John
9:8-12 “A Blind Blind Man Sees the Light: The Neighbors See a Change”
Introduction: The blind man was cured of
his physical blindness by Jesus and immediately his neighbors see a difference
in him. So profound was the change that
everyone was amazed. To his neighbors he
is like a new and completely different person.
When the spiritually blind receive their sight those around them will
see a difference in their lives. Nothing
is said of the life of the blind man after this chapter but let us observe what
changes are seen in him and how they resemble the changes seen in those who
have received their spiritual sight.
I.
Neighbors and casual acquaintances see a difference.
(John
9:8) The neighbours
therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?
A. The blind man told everyone that
he could now see.
B.
The neighbors know him well and they see such a drastic change that they
even question if it is the same man.
C.
The casual acquaintances of this man question if it is the same man.
D.
They bring up his past. He sat
and He begged. Same place all the time.
E.
Now he is not sitting and not begging and going new places.
II. The mixed reaction
to the change.
(John
9:9) Some said, This
is he: others [said], He is like him: [but] he said, I am [he].
The ones who say “This is he”
believe that a miracle has occurred. Those who say “He is like him” believe
that no miracle has occurred. But the
blind man knows and affirms that a miracle has indeed been preformed.
Let us examine first those who say
“He is like him.” This man was healed just a matter of hours ago. It may be assumed that he had not changed in
stature. He was as tall or short as he
was previously and was not significantly heavier or lighter than when he was
blind. He certainly has not gone home
and changed clothes nor altered his physical appearance in any way. The only noticeable difference is seen in his
eyes. His eyes now function with eyelids
that blink and perform their normal function.
The other difference in this man is that he is now seen in places where
he has never been seen before. He now
has the ability to branch out of familiar streets and places to new places
where people are not use to seeing him.
Those who do not want to admit that a miracle has occurred will take the
least change in an individual as proof that a miracle has not taken place.
The reason
they want to deny the miracle is due to their lack of faith. It may be that they suspect it is Jesus who
has done the miracle and they do not want to accept him as the Christ.
Those who say “This is he” know
without a doubt that a miracle has occurred and consequently have no problem
accepting for they have faith that miracles can happen. These will have no problem accepting that
Jesus has done this miracle and is, at the very least, from God. These are reasonable men and faithful men. They look at the facts and come to proper
conclusions. There have been men who
preformed miracles by the power of God but in the case of Jesus it is God
himself, Immanuel, in the flesh that has preformed this miracle.
The blind formerly blind man
testifies that he is the same man that all these have seen who sat and
begged. Others may deny that a miracle
has occurred but he knows for a fact that he has been miraculously
changed. This one fact he will hold on
to tightly and will never be made to believe anything
else. He will be persecuted and
pressured to deny the miracle but to no avail for he knows what he was and what
he is now.
III. Those who have
faith and those who do not alike want to know how the miracle came to pass.
(John
9:10) Therefore said they unto him, How
were thine eyes opened?
The blind formerly blind man has
testified to being the same man as before who sat and begged so these people
all want to know how this came to be. Those
who have faith and believe that a miracle has been done want to know the
details. They seek an explanation for
the change as to what happened. Those
who do not believe in miracles want to know if it is a miracle or is there some
other explanation. Perhaps there is some
medicine that has been discovered which cures blindness. Perhaps he was hit by lightening or received
a blow to the head and his sight was restored.
There explanation that it is a different man has been disproved by the
testimony of the man himself. They seek
another answer other than that a miracle has occurred.
IV. The
change comes because of Jesus.
(John
9:11) 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.
In his response notice that he gives
them we find the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. He does not exaggerate the story or embellish
it in any way. The way he was healed is
simple and without pomp or ceremony. It
is like Naaman of the old testament who thought the
prophet would come out to him and strike his hands over the place and through some
ritual would heal him of his leprosy but instead he was told to simply go to
the river and wash seven times. The
miracle came in a simple way and was instantaneous and complete.
The blind man knew several things
about this miracle which has occurred.
He knows that is was a man who put the clay on his eyes. He knows the man’s name is Jesus. He knows what he was instructed to do and that
when he followed those instructions he received his sight. The miracle was not in the clay but in the
name, that is to say, by the power and authority of Jesus.
V. The
Change is just the beginning.
(John
9:12) Then said they unto him, Where is
he? He said, I know not.
A man with such power is much sought
for by men. One with such power must be
from God and should be honored and in the case of Jesus worshiped. One with such power would be able to heal
others. Jesus has hid himself from the
crowd for they had wanted to stone him in the
Conclusion:
A change will be seen in those who get saved.
1. They do
not return to their old life style any more.
2. They
are seen in new places and not the old.
3. Their
experience with Jesus was simple and without great fanfare.
4. They
joyfully tell everyone what has happened to them.
5. They do not hide the fact that they are the
same person.
6. They
are eternally grateful for what Jesus has done.
Do others
see a difference in your life? Has there
been a change in you that is so profound that your neighbors question if it is
even you? Every child of God should show
the change that Jesus had made in their lives.
Don’t dress like the world. Don’t talk like the
world. Let others see the change in you.