1. The Lord Jesus had gone out of the Temple safely
2. There were people who needed His attention and ministry
3. The Lord Jesus and His Disciples saw a man who was blind from birth (John 9:1)
THE COMMENTS OF THE DISCIPLES
1. They commented on the plight of the blind man
2. They asked for His comments
And His disciples asked Him, saying,
“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” John 9:2
3. The question of the Disciples
a) Who sinned?
i) Does illness always have to be sin-related?
ii) This was a common assumption
b) Two possibilities considered
i) The man himself caused this problem
ii) The parents’ sin brought about this problem
4. Common understanding (misunderstanding)
a) That all illnesses/problems are caused by sin
i) Because of sin
ii) Illness is seen as a judgment/punishment from God
b) That the sins of parents are visited upon their children
i) Many think what was written by Moses applies
5 Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 6 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” Exodus 34:5-7
ii) That God would visit the iniquity of the fathers upon their children
iii) That this punishment would last up to the 3rdand 4th generation
5. A wrong understanding of the meaning of this text
a) God declared His divine attributes
i) Mercy
ii) Grace
iii) Longsuffering
iv) Goodness
v) Truth
b) Lest these be misunderstood and misapplied
i) God also spoke of His divine right of exercising judgment
ii) It does not mean that He will certainly extend the punishment to the 3rd and 4th generations!
THE RESPONSE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:4-5
1. A quick and definite answer
a) The blindness was not caused by the man’s sin!
He was born blind!
b) Neither was the blindness caused by the sins of the parents!
2. A profound answer
“But that the works of God should be revealed in him.” John 9:3b
a) The works of God
This was an opportunity to appreciate the work of God
b) The mighty work of God would now be revealed in him
i) A work of grace
ii) A work of power
THE LORD’S RESPONSE TO THE WORK OF GOD REVEALED
1. “I must work the works of Him who sent Me” John 9:4a
a) The Lord Jesus desired to do the works of God
b) He determined to do His works
2. Sent by God
a) There was a deep consciousness of being Sent by God
b) There was a corresponding commitment to fulfil what He was sent to do
3. A Sense of Urgency
“While it is day; the night is coming when no one can work”John 9:4b
a) The Day was getting shorter
b) The Night was coming very soon
i) This was a reference to His death
ii) His earthly ministry would end with His death
4. The Light of the world
“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” John 9:5