Priority of Faith - Do you Believe?

John 9:35-41

While ministering to a patient in the terminal stages of lung cancer, a doctor became aware of the man’s deeper spiritual need. And almost hesitatingly, fearing he might be getting out of his territory, the doctor asked the man about his spiritual condition. The patient responded as if this might have been the real reason he had come to the hospital. In the next few moments this lonely man came to know God’s forgiveness and peace. He was healed for eternity by the One who sought him out through words of love and truth spoken by a caring, believing physician.

This patient could have put all his faith in the doctor and in his medical expertise. That would have been the sensible thing to do by almost all accounts. But the patient would have been placing his faith in the wrong thing.

Last week you heard how Christ Jesus came into the world to give sight to those who were spiritually blind. He also, came to open the eyes of those who have a high high opinion of their own wisdom, so that they might not be given over to their ignorance.

This morning we read about how Christ Jesus graciously revealed Himself to the once blind man. Now the once blind man was shown what an unspeakable mercy it was. He was cured of his blindness, so that he might see the Son of God. None but God is to be worshiped; so that in worshiping Christ Jesus, he came to know God. All who believe in Christ Jesus, will want worship Him.

John 9:35-41
35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"

36 "Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him."

37 Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you."

38 Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him.

39 Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."

40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?"

41 Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains. 

 

1. Do you Believe? (vs. 35-36)

When Christ Jesus heard that they had cast the once blind man out (bad news travels fast), then He found him. Christ Jesus does not leave this man to his face his fate alone. Now His work of healing could be completed.

Why seek this man out? Because the healed man had, to the best of his knowledge, spoken well, bravely, and boldly, in defense of our Lord Christ Jesus. Christ Jesus will stand by His witnesses.  

When everyone else fails you and they will, some times not intentionally; because they are human. Christ Jesus will not fail you. Your Lord and Saviour, Christ Jesus knows and observes all the faithful testimonies you bear Him at all times. And great is your reward, (Matt. 5:11-12) 

Look again at verse 35. Christ Jesus looked for the man, notice something different here? Usually it was the someone looking for Christ Jesus. Often we talk about “finding God” or “finding Christ.” But They were never lost. You and I were or are the lost ones, and God found us. 

“Do you believe in the Son of Man or God?” Christ Jesus examined the man's faith: Do you give credit to the promises of the Messiah? Do you expect His coming, and are you ready to receive and embrace Him when He is shown to you?" 

This was the faith of the Son of God that all the early believers lived before Christ Jesus' coming. Those that expected the earthly kingdom of the Messiah preferred to call him the Son of David, which gave greater endorsement to that expectation. But Christ Jesus, so that He could give us an understanding of His kingdom, as purely spiritual and divine, calls Himself the Son of God.

The question Christ Jesus asked the once blind man is the same question He asks everyone, even you. Do you believe in the Son of God? Who is He? He is Jesus - But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." Matt 1:20-21

2. You Have Seen (vs. 37-38)

Christ Jesus again does something different in His encounter with the once blind man. Usually He would present the evidence of His Messiah-ship and then leave it up to the person or persons to come to their own conclusions concerning Him. 

Was He or wasn't He the Messiah? This time it was like the case of the woman of Samaria (4:26), Christ Jesus graciously revealed Himself to the once blind man as the Son of God. Christ here showed Himself to this man physically and spiritually: First, what an unspeakable mercy it must have been to be cured of his blindness, and then see the Son of God.

It must have been a sight which caused his heart to rejoiced more than any light of this world. Can you say that by faith you have seen Christ Jesus? Have you seen Him in His beauty and glory, in His ability and willingness to save? Have you seen Him with open eyes and heart so as to be satisfied concerning Him, to be satisfied in Him?

Never having seen Jesus before, but simply knowing that a person of that name had opened his eyes, he had only considered him a holy man and a prophet; now he was prepared to worship Him (v. 38).  This was far more than deference to a great man; it was religious worship. This was the overflowing expression of gratitude and faith. 

He paid homage to Christ Jesus as the Messiah and as his gracious benefactor. It is only right and natural to express thanks and praise for mercies you are given. All blessings should lead you to pour out your gratitude to Christ Jesus, for it is from Him that all good things flow.

This especially is true when your spiritual eyes have been opened, and you are permitted to see the glories of heaven. Will you give praise to the one who can open your eyes? Will you give praise to Christ Jesus!

3. We See (vs. 39-41)

On November 30, 1991 fierce winds from a freakish dust storm triggered a massive freeway pileup along Interstate 5 near Coalinga, California. At least 14 people died and dozens more were injured as topsoil whipped by 50 mile-per-hour winds reduced visibility to zero. The afternoon holocaust left a three-mile trail of twisted and burning vehicles, some stacked on top of one another 100 yards off the side of the freeway. Unable to see their way, dozens of motorists drove blindly ahead into disaster. - Today in the Word, August 16, 1992.

It was the same with the Pharisees and it is the same with those who refuse to see Christ Jesus for who He is – the Son of God. They drive headlong into disaster.

Instead of faith in the Lord, the Pharisees demonstrated the futility of faith in one's self. Verse 39 is one of the most striking verses in the Bible. Christ Jesus made Himself the pivotal point of human destiny.

Christ Jesus did not come into the world to judge it (John 3:17). But it inevitably His coming resulted in judgment, because some chose not to follow Him. Some chose not to believe and follow Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour, there may even be some one here this morning who has not chosen to believe and follow Christ Jesus. By refusing to be a Christ Follower a person will be judged guilty; and because of this their name is not recorded in the Book of Life.

The Pharisees asked what they thought was a rhetorical question: Are we blind too? The Pharisees' own question condemned them. Their insistence that they could see made their sin willful. The availability of the light made them guilty of rejecting relief from their blindness. Every person who realizes their spiritual blindness becomes a candidate for seeing.

If you refuse to recognize your spiritual blindness, you place yourself beyond help. If you are clinging to your own self-righteousness, your guilt remains and will continue to do so until you realize that none are righteous but Christ Jesus. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” (Isa 64:6)

Listen to what Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans, “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;”” (Rom 3:9-10).

Do you still believe you are or can ever be good enough to have a restored relationship with God by your own merit or works? Then you like the Pharisees are are relying on your own self-righteousness.

Conclusion: What a day, a blind beggar, a theological question posed by the disciples, proof of Jesus' divinity – the blind beggar healed (oops on the Sabbath). The Pharisees holding court – (well sort of).

That day one saw the light of day and the light of life in his declaration of Jesus as the Christ and his Lord. Others, with supposedly greater knowledge of spiritual things, were living in everlasting blindness, and their rejection of Christ Jesus sealed that blindness. Their self-righteous boast, you see, assumed a wisdom that did not include faith in the Son of God. Their blindness was due to the sin of closing their eyes to who Christ Jesus was, and is; the light of the world. Will that be the case with you today? Or will you for the first time have your spiritual eyes opened?