Spiritual Blindness

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Spiritual Blindness

• John 91-41

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s?µe??? semeion sign

• s?µe??? semeion Pronounced say-mi-on
• 77 occurrences, translated sign 50 times, miracle
  23 times, wonder 3 times
• 1. a sign, mark, token
• a. that by which a person or a thing is made
  known
• b. a sign, an unusual occurrence, outside the
  common course of nature
• 2. miracles and wonders by which God proves that
  a person was sent by him

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John Wrote Because..?

• Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the
  presence of his disciples, which are not recorded
  in this book. But these are written that you may
  believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
  and that by believing you may have life in his
  name.
• John 2030-31 NIV

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Blind Man or King?
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John 91-2

• As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had
  been blind from birth. Teacher, his disciples
  asked him, why was this man born blind? Was it a
  result of his own sins or those of his parents?

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John 93-4

• It was not because of his sins or his parents
  sins, Jesus answered. He was born blind so the
  power of God could be seen in him. All of us must
  quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the
  one who sent me, because there is little time
  left before the night falls and all work comes to
  an end. But while I am still here in the world, I
  am the light of the world.

7
John 96-7

• Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the
  saliva, and smoothed the mud over the blind mans
  eyes. He told him, Go and wash in the pool of
  Siloam (Siloam means Sent). So the man went and
  washed, and came back seeing!

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John 98-9a

• His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind
  beggar asked each other, Is this the same
  manthat beggar? Some said he was, and others
  said, No, but he surely looks like him!
• And the beggar kept saying, I am the same man!

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John 99b-12

• They asked, Who healed you? What happened?
• He told them, The man they call Jesus made mud
  and smoothed it over my eyes and told me, Go to
  the pool of Siloam and wash off the mud. I went
  and washed, and now I can see!
• Where is he now? they asked.
• I dont know, he replied.

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John 913-15

• Then they took the man to the Pharisees. Now as
  it happened, Jesus had healed the man on a
  Sabbath. The Pharisees asked the man all about
  it. So he told them, He smoothed the mud over my
  eyes, and when it was washed away, I could see!

11
John 916

• Some of the Pharisees said, This man Jesus is
  not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.
  Others said, But how could an ordinary sinner do
  such miraculous signs? So there was a deep
  division of opinion among them.

12
John 917-19

• Then the Pharisees once again questioned the man
  who had been blind and demanded, This man who
  opened your eyes--who do you say he is?
• The man replied, I think he must be a prophet.
• The Jewish leaders wouldn't believe he had been
  blind, so they called in his parents. They asked
  them, Is this your son? Was he born blind? If
  so, how can he see?

13
John 920-23

• His parents replied, We know this is our son and
  that he was born blind, but we don't know how he
  can see or who healed him. He is old enough to
  speak for himself. Ask him. They said this
  because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders,
  who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was
  the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue.
  That's why they said, He is old enough to speak
  for himself. Ask him.

14
John 924-26

• So for the second time they called in the man who
  had been blind and told him, Give glory to God
  by telling the truth, because we know Jesus is a
  sinner.
• I don't know whether he is a sinner, the man
  replied. But I know this I was blind, and now I
  can see!
• But what did he do? they asked. How did he
  heal you?

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John 927-29

• Look! the man exclaimed. I told you once.
  Didn't you listen? Why do you want to hear it
  again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?
• Then they cursed him and said, You are his
  disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know
  God spoke to Moses, but as for this man, we don't
  know anything about him.

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John 930-33

• Why, that's very strange! the man replied. He
  healed my eyes, and yet you don't know anything
  about him! Well, God doesn't listen to sinners,
  but he is ready to hear those who worship him and
  do his will. Never since the world began has
  anyone been able to open the eyes of someone born
  blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn't
  do it.

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John 934

• You were born in sin! they answered. Are you
  trying to teach us? And they threw him out of
  the synagogue.

18
John 935-38

• When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the
  man and said, Do you believe in the Son of Man?
• The man answered, Who is he, sir, because I
  would like to.
• You have seen him, Jesus said, and he is
  speaking to you!
• Yes, Lord, the man said, I believe! And he
  worshiped Jesus.

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John 939-41

• Then Jesus told him, I have come to judge the
  world. I have come to give sight to the blind and
  to show those who think they see that they are
  blind.
• The Pharisees who were standing there heard him
  and asked, Are you saying we are blind?

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John 939-41

• If you were blind, you wouldn't be guilty,
  Jesus replied.
• But you remain guilty because you claim you can
  see.

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Who was blind in this story?

• The man born blind?
• The Pharisees?

Jesus Verdict The Pharisees
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Why were the Pharisees Blind?

• The Jewish leaders wouldn't believe he had been
  blind (verse 18)
• we know Jesus is a sinner (verse 24)
• You are his disciple, but we are disciples of
  Moses. (verse 28)
• you remain guilty because you claim you can
  see. (verse 41)

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Jesus Explanation

• I have come to give sight to the blind and to
  show those who think they see that they are
  blind John 939

the general assumption or practice is an
unreliable guide to life under God Principle of
Reversal
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What is our blindness?
Success?
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What is our blindness?
The Ladies? The Men?
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What is our blindness?
More Common Distractions?
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What is our blindness?
Nationalism? Culture?
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What is our blindness?
The American Dream?
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What is our blindness?
Christian Club?
Famous Televangelists?
Mega-Church?
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To Be Blind, or To See

• He was born blind so the power of God could be
  seen in him. All of us must quickly carry out the
  tasks assigned us by the one who sent me, because
  there is little time left before the night falls
  and all work comes to an end.
• John 94 NLB