(Through the Bible) John 9-10 — Chuck Smith

Jesus Heals the Man Born Blind

So we turn now in our Bibles to the Gospel according to John chapter 9. Jesus had been having a dispute with the Pharisees in the temple at the time of the Feast of the Tabernacles six months or so before the Passover in which he was crucified.

And in the eighth chapter it records his conversations with them with his declaring unto them before Abraham was I am and so the last time we saw Jesus they were taking up stones to throw at him and he passed by them and left the temple precincts.

And as Jesus passed by the ninth chapter open so that's the background they just have taken up stones to throw at him because of his claim of deity. Before Abraham was I am and as he passed by he saw a man which was blind from birth as far as the gospel records.

And only as far as the gospel records surely there are others but the Gospels only record this instance where Jesus healed the person of which the scripture declared his malady came from birth. Now in the acts there are a couple who had their conditions from birth and no doubt Jesus healed many with congenital type of illnesses.

But this is the only one in the gospel that is recorded distinctly as a condition that existed from birth. And so his disciples asked him saying master who did sin this man or his parents that he was born blind.

Now there were those who taught prenatal sin that a child could sin while he was still in the womb and there were those who sort of held to this belief. And because this was being taught by some of the people some of the rabbis perhaps this is why the disciples said who did sin that he was born blind will be was born blind.

And if he said it meant that he had to sin sometime before he was born. At this time in the history of the Jews the rabbis had also adopted from Plato the idea that people pre-existed as spirits and were waiting for bodies and some of them were good spirits and some of them were bad spirits but men pre-existed as spirits waiting for bodies.

Teaching of Plato which of course is also the teaching of the Mormons that we all pre-existed as spirits and the heavenly king bodies were given to us that we might go through this trial period on the earth to find out whether or not we will discover the truth of Mormonism and thus can be elevated to godhood in the next world and have our own little planet and our own little system and go on as gods but the pre-existence as spirits receiving our bodies for our testing upon the earth.

So the question who did sin this man or his parents that he was born blind. Is this God's judgment upon his parents for some sin they did. It is interesting to me that quite often we have that kind of a thought of a direct retribution from God when calamity comes to us God is punishing me for something that I have done or something that I did.

And thus this hardship for this difficulty or this painful experience is coming to me as God's judgment upon me because of some wrongdoing. If that were so I wouldn't be here tonight. You see if God brought that kind of a direct cause-effect judgment upon people then God would have to be fair in his justice system.

And thus every person who did the same kind of a deed would have to receive the same kind of a judgment for it. There is not that cause-and-effect type of judgment at the present time. There will be and God will be just when he judges because it will be completely equal judgment.

Right now God is seeking to draw men to himself. And Jesus said I didn't come to condemn the world but that the world through me might be saved. And so their question reflected the constant attitude that people have had that attitude that was expressed by the men who came to comfort Job in his affliction.

You must have done something horrible man just confess to God and get it over with. Why are you going on in your misery. Don't try and tell us you're innocent. No one would suffer like this unless he were an evil person.

And yet the whole story of Job seeing the whole picture as we have that opportunity in the Bible we understand that it was not God's judgment upon Job for some sin that he had done. Satan was afflicting him in order to prove to God that Job would fail.

Sin, Suffering, and God's Works

Who did sin. Jesus answered neither this man nor his parents. Now I believe at this point the translators made a mistake in punctuation. I think instead of a colon here they should have put a period. I think that Jesus answered their question period neither of them.

That's the answer. And I think then he goes on in making a statement that is not really related to the question. The question is who did sin manner of the parents that he was born blind. Jesus said neither the man or his parents but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

I must works the works of him. I must work the works of him that sent me. While it is day the night is coming when no man can work. Jesus passed off the question saying neither of them but I must do the work of my father.

And in order that I might do the work of the father that sent me he went ahead and healed the man to do the works of the father. But his answer to the question was neither. Now I do not believe that it is proper to interpret this that God allowed this man this period of blindness just in order that Christ might do a work in him.

In other words that it was all preset by God in that sense that he was born blind in order that God might do a work of healing. I think that that is the wrong interpretation. And that interpretation comes by the colon instead of a period in the Greek text there are no punctuation marks.

This the translators did in order to try to give us an understanding. And at this point I would prefer to put a period after Jesus said neither this man or his parents period and then bringing in a new idea but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

I must work the works of the father in order to God's works might be manifested in. I've got to do the work of the father for as long as I am in this world I you know the night is coming but while I'm here I'm the light.

While I'm in the world I'm the light of the world. And when he had spoken he sat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. Now why do you suppose Jesus did that.

I I'm asking a question. I don't know the answer. Why did you do the things. I don't know but it it's interesting to me because I know that Jesus could have just spoken the word because he did speak the word to other blind men.

To Bartimaeus down in Jericho he said what would you like. He said Lord that I might receive my sight. Is they go that way. And and he is his eyes were open and he could see another blind man. Jesus touched his eyes.

And then he said now can you see. And he says a little bit men look like trees walking around and it's very fuzzy. Jesus touched his eyes again and and when he opened them he could see clearly. Now Jesus rather than just speaking or rather than laying his hands on his eyes does something quite interesting.

Maybe he is trying to create further controversy with the religious leaders who were on his case for violating the Sabbath day by healing the lame man at the pool of Bethesda months earlier because you see it was against their law traditional interpretation of it to make clay on the Sabbath day that was against the law.

In fact you could not wear shoes on the Sabbath day where the souls were fastened with nails because that constituted bearing a burden. If the souls were fastened with nails that's a little bit too heavy.

And they had all of these little weird interpretations of the law. And to make clay on the Sabbath day was against their law. So his spitting in the ground and stirring it with his finger and making clay out of it was a definite violation of their Sabbath day law.

When he made this clay he rubbed it in the guy's eyes and they said now go down to the pool of Siloam and wash your eyes out. And so the fellow made his way down to the pool of Siloam stuck his head in and washed his eyes out.

And when he washed his eyes out he could see. And his neighbors and those which before had seen him begging said is not this the blind man who sat there and begged all these years. And some of them said yes it is.

And others said it sure like looks like him. And he said I'm me. Is this the fellow that was blind that was begging yes me. They said how is it that you can now see. And he answered and said a man that is called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said unto me go to the pool of Siloam and wash.

And I went and washed and I received sight. Now notice the progressive revelation of who Jesus is to this man at this point he just knows him as a man who is called Jesus. How is it that you can see. A man who is called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said unto me go to the pool of Siloam and wash.

And I went and washed and I received my sight. A man who is named Jesus. Then they said unto him where is he. And he said I don't know. And so they brought the man to the Pharisees and it was the Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and open his eyes actually violated two Sabbath laws.

It was not lawful to heal on the Sabbath day. You could do nothing towards the healing if you sprained your ankle. You could not run cold water on it because the cold water had a healing effect. So you just had to suffer with the pain until the Sabbath day was over.

And then you could start running cold water on it. But then it was too late and swelling had already begun. But you could do nothing towards healing. You could save a life do whatever you have to to save a life but nothing towards curing on the Sabbath day.

So there's two counts against him. He made clay and he healed him. And again the Pharisees also asked him how he received his sight. And he said unto them he put clay upon my eyes and I washed and I can see.

Therefore said some of the Pharisees this man is not of God because he doesn't keep the Sabbath day. And others said well how can a man that is a sinner do such miracles. And there was a division among them.

They were arguing among themselves and they said unto the blind man again what do you say of him the one that opened your eyes. And he said he is a prophet. So he began his a man who is named Jesus. Now he is declaring he is a prophet.

And the Jews did not believe him that he had been blind until they called his parents. And the they asked his parents saying is this your son whom you say was born blind. We really don't believe that.

How is it that he can see if he was born blind how is it that he can see. And the parents answered them and said we know that this is our son. We know that he was born blind but how it is that he can see.

We don't know. Why don't you ask him he's of age now. They were fearful because the rulers had already determined that if anybody had confessed that Jesus was the Messiah they were going to be thrown out of the synagogue and they didn't want to be kicked out of church.

And so they they were afraid to answer them. And that's why they said he's of age. Why don't you ask him. So again they called the man that was blind and they said unto him give God the praise. We know that this man is a sinner.

And he answered and said whether he is a sinner or not I don't know but one thing I do know whereas I was blind now I can see. And they said unto him again what did he do to you. Now how did he open your eyes.

And he said I told you already and you didn't listen to me. Why do you want to hear it again. Do you want to be one of his disciples. Then they reviled him and said thou art his disciple. But we are Moses disciples.

We know that God spoke unto Moses but as for this fellow we don't even know from whence he's coming. And the man answered and said unto them why. Here's a marvelous thing that you don't know from whence he is and yet he has opened my eyes.

Now we know that God hears not sinners. But if any man be a worshipper of God and does his will him he hears. Now a lot of people have taken this particular verse as doctrine and as Bible doctrine. We know that God does not hear sinners.

This verse in and of itself cannot be used as a basis for a biblical doctrine that God doesn't hear the sinner's prayers because this is only a part of a conversation between a blind man who at this point isn't even saved and the Pharisees.

And he is expressing just a common belief among the people but not necessarily a biblical doctrine. And yet many people have taken this and you hear often people say well God doesn't hear sinners when they pray.

That is not necessarily so. And the scripture surely does not confirm that as biblical truth because this is only the statement of the blind man to the Pharisees in response to their interrogations. Does God hear sinners when they pray.

How did you get saved. You see if God didn't hear sinners when they prayed none of us would be saved. God does hear sinners. And that's part of the grace and the mercy of God. However if I as a child of God and regarding iniquity in my heart when I pray then the Lord doesn't hear me.

That's what David said. Isaiah said chapter fifty nine that God's hand is not short that he cannot save. Neither is his ear heavy that he cannot hear. But your sins have separated you from God and sin can separate you from God.

It can separate your communion with God. But to just say God doesn't hear sinners when they pray is not true. God does hear sinners when they pray. Jesus said and the man who was a sinner went into the temple and bowed his head and would not even so much as lift his head towards God but just smote on his breast and said oh God be merciful to me a sinner.

And he said and that man went to his house justified because God heard his prayer. Now we do read that the ear of the Lord is open to the righteous and he hears their cries. But God's ear is open also to the sinner when he is calling out to God for mercy and for help.

God is a gracious God since the world began he said was it not heard that if any man open the eyes of one that was born blind you know if a man can open up the eyes of a blind man this is something quite unique.

If this man were not of God he could do nothing. And they answered and said unto him thou wast altogether born in sins. And are you trying to teach us now they made the assumption that Jesus said was not true that the blindness was the result of this man's sin.

You were born in sins. But Jesus said no no that when the disciples asked who did sin this man was born blind. Yet they made that assumption because of his blindness from birth and they cast him out. He got kicked out of the synagogue.

So Jesus heard that they had cast him out. And when he had found him he said unto him do you believe on the Son of God. And he said who is he Lord. That I might believe on him. And Jesus said unto him you have both seen him and it is he who is talking to you.

This takes us back to chapter 4 when Jesus was talking with a woman at the well in Samaria and she said I know that when the Messiah comes he's going to teach us all things. And Jesus said I who speak unto thee am he.

You believe in the Son of God who is he Lord. That I might believe him. You have both seen him and he's talking to you. Now he said Lord I believe. And he worshipped Jesus. So we see this interesting case of a man who was put out by organized religion.

They put him outside the fold. They cast him out. But Jesus found him and took him in. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words and they said to Jesus are we blind also. And Jesus said unto them if you were blind then you would have no sin.

But now you say you can see. Therefore your sin remains. There is a saying there are none so blind as those who will not see. That was the condition of the Pharisees. They said they could see. They claimed to have superior understanding of the scriptures and yet they refused to see.

None so blind as those who will not see. Jesus said if you were really blind then you could be forgiven. But because you say you see you're in big trouble. A man will be held responsible for that knowledge that he has.

They had the knowledge they saw the light. They would not walk in that light. So chapter 10 it would seem to be is just a continuation of this whole movement here of the blind man receiving his sight being put out by the organized religious system being taken in by Jesus Christ.

Jesus, the Door to the Sheepfold

And so Jesus said verily verily I say unto you he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold but climbeth up some other way. The same is a thief and a robber. Now later on he said I am the door.

If a man tries to come by any other system by any other way he's a thief and a robber. Jesus said I'm the way I'm the door. There's one way into the sheepfold that's through the door. I'm the door. Try to climb over the walls or whatever.

That's the action of a thief of a robber. If you try to enter the kingdom of heaven by your good works. If you try to enter the kingdom of heaven by being religious you'll never make it. Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life.

And no man comes to the father but by me. Dr. Adam Smith who traveled extensively in the Holy Land for years getting the insight into the culture of the people has written a very fascinating book giving biblical background and color by the understanding of the culture of these people.

And he relates of talking with a shepherd one day as the shepherd was pointing out this walled enclosure and explaining to him how that they would drive the sheep into that enclosure at night or lead them into the enclosure.

And there in the enclosure the sheep would be safe. And dr. Smith said to him well you don't have any door. How do you keep the sheep from going out. And he said I am the door. He said once I have all of the sheep in I lie across the opening here and this is where I sleep and no sheep can get out or no wolf can get in except it cross over me now.

He wasn't coming from any kind of a biblical you know thing. In fact he probably didn't even know the scriptures but just I'm the door I'm I'm the one you've got to come over me to get in. You've got to come over me to get out.

Now Jesus is talking about this kind of a sheepfold that they have over there the walled-in enclosures where the sheep were driven in at night and he said he that enter in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

And to him the porter openeth and the sheep hear his voice and he calleth his own sheep by name and he leads them out. So in the evening when they would drive them into these enclosures for safety in the morning when they were ready to leave there would be several herds driven into these enclosures and during the night they would mingle but in the morning when the shepherd was ready to lead them out to the fields for pasture he would go to the door and he would call and his sheep knew his voice.

They would come out of the herd and follow him. And you could try to mimic that call but the sheep would never follow you. They know the voice of the shepherd. They respond to him. And so he said the sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

And so it's a very colorful picture that was very familiar to those people in that culture. Unfamiliar to us in our culture. But the idea is is that the shepherd knew his sheep. For there were sheep that were his and there were sheep that were not his.

And in carrying that over into the spiritual allegory tonight the world is comprised of two kinds of people those that are his sheep and those who are not his sheep. Two classes in the world today. You're his or you're not his.

He knows his sheep. He calls them by name. Now to me every sheep looks alike. Basically I mean I can't tell the difference between sheep. I've watched them flock of sheep on the hillside to me they all look alike.

But you go up to the shepherd that's watching those sheep. And you'll say hey there's one of your sheep is straying away and and you'll call it by name. I have trouble with that Joe you know he's a miserable sheep.

You know I you call him Joe. Get back here. You know maybe you let out a whistle and his dog will go out and start yipping and drive him back into the herd. He knows his sheep. He calls him by name so the Lord knows you.

If you're one of his sheep calls you by name knows your characteristics. And they know his voice. Now when he puts forth his own sheep he goes before them. And his sheep follow him. For they know his voice.

So he calls his own sheep. They hear his voice and they follow him. Though all of the sheep hear the voice only his sheep respond. A week from Thursday night we will be dealing in Romans chapter 8 with that interesting passage for whom he did for know he did also predestinate that they should be conformed to the image of his son.

And we're gonna be talking about predestination. And those whom he foreknew he also chose. And those he chose he called and he calls. And though all hear his call only his sheep respond. And how do you know you're his sheep or not.

By whether or not you've responded to his call. And if you have responded to his call you are his sheep. If you haven't responded to his call then you're not his sheep. Just that simple. And yet it isn't so simple when you start getting into it my sheep they hear my voice they follow me.

A stranger he said they will not follow but will flee from him. For they know not the voice of strangers. And this pair of parables fake Jesus unto them. But they did not understand the things of which he was speaking unto them.

And so he began to explain it verily verily I say unto you I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers. But the sheep did not hear them. Now he's not referring to Moses and Elijah and the prophets when he said all that came before me are thieves and robbers.

But he is referring to the decadent religious system that Judaism had degraded into trying to make another way to God trying to bring man to God through works through the foolishness of the Pharisees in their endeavor to keep the traditional aspects of the law.

But the sheep did not hear them. I am the door by me. If any man will enter in he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture. I'm the door. Jesus said you've got to come. You've got to enter by me.

The religious system of Judaism isn't going to make it for you. You've got to enter by me. Now the thief comes not but for to steal and to kill and to destroy. And that's exactly what false religious systems will do for you.

They will steal from you they will rob you and ultimately they'll destroy you. But Jesus said I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. What a contrast to the religious systems and to Christianity.

Unfortunately Christianity is often ranked as one of the religions of the world. Christianity is far from a religious system. As I study and analyze religious systems and make a comparison to Christianity the basic difference lies in that religions are all man's endeavors to reach God.

And so if I were to draw a cartoon to represent religion I would draw a circle the earth. And because of my artistic ability I'd put a little stick man on the circle with hands lifted up trying to reach God.

Man starting at his earth base. I'd put him on his tiptoes trying to reach heaven trying to reach infinity trying to reach God. The religious systems are man trying to build a bridge to God. But no matter how tall he may stretch you cannot bridge from the finite to the infinite.

It's an impossibility. If I were to draw a picture of Christianity I would have the round circle the earth and hands coming out of heaven towards that little man on earth. For Christianity is God's endeavor to reach man.

When Joseph Jacob was fleeing from his brother Esau and he came to Bethel and he found a rock. He used it for his pillow and because of his exhaustion went to sleep. As he was sleeping he had a dream.

And in his dream he saw a ladder and it was planted on earth and it went up to heaven and the Lord was standing at the top of the ladder and the angels of God were ascending and descending on this ladder from heaven to earth.

And when he awoke in the morning he was filled with the sense of awe and he said truly the Lord is in this place. And I knew it not last night when I arrived here frightened tired weary sore I had no consciousness of the presence of God a barren rocky desolate place.

I knew it not but I know it now. Truly the Lord is in this place. And I knew it not. Notice the tenses the Lord is here. I didn't know it last night. I sure know it now that ladder between earth and heaven.

Now religion tries to build that ladder from the earth to reach up to heaven the finite trying to reach the infinite. But with Christianity the infinite has reached the finite. Now I can accept that the infinite can reach down and touch the finite.

That's no problem for the infinite God. And so with Christianity I have no problem at all with religion. I have tremendous problems because you have the finite trying to reach the infinite. How can it happen again.

Now Jesus interestingly enough declared to his disciples when he was first calling them he said hey you get a marvel at this just because I said I saw you in a fig tree. Hey stick around. You're gonna see a lot more than this man.

From now on you're gonna see the heavens open and the angels of heaven ascending and descending on the son of man. What is he saying. I am Jacob's ladder. I am the access to God. You're gonna see heaven open for man for God is reaching down.

God is building the ladder. And I am the ladder that God has made whereby man might come to God. So the vast difference between Christianity and religion. The religious systems will rob a man they'll destroy a man whereas Christianity will bring a man life.

And that more abundantly. The religious systems all have their little formulas the works that you must do in order that you might be accepted by God. And they have all of these little work trips that you've got to accomplish in order that you might be accepted by God.

Christianity says there's not a single work that you can do that God will accept. They're like filthy rags in his sight to be accepted by God. You must believe not by works of righteousness which we have done but by faith.

Will God accept a man. Religion say you have to be good enough and worthy enough for God to accept you. Christianity says there's no way you can be good enough or worthy enough that God will accept you.

The only way God can accept you is in his son. So he that has the son has life and he who has not the son has not life. So we see the contrast between the religions which Jesus said were thieves and robbers trying to bring man into the sheepfold by another way.

And the door whereby a man may enter into the sheepfold. One system is based upon works the other system based upon faith. Now Jesus said I've come that they might have life and they might have it more abundantly.

How Satan is lied to man about the Christian experience. You see it was Satan's ploy to make Christianity a religion and unfortunately he was quite successful. And so in many places Christianity became a religion and whenever that transition was accomplished it died.

True Christianity died and it became a form. And even in the biblical times Paul spoke of those who had a form of godliness but no power no life. The religious system points and says now that's the way you ought to live if you want God to accept you.

But it gives you no assistance to live that way. Jesus points and says now this is the way and you can't do it. But as you believe in me I'm gonna come and I'm gonna indwell you I'm gonna take over and I'm gonna make you a new person and I'm gonna give you the power to do what you can't do because I want you to have this abundant life of fellowship with the father.

And he does for us what we can't do for ourselves by the indwelling. You see no religious system gives you the power to abide by its concepts. Only Christianity is the infusion of God's power to live a life that God would have you to live that more abundant life in Christ.

The Good Shepherd and the Hireling

Jesus then went on to say I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep. But he that is a hireling and not the shepherd whose own sheep whose own the sheep are not sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and fleas and the wolf catches them and scatters the sheep.

So Jesus points out the contrast between the shepherd the true shepherd and the hireling. A young minister came to me for he had been invited by a church to be its pastor and he went to the church and preached a sermon that the people enjoyed.

And he met the board and the board laid down for him his salary his duties and also the restrictions that they sought to put upon him. They gave him quite a list of what he could do and what he couldn't do.

And he came to me because he was wondering whether or not he should accept the invitation to become their pastor. And I encouraged him not to accept it. I said they're really not looking for a shepherd.

They're looking for a hireling. They're gonna hire you to be their minister to say the things they want to hear to do the things they want done. But they're not really looking for a shepherd. They're looking for a hireling.

And I wouldn't be a hireling for anybody. My services are not for sale. The hireling really doesn't care for the sheep. The shepherd does. The shepherd knows the sheep. He loves the sheep. He would give his life for the sheep.

A hireling danger comes. He'll run because he's only a hireling. What more do you expect. But the shepherd will hazard his life. He'll lay down his life if necessary for his flock because he loves them.

Jesus said I'm the Good Shepherd. The other religious systems they're hirelings. They'll run. They'll leave you to the wolves who will rip and scatter the flock. But I'm the Good Shepherd. I'll lay down my life for the flock.

The hireling fleas because he is a hireling and doesn't really care for the sheep now. Unfortunately today there are many men in the ministry who are hirelings. They're professionals. They really don't care for the sheep because they're hirelings and their only concern is to fleece the flock of God.

And there's a bunch of guys out there seeking to fleece the flock of God. They sit up night figuring new ways to extract money out of people. Now if we write this in the letter and you know they spend well they spend thousands of dollars having professionals write these letters with the gimmicks all designed to fleece the flock of God.

They're hirelings. Maybe you don't care for the flock of God though. In the letters it often says oh I've been thinking about you today. Charles is everything alright. The Lord brought you to my mind when I was in prayer this morning.