Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Looking at Revelation 1 this morning – looking at the power, glory and majesty of Jesus Christ in His risen, ascended and exalted state
  • Now we come to a moment in John’s gospel where we see the same glorious Jesus being the focus of growing hostility against Jesus
• A picture emerges of the opposition to Jesus in chapters 7-9
  • A plot to kill Jesus
  • An assassination attempt
  • Two attempts to grab Him
  • Twice under surveillance
  • Rejection by the crowds
• The degree of sustained opposition to Jesus’ ministry
  • Why such hostility?
• It is similar today
  • 1 Cor – the natural person does not receive the things of God … these things are spiritually discerned
  • 2 Cor – the god of this age has blinded minds
    • Example
• Christ perseveres with us – despite opposition
  • To bring salvation
• The man born blind receiving sight
• Overview:
  • The Healing by Jesus (v1-7)
  • The Reaction of his Neighbours (v8-12)
  • A follow-up interrogation (v13-34)
  • A follow-up of the man by Jesus (v35-41)

The Healing by Jesus (v1-7)

• Example of a child born blind
  • Different now to 2,000 years ago
  • Blindness in that culture would have been seen as a judgment from God
• Jesus says it was not sin – but to reveal the glory of God
  • There is a real miracle

The Reaction of his Neighbours (v8-12)

• A human and natural reaction – they struggle to make sense of the work of Christ
  • Is this the same person?
  • They cannot understand how this happened (v10)
    • We would have been asking the same questions too!

A follow-up interrogation (v13-34)

• An unpleasant interrogation
  • It becomes a baseline of hostility against the healed man and Jesus Himself
• Compelling and overwhelming evidence
  • Yet his testimony is rejected
  • There is a division between the religious authorities (v16)
• They call in the man’s parents
  • They distance themselves from their son
  • They were afraid of being putting out of the synagogue
    • This transcends their sense of loyalty to their son
• The conversation deteriorates
  • He is cast out of the synagogue
  • He is lonely

A follow-up of the man by Jesus (v35-41)

• A moving follow-up by Jesus
• At his lowest point/greatest rejection – Christ seeks him out
  • Christ brings the great miracle
  • Spiritual salvation

Application

• Taught several key lessons:

1. To depend on Jesus Christ – we depend on the power of God
   • This is supernatural
   • This is the radical nature of biblical Christianity – an encounter with the living God
     • Not just thinking or words
     • More than persuasive words (1 Cor 2)
   • The blind man was clueless about the Son of God
     • Until his spiritual eyes were opened
2. The gospel life is ultimately for God’s glory
   • It is not sin that caused his blindness/health problems
   • He was blind for God’s glory (to be healed)
     • Difficult and challenging
   • That the works of God should be revealed in us
     • We must not be ‘small minded’
     • God is almighty
   • In times of difficulty – God’s goodness has been proved
     • Example of Isaiah
     • A big view of Christ
3. At his darkness moment – he experiences the deep compassion of Jesus Christ
   • At the heart of the gospel is the compassion of Jesus Christ
     • A man in need of rescuing, comfort, care and love
     • Jesus found him
   • Not just dealing with his blindness …
     • … but brings him to a place of faith
   • Jesus has compassion on us

• The gospel is glorious and a great privilege to share