“How Does It Read to You”

Scripture:       John 9:1-7

C.I.:                How to Read the Bible (7)

I. How to Read & Understand the Gospels

A. The Gospel of John

1. John Sets Out to Prove the Deity of Jesus

a. Jesus is Divine because He is Eternal

1) (1:1), “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God & the Word was God.”

b. Jesus is Divine because He is Omnipotent (All-Powerful)

1) (1:3), “All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being….”

c. Jesus is Divine because He is Omniscient (All-Knowing)

1) (1:47-49), “Jesus saw Nathaniel coming to Him, and said to him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile.’ – Nathaniel said to Him, ‘How do You know me?’ – Jesus answered, ‘Before Philip called you, when you were sitting under the fig tree, I saw you.’ – Nathaniel answered, ‘Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the king of Israel.’”

d. Jesus is Divine because He is Co-Equal with the Father (“If it walks like a duck…”)

1) (5:18), “‘The Jews were seeking to kill Him – He was making Himself equal to God.”

2) (10:30), “I and the Father are One.”

3) (14:9), “Have I been so long with you and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? – He who has seen Me has seen the Father.”

2. The Gospel of John is a book of “Signs” which are Designed to Produce Belief

a.  “Signs” = “An action designed to produce belief”

1) Miraculous Signs – (2:11), “This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.”

2) Non-Miraculous Signs – (2:18), “The Jews therefore answered and said to Him, ‘What sign do You show us, seeing that You do these things?’”

b. Indeed, the book is itself a sign – since it was written to produce belief.

1) (20:30-31), “Many other signs therefore Jesus performed in the presence of His disciples, but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and in believing you may have life in His name.”

c. In the Gospel of John, Belief Requires two Things: A Means of Conviction, (God’s part) + A Willingness to believe (Man’s part)!

(i) (11:43-47), “Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’ – He who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings. – Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’ – Many therefore of the Jews, who had come to Mary and beheld what He had done, believed in Him. – But some of them went away to the Pharisees, and told them the things Jesus had done. – Therefore the chief priests and Pharisees convened a council and were saying, ‘What are we doing? – For this man is performing many signs.’”

(ii) (12:9-10), “The great multitude of the Jews learned that Jesus was in Bethany; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead. – But the chief priests took counsel that they might put Lazarus to death also.”

3. The Deepest “Simple Book” Ever Written 

a. John’s language was quite simple, but his meaning is very sublime.

1) For the Gospel of John is like an onion – as you peel away the layers of John, he just keeps getting deeper, and deeper…!

b. 1^st Layer: (Scripture Reading) – A miraculous healing of a blind man

1) When we read this account from Jesus life – we see a miracle performed on a blind man.

2) But is that all that this is teaching us????

c. 2^nd layer: Blind as a Consequence of Birth

1) (v. 2), “Rabbi, who sinned…”

2)  This was a common belief, (9:34), “‘You were born entirely in sins…’ And they put him out.”

3) But Jesus came to free us from this thinking – (3:6), “That which is born of flesh is flesh….”

d. 3^rd Layer: We Must work the “works of God”

1) (vs. 3-4), “Neither this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of God may be manifest in him. - We must work the works of Him who sent Me.”   

2) But the true “work of God” is BELIEF – (6:28-29), “‘What shall we do that we may work the works of God?’ – Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe on Him…’”

3) Thus, we must do all we can to help people come to BELIEVE IN JESUS!

e. 4^th Layer: Jesus Gives Light to the Blind!

1) (9:5), “I am the light of the world.”

2) (1:9), “There was the true light, which coming into the world, enlightens every man.”

3) Later this man TRULY sees the light – (9:35-38), “Jesus heard they had put him out; and finding him, He said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ – He answered and said, ‘Who is He Lord, that I may believe in Him?’ – Jesus said to him, ‘You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.’ – And he said, ‘Lord I believe.’ And he worshiped Him.”

f.  4^th Layer:  Go to the One “Sent” and “Wash”

1) (9:7), “‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which is translated, Sent). – And so he went away and washed and came back seeing.”

2) (3:34), “He whom God SENT speaks the words of God.”

CONCLUSIONS:

1. John proves that Jesus is Divine and he uses “signs” throughout his gospel to do this.

2. Jesus, One Sent, gives light to the blind, those who go to Him & wash will have their lives forever changed

            a.  That a SPIRITUAL meaning is attached to this sign is manifest – (9: 39-41), “And Jesus said, ‘For
                        judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see; and that those who see may  
                        become blind.’ – The Pharisees said to Him, ‘We are not blind too, are we?’ – Jesus said to
                        them, ‘If you were blind, you have no sin; but since you say, “We see,” your sin remains.’”

3. All of us still need to go to Jesus (the One Sent), for He later tells Peter – (13:8), “Unless I WASH you, you
                        have no part with Me.”

4. Today this means we need to come to Jesus and be WASHED clean of our sins – (Acts 22:16), “And now,
                        why do you delay? Arise, and be baptized and WASH away your sins, calling on His name.”