Satan’s Devices for the Blinding of Eyes (John 9:8-23 Jeff Kliewer)

Budget for anybody who has questions, okay, so we'll do that prior to the congregational meeting so we can get all those questions answered ahead of time. Okay, we have been praying for Portugal for the last two weeks.

We have missionaries over there and Gary and Terry Kamlin have come back from the field. So they were here with us in first service. So be praying for Portugal over the next two weeks as part of the Portuguese prayer challenge.

Next guys, we have a men's retreat down at Harvey Cedars on April 28th and 29th. So mark your calendar begin to make arrangements. You can ask us for information on that to sign up. It's Friday and a Saturday at Harvey Cedars down in the shore.

There after this week, there will be no more child care during first service because all the families with kids tend to come to this service. So there's no reason to have child care unless something changes.

We could go back to having child care during first service but for the beginning next week child care will be offered only at second service and. For those interested in vacation Bible school and volunteering this summer.

There is a meeting after second service next Sunday. Originally it was gonna be this week not this week. It's gonna be next week. All right, that's it for the announcements. Michael Jim any others. We're good.

All right, let's pray. Father your word says. I was glad when they said to me. Let us go to the house of the Lord and father. We thank you that you have brought us to this place. Not for us Lord, but to worship you.

We're here for your namesake to lift up the name of Jesus. We pray that you would put us in the right frame of mind Lord that we would put distractions out of our minds and we would focus on giving you glory.

Help us to sing for you're worthy of our songs. Help us to pray and to listen to your word. Help us to draw near to you Lord drawn near to us. That we might draw near to you. We pray that your Holy Spirit would be present in this room as We meet together two or more gathered in your name.

We pray that you would work among us and draw us closer to you. We pray that those who are not saved would believe the good news of Jesus Christ and For us who do believe we pray that we would see you more clearly.

That you administer in our hearts so work among us Lord. We love you, and we praise you and we offer this worship to your name for you are worthy God. This is our prayer that you would open our eyes to behold wondrous things from your word.

We pray that you would give us eyes to see spiritual truths. That you would give us vision to see deeper into the things of God. The Spirit searches all things yea the deep things of God and we pray that you would give us eyes to see truth as found in your word.

We pray Lord for any that would listen to the sermon that has not yet come to believe that Jesus is the Christ The Son of the Living God. We pray that you would open their eyes to see Christ and to believe in him.

Open blind eyes. That they may believe the good news. Thank you father for your word to us. Help us to be trained by it in Jesus name. We pray Amen. I want you to think of people. Yes as sinners, but also as sufferers.

It's easy for us to look at the world around us and especially in the dark days in which we live and we see the shenanigans of the folk around us at times and we say look at the sinner and Truly every person is a sinner and is guilty and responsible for our sin.

But it's likewise true that people are sufferers. Very often people are suffering from the teaching of their own family. I Was deeply moved by a movie that's in theaters now called Jesus revolution.

Now.

Caveat disclaimer I don't endorse all of the theology of the movie. You wouldn't go to this movie to try to learn theology. Because there's some aberrant kind of hyper Pentecostal Aspects to it at some points, but here's why I say that I was moved by it.

It.

Reminded me to have compassion.

For.

Sufferers.

One of the characters in the story his name is Greg and Greg was raised by a mother that had him very confused. She would lie to him often. In fact, she would bounce around from house to house from man to man.

I think she was married something like seven times and She told him that His stepfather left them and that's why they were moving to California. The truth was as you would find out if you watch the movie spoiler alert that she left him and and he had been lied to and so he grew up confused about his Father and why would this father that he loved reject him?

He also then began to get indoctrinated into the worldview of the hippies of the 1970s in California. So he was told by some friends that if he took these drugs it would expand his mind and he was taught things about.

God.

Monism that God is in everything that everything is God and This kind of doctrine got into his thinking and he became essentially a hippie. He was also captivated by fear and. So when he began to see the truth of the gospel and he saw some of his loved ones come to faith.

He sort of ran away because he was afraid of being hurt. He was afraid that the truth that he was seeing Might be a disappointment. It might not last and so because he was so afraid he started to run.

But through the power of the gospel he did come to saving faith and This young man grew up to pastor one of the largest churches in California. Greg his last name is Laurie is also an evangelist. Who goes around?

Sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. The Lord has blessed him in many ways. You know when I think of the generation that's growing up around us. Are they really all that different than the hippies of the 1970s?

They are likewise blinded by confusing teachings. Confused by what they hear and what they see all around them and in very many ways they are indoctrinated into traditions. That they hold to be true. But are really just man-made traditions and many of them are captured in fear.

I was sad to see a young man step off of the school bus in February of 2023 and Wearing a mask on his face run home separate from the other kids. The mask on his face was a security blanket to him even when he was alone and running through the neighborhood.

He still had a mask on my face on his face and you know, it broke my heart. I Was sad for him because what that symbolized to me as I saw it was fear a young man who's afraid and certainly in many ways the whole culture became Captivated by a spirit of fear.

A couple of years ago you know, I just went to the doctor because I turned 45 and there's a mandatory visit and so it's a well visit and I went in and they put my my finger in one of those oxygen tests and the oxygen blood ox test kept reading 85 as Then I should go to the hospital 85 my blood ox was so low and so then they took that little device and they said let's switch it out.

The machine must be wrong. They brought in another machine and sure enough. It's still registered 85. This went on for five minutes. Until finally I said well, maybe if I didn't have a mask on my face, my blood ox would go up.

And she kind of like alright take it off. Sure enough. It climbed as Within seconds from 85 to 90 to 95 right on up to normal blood oxygen so evidently there's a connection here between oxygen flow and the device covering my face, right and It makes me sad to think that schools were Forcing now if someone wants to wear a mask let that be between the parents and the child but schools were forcing children to Inhibit their breathing for eight hours a day in a school building.

All because not of science, but a spirit of fear fear confusion and traditions these things enslave people and It's deeper than just the control that this allows those in positions of authority. Ultimately this cuts against the gospel itself.

And let me show you why let's turn to John Chapter 9.

Confusion as a Tool of the Enemy

Confusion is a tool of the enemy.

Tradition is a tool of the enemy and fear is one of his specialties. Confusion tradition and fear. Are tools or devices that the devil uses to blind the minds of unbelievers. So they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.

John chapter 9 of course is a very famous story about the healing of a blind man. But have you noticed in the gospel of John that the miracle per se as such only occupies the first seven verses of John chapter 9.

What is the rest of the chapter. If you'll notice the chapter is 41 verses long? What is the rest of the chapter about. Well, it's really about the opening of blind eyes. To see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.

You see the seven verses are the physical healing. But that physical healing Points to a spiritual healing that must happen to all people. Lest they be lost. We need eyes to see that Christ is glorious.

We need to see true beauty in the face of Christ. Majesty Majesty as of one only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth. The only begotten Son we need spiritual eyes to believe. And that's the point of John chapter 9.

There is a physical healing but that is Indicative of spiritual healing. Now if the problem is blindness Then what does that look like? We know from 2nd Corinthians 4 for that the devil blinds the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

But Satan uses devices to do that. And the three big devices that Satan uses to blind unbelievers are.

Confusion.

Tradition and fear and we're gonna see that today in John chapter 9 verses 8 to 23. I had to stop there because beginning in verse 24 is The blind man who now sees Operating with clarity and Scripture and truth and courage and it is the answer to what we're seeing in the previous verses.

But first we must see a portrait of unbelief. What are we up against church? How do we bring light to a dark world? Well, we need to understand the characteristics of this darkness and it is confusion and tradition and fear.

So notice that there is a spiritual force behind What takes place back in John chapter 8 verse 44 Jesus identified? What was blinding the Pharisees and That spiritual force is the devil He is the God of this age.

John 8 44. You are of your father the devil and Your will is to do your father's desires. Of course, they turn around and blame Jesus and turn it on its head because in John 8 48 It says the Jews answered him.

Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon? So there are clearly spiritual Undertones going on here to what we're about to read now early in the chapter Verses 1 to 3. John 9 1 to 3.

We saw that it was a theological question That gave rise to this miracle. They saw a blind man and asked who sinned him or his parents and Jesus gives a theological answer essentially appealing to the sovereignty of God.

To display the work of God it was part of God's secret decree his plan from before the foundation of the world that this man would grow up blind and Then in due time in season be healed and display the glory of Jesus Christ.

This was God's plan the miracle takes place and in verse 7 he went and washed and came back seeing and So the gospel is pictured in the miracle. Now, let's read verses 8 through 23. We'll take it in sections corresponding to The three major points confusion tradition and fear.

So the first thing I want you to see is the confusion caused by the enemy. John chapter 9 verses 8 to 12 the neighbors and Those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying is this not the man who used to sit and beg?

Some said it is he others said no, but he is like him. He kept saying I am the man So they said to him then. How were your eyes opened? He answered the man called Jesus made mud and Anointed my eyes and said to me go to Siloam and wash so I went and washed and received my sight they said to him, where is he and He said I do not know I don't know so in this section notice that there are.

Liars.

Who are speaking out of turn? I don't know if they realized what was controlling them. But if you look halfway down the passage others said who are these. Others now notice. There's division some and others in the next section.

They'll be some and others. There's always the division a dividing line that Christ causes the Christ himself is the dividing line. Some will believe others will reject here the others Insert some doubt as to whether this is even the guy that that used to beg there.

Is this even the same man or is this some kind of ruse. Look what they say. No. There was no healing here. But he is like him. In other words, he's just a look-alike there are the seeds of confusion.

The Enemy is seeking to distract people from hearing and believing now. Where is the blind man now seeing? Spiritually at this point in the text. It's debatable whether he saved or not. It seems like he was obedient to the Lord and he had faith and now he has some measure of faith.

But I want you to notice that something something that happens through the rest of the chapter. He has a logical progression from a physical healing to believing that Jesus is Lord as He searches things out as he considers notice the progression.

Look at verse 11. Who is Jesus to him in verse 11 the man? The man called Jesus. Look at verse 17 having considered further. Discussing with the Pharisees being pressed on this in verse 17. He's progressed to say he is a Prophet.

A bit later the conversation turns to the Messiah ship of Jesus. Look at verse 22. He's understanding That the Pharisees don't want to believe that Jesus is Christ and if any confesses that Jesus is Christ.

That one is to be put out of the synagogue. But then finally in verses 35 to 38 you see the end of the progression. More than a man more than a prophet indeed the Christ. Look what it says. Jesus found him.

And asked do you believe in the Son of Man? Now Son of Man is a title for the Christ. It comes from Daniel chapter 7 the Son of Man who's at the right hand of the Father and all Jews understood this title to refer to the Christ in Verse 36.

He answered who is he sir that I may believe in him. Jesus said to him. You have seen him. I See said the blind man. He's now seeing the one who healed him. And it is he who is speaking to you. Now prior to this he understood.

Yeah, he's the man. He opened my eyes. He is the man. He is a prophet. But here he is the Son of Man and look at verse 38 the progression ends with him identifying Jesus as Lord you see that Lord I believe and then it says and he worshiped him.

He is the Lord who is deserving of worship. That's what that miracle meant. But the blind man took some time having physical eyes to see it took some time for his spiritual eyes to open to understand the implications of his physical healing the wonder the work points.

To Jesus not just as the man or a prophet but as the Lord who deserves to be worshipped. Now this progression Requires logic it requires rational thought to move from The mere brute fact of a miracle to proclaiming that Jesus is Lord.

Deserving to be worshipped Requires listening to what this one says. Jesus was claiming in the previous chapter if you do recall. Before Abraham was born I am. Well, if he's a prophet and he speaks for God then you need to listen to every word he has to say.

So the logic of accepting him as a prophet brings you to the point of accepting him as the I am as Lord. But what's happening in the text here the blinding of the enemy. If you look back again now at chapter 9 verses 8 to 12 is The seeds of confusion.

The devil is blinding minds by confusing the case. Proverbs chapter 25 verse 2 says it is the glory of God to conceal a matter. But the glory of Kings to search things out. Proverbs 25 to what does that mean?

Well God uniquely Knows everything. He's omniscient and he reveals only what he wants to reveal what he chooses to reveal to mankind. Some things are secret to God and Man cannot understand these things.

We cannot fully understand why God in his providence allows the kind of suffering that happens in this world. Some of the secret things of God Deuteronomy 29 29 are not revealed to us and they're beyond us.

But those things which are revealed belong to us and it is the glory of a king to search things out. To search a matter out means to follow logically the progression of thought. Consider Solomon he was a king and Two women came to him each of them claiming that this baby belonged to them.

Saying that the other stole the baby from her. Now an arbitrary king Who doesn't understand truth and the searching out of a matter might just pick a side. Oh She's prettier you take the baby or you seem believable go along an Arbitrary ruling but the glory of the king to search the matter out devised a test to see which of the women had motherly instinct and So he said all right divide the baby in half and one of these women said fine.

That'll do and Sure enough the king knew that that was not the genuine mother of the child. He searched the matter out and he proclaimed that this other was the true mom and gave the baby to her. It was the glory of this king to search a matter out.

Church understand this. The evidence is here with us that Jesus is the Christ. The evidence of prophecies written in the Old Testament fulfilled in him the uniqueness of his miracles the perfection of his word written by 40 different authors over 1 ,500 years on three different continents and yet cohesively from Genesis 1 in the garden to Revelation 22 in the new heavens in the new earth the perfect consistency the glory of Scripture.

All of the evidence points to Christ, but there is a generation That's confused about this book. Because seeds of confusion are being sown in to them Confusion is the enemy of truth and The devil does all that he can to confuse the minds of unbelievers.

Here.

Some of the neighbors are in view. Look at verse 8 the neighbors. Some right away are noticing. Yeah, this is the same guy. What are you talking about? Others bringing these seeds of confusion kept saying no he looks like him.

He's not really the one. And by the end verse 12 They're looking for Jesus and that's good, but they don't know where he is. How will they know unless someone comes preaching. There's a generation. Growing up they call it generation Z.

Is that what they call the youngest generation? I Guess we were generation X. I don't know if there even was a why but generation Z is.

Confused and.

Being taught many things that don't make sense. Trained by even the the pillars of wisdom of this nation the Supreme Court one of them Katanji Brown Jackson was asked. What is a woman and Famously said I don't know.

I'm not a biologist. This kind of it this kind of confusion sewn into the culture is Meant to distract minds. In fact, there is an entire system of thought postmodern philosophy Which aims at undermining the very ability to know anything?

That there is no certainty that truth is never absolute that it's only subjective arbitrary and personal. These seeds of.

Confusion are purposeful.

They're sown by the enemy Satan himself. And that's the first thing we're up against. Confusion. Truth versus confusion. Now look at the second thing and that is tradition. We'll read verses 13 to 17.

They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was the Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. Mark that Sabbath because that's what's going on here. So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight and he said to them.

He put mud on my eyes and I washed and I see. Now pause. Right there. Do you notice how much? Shorter that version of the story was. Earlier when he's with the neighbors they're excited and these are his friends some of them and he's the man Jesus.

He put mud on my eyes and sent me to the pool and then I came back seeing here. He's being very Regarded he's saying as few words as possible because I think he's picked up on the spirit of the Pharisees.

You know, he was blind not dumb and Not deaf and he heard the Pharisees walking around Jerusalem. It reminds me of that joke. I heard about Facebook. Facebook Has never made the blind to see or the deaf to hear.

But it sure has allowed the dumb to speak. I don't know why I even said that just just thought it was funny. Facebook has allowed the dumb to speak. Well. Back to our text.

Here.

He put mud on my eyes, but look how short and guarded he is with his words. He put mud on my eyes and I washed and I see he's being very guarded and short with his words. Then in verse 16 some of the Pharisees said.

Right away.

This man is not from God referring to Jesus. This man is not from God. Why would he say that? What is he blinded by. The blind man is standing before you able to see and you're already drawing conclusions.

This man is not from God. Where did that come from answer? Tradition. He goes on to say for he does not keep the Sabbath. Now isn't the Sabbath part of God's law. In Exodus 24 We're told that you're to rest on the seventh day.

So what's wrong with the reasoning of these folk. The answer is their traditions have gone beyond what is written. Jesus said in Matthew chapter 15 verse 3. Why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?

And.

In chapter 7 verse 24 of this book of John. He said do not judge by appearances but judge with right Judgment, you see the tradition of the Pharisees had gone beyond what was written to absurd Applications.

Now was the Sabbath made for man or man for the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for man. Not man for the Sabbath. It was a day of rest you see this is news also to Generation Y. You're supposed to work six days out of every week.

Imagine that well if you do that, especially in an agrarian society if you're plowing if you're working hard. You need a seventh day to heal For your body to recover. You've been breaking your muscles down.

You need a day of rest For your muscles to regroup and recover, right? So it's a day of healing that's the point of the Sabbath. So what better thing to do than to open blind eyes on the Sabbath you see?

But here is how the Pharisees by their tradition have turned everything upside down. This is from the Mishnah chapter 21. Maimonides is the one who's recording it and referring to the sages that went ahead of him and he says this.

Regarding the Sabbath the Torah states on the seventh day you shall cease activity. This implies Ceasing even the performance of certain activities that are not included in the categories of forbidden labors.

The Torah left the definition of the scope of this commandment to the sages. In other words the Pharisees get to say how that actually works out in practice. And they forbid many activities as Shavut forbidden now these activities include.

A person who levels crevices in the ground is liable for performing the forbidden labor of plowing.

Okay.

Leveling crevices is a big deal in the Mishnah. According to the Pharisees to level out any crevices because remember they're they're an agrarian society. They plow and they they sow seed if you level the ground.

Then that's plowing. Well, how far does this go. A Person who has mud on his feet may clean it off on a wall or on a beam but not on the ground Lest he level crevices. A Person should not spit on the ground and wipe it with his feet Lest he level crevices.

You really have a thing about this leveling of crevices. Now by the way, did you catch what that just said? When Jesus saw a blind man, he could have very easily looked him in the face and said eyes open.

And just like that his eyes would have been open instead. He spit on the ground and that spit leveled some crevices and Then he made mud of the spittle and he applied it to the man's eyes and sent him to the pool of Siloam.

Meaning sent you think he might have done that on purpose. You see Jesus does not regard their man-made traditions with respect. I God's word with respect and that's the difference by the way between you have heard that it was said in the Sermon on the Mount again and again or in Matthew 19 where it says Have you not read?

When he's defining marriage as between a man and a woman he says have you not read. And Refers back to Genesis chapter 2 verses 21 to 25. But when he says you have heard that it was said but I say he was not denying anything written in the Word of God.

He often is contradicting or adding some new thing Compared to what they used to say. This is what they say and so in the Mishnah they go on to say. It is however permitted to step on spittle that is lying on the ground as one walks without having any specific intent.

So if you step on somebody else's spit you didn't mean to do that. That's good. But it is forbidden for women who often play with almonds or the like to play with them on the Sabbath. Lest they be motivated to level crevices.

What.

Well, what it means is they had a game playing with almonds and if the almond would hit the dirt it would level a crevice. You see it would change the topography of the ground when the almond hit the dirt.

Very concerned about leveling crevices. It is forbidden to sweep the ground lest one level crevices unless the floor is paved with stone. One may however sprinkle water on the ground. There is no suspicion that the person will level crevices since this is not his intent.

One may not apply oil to the floor. Even if it is paved. Nor may one blow dust from the floor nor may one wash it. This applies on a holiday and surely on the Sabbath these acts were forbidden lest a person follow his usual weekday pattern and thus come thus come to level crevices.

So the Mishnah is extremely concerned with leveling crevices and so Jesus explicitly and deliberately spit on the ground disturbed the mud to level some crevices and challenged the tradition of the Pharisees.

And that's the conflict you're seeing here in John chapter 9. Now if you went to Cherry Hill East or Cherry Hill West you might find a couple of students who are concerned about leveling crevices. But if you went to any of the schools.

Or if you watched a commercial on television. You will see the traditions of 21st century America, and it's not Sabbath concern. It is a new set of traditions that are equally designed to keep people from Christ.

Barack Obama in his campaign speeches Would say this is not a Christian nation. At least not just. This is a Muslim nation. This is a Hindu nation. This is a Buddhist nation. He wrote this in his book the audacity of hope.

What is his point in this campaign speech that he repeated again and again it is to say and here is the tradition of 21st century America. There are many gods Christian you can worship your God and That's true for you but when a Buddhist worships this Buddhist idol or The Hindu the multiplicity of millions of gods or when a Muslim the most sacrosanct of all it seems worships Allah the only verboden Shavuot forbidden thing to do is to say that that God is nothing but an idol.

The tradition of our culture is to say there are many gods and whatever God you make to be your God is your God and it's true for you and No one is to question another person's religion you see. The tradition of our culture has the same aim as the demonic blinding of the Sabbath to the Pharisee.

It is a kind of Pharisee ism that keeps people bound from seeing that Christ is the only way to the father. If the devil can convince people that they are fine with their God and their God can save them.

Just like the Christian God can save the Christian. He keeps people blinded to the truth. This is what we're up against traditions. That little boy raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. Who's taught that his God is?

The offspring of a prior God from Kolob and that God has parents as well and Grandparents and great-grandparents so that all of the gods plural are a infinite regression. This is his tradition. He's been taught this by Mormonism his whole life.

That tradition keeps him from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. Who is the image of God? It's a spiritual war. Some with spiritual sight will come others by their tradition blinded will reject the truth.

That's right before their eyes. We're up against tradition, that's the device of Satan and there's one last one and that is fear.

And.

Here we are introduced to a third group the parents. So the crowds the neighbors they were confused. The Pharisees are blinded by tradition. But here the parents Are kept from coming to Christ by fear.

The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of The man who had received his sight and asked them three questions. Is this your son? Who you say was born blind.

Was he born blind? How then does he now see his parents answered one. We know that this is our son. Parents, you know your son, right? Can't miss that to That he was born blind. If you raised a blind son, you know that he's been blind his whole life.

Easy question. But the third now is an opportunity. They are uniquely responsible To consider who is the man? The Prophet.

The Lord.

But here's what they do they punt. Because of fear, but how he now sees we do not know. Nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him he is of age. He will speak for himself. Now in case you think I'm being a little hard on the parents here.

Maybe they just don't know yet. Listen to John's commentary. Look at verse 22 and 23. We're given the reason why they said this this is inspired by the Holy Spirit John. Writing these scriptures. They a new stick comes from the Spirit of God.

God breathed. So John knows this his parents said these things because They feared The Jews for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be the Christ He was to be put out of the synagogue.

Therefore his parents said he is of age. Ask him now this week answer. Stands in contrast to what we're gonna get next week. If this week we're seeing Satan's devices for the blinding of eyes. Versus 24 to 34 will be God's weapons for the confounding of enemies.

That's the title for next week's sermon. Already started writing it because I love the way this man Stands up with courage. To tell the truth. We need to study that in depth next week. But the contrast here set against that is how the parents cower and fear and you say well.

What's the big deal that you get desynagogued as the word in Greek? What is the big deal about being desynagogued? Okay, this is not like being put in Facebook jail. To be desynagogued means to be put out of Judaism.

You're out of Judaism. You can't do business like you used to you can't go to any synagogue if we ever God forbid needed to excommunicate someone because of Some some sin. Matthew 18 process, you know what they would likely do.

They just go to the church around the corner right. Isn't that the the consequence in in America. That's not how it was in Jerusalem. To be desynagogued meant you were out of Judaism. You were out of Jewish life.

You were an outcast you lose everything. So the cost is extremely high and They're counting that cost and they're unwilling to speak About Christ to lift them up. Now we live in a culture where the cost has gone from very minimal.