Fully Known, Fully Loved

Below is a transcript of a sermon I preached on John 9 on February 25, 2024. You can watch or listen to the sermon here.

I pray the Lord blesses you through His Word!

~Blake

Note: John 9:1-41 was read before the sermon started.

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Good morning! It is great to worship Christ with you all today.

One of the last times I was here, I told a story of when Joe, Paige, and I visited Taylor University around Easter time last year. And something strange happened during the chapel service we attended. 

We sang a song that I had never heard before called Death Was Arrested. (It’s a wonderful Easter song, as it talks about Christ’s death and resurrection.)

But in the middle of the song, hundreds of people in that Taylor chapel sang this lyric together:

Our Savior displayed on a criminal’s cross; Darkness rejoiced as though heaven had lost.

And then, suddenly, the band got quiet, and the room got quiet.

If you listen to the North Point Worship version on YouTube, this pause is even more dramatic than at the Taylor Chapel. And for first-time listeners like me, you wonder,

• Is that it?
• Is the song over?
• Does it really end with heaven losing and darkness winning?
• What kind of chapel service is this??

Thankfully, after a few moments, energy stirs in the room, the band picks up again, and we sing together:

But then Jesus arose with our freedom in hand; That’s when death was arrested, and my life began!

And the whole place goes nuts. In fact, after the song, the guys in the row in front of us started hugging each other and giving each other high-fives. It was truly a moving experience.

But part of what makes that moment of silence and waiting in the middle of the song so powerful is that often, in the middle of our lives, we feel this same silence. This waiting. This gap between…

• Difficulty and resolution;
• Darkness and light;
• Death and resurrection.

This, by the way, is part of what makes the day after Good Friday so meaningful.

Many call this day “Silent Saturday” because the day after Christ was crucified—imagine this—his followers woke up with pits in their stomachs, and they looked around, and there was nothing but silence from heaven.

• God said nothing.
• Jesus was still in the grave.
• And it seemed like darkness had won.

It’s almost as if God wrote Silent Saturday into history (and Easter weekend) to remind every Christian in a season of waiting and darkness: I see you. And I want you to remember that…

• Resurrection is still coming.
• Darkness does not win.
• And for every Christian: Your best days are still ahead of you.

But what about in the meantime? What is our hope when a season of our lives, or perhaps our entire lives, feels like one long Silent Saturday?

What is our hope when it feels like darkness is winning?

In John 9, Jesus calls himself the Light of the World. And today, we will consider how this reality—who Jesus really is—can give us hope in times of darkness. So, let’s pray, and then we will dive into this.

Lord, shine your light on us today—through your Word, by your Holy Spirit—in ways that lead us to hope, trust, and obedience, especially in times of darkness. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Why can we have hope in times of darkness?

According to John 8-9, we can have hope because with us in the darkness is…

1. The God who sees (9:1-7)
2. The God who saves (8:1-12; 9:39-41)
3. The God who stays (8:9; 9:32-38)

The God who sees, saves, and stays?

Before we dive into this first point, perhaps you already noticed a problem with the outline.

Maybe you’re like, “Blake, the outline has an error! John 8-9 is all about Jesus. But in your outline, you’re saying it’s all about God?? Ha! Gotcha! Which it? Is it God or Jesus?”

(OK, I know—cheesiest setup ever!)

The answer, of course, is yes.

In John 8-9—and the Gospel of John as a whole—Jesus is revealing himself to be God in the flesh.

In fact, at the end of John 8—Jesus reveals himself as God with one of the most bone-chilling statements in Scripture. (You may remember this story!)

Jesus told the Jews that Abraham saw his time and was glad. The Jews responded, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham [who lived thousands of years ago]?” 

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” (John 8:58)

In this statement, Jesus was not only claiming to be eternal, but he was also taking on the personal name God called himself throughout the Old Testament: I AM, or Yahweh.

Yet the Pharisees did not recognize him. They refused to believe that Jesus was really God in the flesh.

But in John 9, Jesus proves his deity. Not only does he call himself the “light of the world” (cf. Gen. 1:3), but then Jesus re-enacts the creation narrative:

Just as God created Adam from the dust of the ground, so Jesus re-creates the blind man’s eyes using the dust of the ground (9:6-7).

Jesus is proving his claims to be God in the flesh.

So, therefore, my outline:

Why can we have hope in times of darkness? 

According to John 8-9, we can have hope because with us in the darkness is…

1. The God who sees (9:1-7)
2. The God who saves (8:1-12; 9:39-41)
3. The God who stays (8:9; 9:32-38)

Let’s consider these one at a time, starting with…

The God who SEES (9:1-7)

Notice again verse 1: 

“As Jesus passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.”

Have any of you seen the TV series The Chosen?

The Chosen is a series based on Jesus’ life (historical fiction). Many of the scenes are reflections of gospel narratives; other scenes are imaginative (creative liberty)—so it’s not pretending that this is exactly the way things happened.

But one powerful scene from the show is a scene of Nathaniel from early in Season 2.

Do you see me?

Nathaniel is experiencing deep suffering—he’s seemingly hopeless—and he wanders all alone into the wilderness. No one is within miles of him. And he sits down beneath a fig tree.

Then, in deep distress, he cries out to God and says, “God, do you see me?”

Do you see me?

Then, after a long silence, nothing happens.

No response from God.

No sign from God.

Total silence.

So, eventually, Nathaniel gets up and leaves.

A few days later, Nathaniel meets Jesus for the first time. Jesus greets him in a curious way: “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 

Nathanael—understandably surprised that Jesus somehow recognizes him—says, “How do you know me?”

Jesus says, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

Nathanael is stunned. He says, “Rabbi…you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” (Cf. John 1:43-51.)

Jesus sees us.

There is something about being seen and known by Jesus that is incomparably comforting.

There is something about having a Savior who sees—who sees and knows our…

• Pain
• Fears
• Sins
• Insecurities
• History
• How we’ve been mistreated or misunderstood

…there is something about having a Savior who sees and knows it all—and is committed to walking with us in love, even through the darkness—that is deeply fortifying.

Now, praise God—as we will see in our text—Jesus does a lot more than see our suffering. But let’s rejoice today that he doesn’t do less than that.

Jesus doesn’t walk up to sufferers and start slapping on promises like Band-Aids without first taking time to see and understand our pain.

Perhaps there have been times in your life when someone tried to start fixing you, giving you advice, or moving on from your suffering without first taking the time to see and understand your pain.

This is not the case with Jesus.

Jesus is a Savior who sees. There is no part of you or of your suffering that Jesus does not see and know completely.

Why can we have hope in times of darkness? First, because we have a God who sees.

Jesus helps us see.

Before we move on to the next point, there’s one other thing worth noting from this section of the passage:

According to this text, Jesus doesn’t only see our suffering but also helps us see our suffering for what it really is. (You might say he clarifies our suffering and where it comes from.)

Notice again vv. 2-3:

And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.

Isn’t it interesting that the disciples do not ask, “Jesus, did someone sin to bring about this man’s suffering?”

They don’t ask that—they assume it!

Rabbi, WHO sinned?

• Clearly, God is getting back at someone for their sin, right??
• Clearly, he’s trying to teach someone a lesson!
• He’s trying to stick it to someone!

Why else would suffering happen?

Jesus clarifies our [assumptions about] suffering.

Jesus’ response gives vital clarity to Christians living in times of darkness and suffering.

In particular, Jesus’s words invite sufferers to step out from beneath the crushing weight of two deadly assumptions:

Assumption #1: All of your suffering is a direct consequence of your personal sin.

Jesus says, “No! Not true!”

While all of our sin has consequences, not all of our suffering is a consequence of our sin.

Some of our suffering is, unfortunately, the result of someone else’s sin.

Much of our suffering is simply a result of living in a fallen, broken world.

Miscarriages. Cancer. Disability. Blindness.

Jesus says, “It is wrong to assume that these things are the direct consequence of someone’s personal sin—and I want to free sufferers from living with the guilt of that.”

So that’s assumption #1: All of your suffering is a direct consequence of your personal sin.

Assumption #2: Your suffering is a sign that God has left you.

(OR: He’s getting back at you! OR: He’s done with you!)

Notice again verse 3. Jesus says that God intends to use suffering not to retaliate against us. Not to push us away from him. But rather, to display his works in us.

God is not like a cruel parent (or Harry Potter’s aunt and uncle) who locks up their kid in the cellar or closet and says, “I’ll come back for you once you learn your lesson,” and then leaves.

Rather, time and time again throughout Scripture, God draws near to the brokenhearted and those in darkness.

That’s why the Psalmist says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me—[even in my darkness]!” (See Psalm 23; cf. Luke 1:78-79)

Your future is unknown. Your God is not.

Christian, if you are struggling to understand all of the reasons for your suffering, let John 9:1-3 comfort you: The fact that you don’t know all the reasons for your suffering does not mean you’re doing something wrong. It means you’re not God.

While Jesus does not tell us all the reasons for our suffering, he does free us from these deadly assumptions—and he invites us to rest in the God who walks with us in our darkness and who will one day defeat darkness fully and forever.

Why can we have hope in times of darkness? 

Because with us in the darkness is (1) The God who sees (and helps us see); (2) …

The God who SAVES (8:1-12; 9:39-41)

We won’t have time today to discuss John 9:8-31, but here’s a summary:

• Blind man gets healed (v. 7)
• Pedestrians get confused (vv. 8-12)
• Pharisees get angry (vv. 13-17)
• Parents get afraid (vv. 18-23)
• Pharisees get angry (v. 24)
• Blind man gets snarky (vv. 25-27)
• Pharisees get super angry (vv. 28-29)
• Blind man exalts Christ (vv. 30-33)
• Pharisees blow their top (and cast him out) (v. 34)

Now, I highlighted the Pharisees because regardless of the overwhelming evidence that Jesus is “from God” (as the blind man confesses in v. 33), the Pharisees refuse to believe it.

Ironically, they are the blindest people in this story. Completely blind to who Jesus is. Completely blind to their desperate need for him.

Lord, let this not be us!

No guilt for the repentant.

And that brings us to verses 39-41. Follow as I read—and here Jesus explains the ultimate meaning of the blind man’s healing:

Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

In other words, Jesus says, “To those who say, ‘No, we do not need a savior, we can see just fine. No sin problem for us!’”

Jesus says: “Your guilt remains.”

But, to those who admit that they are blind and sinful and come to Jesus to save them?

Jesus says: “No guilt for you. I have taken away your guilt and shame.”

And here is the irony of Jesus being the light of the world: To those who hide in darkness, their sin will be exposed. But to those who humbly step into the light of Christ, their sins will be covered.

Jesus is the shame-covering, guilt-removing light of the world.

A wonderful biblical illustration of this comes immediately before the story of the blind man. In John 8:12, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

And what comes immediately before Jesus’ statement (8:2-11) is pretty shocking.

You may be familiar with this story, but as I read, ask yourself: What does this passage tell us about Christ’s light (especially compared to the world’s light)?

‭‭John‬ ‭8:2‭-‬12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

At dawn, Jesus appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group [likely naked] and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” [But] they were using this question as a trap in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

Run to the light!

Notice that the Pharisees wanted to expose this woman’s sin to shame and kill her. Meanwhile, Jesus’s exposure took away her shame and gave her the light of life—a life liberated from sin.

Whereas the world’s light is shame-causing, Jesus’ light is shame-covering. Whereas Satan makes us stand naked in the shame of our sin, Jesus hung naked on the cross to take away our shame and free us from sin.

In John 8-9, Jesus is welcoming us to step into his shame-covering, guilt-removing light. He’s welcoming us to admit our sin and blindness—to repent of our sin and acknowledge our brokenness to him and to one another—and to walk in the light of his grace and healing.

As Paul David Tripp put it, “Run to the light; it is not to be feared. Yes, it is the light of exposure, but what will be exposed has already been covered by the blood of the One who exposes it.”

Hiding in the darkness might give us a temporary facade of safety, but it only exacerbates our fear and shame. Only by walking in the light of Christ can we find true freedom, grace, and life.

Why can we have hope in times of darkness?

Because with us in the darkness is (1) The God who sees (and helps us see); (2) The God who saves; (3) …

The God who STAYS (8:9; 9:32-38)

Notice verses 32-38:

The man who had been blind said, “Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” The Pharisees answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out. Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him, said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” The man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

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You might picture a scenario where someone sees your pain and then leaves you. That’s what the religious people did in the Good Samaritan story—they saw the man suffering and immediately left.

You might also picture a scenario where someone sees your pain and then saves (or delivers) you but then leaves you. This is what the Good Samaritan did in the story—he saw the man suffering, brought him to safety, then left. (Of course, no one blames him for that.)

But, according to John 8-9, Jesus doesn’t see us and leave us. He doesn’t see us and save us and then leave us. He sees us and saves us to stay with us forever.

In the moments when the adulterous woman and blind man felt most abandoned, Jesus stayed.

Perhaps you are confident today that God sees your suffering. Maybe you are even confident that God has saved you from your sin. But you still feel abandoned.

What is our hope when we feel abandoned?

The love you’ve been looking for all your life

I love how Tim Keller put it (this is slightly edited):

If Jesus wouldn’t abandon you on the cross, he won’t abandon you now. If he wouldn’t abandon you when Hell itself was coming down on him—if that didn’t separate his love from you—do you think you having a bad week is going to do it? Or when bad things happen and you say, ‘I must be abandoned!’ Remember: If he didn’t abandon you then he isn’t going to abandon you now. He spared nothing—not even his life—for you. He put the weight of the world on his shoulders for you. And you think somehow he is going to let your life go off the rails now? He’s not going to leave you or deny you anything you need. This is the love you’ve been looking for all your life.

John 8:9, John 9:35, and many other Scriptures remind us that even if everyone else abandons us, Jesus stays. And if you’re ever doubting that reality, you only need to look back to the cross, where Jesus stayed for you until your salvation was secured.

As Charles Spurgeon put it:

Jesus Christ was up on the cross, nailing, bleeding, dying, looking down on the people betraying him, and forsaking him, and denying him—and in the greatest act of love in the history of the universe—[with all authority to leave]—he stayed.

Praise God that we do not only have a God who sees and saves but also one who stays. 

Jesus does not only see us and save us only to leave us; he sees and saves us to stay with us forever.

Believe and worship this God!

So, how do we respond? The same way the man (formerly!) blind did in verse 38:

He said, “Lord, I believe,” and worshiped him.

May we recognize Jesus as King, God, and Savior and respond to him with faith and worship.

If you haven’t acknowledged Jesus as King, God, and Savior, he is calling you to do that today. He is beckoning you today to step out of darkness and into his shame-covering, guilt-removing light. Respond to his call!

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Blake Glosson is a pastoral resident at Chapelstreet Church in Geneva, Illinois, and an MDiv student at Reformed Theological Seminary. He has been published by The Gospel Coalition, Life Bible, and Crosswalk.com and republished and/or referred by Eternal Perspective Ministries (Randy Alcorn), Challies.com (Tim Challies), DashHouse (Darryl Dash), Moody Radio (here, here, and here), The JOY FM (The Morning Cruise with Dave, Bill, and Carmen), ChurchLeaders.com, Monergism.com, The Aquila Report (here and here), and numerous other sources. Previously, he served as the director of young adults at New Covenant Bible Church in St. Charles, Illinois.

Read “7 Things to Say to a Hurting Loved One” here.

Read “Which Jesus Do You See in Your Suffering?” here.

Read “3 Lies to Combat in Suffering and Anxiety” here.

Watch or listen to more of Blake’s sermons here.