up and it was under siege and they were worried in Hezekiah's day about the Assyrians seeding the city and cutting off the water, so Hezekiah had a tunnel built from the spring up in under the city wall into Jerusalem, so you have water supply and the water was kept in the pool of Siloam admit sent because the water was sent from the spring behind into the city. This was the war.

This was the water supply where they went. At the feast of the Tabernacles to gather the water for the great festival when they poured out the water. Remembering God's provision of water in the wilderness and Jesus said he was the water, the living water member that so this spoke of God's provision spoke of God's cleansing spoke of the water of life. Truly a beautiful picture and it was swatter sent into the city. Another wonderful symbol.

The waters flow from the Temple Hill and are regarded even the Old Testament is symbolic of spiritual blessing. Isaiah 8 talks about that. So when the man went to wash it so I alone there was an analogy there. He was going to the one who was the true silo in the spring of life water from God. Christ is the true saloon that he even said back in chapter 7 verse 37 if anyone is thirsty, let them come to me and drink beautiful imagery, beautiful analogies, this is how salvation works in this analogy, sovereign grace confronts a blind and helpless, hopeless, begging sinner.

We can't see, can't see God can't see Christ, but sovereign grace comes to him places his glorious merciful hand on his sightless soul asks only a responsive simple faith prompts that response finds his way to the cleansing waters, which is an emblem of messianic salvation and Isaiah when he comes back and he can see spiritually. Truly a beautiful picture that leads us to the last little part of the opening and were back to darkness again because everybody's now in the dark about what's going on.

The neighbors and those who previously saw him as a beggar were saying is not this the one we used to sit and beg, which meant that it was it was a daily deal for him.

Survival very familiar same beggar always in the same place they can explain how this man can come seeing so they say. Isn't this the one that used to sit and beg and others were saying this is he still others were saying no, but I really like him. He looks like in the camping. He steps up and says I am the one you guys only to debate. I can tell you, on the one I can imagine the rest of that conversation as he was trying to explain that he never seen anything in his life and process the whole world now in front of him. The look on the joy and exuberance he was expressing and saying it was him, so they were saying how then were your eyes open. I love this verse 11, he answered. This is a simple simple explanation.

The man who is called Jesus.

Somebody must've told him that the man was called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me go to Siloam and wash.

So I went away and washed, and I received site that does not explain how it happened, that just explains what he did.

There is no explanation for how it happened. That's a creative miracle but the man can only describe the experience so he's trying to push the darkness back for the rest of the folks. All I can tell you this man named Jesus came, but mutter my eyes told me to go to Siloam and wash. And I did and I can see they said to him, where is he. He said I don't know many medicine wears where I'm never seen where anything else it would mean the directions for me. I don't know where anything is.

So this darkness and Susan falls over everybody. How are they going to dispel the darkness. Verse 13 the they brought to the Pharisees the man who was formerly blind the go to the experts and this is where unbelief begins to investigate a miracle with a predictable result really an incredible story amazing story. The account of Jesus healing a blind man beautifully illustrates really the salvation process we sit blinded by sin, begging, we can't see God.

We can't see Christ, we have no capacity to recognize the Savior we have no way to initiate any kind of deliverance or rescue, and then God in his mercy Christ in his grace finds us salvation and he reaches out to us in our blindness and he gives us site and all he asked the simple act of faith which he empowers and he washes us and we forever see and that's what will happen to this man. First, the physical healing came and then the soul blindness was removed. This is grace to you with John MacArthur. Thanks for being with us. I trust today's lesson help you come a step closer to rediscovering the Christ of Scripture.

That's the title of John series and friend before the lesson John expressed his gratitude for the support we received from listeners like you over this difficult past year. If John's teaching on grace to you, encourage you during these tough recent months, we'd love to hear about it.

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You reach us by email at letters@gty.org that's letters@tty.org or you can drop a note in the mail to Grace to you. Box 4000 panorama city, CA 91412. Recently we heard from a woman named Veronica who told us her life was in turmoil because of coping, but grace to use Bible teaching helped her know, and rejoice in her difficulties and keep her mind focused on heaven again.

We'd love to hear stories like that.

If you have one right to grace to you. Box 4000 panorama city, CA 91412 or send an email to letters@tty.org once more letters@TTY.you may want to order a MacArthur study Bible, or John's two-volume commentary on the Gospel of John the chapters of our current radio study are covered in the first volume of the gospel of John. Commentary you want to order one, call us toll-free 855 grace for go to our website TTY.org now for John MacArthur. I'm Phil Johnson be here tomorrow when John looks at the only remedy for spiritual blindness as part of his study, rediscovering the Christ of Scripture. Don't miss the next half hour of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on grace to