Grosey's Messages

Of all the handicaps that can curse men and women, blindness must be one of the most difficult. Yet there is something infinitely worse than physical blindness: it is the spiritual blindness of the soul. Indeed, so real and disastrous is this condition that God considered it necessary to send His Son to earth for the express purpose of opening the eyes of the blind and lightening the darkness of men. The Lord Jesus came, not only to open the eyes of a few physically blind men and women, but, primarily and supremely, to turn the darkness of humanity’s sinful heart into the dawn of spiritual light.
The alien movie Men In Black ends with the camera pulling back from Earth until our planet fades into the blackness of the universe. We fly back as the Solar System recedes, then the Milky Way. Then the universe itself becomes a black marble. Then two aliens play with that marble, flicking it back and forth. Is that the way it is? Or does God have a plan and a purpose for this fallen planet and our problems and pain?
Albert Einstein made the famous statement, "God does not play dice with the universe." We are not a marble he toys with. He loves you and me individually, personally, beyond description.
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?'" (vs. 1-2).
In the ancient world, illness was always a sign of divine judgment. If the man had incurred his blindness as an adult, there would be no question: the sin was his own. Since he was born with it, the disciples wondered whose sin had caused it. But it was a given that all suffering comes from sin. All pain is someone's fault.
In a sense that's true. In the Garden of Eden the man would have full eyesight; your children would be well; my mother and grandfather would be alive. When mankind fell into sin, the world fell with us. Now we experience diseases and disasters which were not part of God's created paradise.
And much of our present suffering is our personal fault as well. We are responsible for many of the things that happen to us.
Haman was hanged on the gallows he intended for innocent Mordecai; the men who wanted Daniel thrown to the lions met them instead. Saddam Hussein obviously deserved the fate he was been sentenced to receive.
In the disciples' theology, all pain is our fault. It happens because of sin. But for the Lord there is more reason than that.
"Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life" (v. 3). This happened so that God might do his work through this man's life and suffering. How? In what way?
God works miracles for our greatest good. In this case, this man was sick for a reason: so that the man could be healed by the divine power of a miracle-working God. His eyesight would always be more precious to him than mine is to me or yours is to you. He had met the Lord because of his blindness.
Scripture is clear: "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). God meets all our needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). He longs to be gracious to us and rises to show us compassion (Isaiah 30:18). He is a Father, waiting to give us our daily bread. God works miracles for the present good of his children. We may not understand that fact at the time, but his word says that it's so.
God works miracles for the eternal glory of his Kingdom. He turned the water into wine and "thus revealed his glory" (John 2:11). He fed 5,000 families so they would know that he was their Prophet and King. God's word says that "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (Habakkuk 2:14). Scripture promises that "the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken" (Isaiah 40:5).
And God works miracles for our greatest growth. Jesus' opened the man's physical eyes so he could open the man's spiritual eyes, with this result: "'Lord, I believe,' and he worshiped him" (v. 38).
He worked this miracle for the spiritual growth of those who observed it as well. The man became my favourite witness in Scripture: "One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" (v. 25). And all who saw the miracle were confronted with an opportunity to trust the One who worked it.
Here in this passage John reminds us of a miracle with a message.
The Miracle – A blind man saw.
The Message – John 9: 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. “He saw a man blind from birth” (John 9:1). In a very real sense, here was a man who was sitting in the darkness of a physical night. This had been his condition from birth; he had never seen the light of day. This story has been divinely preserved in order to teach us and remind us of the fact of our spiritual darkness by nature. As Dr. William Temple simply puts it, “The man ‘blind from birth’ is every man.” No matter how youthful, how beautiful, how intellectual, or how charming you may be, the truth is the moment you were born you were born with spiritual blindness.
“Jesus; saw a man which was blind from; birth” (John 9:1). The word “saw” means “to intensely perceive mentally.” In other words, He did not merely give a cursory glance as He passed; He saw something tragic.
Notice the difference in man’s diagnosis and God’s evaluation of the man’s condition. The disciples only glanced at the poor man and remarked, in a judgmental fashion, that he was receiving the due reward of his sins, or at any rate, that of his parents. But what Jesus saw when he looked at the man was that his blindness was a picture of every man who is born into the world, and had nothing to do with personal or parental sins.
1 Cor. 2:14: “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
Satan wants to keep people in the dark, under his power and subject to the wrath of God.
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Cor. 4:3-4
You Will Find One Who Was Seeking You
In v.35 we read that Jesus “found him”. It is not we who find Christ, but He who finds us. We are too sinful and frail to seek God, and most of us are on the run from Him. We are afraid of Him and do not want to be found. But in His love and grace God searches us out.
He searched him out when he was blind. And He searched him out after he had been excommunicated.
He came to him and John 9:35 When Jesus heard that they had thrown the man out, He found him and asked, “Do you believe in the • Son of Man?”[7]
He asked him the most important question.
You see, the man’s blindness being healed wasn’t the greatest miracle that happened that day. The greatest miracle happened when the man came to believe on the Lord Jesus for himself.
Jesus looked for the man. As Chrysostom put it: “The Jews cast him out of the Temple; the Lord of the Temple found him.” The greatest miracle was not that the blind man saw physically, but that he saw spiritually!! And the Lord went to find him for that very purpose.
I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew He moved my soul to seek Him, seeking me.
It was not I that found, O Savior true; No, I was found of Thee.
Thou didst reach forth Thy hand and mine enfold; I walked and sank not on the storm vexed sea.
’Twas not so much that I on Thee took hold, As Thou, dear Lord, on me.
The same may be true for you. The Lord right now is seeking you and drawing you into a relationship with Himself.
The Lord has led you to the place in your life where you are right now, and the Lord Himself wants to take your hand and lead you from spiritual blindness to spiritual light. And that spiritual light begins when we recognize the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour and Lord.
36 Who is He, Sir, that I may believe in Him?” he asked.
37 Jesus answered, “You have seen Him; in fact, He is the One speaking with you.”
Jesus replied, “You have now seen Him...”. Most of us know the story, but do we really ‘see’? Do we understand? Jesus gave a remarkable revelation to an excommunicated man.
“Amazing Grace” says “I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see” was taken from this passage.

You Will Find One Who Gives you Spiritual Sight
The man began the process of knowing Jesus for who he was:
• He began with an understanding of Jesus Christ as a man.
He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see." John 9:11
• He progresses to a belief that Jesus Christ is a prophet, someone God speaks through directly.
Finally they turned again to the blind man, "What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened." The man replied, "He is a prophet." John 9:17
THEN HE GROWS IN HIS CONVICTION AND SAYS JESUS WAS “A MAN OF GOD” (vv. 31–33). “It is a tremendous thing about Jesus that the more we know him the greater he becomes. The trouble with human relationships is that often the better we know a person the more we know their weaknesses and failings; but the more we know Jesus, the greater the wonder becomes; and that will be true, not only in time, but also in eternity”.
FINALLY HE ARRIVES AT THE COMPLETE TRUTH AND CALLS JESUS “THE SON OF GOD” (vv. 35–38). Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" "Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him." Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you." Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him. John 9:35-38

You Will Find A Challenge To Believe
Having found him, Jesus asked a pertinent question: “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” It is a personal question, and it is one which faces each one of us -“Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
When Jesus heard that they had thrown the man out, He found him and asked, “Do you believe in the • Son of Man?”36 “Who is He, Sir, that I may believe in Him?” he asked. 37 Jesus answered, “You have seen Him; in fact, He is the One speaking with you.” 38 “I believe, Lord!” he said, and he worshiped Him. The KJV, NKJV here has “Do you believe in the Son of God?”
The NASB, ESV, and others have the more likely reading the Son of Man?”
The term Son of Man was an important term in Jewish understanding. It went back to the book of Daniel
Daniel 7 As I kept watching, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was white like snow, and the hair of His head like whitest wool. His throne was flaming fire; its wheels were blazing fire. 10 A river of fire was flowing, coming out from His presence. Thousands upon thousands served Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was convened, and the books were opened.
13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
In the Jewish mind, this Son of Man was a person who would be the Messiah. This Messianic Son Of Man would be given complete dominion over all the earth. People should worship Him. It was the understanding that the Son of Man was more than a man. He was God manifest in the flesh.
The challenge Jesus was making is, do you believe on me as the Son of Man, the Messiah? Do you believe I am God walking among you in human flesh?
This was no little claim. This was a huge claim.
And the Lord Jesus comes to you and says “Do you believe I am the Son of Man?”
DO you understand? Do you believe? Do you commit yourself to Me as the greatest Person that has ever lived, an more, the God of the universe to whom all worship service and dominion is due?
He says to you today, “Do you believe Jesus is the Son of Man?” Do you surrender the running of every moment of your life to the One who is God. The One who is Lord, the One who created all things? The One who is your Sovereign and Lord?”
If you think tht you can live one second of your life outside of His Lordship and dominion, you are having yourself on.
The Lord Jesus knew what he was asking of this man. To own Him as Son of Man, meant for that man persecution. His family had been threatened. He had already been put out of the synagogue. Put out of the synagogue meant.. no job. In fact, no hope of getting a job. It meant fines. It meant hardship. It meant his family would probably have to disown him.
There were two kinds of excommunication. There was the ban, the cherem by which a man was banished from the synagogue for life. In such a case he was publicly anathematized. He was cursed in the presence of the people, and he was cut off from God and from man. There was sentence of temporary excommunication which might last for a month, or for some other fixed period. The terror of such a situation was that a Jew would regard it as shutting him out, not only from the synagogue but from God. That is why the man's parents answered that their son was quite old enough to be a legal witness and to answer his own questions.
Finally the blind man came to confess that Jesus was the Son of God He came to see that human categories were not adequate to describe him. Napoleon was once in a company in which a number of clever skeptics were discussing Jesus. They dismissed him as a very great man and nothing more. "Gentlemen." said Napoleon, "I know men, and Jesus Christ was more than a man."
"If Jesus Christ is a man And only a man--I say That of all mankind I cleave to him
And to him will I cleave alway.
If Jesus Christ is a god-- And the only God--I swear I will follow him through heaven and hell,
The earth, the sea, and the air!"
Saving faith is not an emotional, impulsive thing; it is the result of careful, painstaking consideration of the truth. It is not easy, particularly for someone from, for example, a Jewish background for whom it may involve much suffering. It was not easy for this uneducated man to stand on his own and face the hostility of the Pharisees. Saving faith involves both mind and heart, and it is based on the conviction that Jesus Christ is worth everything. Those who say that other religions are just as much a road to God as Christ reveal that they do not understand Jesus’ worth. The apostles were so convinced of His worth that they gave their lives in His service.
38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.
You Will Find A Desire To Worship HimAfter painstaking investigation the man became believer-“Lord, I believe”; and a believer is someone who worships Jesus. For generations there have been those who have tried to rationalize this story and to suggest that the man was merely bowing before Jesus in respect. The word ‘worship’ is used only three times in John’s gospel
(a) John 4:21-24 where Jesus talks about true worship of the Father. Did Jesus mean that we should merely respect the Father, or that we should worship Him?
(b) John 12:20 which tells us of some Greeks who “went up to worship at the feast”. Did they go to Jerusalem to ‘respect’ God or to worship Him?
(c) John 9:38 where the blind man “worshipped” Jesus.
John is making it clear to us that the man worshipped Jesus as God, and that is what it means to be a Christian.
Will you believe in Him? Will you worship Him?