John 9:34-41 - Spiritual Blindness

John 9:34-41

34 They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?” So they put him out.

35 Jesus heard that they had put him out, and finding him, He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.” 38 And he said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped Him. 39 And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” 40 Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains."

Message: Spiritual Blindness

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)." 

What the Lord is Saying: Chapter 9 continues with Jesus interacting with a blind man, then healing him and then what follows is interactions with Pharisees, mostly between the former blind man and the Pharisees but now here at the end culminates in Jesus appearing on the scene and speaking again to this man. It is interesting that most of this chapter has been about the blind man bearing testimony. Jesus could have been speaking the entire time but instead the chapter recounts a testimony which is what we have today. Jesus is not here on earth and so life is about providing testimony from us, his followers, his ambassadors on Jesus. 

In the last lesson, I noticed that the former blind man turned the tables on the Pharisees and even tried to preach a little to them. I kind of thought that probably didn't go over well with the Pharisees and sure enough, in verse 34, the Pharisees say, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?” The Pharisees undoubtedly believed in different type of people. Moses was significant (from God), they were significant as religious leaders, and then there were sinners. And yet they make this proclamation that the former blind man was "born entirely in sins." As such there is something about them whereby they think they are the authoritative representatives of God.  But also they are echoing the words of the disciples in 9:2 over his condition of being born blind and that the reason for his blindness was that either he sinned or is his parents. 

Jesus shows up. The interaction between the former blind man and the Pharisees has ended and Jesus shows up, not to speak to the Pharisees but to the former blind man. Jesus approaches him and asks a seemingly puzzling question, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"  I suppose he wouldn't need to say, "Do you believe in Me?" because the man has already confirmed this, but instead he asks him a different statement about whether Jesus is the Son of Man. Note: that many of the oldest manuscripts refer to the phrase "Son of Man" and many also believe the reading is "Son of God." Son of Man is a term that Jesus refers to himself. "Son of Man" is referenced 93 times in Ezekiel and then 84 times in the New Testament, most often in Matthew. The man responds to Jesus, "Who is He (the Son of Man)?" And Jesus responds, "I am he." And the man responds by worshipping Him. 

Now, not sure we need to make too much out of the word "worship" here. At this moment, this man is evolving in his understanding of Jesus. I would think this man is already a Christian in the sense that we would think of that term, a changed, saved person, accepted by God for all eternity, but here worship I think is a simple understanding right now of Jesus. He is recognizing that Jesus has authority, special authority that is distinct from others. He is more than simply a prophet. 

What follows by Jesus is I think a very interesting discourse as Jesus basically then says he has come to save the lost, to save the blind. That those who purport that see will not believe. Like today, I sent a response to an Islamic man who has already come to the conclusion that he can see (in his own way). And he is only stating about Jesus that he is merely a messenger. So my focus in talking to him should not be so much as a person trying to rescue him, but more as a person that is trying to make a better defense as to what I believe. As I have learned the chief reason for doing apologetics is to help the Christian better understand what they believe. 

The blind man possessed something in him that he could not control, his blindness, and in the process all that he wanted was to see. The Pharisees judge the man for being blind and in a way, stand with pride, believing that they are greater than this man. They don't have a need. The man has a need and so he seems to be more willing to accept Jesus. Jesus says in verse 39, "For judgement I came into the world." This judgment is not a final judgment, but rather he has come to declare who He is and then see how people respond. What will their judgment of him be? Will they choose to follow or not? So Jesus came into the world to carry out the judgment of each person. This is it: will you believe? Yes or No?

Again, he states a very radical statement, "that those who see may become blind." Here is judgment - do you see? Are you good with your life? Do you think you have the answer to life? Or do you rather have a need? And will you believe in God and depend on Him? What are you trusting in? For those that think they can already see, they are the one's who are blind. 

Spiritual pride was the original cause of sin as mentioned in Genesis 3:4 - "The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die!" I know better than God. And many in our world have this spiritual pride. They have already made up their mind, but still others are searching and so maybe the quest in evangelism is finding the harvest (Matthew 9:38). There is a harvest that is ripe. We need to locate it. 

Verse 40 says, "If you were blind, you would have no sin." The Pharisee asks in the previous verse if they were blind. They miss the point of Jesus' previous words "those who do not may see." Once we start with not seeing and in need then we will see. And Jesus says to be blind is a good thing because then you would not be guilty. Proud is the Pharisees. They think they are not blind and see. And for this person, "your sin remains." Find the blind. Find those that are searching. 

Summary: Jesus is the Son of Man and comes to give people the opportunity to either choose Him or go their own way. 

Promise: Many blind themselves to God and His ways by believing they have all the answers, but we are to find the harvest, those that continually want to seek the Light. 

Prayer: Lord, again, I thank you for teaching me through Your words and helping me with this understanding of sharing truth with others. Help me to find your harvest, to find those who truly want to seek You. Lead me to your harvest. Give me opportunities to share my testimony with others of how I was blind, but now I see. Show me other people that are blind in our world and are looking for you to be their Savior and Lord. You are savior and Lord. Direct me and help me to be bold. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's. 

John 3:7-8 - Irresistible Regeneration

John 3:7-8

7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Message: Irresistible Regeneration

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."

What the Lord is Saying: As stated yesterday, Jesus is being emphatic and this phrase "You must be born again" is a phrase that I have heard repeated, though less often it would seem in the last 10 years. But it was strong in its emphasis. I think it is a phrase that we must continue to put out there and mention to people. 

It is interesting that the word "You" in "You must be born again" is plural. So it means not only Nicodemus but everyone. 

Yesterday in the lesson I was pondering my conversion and realizing that at the point of my prayer something had already occurred. This being born again seems to be about the Spirit working in and then what follows is us believing. "We are saved by grace through faith."  Again, the Spirit gets a hold of us and changes our being to make us susceptible to the truth and then we believe and have faith. And we are saved. Romans 8:8 says, "Those who are in the flesh cannot please God." And so there needs to be a transformation in us that is away from the flesh. So again, it is the Spirit that changes us.

And so this means that those who are in the Spirit are pleasing to God.

Verse 8 is an amazing presentation of the Spirit of God and how it works - Like the Wind. It cannot be explained. We see the result in each other but we don't know how it occurs.

I admit it is easy to be discouraged by this. It can be discouraging at times to stare at results or the lack thereof. Even in my ministry role that I am in and the toil of talking to people and replying to people about the truth of God, over and over and often not seeing the results. I suppose it is normal to struggle not getting outcomes. And yet I also know nothing I do is a waste of time or effort (I Corinthians 15:58).

Granted, I am thankful for me, where I am at, and what I have, but it is a struggle at times to be this remnant and for the world to be in so much opposition to truth. But this is why the lesson is titled, "Irresistible" because if you are chosen you can't refuse. 

Summary: The Spirit moves in us to be born again, and we believe then, which pleases God. 

Promise: The point is that the Spirit can and will finally overcome all resistance to the truth in those whom God has chosen for salvation.

Prayer: O God, I am forever grateful by your forever mercy towards me. It is indeed amazing and I am indeed blessed. Help me to not get discouraged. Perhaps I am heavy at this moment for a myriad of things in this life. Thank you for the friends I have in Christ and the people of unity in my life. I wish there were more. I wish your truth was more prevalent in life today. Revive us Lord and come Holy Spirit come. 

John 3:3-6 - Our Need for Regeneration

John 3:3-6

3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."

Message: Our Need for Regeneration

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."

What the Lord is Saying: Nicodemus had come to Jesus to acknowledge to himself that this man Jesus that had come could only do signs if God had sent him. And we remember that prior to this, at the end of chapter 2 was the declaration that people were believing in Jesus because of the signs that they had seen him doing. Jesus now in verse 3 has a clarification to make to Nicodemus and others -- "Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."  Jesus is probably making one of the clearest declarations in scripture. One must be born again. 

Nicodemus is bewildered with the words. It is like he has never heard anything like this before and probably he hasn't. He rightfully doesn't understand as most persons hearing this would not understand - How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?”

And so Jesus further clarifies. Jesus is not necessarily answering Nicodemus question it seems but continuing to proclaim that life is not simply about watching him do miracles and signs and then believing but one must be born again. And being born again or the process of being born again includes being born of water and the Spirit. 

It is interesting then the mention that to be born again is a change that happens by the Spirit so it is not a man-made change per se. And thus, is the idea of regeneration. I love to listen to people's testimonies because born again experiences cause a complete change in a person most of the time. There is an awakening that occurs. I'm always thinking back to when this occurred for me, at the age of 14, 3 weeks shy of my 15th birthday. As I think about it, my sense is the change had already and the date, August 10, 1982 in the afternoon in a Wendy's parking lot, was, I believe, a formality. And yet I know in those moments God awakened me to an understanding of Him and since then the light bulb has been on and the desire has been there to continue to grow in Christ. 

As I saw yesterday, Nicodemus as a Pharisee held to the idea that (1) God created the world, (2) chose Israel as His people, and (3) rewarded and punished them according to the law or their observance of the Law. Because of this, simply being a part of nation of Israel or a Jew guaranteed a person to be accepted by God for all eternity. And yet Jesus points out here that a person must be "born again." This must have been hard to hear. Will Nicodemus still think Jesus is sent from God? For now, Jesus is saying that your lineage or his progeny is not the ticket. I wonder in the Old Testament times, did the annual atonement that was made by the priests in the Temple/Tabernacle, was this for any and all Jews or was it only for a specific segment of those populations? 

I think there is still a great tendency to claim allegiance to your parents faith or grandparents as a person is born and think that is good enough. But Jesus is saying that it is one thing to born of flesh but something different to be born of the Spirit. 

Summary: To see the kingdom of God, you must be born again, by the Spirit of God. 

Promise: No one is born a Christian. 

Prayer: Father God, thank you for waking me up. And giving me new life in You, making me born again and brining me into Your kingdom. 

John 1:10-13 - The Right to be Children of God

John 1:10-13 

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His sown, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Message: The Right to be Children of God

Time: Jesus' disciple John, the brother of James, the son of Zebedee was one of the inner circle of Jesus' most trusted companions. It's most likely that John wrote his gospel while he was in Ephesus, and that he wrote it for an audience that lived outside Palestine, perhaps in Asia Minor. John appears to have had in mind members of a Jewish community who had come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, but who had continued to worship in the synagogue. John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."

What the Lord is Saying: I kind I ran through the last lesson. It was an important one, but I didn't give it the time it needed. The first 5 verses of the chapter served as an introduction, showing us all that Jesus while new to the people that are seeing Him is not new and was with God at creation. Quite the bold statement. And further more that the Word (Jesus) is God. In verse 6, John comes on the scene and yet all of the focus by the write John is not on John the Baptist but rather on Jesus. There really is only a short description of John: (1) sent from God; (2) a witness (though, verse 19 on will have a little more information about him). So of the two items that are mentioned both are about God. I've always sort of wondered, how is it that John knew about Jesus? I can't find it mentioned, but either way, like many of the prophets, we do not know much about them other than that they are "sent from God." 

The previous lesson, brief about John, introduces Jesus as the Light. And the Light is meant to be believed. All people are meant to believe through him. So the focus is not simply to believe, but believe through him. The light illuminates God and so we believe God through the Light, through Jesus. We are enlightened by this Jesus, this Light, the Word. There has never been someone like the Light, like Jesus and so for good reason, there is a forerunner. 

We learn much about the Light now in these verses of 1:10-13:

• He was in the world
• The world was made through Him 
• The world did not know Him

Not simply the World did He come, but also His own. There is a contrast between the World and His Own. His Own are a subset of those in the World. And yet even among His own there were those that did not receive Him. 

There is a tone of sadness now which hits us. There is the Light to the World, but they don't know Him and now to His own, some do not know Him. This seems to be a mark on the Jewish people. Many of His own, His called ones, do not know Him. Granted, one day they will, but for too long, many do not. 

But many do. And to these he gives them the right to become children of God. 

Followers of Jesus are just that followers or Christ-bearers or Christians and they are in contrast to those in the Word, the Secular. 

This own, these many are born of God. They have a foundation they have come from. A child does not choose His parents or choose to be born. A child is born. Interesting that John uses this language of being born. There are those born of blood; those born of the flesh, born of the will of man. Those are all present in our world, but there are some born of God. 

This is a very significant set of verses for it points us toward the idea that we are chosen. We do not choose God. He chooses His children. His own are given the right to be Children of God. 

Summary: God calls many of His own to be born of God, as his Children - those that receive Him. 

Promise: To be born again is an act of grace alone, and only God can bring us to new spiritual life. The evidence that we have been born again is that we believe in Christ.

Prayer: O heavenly father, Great is Your name. You God choose us and we are your children through receiving You. But I am born again, born anew because You being my Father. Thank you Father God. Thank you for the special birth You have given me. You have allowed me to Know You and so be with you for all eternity. It is sad Lord to see those in the World not born of You. I have sorrow for them and yet rejoice in those that are born of You God. Jesus is the Light. For God so loved the world. What a great gift has been given me. I don't understand, but remain so thankful for what You have done for me.