September 18, 2022; Sunday School

Order of Service

• Scripture Reading & Discussion — John 9:18-38
• Sermon
• Closing Prayer

---

Sermon Title: I Was Blind But Now I See

Scripture: John 9:18-38

I. The Interrogation of the Man Born Blind's Parents (vv. 18–23)

A. The Pharisees summon the parents and pose two threatening questions: is this your son, and how does he now see?

1. Their goal was to manage the evidence and undermine the miracle's credibility
2. The parents confirm their son's identity and his blindness from birth but claim ignorance of how he was healed

B. The parents' evasion is likely motivated by fear rather than genuine ignorance

1. Word of the healing had almost certainly spread throughout the community (John 9:8)
2. They feared excommunication from the synagogue (John 9:22)
3. Their deflection: "He is of age; ask him"

II. The Second Interrogation of the Man Born Blind (vv. 24–34)

A. The Pharisees attempt to manipulate him by declaring "Give glory to God — we know this man is a sinner"

1. They feign zeal for God's glory while seeking to deny Christ the honor due him
2. They rely on intimidation tactics, hoping to pit testimony against testimony

B. The man born blind responds with growing boldness — a "grace-resultant metamorphosis"

1. He begins humbly with what he does not know: "Whether he is a sinner I do not know"
2. He anchors his testimony in what he does know: "One thing I do know: though I was blind, now I see" (John 9:25)
3. When pressed again, he refuses to repeat himself and taunts them: "Do you also want to become his disciples?" (John 9:27)

C. The Pharisees reveal their spiritual blindness through their claims of knowledge

1. "We know that God has spoken to Moses" — but "as for this man, we do not know where he comes from" (John 9:29)
2. Jesus rebuked this very claim: belief in Moses necessarily leads to belief in Christ (John 5:45-47)
3. Peter's sermon confirms Moses pointed to Christ (Acts 3:22-26)
4. The Pharisees had sufficient evidence: Micah 5:2 (Bethlehem), Isaiah's prophecies of healing the blind, and the miracle itself

D. The man born blind delivers a scripturally sound argument

1. God does not listen to sinners, but does listen to worshipers who do his will (John 9:31)
2. Never in history had a man born blind been given sight (John 9:32)
3. Result: he is excommunicated from the synagogue (John 9:34)

III. The Pattern of Knowing in John 9:18–33

A. James Montgomery Boyce identifies the word "know" used approximately ten times across three parties

1. The parents — knew the facts but suppressed the truth out of fear
2. The Pharisees — began with confident claims of knowledge but ended admitting ignorance; thought they knew the truth but did not
3. The man born blind — began with humble acknowledgment of what he did not know, but declared with certainty what he did know

B. The contrast is ironic: the spiritually "seeing" Pharisees are truly blind; the physically blind man comes to see both physically and spiritually

IV. The Question That Matters Most — Do You Believe in the Son of Man? (vv. 35–38)

A. Jesus seeks out the excommunicated man — he pursues him B. The question is important for three reasons

1. It concerns his complete salvation — physical and intellectual restoration are not enough; spiritual salvation is the goal
2. It concerns the only means of salvation — Christ alone (John 14:6; Acts 4:12)
3. It clarifies that salvation is not based on obedience, testimony, or suffering for Christ's sake — it rests solely on belief in the Son of Man (1 John 3:23)

C. The man born blind responds humbly: "Who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe"

1. Jesus reveals himself: "You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you" (John 9:37)
2. Parallels the revelation to the woman at the well (John 4) and Simeon's sight of the Lord's Christ (Luke 2:25-32)
3. The man confesses belief and worships Jesus (John 9:38)

V. Application — The Importance of What We Know

A. Christians are called to anchor their faith in concrete knowledge of Christ

1. 2 Timothy 1:12 — "I know whom I have believed"
2. Job 19:25 — "I know that my Redeemer lives"
3. Romans 8:28 — "all things work together for good"
4. 1 John 5:13 — "that you may know that you have eternal life"

B. This knowledge does not originate in human reason; it is spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14)

C. God reveals himself through his Word and through the work of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6)

D. The man born blind's testimony models saving faith: humble acknowledgment of what we do not know, unwavering declaration of what we do know, and ultimately — worship