Deliverance Ministries Household of Faith
The Stages of Spiritual Sight
Posted by: Apostle Jacob Ballard III on Wed, Jun 14, 2017
Man's Eyes Opened
The Stages of Spiritual Sight,
John 9:8-41
(9:8-41) Introduction: the blind man had been delivered from darkness and given sight by the compassion of the Lord Jesus. In this passage, the delivered man is confronted by his neighbors Jews (John 9:8-12), by the Pharisees (John 9:13-34), and by Jesus (John 9:35-41).
The scene flows rapidly, and the man's (blind man) growing knowledge of Jesus is easily seen and grasped. The outline should be adequate in carrying one through this passage. Therefore, the footnotes will not discuss each point; but rather concentrate on Jesus as seen by the man, that is, on the
six stages of spiritual sight.
1. Stage 1: seeing Jesus as a man (v.8-12).
2. Stage 2: seeing Jesus as a Helper or a Healer (v.13-15).
3. Stage 3: seeing Jesus as a prophet (v.16-17).
4. Stage 4: seeing Jesus as the Savior (v.18-27).
5. Stage 5: seeing Jesus as being "of God" (v.28-34).
6. Stage 6: seeing Jesus as the Son of God (v.35-38).
7. The conclusion: the lesson of Jesus' revelation (v.39-41).
- (9:8-12) Spiritual Sight— Salvation— Christ Jesus, Misconceptions of: the first stage of spiritual sight is seeing Jesus as a man (John 9:11). Note: all the healed man knew was that "a man that is called Jesus" had commanded him to do certain things, and he did them and received his sight.
Note what happened to the blind man.
⇒ He was confronted by Jesus.
⇒ He was commanded to do some things.
⇒ He obeyed the commands of Jesus.
⇒ He was delivered from darkness and given sight.
The blind man was blessed by Jesus despite an inadequate understanding of Christ. But note the crucial point: his heart was right toward Jesus. It was tender and willing to do what Jesus said.
The first stage in a man's spiritual journey is to learn about Jesus. A man must learn about Jesus before he can ever learn of Jesus, before he can ever come to know Jesus personally. But once a man has learned about Jesus, it is imperative that he move on and come to know Jesus personally. The blind man could have stopped at any stage and failed in his spiritual journey.
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls" (Matthew 11:28-29).
Thought 1. There are many men like the blind man. They know about Jesus, but they do not know Jesus, not personally. They know His name, but little else. They have little understanding of His...
• teaching and claims
• presence and strength
• love and care
• power and promises
2. (9:13-15) Spiritual Sight— Salvation— Jesus Christ, Misconceptions of: the second stage of spiritual sight is seeing Jesus as a Helper or a Healer (John 9:15). The delivered man was brought before the religionists (by whom we are not told) because the Sabbath law had been broken. This was a serious offense to the Jews —John 5:15-16).
Note the man's answer to the religionists' question. He said that "He [the man, Jesus] put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see." He still saw Jesus only as a man, but as a man who had done a great thing by helping him and healing him. He saw Jesus as a great Helper and a great Healer. Note: this is a confession; the man was giving an answer to some questioners. He was confessing Jesus to be the great Helper and Healer.
Thought 1. Many confess Jesus just as the man confessed Him. They confess that He is a great man, a great...
• Teacher
• Moralist
• Martyr
• Healer
• Preacher
• Helper
• Law Giver
• Example
But note the critical point. This concept still comes far short of the truth. The delivered man did not yet know Jesus personally. He had not reached the stage of belief, of true salvation and worship (John 9:35-38).
"And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?" (Luke 4:22).
"And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power" (Luke 4:32).
"What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?" (John 7:36).
- (9:16-17) Spiritual Sight— Prophet— Jesus Christ, Misconceptions of: the third stage of spiritual sight is seeing Jesus as a prophet (John 9:17). The man really progressed in his view of Jesus at this point. The people saw a prophet as the highest office a man could hold, the most authoritative voice among the people.
A prophet was a man chosen by God...
• to walk close to God.
• to represent God among the people.
• to proclaim the message of God (Amos 3:7).
• to demonstrate the power of God.
• to help people by demonstrating God before them and by guiding and warning and ministering to them.
But again, Jesus was still seen only as a man, a godly man yes, but only a man. Such a concept was still short. The blind man's concept was still inadequate. He had not yet reached the stage of belief and worship (John 9:35-38).
"Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets" (Matthew 16:13-14).
"And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee" (Matthew 21:10-11).
"But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet" (Matthew 21:46).
4. (9:18-27) Spiritual Sight— Testimony: the fourth stage of spiritual sight is seeing Jesus as the Savior (John 9:25). The man now confessed the immortal words, "One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see" (John 9:25).
The man underwent the most severe questioning and attack imaginable. He should have been gripped with fear and quaking in his shoes, but instead he was giving one of the strongest confessions possible—his own personal experience with Jesus. He was blind, but now he could see.
He saw the hand of God...
• in his own life
• in the touch of Jesus
• in the feelings within his heart
• in the beauty of nature
Note that he was confessing his personal experience: he was blind, but now he could see. He could not answer the theological question: Is Jesus a mere man as all other men, or is He of God? But he could answer one thing: his own personal experience.
The point is this: he had progressed in his view of Jesus. He saw that Jesus may be more than a mere man like other men, but he could not say for sure. Just like a child, he did not know the theological terms nor how to express the nature of Jesus, but he did know one thing: Jesus had delivered and saved him from blindness. Jesus was his Savior and Deliverer from blindness to sight.
"For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).
"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" (John 3:17).
"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief" (1 Tim. 1:15).
5. (9:28-34) Spiritual Sight— Jesus Christ, Deity: the fifth stage of spiritual sight is seeing Jesus as being "of God" (John 9:32-33). This was the man's final answer to those who questioned his confession of Jesus. He confessed that Jesus was "of God."
He reasoned that...
• helping and delivering a blind man was God's will.
• Jesus delivered him. God heard Jesus ‘and empowered Jesus to heal him.
• Jesus was bound to be "of God."
The man knew that the works of Jesus were proof that He was from God. Therefore, Jesus was not a liar and a deceiver; Jesus was not an evil man. He was bound to be who He claimed to be; He was bound to be "of God." (John 7:25-31.)
"For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me" (John 6:38).
"I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me" (John 7:28-29).
"Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me" (John 8:42).
6. (9:35-38) Christ Jesus, Deity— Spiritual Sight: the sixth stage of spiritual sight is seeing Jesus as the Son of God. Note two points.
1. Jesus was the One who did the seeking. He sought the man who had been cast out.
Thought 1. Anyone can cast a person out—a business, a church, a family, neighbors, friends. But Jesus seeks the person who is cast out and rejected. He always does, no matter who the person is or what the person has done.
2. The climactic stage of spiritual sight is clearly demonstrated by the man's experience.
a. It is seeing Jesus as the Son of God (John 1:1-2; John 1:34).
"Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God" (Matthew 14:33).
"The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (Mark 1:1).
"And I [John the Baptist] saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God" (John 1:34).
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:16-18).
"Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?" (John 10:36).
"She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world" (John 11:27).
"Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?" (Hebrews 10:29).
"Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God" (1 John 4:15).
b. Jesus is the Son of God and worshipping Him is what we do ( John 2:24).
"That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:15-16).
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24).
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:9-10).
7. (9:39-41) Conclusion: the lesson of Jesus' revelation. Note two significant points.
- Jesus stated that His mission upon earth was to bring judgment. Jesus judges man—all generations of men.
a. He judges the man who knows he is spiritually blind and wants to see. He takes the man who is spiritually blind and gives him sight—if that man really desires to see.
"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12).
"I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness" (John 12:46).
"Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light" (Ephes. 5:14).
b. He judges the man who claims to have spiritual sight apart from Him. The man who says he sees spiritually, and claims to know God apart from Christ—that man is judged to be blind. John 14:6-9.)
"But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matthew 6:23).
"And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not" (John 1:5).
"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil" (John 3:19).
2.The religionists expected exemption from judgment. They were opposing Jesus, so they expected Him to say they were blind, but He shocked them. He said that blindness was an excuse. If they had been blind, they would have been excused; for they would have been acting in ignorance, not knowing what they were doing. ( Romans 5:13.)
But they...
• knew the law of God.
• knew about spiritual things.
• claimed to see.
• did not recognize God's Son.
They were, therefore, guilty and were judged "blind" and were to be condemned.
"But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you" (Matthew 11:22).
"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil" (John 3:19).
"For there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law" (Romans 2:11-12).
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