(Read John 9)
THE contrast between the beginning of this chapter and its close is very striking. We see this poor blind man, at the beginning of the chapter, in the solitude of darkness; at its close, in the solitude of light―cast out by everybody. Where was he happiest? There could be no doubt as to that. Everyone was against him―he was cast out for confessing Christ, but he was now in the company of Jesus. I can conceive nothing more blessed for you, or for me.
Now let us see if we have traveled the road this man traveled. The great point of this section of John’s gospel is light. The first seven chapters give the life section; chapter 8 and 9 the light section; and from chapter 10 onwards, is the love section. In chapter 8 we get the Lord saying,
“I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD;
he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (vs. 12). You must not think that Christ is the light of the world today. Painters have depicted Him thus, and poets have written of Him in that way―but that is a mistake. He is the light of those who have eyes to see Him―He is not the light of the world. Why? The world has cast Him out, the world ‘has refused Him and His Word. Hence in chapter 9 He says “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
The point is whether you have got “the light of life.” You have not got it unless you have come into contact with Christ, unless you know Him, and are following Him. It is only, “He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” If you are in the world’s darkness, listen to what God says, in this blessed scripture, and get into “the light of life.” We get the light in chapter 8 and in chapter 9 eyes to see it. Have you got seeing eyes yet? Are they opened? Here is a man that was born blind-he did not see Christ, nor know Him, and
IF YOU ARE STILL AN UNCONVERTED SINNER
you have no eyes to see Christ. In chapter 9 the Lord passes by, and sees this man, blind from his birth. It was his natural state. And what is your natural state? Blind―you have never seen the things of God, you have no interest in them.
In Psalms 49 the natural man is said to be like “the beasts that perish.” You are smart enough for the world, you have plenty of eyes for the things of nature, but you are blind as to the things of God. Man, by nature, is blind. The Lord bade the Apostle Paul go to the Gentiles, and “open their eyes” (Acts 26:1818To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. (Acts 26:18)). The first effect of the gospel is to open men’s eyes―that is what God sends preachers out for. How often have we sat beside souls in misery, and wretchedness, under the burden of their sins, and have heard them say, as the light of God has streamed into their souls, “I see.” May the Lord open your eyes, my reader, that you may see what you are, and what Christ is.
The disciples said, “Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?” They wanted to get at the reason of his infirmity. “Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” You might say,
WHY DID GOD ALLOW US TO BECOME SINNERS?
That He might have an opportunity of showing His grace, and saving us. Are you not saved yet? No. Why is this? Why have you managed to escape God’s salvation? You are afraid of being converted? Why are you not afraid of being damned, and being cast into eternal darkness in your sins, which means eternal banishment from God?
Afraid of being converted? What a most extraordinary thing, that a man should be afraid of his best Friend, and the deep, rich blessing God proposes in the gospel. Why was this man born blind? To let us see what God could do. Man was allowed to become a sinner―that is only one side of the truth. You are a sinner, and a very serious thing that is.
You have got to face God about your sins. I am very thankful I am not an angel, but a sinner, born in sin. No angel in glory will ever say, “I am redeemed by Christ.” I shall. You will either sing in glory on the ground of redemption, or sigh in the depths of an eternal hell because you have refused the gospel.
The Lord says, “I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” Do not let the present moment of grace pass, and leave you as it has found you. There is deeper responsibility on your soul, if you are still unconverted, than ever before, because you hear of Christ again, and yet have not received Him. Thank God, you have yet another opportunity-do not forget this, “the night comes.” A night without a morning will be
AN AWFUL ETERNITY FOR A LOST MAN.
Fellow Christian, we are passing into a scene where there is morning without a night.
The Lord was about to give sight to this blind beggar. He was come for the blessing of man, and to unfold the heart of God. What had the blind man done up to now? He had not moved, he had not spoken, he had not prayed. His neighbors let out that he was a wretched, miserable, blind beggar, and what sight moves one to pity more than a blind beggar, helpless and dependent? In that blind beggar see your own case―a blind sinner, led by the, devil. It is about time you began to pity yourself.
Now observe the action of the Lord― “He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.” If he were blind before, did not this action of the Lord make him more blind? Apparently it did. What is the meaning of this? I do not doubt you have here a very remarkable allusion to the incarnation of Christ. He has become man, but incarnation is not redemption, and there is no salvation in that. He must go down into death to redeem man.
As far as the man was concerned, the clay made him more blind than before; and the incarnation has often that effect. If I look at Christ in His beautiful ways as a man, all I learn is that, if my case were hopeless before, it is now more so still, because I see Christ was a man―though much more than a man―that suited God in every detail and respect, and I am not like Him. Here is One who is
EVERYTHING GOD LOOKS FOR IN MAN,
and I discover the awful reverse in my case.
Incarnation only convicts and condemns me, and makes me feel I am unfit for God. But Christ went into death, and His instruction to the man, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam,” is an allusion to this, and to the effectual work of the Spirit. Blessing is always coupled with faith and obedience. The blind man may have said, “Bad as I was before, I am worse now—I am more blind than I was.” But he is called upon for faith and obedience― “Go, wash.” He is not told what will happen, but he obeys―this is the obedience of faith. Now, have you obeyed the Lord? He has said, “Come unto Me.” Have you come?
Has God seen that obedience in your heart yet? It is a crucial moment in the history of the soul when the word of the Lord comes before you, and He bids you take an action such as this― “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” What does your heart say? The word of the Lord bids you repent, be converted, receive the Lord Jesus, confess Him, and when God speaks you should obey. This man went, and washed, and came seeing. You say, That was very simple, I can understand that. What do you understand? The man hears the voice of the Lord, and he obeys. He washes, and as he washes away the clay, he finds his eyes are open, and he sees.
That is
EXACTLY THE WAY SOULS SEE TODAY.
You will find you will see if you bow to the Lord now. You say, But I do not see. Then you have not obeyed. Look at this man―he went, washed, and came seeing. A bright conversion that. The first thing is that he sees, he is a new man. When you get the blessing of the gospel, you will say “I see”―it is not only that he sees, but he says he sees, sees the light of God, the light of His love, His grace, the value of the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ. His eyes are opened. Note the Lord’s words to the Apostle Paul in Acts 26: “The Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins.” What did this man receive? Sight. What will you receive if you obey Christ? Forgiveness of sins.
There are today only two classes of people, those who are under the power of Satan, in their sins; and those who have been turned to God, and possess the knowledge of God. In which company are you? If you are still in the company led by Satan, escape at once. What will you receive if you obey the Lord? “Forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified”―you will pass straight into the company of the saints in light. If you receive the gospel you are
NO LONGER A SINNER IN YOUR SINS,
but you have a part among those, who are “sanctified by faith.”
This man had three difficulties to escape, first his neighbors, next, his religious associates, and then his parents. They all comment on him. The neighbors say, “Is not this he that sat and begged?” If you get converted your neighbors will know it, and, if they did not, I should very much doubt your conversion, because the people round about you are likely to know. The neighbors saw it―here was this man, blind to this hour, and now what a change. “Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him; but he said, I am he.” He had not talked before, but now his eyes are opened, and his tongue is loosed, he says, “I am he.” “Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened? 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.” What a simple confession! “A man that is called Jesus,” the blessed eternal Son of God, who had become a man. He gives all the credit to Jesus.
“Then said they unto him, Where is He?” You ask me, “Where is He?” There He is, set down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. I know where He is. “We see not yet all things put under Him. But we see Jesus.” We have no doubt where He is, we see Him. Why? Our eyes are opened.
Now
THERE IS THE RELIGIOUS CIRCLE
to be met―the man comes into collision with the popular religion. The religious world today does not want Christ. It was the Sabbath day, and the Pharisees asked him how he had received his sight. He says, “He put clay upon my eyes, and I washed and do see.” He gets a little further here. Who is He? There is only one “He” in the world for him. Phariseeism replies, “This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the Sabbath day.” They would stickle for form and ceremony, and keep this poor man in blindness. They were tremendous sticklers for outward forms, and all the way along they dogged the path of the Lord Jesus, because people do not like to have their notions upset. But mark, “There was a division among them” (vs. 16). Wherever Christ comes in there is division, because the heart that is right will cleave to him. There is always a division in homes when Christ comes in. Is there a division in your house? Which side of the line are you, Christ’s or Satan’s?
Then they say, “What gavest thou of Him?” He answers, “He is a prophet” (vs. 17). He has brought me light from God, He has brought me into touch with God, He has come from God to me. He began to recognize the glory of Christ’s Person. He was not merely a man, but a man in relation to God. There is growth in this man’s soul; he is steady and consistent in his testimony, but the religious opposers do not believe he was blind. What
AN EFFORT TO DISCREDIT CHRIST.
At length they call the parents, and ask them, “Is this your son?” Many a parent has helped to damn a child, and if they had had their way that day, they would have hindered this man immensely. Many a one is afraid to confess Jesus, and hence they go on half-heartedly for a long time. What I admire about this man is that the moment he gets blessing he takes his stand simply and consistently to the close. The parents say, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: but by what means he now seeth, we know not... he is of age; ask him.” Why were they to ask him? Because the parents feared the Jews. Human fear is one of the most potent weapons the devil has got, in that day or this, to hinder souls from receiving God’s message, and confessing Christ.
The parents were afraid; their son was not. How people are affected by fear. You are half inclined to be a Christian, but you are saying, “What will they say in the workroom? What will they say at home?” Let them say what they like. You believe the Lord, and confess Him boldly. You may say, “They will turn their guns on me.” Yes, and then you turn the gospel guns on them. You take your stand for the Lord, and all those you are so afraid of now will soon be afraid of you.
You will observe that all the questioners here would not have Christ―they had cast Him out, and if anybody owned Him they were to be “put out of the synagogue” (vs. 22).
THEY WANTED A RELIGIOUS REPUTATION.
What is the good of a reputation without Christ? You have the reputation of being a Christian, unsaved friend, and God knows you are a hypocrite. How appalling! They say now, “Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.” The man replies, “Whether he be a sinner or not, I know not”―I will not speak where I have not knowledge, but I am competent to speak where I have got knowledge― “ONE THING I KNOW, that whereas I was blind, now I see.” Can you say that? Oh, what a happy thing if you can say, I was blind, in all the darkness of nature, but now I see and know the love of God, the grace of God, the purpose of God, that “the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.”
“Then said they to him again, What did He to thee? how opened He thine eyes? He answered them, I have told ye already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be His disciples?” Now he is getting on. In effect he says, I do not mind confessing I am one of them, I am on His side. That is the way to meet opposers― “Will ye also be His disciples?” “Then they reviled him”―a little persecution did not do him any harm, and it will not do you any harm, for you will get near the Lord and by Him be sustained.
They said, “Thou art His disciple.” It was meant to be a great reproach―in reality it is
THE MOST SPLENDID TESTIMONY
anyone can give you. “We are Moses’ disciples,” said they. He knew Jesus, he desired to be taught of, and to follow Jesus―the Jesus who had saved him. They were content to follow Moses, who did not, and could not, save them. A great many people today would rather follow Moses, and never be saved, than come to Jesus and be saved―they are content with a recognized religion that suits the world, but they do not know Jesus. “As for this fellow, we know not from whence he is,” say they. No the natural man in religion does not know―natural religion is of no value. This man knew―by grace I know. Do you?
He speaks now for the last time to them― “Why herein is a marvelous thing, that ye know not from whence He is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.” He argues most beautifully―God does not hear sinners. The Pharisees in their blindness said the Lord was a sinner. That will not do. “Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind”―there never was the like before, I am an unique case. With everyone that gets converted it is the same story―it is always an unique case. “If this man were not of God, He could do nothing.” Here he has got a point further, he owns His heavenly origin. They could stand it no longer― “Dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.” Do you pity him? I don’t Are you getting
CAST OUT FOR CHRIST’S SAKE?
If you confess Christ simply and distinctly you will be. Are you prepared for that?
See what follows―Jesus found him. It was not that he found Christ, but Christ found him. He meets his Deliverer―the One who had opened his eyes. They are face to face. The Lord asks him, “Dost thou believe on the ‘Son of God?” The man gets a step further― “Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him?” And Jesus said unto him, “Thou hast both seen Him, and it is He that talketh with thee.”
The Lord revealed Himself to this dear man. There are only two cases in the gospels where the Lord really stated who He was―to the outcast sinner in John 4, and to the outcast saint in John 9. To the woman He says, “I that speak unto thee am He”―He revealed Himself to her. Here there was a saint cast out for His sake, and to him He says, “Thou hast both seen Him, and it is He that talked with thee.” “And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped Him”―He became a worshipper.
He had been a long time connected with a religious system, but had never yet been a worshipper. We really never know what worship is till we have been cast out for Christ’s sake. He had been in darkness at the beginning of the chapter, now he is in the light, cast into the very lap of Christ. The blessed Lord goes and meets him, talks to him, and reveals Himself to him, and the man worships Him.
Beloved friend, has your soul ever traveled this road yet? May the Lord give you to do so this very day, if never before. Then will you be able to sing: ―
“Thou art my hope, Lord Jesus, ―
I am waiting here for Thee;
Thou art my gain, Lord Jesus,
Thou art all in all to me.
Thou my joy, my peace, my light,
Thou my life, my hope, my might, ―
Thou art my praise.
Thou art my Lord, mine adoration,
Thou art the God of my salvation.”
W. T. P. W.