Subject One Hundred Six

THE NEED OF THE BLIND

Scripture: John 9:1-11, 35-41

1. Man is born blind
   1. The Lord met a person who was born blind.
   2. Blindness is the absence of sight. A blind person cannot see anything. Although man’s outward eyes can see, his inward eyes are blind. Man does not know from where he came, nor where he is going. Man does not know what life is all about, nor what is his relationship with God.
2. The Lord is the light of the world
   1. Blindness is synonymous with darkness. As darkness prevents man from being able to see, so also does blindness.
   2. The Lord is the light of the world. Only the Lord can dispel man’s darkness; that is, only the Lord can resolve man’s problem of blindness and cause man to regain his sight. Only the Lord can dispel man’s darkness and restore his sight.
3. How the Lord causes man to see
   1. That day the Lord spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and anointed the eyes of the blind. The spittle signifies the words which proceeded out of the mouth of the Lord, and clay signifies man who was made out of the dust of the ground. The words entering into man and mingling with man through the moving and anointing of the Holy Spirit enable man to see clearly.
   2. That blind person went to wash in the pool of Siloam. Siloam means “sent.” To be sent, one must first believe and obey. Whatever the Lord says to you, you must believe and obey. So here the washing includes both believing and obeying. Washing also signifies baptism. If you believe now, you should also be baptized now. The baptismal is the pool of Siloam. To wash in the pool of Siloam means that you believe and are baptized. At the time the Lord asked him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam, it did not seem very meaningful. There were many places with water in Judea. Why must it be the pool of Siloam? This commandment is to test and see if you are willing to obey. If you obey, your eyes will be opened.
   3. The Lord not only healed the blind person so that he could see, but also led him to realize that the Lord was the Son of God. So the real eye opening is to realize that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
      The words at the end of chapter 9 can be included in this subject. You may mention briefly that although the Pharisees had eyes to see, they were blind.