This Week's Focus Passage

John 9:25 ‘One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.’

This Week’s Focus Passage: John 9:25
‘One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.’

This is one of those well-known statements from the Holy Scriptures of God. It has undoubtedly been the source of many a sermon specifically targeting the unregenerate, and rightly so, for it speaks of the state and condition of natural man apart from the grace of God. The blind man in question in this narrative, was blind from his birth. Spiritually speaking, all mankind is blind, and it is only as the glorious light of the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ shines into our hearts that we are able to see. We witness in this account both the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. God’s sovereign visible activity, in this case through the God-man, was the employment of the clay that He had made from the ground mixed with His own spittle. The invisible ingredient was the salvific power in the Word of God when, again in this case, the Savior simply directed this object of grace to ‘Go, wash,’ even as in other instances He said, ‘Stretch forth thy hand,’ or, ‘Rise, and walk.’ The responsibility given to man was to obey the directive of the Lord when he was told to, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam,’ and we are told that, as he obeyed, and washed, he returned with the ability to see; something he had never been capable of doing. ‘The man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes…….I went away and washed, and I received my sight.’ Here is an occasion of hearing mixed with faith in those that believe; we might well say, by the Word and the Spirit, for it is the work of God the Holy Spirit to bring life to those dead in trespasses and sins, and it is only as He has done so that anyone can hear the Word spoken.

This narrative is peculiarly interesting from the absence in the text of any request coming from the lips of the subject of this miracle. More often than not we have set before us such expressions as, ‘When the water is troubled, I have no man to put me into the pool,’ ‘Lord, that I may receive my sight,’ or, ‘I believe, Lord, help thou mine unbelief,’ ‘Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.’ Strikingly, on the occasion of this miracle the question is posed to Christ regarding the reason that this man was born blind; the concern seems to be over the source and ground of affliction. This, at least to some degree, may relate to the issue unfolded in the book of Job as to the cause of afflictions which were poured over him. we are taught that the cause was not the sin of Job (not that he was without sin) but, even as in the matter of our focus passage, ‘that the works of God should be made manifest in him.’ To return to this man born blind from his birth, it is being noticed that there is no record of a request or plea from this man, or even from one of his friends or relatives, that sight should be granted to him. It may be of significance that in the blessed events spiritual healing, that is to say, the matters of regeneration, conversion, of being born again, and coming to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, it is to be observed that there is often no demonstrable seeking on the part of the object of God’s grace. The account has been given of one man who, in fact, was searching the Scriptures, not seeking for God or the grace of God but, rather, seeking to disprove the notion that these were indeed the words of the living God, when in the course of his efforts the Holy Spirit arrested him, convicted him of sin and undoneness, giving him the gift of faith to come savingly to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the Word and the Spirit! Has this not been the history of many that are now in the fold of the Good Shepherd? Surely all who have been the subjects of this gracious activity rejoice to utter the words of this man born blind, ‘Now I see.’

The subsequent features contained in this brief excerpt from the man’s experience are as remarkable as they are informative. We will only be able to put ourselves in his place and circumstances according as our faith has been challenged by the world around us. The powers that be confronted him; his own parents were much too fearful to give him aid or support. He stood alone against the interrogations of unbelieving Pharisees who were insisting, ‘This man is not from God, because he keepeth not the Sabbath,’ and, ‘we know that this man is a sinner.’ The manner in which these accusers uttered the term this man was very likely couched in scorn. Ironically, this is the only part of their derisive charges that they got right; the healer was this man, but so much more than this man, being the promise of the fathers, the God-man Himself; God and man united in the mystery of the incarnation. Those who were looking for a king on a grand white charger coming to lead them in overthrowing and casting out the Roman legions from their homeland, could not see the Champion when they looked upon the meek and lowly One; truly He was despised and rejected of men. How blest had they been if they had given heartfelt thought to the declaration of the man born blind, ‘Why, herein is the marvel, that ye know not whence he is, and yet he opened my eyes.’

How bold this man became when he had received his sight. While his parents cowered under the bullying of the religious leaders, he brought to bear all the truth that he knew at that point against their folly. He did not plead his ignorance of great doctrinal truths that he had not as yet become acquainted with. He did not hide behind his being but a ‘new convert,’ and though he knew little, he knew enough, ‘whereas I was blind, now I see.’ If every recipient of the grace of God refused to defend the truth until they were satisfied that they had reached some point of proficiency in polemics, much of the defense of the gospel would never be made. And while we could certainly not wish to be blind leaders of the blind, yet when we can say with Paul, ‘I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to guard that which I have committed unto him against that day,’ may our lips be opened to proclaim all the wondrous things that the Lord has done for us. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ enable us all to be bold for the faith once delivered to the saints? When our parents, family, or friends won’t stand with us, that’s the time to recall it is He who opened our eyes; He will guard us in that day. It’s not what we know will keep us in that day, it is rather Who we know; Jesus, the Son of God.

David Farmer, elder
Fellowship Bible Church

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