Gospel of John (2nd Yr Study 1 of 19, Course Restarts End of Ch8) — G.W. North

Gospel of John: Connecting Chapters 8 and 9

In the gospel of John and I think last time You were here. I know some of you the locals were here last time. But we finished in chapter 8. And I expect you know chapter 8. I expect you to be all with your Bibles open following everything.

In chapter 8 we finished. Which brings us to chapter 9, but I expect you all discovered so far that The chapter divisions were not inspired of God. Neither was the versification it is said that that the Versification and chapterization of scripture was performed by a Frenchman and the joke was that his pen came down on the paper far too often.

Because he was doing it on horseback or something. Well That's quite right. John Wesley spent most of his years on horseback. When he wasn't preaching. We can't imagine that can we? But there it is so we're going to Make the connection between chapter 8 and chapter 9.

You will remember I hope or should I say you're familiar enough, I hope with these great Teachings of Jesus Christ and especially with John's glorious gospel and the connection is this. That in chapter 8 if you just glance back.

You will find. Well, of course take it. I'll show you what I mean go back into chapter 7. And into chapter 7 verse 53. You will see that every man went on to his own house and you would say amen. That's our reading for this morning, you see, but you shouldn't.

Jesus having no house to go to of course went to the Mount of Olives. He slept out in the open. See what you will have missed if you stick strictly to the chapters and that's our portion for today. Never do that.

They all went to their own home. But not Jesus very wonderful and you know what happened he dealt with the woman and Not only with the woman that was taken in adultery. But he dealt with everybody who heard him and out came the famous statement that is often quoted not only from pulpit, but from law court and in conversation.

I Also understand this being said on films and on the TV. He made the famous statement when he was dealing with this woman he that is without sin among you first cast the stone. Let's all see who it is.

No stones were cast as you know. But that's the connection. That you lose and therefore you need to know back into the seventh chapter and find out what happened In the seventh chapter book. I'm not going back over ground With which we have dealt before and is recorded if you want to know.

Jesus’ Claim Before Abraham and the Blind Man

So in this chapter 8 He'd been dealing at last with those who were enemies they had constituted themselves his enemy and. So they went on 56 of chapter 8 your father he's talking to the Pharisees chiefly.

Abraham Rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him dark not yet 50 years old. Can you imagine the sneer in their voice and? Hast thou seen Abraham. Jesus said unto them.

Verily you notice. I'm Choosing if you follow it in your reading you will notice. I'm ignoring the stops. Putting them where I believe God would have them, but here we go. Jesus said unto them verily.

Verily I say unto you before Abraham was I. Then took they up stones to cast at him, but Jesus hid himself went out of the temple going through the midst of them and so passed by and as Jesus passed by.

If you like forgetting or ignoring his own peril being stoned to death. He saw a man Which was blind from his birth now? That's what you would have missed if you like he was escaping for his life not that he wanted Just to escape death.

But not that kind of death. Wasn't God's time for Jesus to die and not the method by which God wanted his son to die. He had planned the cross for his son. When you were born. Would what would you thought of your father if he planned the cross for you?

You say well, this is out of this world. It's in another world. That's exactly and it's to this world this spiritual world. That God wants to introduce us so that we should come to spiritual understanding.

That's the art of being a student. It isn't just getting your lectures right per se or Particularly it's coming into God's world Spiritually not just this ball on which we live to pass into understanding in the way The limited way of course in which human beings can understand him.

Having said that now, let's go on as Jesus passed by. He saw a man which was blind from birth. And his disciples asked him saying master Who did sin? This man. Or his parents that he was born blind now.

I want you to see that this is the Only instance in the Bible brought out by Jesus Christ, of course. Where it is suggested? That a man had a pre-existence before he came into this world that he'd lived a life Before he was born naturally and he'd sinned in that life.

Got that? It might or might also go to the Eastern myths that You have a pre-existence, but I'm not going to enter those now. Don't know whether you've even been interested enough to look into those things.

You won't lose marks in heaven if you don't look into those things. You haven't enough time to read your Bible and get to understand that properly before you go. But that's the suggestion. Did this man sin before he was born.

It's also ridiculous. But these were the kind of thoughts that were going through their mind Jewish as they were but not true People of God which God had intended. Fancy asking questions like this and he enlightens them.

Jesus answered. Neither hath this man's sins nor his parents. But that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I Must work the works of him that sent me while it is day the night cometh. When no man can work you will notice how I've removed some of the stops to get the continuity of thought.

Because it builds up all kinds of things In your mind, which are quite heathen and quite foreign to true Christianity. You don't think any of you do you that is somehow due to Your mother and father that certain things are in you.

You might do it physically Of course, but not spiritually. We know that certain diseases seem to run in some families or certain conditions do and We can't understand it. Only we know that it's not anybody's particular thought fault or sinness.

Just the adherency in flesh that comes down because man has been so long Away from God. Not your particular mother your father or your grandmother or anything like that Grandfather, it's just the result of original sin.

Terrible thing. But don't start blaming yourself for letting anybody Push into your ideas that you are suffering because some remote ancestor Did this or that or the other? The only remote Ancestor with whom you should be absolutely familiar is a man named Adam that sinned and walked out of the light because of his wife who first fell into sin and then gave to Adam and Adam sinned following the woman.

Watch it all you men. Watch it all you ladies. Here then is the tremendous truth this man was born blind. Now I must work the works of him that sent me While it is day the night coming when no man Can work.

Jesus as the Light of the World

As long as I am in the world verse 5 I am the light of the world. He was seeking to let light into the hearts and minds and imaginations of the people in these four verses That we just read. They needed light on this Sin.

Because of somewhere some way back you've had a pre-existence. Now the only one that had a pre-existence. The only one born into this world indeed was Jesus and He came in To be the light of this world.

As long as I am in the world now notice. You will need to know it. He said as long as I am in the world I Am the light of the world. You will know of course having been Bible readers I trust Which I was When I was young as the youngest one here, I thank God for that He met me early in life.

Don't waste your time any of you. You will know that in Matthew chapter 5. You needn't turn it up, but you can make a note of it if you wish to. Jesus said to his disciples You are the light of the world.

He I he showed you see now if you read that you can run away with Little knowledge of what the full intention of God here. He's saying I am the light of water as long as I am in the world now you have this is the implication.

You have to be the light of the world when I've gone. Would you like me to question you this question it yourself? Are you? Disuse disseminating light. In this world you want to be servants of the Lord perhaps in some measure.

You have started to serve the Lord. Is your presence light. Are your habits light. Is your speech light. I? Mean light mean Light in the sense. Not just a was got no weight. It's just light. I don't mean it in that sense.

I'm not talking about have a deploy. Are you light in your situation do you? More often than not leave darkness. He didn't say if you quote scripture. You will disseminate light. He said you Are it was the time when God sent scripture?

You will know that if you're familiar with the scripture in Hebrew chapter 1. Said spoke he spoke to us by the prophets. Then came Jesus who was himself the light and we being born of God. Who can only give birth to life as he did in the beginning he said let there be light.

That's the way it started. This is a tremendous thing beloved for you to get hold of. Let it consume your bosom and your whole being. You've got to let things fill your heads of course as well while you're here.

But I don't mean in just in this class, but I mean whilst you're here but My interest in you I It's understood wherever I go. I say this by lecture here or there or anywhere else. I say my first interest in you is pastoral.

That's it. I'm not concerned whether you become top in the exams or bottom in the exams. I told my daughter this when she was going to university. I said don't. I don't care if You become a lavatory attendant in a public place or whether you become a great scholar.

I'm not interested in that. I don't want you to be a dunce particularly those things don't count. Well only in this world and money and all that kind of things. I hope I'm not turning your concepts upside down.

But on the other hand I rather naughtily I am glad to do it if you're on the wrong track. Here is the great truth. As long as I am in the world, I'm the light of the world. He had thrown light on pre-existence.

For instance straight away, but these are the things that engage modern scholars. Aren't they? They talk in these terms. And they get foreign gurus or somebody Buddhists or something like that to try and teach you all kinds of things.

Preferring their own ideas to what this book the whole world is condemned. Not that Jesus came into the world to condemn the world. But that the world through him should be saved. What from hell or well ultimately but from their own condition in this world to be saved from it.

The insidious infiltration of the teachings from hell. Put out through the mouths of teachers lecturers. Philosophers Professors, I'll tell you this. I think it'll be already on the set that I preached before if you like taught before.

Today that I knew a young lady. I still know her. Thank God. She's out on the mission field now. And she went to a certain University and. And Once you took the lectures and the lecturer in this University stood up and he said Are any of you people believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God?

She wasn't then born again. So she didn't answer he said before you leave this college you won't be he set out to destroy faith in God and in the book so much for our Universities, I don't say it's a so in every university.

Thank God. I say she's been born again since and what a wonderful birth she had it was absolutely radical. She's serving God. But let me let us go on here as long as I am in the world. I Am the light of the world.

The Healing at the Pool of Siloam

But now forget the last part of that quote he's back again on I Am that's what he said before Abraham was I Am what a wonderful thing this is. He's on it again. Now he's applying that God Himself. For he was God manifested in the flesh.

He didn't say it now. I am going on to prove that. This is why this man is here, this is why I stopped here when I was already in peril of my life. Naturally being stones to death. He stopped. In front of the blind man, he'd been blind from birth.

When he said this thing, I am the light of the world. He spat on the ground. Imagine if you were the blind man. Couldn't say but you heard the sound of someone spitting. Jesus had not as yet introduced himself to the blind man.

Jesus spat on the ground Made clay of the spittle and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay now by all Medical knowledge that even we who are medics though you may have hopes on that line.

We know that you Sling mud into the eyes of the blind man or any man, that's right. What was Jesus doing? Why should he behave? Like this Might say more like an animal for a man. But insofar as you may agree with me that humanity is the highest form of animal existence.

All right. He was acting like that. Always God comes on to basics. You must understand this. He's never Superficial in what he does and he has a purpose in mind. He spat on the ground Made clay of the spittle and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with clay and you sure Everybody said what on earth is he think he's doing and sit on to him go Wash in the pool of Siloam, which is by interpretation sent he went His way therefore the way a blind man would go wash and can See what was Jesus doing?

He was substantiating his claim Before men and women that he was God. That's what he was doing. That's what he was doing. He already I pointed out. He said in chapter 7 Please never stop at the end of a chapter again anymore in your life, and this you'll really miss the truth.

He said before Abraham was Great enough I am. He shook them to their roots because that's the Very name that God gave to Moses in the beginning when Moses was at the burning bush and he Turned aside to see the bush burning and was never burned up.

There was a fire in the bush, but it wasn't made of wood. His burn wasn't consumed. God never feeds off any human being. We have to feed off him. He's delighted by some Disgusted by others. If you've got love for him He'll feed off that if you really believe as this Bible Instructs you to believe not any old how have some fanciful.

We call evangelical Whatever you want to call it believe on him. And that's why you've got a church or something. They heard him say I Mind to have gone straight back to Moses the burning bush. Moses was their patron saint in their imagination.

I Gave him here. I am In the world did this just go there that man went and did. What Jesus said? How he got to the pool of Siloam, I don't know. Whether he could feel his way there I Don't know. Do you have a dog.

No dogs were an abomination in Israel. They did not have dogs. But I'm clean animal and I think that dogs are the most unclean animals you possibly get. They're not even some as clean as cats, but they're worshipping the money did you know.

Probably if you don't live in England, let me explain they have an annual Dog show in London. It's called crafts. And they come and they all compete together. Producing the most wonderful dog that ever.

Eat meat or something anyway. And they forget. The God said the dog is an unclean thing. It's not to be around your camps. So you're always walking in dog mess. You remember That I am going to walk through your camp.

He told them that where does it say that you've read you read your Bible you'll find it. Just fine. You're not to have dogs. He taught Israel. Hmm. And Paul said without a dogs here is the great Thing beloved.

I find so many Christians are gathering so many cats and dogs around them. You'd think They were fanciers. Here's The truth now. I've nothing against dogs for the blind. I'm nothing. I'm not talking against that.

You understand? That's finding out they have some good uses on the human level. But He went there. And he came. I like this. Came seeing. Must have been absolutely wonderful. Wasn't it. He came. Why did Christ do it like this?

Why send him to Siloam? There was a nearer pool in the sheep market. You can read about that in chapter five in Jerusalem. Why did he send him to Siloam? Test of obedience. It's obedience. Do you know that sin entered into this world through one?

Woman's in disobedience. Adam took the blame for. Death came in as well. God. I've said this on earlier tapes. You'll find it. God could quite easily have given Him another wife. And just slain Eve because of disobedience.

So he chose a woman instead of God. That's fatal. It brought all the sin and misery wickedness death. And all that into this world. One woman's disobedience. Yet Adam had to bear the blame. So don't you women fight for.

Don't you fight for it. Think of what Adam has to bear eternally. Because his wife Insisted on taking the lead. Just bear it in mind. Most of this world's things that they fight for. They're entirely on the wrong basis.

Entirely come down through the race. But let me go on. I'm, not really here. To preach to you am I? And that's why I said I sometimes stray over time. You ever hear read that or sing that great hymn of john wesler's?

My heart is full of christ. And longs its glorious matter to declare. You're going to be like that. He's sure going to be a servant of god. He did it this way. With this man. Because that's what he'd done in the beginning to show that he was the creator.

He'd made man and woman out of the dirt the dust. The lowest thing there was Or is Went back to basics. Or he didn't go back to it. He took a handful of dust. He spat on it with his own spittle. It's god you understand didn't mix it with water and he did this what he did and Everybody who had eyes to see it had a brain to think and a heart put upon.

It should have been a declaration that before abraham was I am. Abraham had never seen this world never been born for centuries later. So he goes right back. I don't know how many people may have detached themselves from this gang of accusers in the temple And heard it and witnessed it.

But I know this. They still didn't believe what their eyes saw. They still refused what a generation but in his usual way god turned Human catastrophe into blessing. And our salvation rises out of these things.

What a marvelous thing it is. Go wash In the pool of silo. Which is by interpretation the word means scent and I guess that for the rest of his life when sight Gushed him upon him and he could see. And he saw the light For the first time He must have said Silo was sent for me.

And I am sent To it by jesus. And jesus has done the wonderful thing. Everything depended upon jesus. But jesus said now It depends upon you. You do as I tell you. And everything will come right. Alas the time's going to beat me it always does.

But let's press on. I had visions of doing a chapter a lecture, but I can't. I don't want to give you bare bones. That instruct your mind. I'm interested in you your soul. Your mind is included in that.

But that's not the thing He just did. That's jesus and I love him. I love him. I want to spend the rest of my days talking about him. How about you? Is that your real ambition how marvelous it is? You know, I'm only just 84 i've got a lot of years in front of me.

But you probably can think Of your having years On this earth when i'm buried if the lord doesn't come. If this class doesn't serve unto a Continuation Of the declaration of jesus christ, whatever you call it in the lecture in the sermon or something you've read.

Useless entirely useless, but here's the thing. Let's gallop along now, shall we? I've examined the miracle. Because you will know that john unlike the other three writers did not. So miracle after miracle after miracle after miracle the only time you discover That if there were multitudes as there were in Recorded in matthew mark and luke.

John’s Signs and the Feeding of the Five Thousand

He takes a miracle. He sets it up on the pages of scripture now. Now, let's really look. My purpose is to show you that jesus christ is god. That's his purpose not a great miracle author. Well, of course he was a miracle worker.

The fact that you are sitting there breathing is through god's miracle. That's that that's the air if it isn't polluted as badly here as it is all over the world. You see there are miracles that we don't look at all the day long got used to them.

But the only time that john records where miracles Took place and the great numbers benefited from them was the feeding of the five thousand. Let's go on shall we. Look at verse eight. Will you come with me if I gavel a bit this time it's because i've only allowed myself another 10 minutes before we close but I see see if my watch says something different from that.

No, no, unfortunately, they're the same. Here's the big thing. The neighbors therefore this man was born blind later the four had seen him. That he was blind. Said it's not as he sat and begged. Some said This is he.

Others said He's like him. But he said I am. You will notice that that he is italicized if you've got a good bible. It should show you that where you see the italicized words. It isn't for emphasis. Which we make them quite contrary to what it was.

They're to show you they were not there. They were put in to facilitate easier reading as they think. Go back again. Into where we started. Verse 58 of chapter 7 before abraham was I am. That's it. But you will find if you go back into chapter 8 I mustn't presume on you too much because you weren't in the former lectures it says.

Verse 24 I say unto you. This is jesus speaking. That you shall die in your sins. Do you know I I thought that's probably the last thing I would ever want to hear jesus say to me curtains. You shall die in your sin.

For if you believe not that I am now they put he in to facilitate english reading. But he was declaring the same thing there. Sometimes the ancient translators seeking always to interpret Went beyond their franchise.

They should not have put he in there. So learn. Not to be a lazy reader of the bible. Read it with your eyes wide open showing to god that your heart is wide open. Unless you'll miss. It's truth that just lie on the surface you haven't got to be a great student.

You can tell whether a word is italicized or not. It's so Wonderful. Let's go into our chosen chapter. I am he said I am the one you've been talking about. Therefore said they unto him verse 10 chapter 9.

How were thine eyes open? He answered and said a man that is called jesus made clay. Anointed my eyes and said unto me go to the pool of siloam and wash. And I went and washed. And I received sight. That's it.

It's sight there on the spot jesus the great creator. Not only the great savior which praised god he was the creator who became our savior. He got it, right? Hallelujah. And I suppose nobody ever becomes a true born again christian.

Unless they get it, right. Oh my god what it's all about. And when god says you must be born again, which you know is in john's gospel. If he's recorded this. You get that right, too. You can trust him to give you a clear wonderful new sight did newly generated Glorious eternal life.

He won't leave a lot of sin behind in your heart. He'll clean you up. Whoever you are or whatever you've done He doesn't Have to clean you up. Actually, he gets rid of it the whole bang shoot of it all the lot of it.

New Birth, Salvation, and Intimacy with God

It's a new creation. He doesn't create something new in the midst of something filthy. He cleans you up. He gives you a new life. He forgives the past. All the terms you want to use. Hallelujah, let's go.

I received sight. I mean they can graft your ears. Aren't you these clever surgeons they can do that, but they cannot give you sight. They can help you in your blindness a little they can do all kinds of things.

Pills potions ointments, and I don't know what operations and thank god they could do it. I'm not belittling them. Jesus is wonderful. That's the truth. That's the wonder and you know, that's why they crucify them.

That's why they crucified him. If you want to boil it down it will be he says he was god by defest in the flesh. That's it. Okay. But they should. He was too big too great too wonderful. Too unexplained.

How can Man. That's the miracle you have to learn. When you want to be a true child of god we know all the story about christmas and angels and wise men and I don't know what. It's genuine absolutely true though.

It's made into a fairy tale now, I think in england. It's true. But such people don't know him. Not in vain. Did he say that this is life eternal. That you know me that's life eternal. Knowing is the knowledge not acquired in a class or from books or from lectures.

It's intimate knowledge in your. Are you intimate with god or leave her from modern human filthy use the word intimate. Are you? Well, are you or just a spouter a preacher or? Teacher, I know i've come up through the soil mill.

You've got to be intimate with god. Possible. Intimate that's what it is. That's why he died. Why he rose again he became Intimate with you and your sin. He bore the sin he bore the blame. He bore you.

So do you have paul saying I? I was crucified with christ, you know, we'd find that i'm sure. But just in case you may not know after all i've been at it a long time since galatians. He wrote it. When he was writing his gospel that he used to say my gospel.

Paul's gospel is contained in the letters that he wrote. Read them. Mark them learn. And you don't stand up and say I want to read you from the fifth gospel tomorrow, will you? But that's what they're about.

How wonderful he didn't know where jesus was. Verse 12. Oh, dear. She's been commanded to boss me. Here it is. Let's go. It was a sabbath day. So jesus smashed another one of their idols. Oh, it was a sabbath day.

You don't do anything much beyond breathe on the sabbath day according to the jews. Oh, dear, what a rotten world we're living in. They even played about with god and the preaching of god the damn. Unless they come to christ for Salvation they had no hope.

As well as being interested in love. You've got to be interested in truth, absolutely.