Those Who See and Those Who Are Blind

John 9:36-41
Those who see and those who are blind
Saved and Unsaved!

The blind man is healed, he’s brought into the synagogue for the first time in his life and he ends up teaching the Pharisees more spiritual truth than they know. Why? Because they don’t know any!
Not 1 unsaved person understands spiritual truth. Only God understands God and ONLY by the Holy Spirit indwelling a believer does one understand the things of God.   
I Corinthians 2:11b-14: “no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we (believers) have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given to us by God. And we impart this in words, not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 
The natural person (unsaved) does not accept the things of the Spirit of God for they are folly (foolishness) to him and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”
The Pharisees did not understand truth but even worse, they were rejecting it. This is the reason    why they throw him out the synagogue. This is actually the best thing that could’ve happened.
Because Jesus came looking for him. (v.35)
Then, the greatest miracle of his life occurs in John 9:38: “I believe” & he worships Jesus. 
He didn’t care that he was in public! He didn’t care who was looking! He didn’t care what it cost him! He didn’t care that he had been rejected by society, his parents wouldn’t validate his story, He only cared about worshipping Jesus! 
He had been forever changed by Jesus and to this man, Jesus is the only person that truly mattered. He understood that if all I have is Jesus, then Jesus is all I need!
This record of the man being healed from his blindness is not meant for us to focus on the physical healing that he received but to recognize the supernatural and eternal change that happened in his heart. 
He says: “I believe and he worships”!
Salvation is the greatest miracle of God in a person’s life. 
God’s salvation is not seen in just the blind man’s words “I believe” but in actions that are coming from his heart. He unashamedly and publicly worshipped Jesus!
Matthew 10:32-33- “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” 
When true salvation occurs in a person’s life, they are not ashamed of it and they are eternally grateful for God extending His grace and mercy to their needy soul. 
As Paul stated in Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
This guy isn’t ashamed because Jesus eternally changed him and for this reason, he is found worshipping Jesus.
Just remember this man was created and his circumstances were designed by God for an eternal purpose. “That the works of God may be displayed in him.”
As we come to the conclusion of this amazing story, our focus turns from the man’s response to the words of Jesus that are meant to be one of personal evaluation. Which one am I?
1.	Spiritually blind: The religious people or those who “think” they are right with God and don’t feel they don’t need to change. Sufficient in self
2.	Those who see: The man who knows he is a sinner and moved to desire to get right? Empty!   
Let’s pick up in John 9:39.
Notice Jesus says, “For judgment I have come into the world”. WAIT
I thought Jesus was coming to not condemn the world but that the world would be saved through Him? That’s what Jesus mentioned in John 3:17. His work the first time He came was to save but also condemn. 
Here is judgment part of Jesus’ work in salvation. 
If you Save some then that means that the ones who are not saved are condemned!
Save some-Condemn many!
I.	Jesus announced condemnation on the Spiritually blind
Turn back to John 8:21-24: (Read)- “You will seek me and you will die in your sins” then verse 24: “I told you that you would die in your sins for unless you believe that I am he (ONE, Messiah, Son of God) you will die in your sins.”
Who is Jesus condemning? Those who were not saved and never would be saved!
Notice John 6:36-39: “All that the Father gives me (God’s eternal plan: those who are & will be saved), I will never cast out and I will lose nothing of all that the Father gives me (God’s eternal security in salvation). Saving some condemning others.
John 6:41-47: “NO one can come to me (Jesus) unless the Father draws him.” They will be taught by God because they have been born again and thus they believe (v.45). These are the ones that receive eternal life.
Jesus is making it clear the only way that one comes to Him is by the Father drawing you to salvation!
Then Jesus makes an astounding proclamation in John 6:60-66
Jesus knew from the beginning those who did not believe and who it was that would betray him (Judas, religious leaders). WOW!
How did the crowd respond to this message of Jesus?
MANY turned back from following Jesus, never to follow him again.
Why? Because Jesus knew from the beginning that they were not saved (spiritually blind) and would never be saved. He knew they would walk away.
Those who are not saved and who never will be saved will have a separation point either in life or in death where it will be made clear they were never truly following Christ or saved at all!
In fact, Jesus knew who would betray him (John 13:10b-11): “and you are clean but not every one of you. For he knew who was to betray him, that is why he said, not all of you are clean.” 
Part of Jesus’ ministry was to reveal the true heart condition of the saved and the unsaved.
Now we can focus on the 2nd part of John 9:39: 
Judgment Jesus is bringing:
    “Those who do not see (in spiritual darkness (sinners who know it) may be able to see (get saved)
     “Those who see (think they are saved) may become blind (lost)”
Matthew 9:9-13: “I came not to call the righteous (in their own eyes) but sinners.”
Salvation for some & Condemnation for many!
Luke 15:7 “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents that over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance (they think they are righteous).”
Paul understood the gravity of his own condition and that he was in the few that are saved.
I Timothy 1:15: “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost (Worst, greatest).”
Paul was a Pharisee (past tense) and he just like these men thought he had God’s favor. Little did he know that all that would change on the road to Damascus! He was blind to the truth. His eye was dark. He “thought” he was serving God but he was persecuting Jesus Christ & God.
II.	Spiritual blindness is not seen in the outward actions but the inward condition of the heart.
Matthew 6:22-24: “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is heathy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”
Jesus is telling the Pharisees that they are spiritually blind in their heart!
John 9:40: “Some of the Pharisees ask, are we also blind?”
They are NOT asking the question with the intent to change but it is done with the idea of pride and contempt for Jesus with the intent to mock him. 
It almost like they are saying, are you calling the “most faithful, dedicated, pillar of the church member who does more for God than any other person, blind or UNSAVED? The one who all of the people look to for spiritual guidance and the ultimate example?!?”
This question is asked in the same way that Judas as Jesus in Matthew 26:20-25: “Is it I?”
“Are we blind Jesus”???
They are not asking the question because they are wanting to their change their conduct but only attack him because He is questioning their “religious credentials and performance”! 
Jesus can see into their soul and sees their black and unrepentant heart.
Oh, so the solution is for them to agree with Jesus and then go on their way. It’s not that easy.
Can a blind man give himself new eyes? Can a dead person do anything? Can a sinner erase 1 sin he has committed in his own will or power? Of course not!
III.	Only Christ can change the heart of the Spiritually blind
The Pharisees were rejecting their only hope! How could they not see this and yet the blind man had no problem with it? 
 I hate to jump into the middle of a text but for sake of time we need to focus on the thought Paul is addressing
2 Corinthians 3:12-14a: The veil of unbelief remains on those whose look at God’s requirement, the LAW, and think that they are good! Their heart has so hard that they think they are obeying God’s LAW! 
The Pharisees are deceived into thinking they are right with God but they have not been transformed. This is what Jesus told Nicodemus, you must be born from above. Supernaturally transformed by Jesus Christ.  
Paul explains this in 2 Corinthians 14B: “Only through Christ is it taken away.”
The very person that the Pharisees were rejecting is the only person who can take away the veil of unbelief from their heart!
Paul even says in this very day, when they read what Moses wrote, they still believe they are good! v.15-The veil covers their spiritual eyes and their heart is deceived. 
What does that tell us? There are MANY people who “think” they have a relationship with God but are deceived! 
How do I know this? Just listen to people:
	I don’t really like to read God’s Word
	I don’t really have time to come to church
	I feel God just wants me to be happy
	I don’t really think God expects me to be perfect or obey Him in everything, that’s impossible!
Let me be clear, the true believer doesn’t read the Word of God for the purpose of gaining information, knowledge or even earning favor with God! 
They do it because they know how unworthy they are and in spite of that God has given His steadfast love to them and it has forever changed their heart and life. They are forever changed!
They say things like: How and why would God love me? I don’t deserve it! God has been SOO GOOD TO ME! God is faithful, He is just! He forgives me of ALL my sin, even the ones that I am ashamed of!
If not for God’s grace, God’s mercy I would have no hope!! 
The true believer pursues these moments because we see the greatness of God and ourselves like Peter in Luke 5:8 (he tells Jesus): “He fell down at Jesus’ knees saying, depart from me, for I am a sinful man.”
Those who are truly spiritually changed, spend more time at the feet of Jesus then any other place.
John 9:41: Jesus tells the Pharisees: If you were (past tense) blind then you would not have guilt (sin) but you claim “to see” therefore your sin remains!
Christ is the only one who heals spiritual blindness:
2 Corinthians 5:17-18: “All of this is from God who through Christ reconciled us to himself.”
Those who are spiritually blind are self-righteous. Those who spiritually see are Christ-changed!