Midnight at Highnoon
Introduction
John 9
Take God’s Word if you would please and turn to John chapter 9.John chapter 9. I want to begin reading in verse 1: “And Jesus passed by, and as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. And when he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, and said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent). He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.” The light of the world is Jesus. The title of my message today, however, is “Midnight at High Noon.”
I have a precious friend. Her name is Marilyn Ford. He is married to another one of my dear friends, A. C. Ford, and they labor here in our city as associate pastor and wife of the wonderful Broadmoor Baptist Church. What many people don’t know about Marilyn is the miracle that God gave her. Marilyn became blind with a progressive, degenerative disease in her eyes. And as a young lady she had to go to the school for the blind, had to learn to tap with a cane, had to learn to live by her senses other than her sense of sight. When she went off to Tennessee Temple School, she had to take her tape recorder to class because she could not take the notes as others could take the notes. She met this fine, young man, A. C. Ford, and they were married, and God gave them a precious child that she’d not seen with her physical eyes. She carried on her ministry as a pastor’s wife over in Arkansas doing as best she could and they could with those sightless eyes. One night late at night after they’d been out, they came in. They’d prayed many times to ask God to give Marilyn her sight back. But on this particular night they had come in from a long journey. They were tired. That night, her husband, A. C. Ford, decided one more time that he would pray and ask God to heal those blind eyes. He kneeled beside the bed and he said, “Oh God, we accept Your will, whatever it is, but, God, we know that You have the power to heal Marilyn. Lord, that You could open those eyes of her. And, Lord, by Your grace, through Your power, for Your glory, heal Marilyn.” And when he had said those words, Marilyn said, “A. C., I can see!” He said, “What?” She said, “I can see!” He said, “Do you mean it?” She said, “Yes, A. C. I can see!” And she said, “I can see you, and you need a shave.” He ran and got a newspaper and said – it had been a long time since she had read. He said, “Can you read the headlines?” She said, “A.C., I can read the fine print,” and she read it to him. They didn’t know what to do. Afraid to go to sleep, afraid when they waked up it would not still be so. They felt like they wanted to run up and down outside in the community and shout and wake the neighborhood, that God had done such a miracle. That story is written in a very wonderful book. I think you may get a copy in our bookstore if you want, “These Blind Eyes Now See.” And I have talked and fellowshipped with this couple so many times. And beyond the shadow of any doubt, God instantaneously, wonderfully, miraculously performed a miracle and opened those blind eyes to prove that He is still the God of might and the God of miracle.
But, my dear friend, a greater miracle than that is the miracle of the salvation of a soul when God opens spiritually blinded eyes to see Jesus, the light of the world. Now the gospel of John is written. John tells us in chapter 20 there are many, many miracles that Jesus did; many wonderful things that Jesus performed. But John said, “The ones that I have selected are selected that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God; and that believing you might have life through His name.” Therefore, the story that Jesus gave us here in John chapter 9 of the opening of the eyes of the blind is an illustration of salvation. Never forget it. It was a lit, literal miracle. God performed a miracle so long ago when Jesus Christ walked the shore of blue Galilee and the dusty streets of Jerusalem. God performed miracles then. But this miracle, which was a literal miracle, is a greater illustration of the greater miracle of salvation. And so I want you to see this miracle and see what God has to say to those of you today who need to have not physical eyes open, but spiritual eyes opened. Now let me tell you about four things this morning that I pray God the Holy Spirit will etch into your consciousness, emblazoned into your mind, and cause to reverberate through your soul.
I. Spiritual Blindness Makes Beggars of Unsaved Men
Number one: Spiritual blindness makes beggars of unsaved men. Spiritual blindness makes beggars of unsaved men. Verse 1: And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.” And then verse 8: “The neighbors therefore and they which before had seen him that was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?” He was a blind beggar.
Now let me talk to you for a moment about that. He was blind. He was physically blind. But as I tell you that was only an illustration of the greater spiritual blindness that is inherent in mankind. Remember what Jesus told that learned PhD, that wise and erudite man called Nicodemus? Remember what Jesus told this man who thought that he could see so perceptively? Jesus said to him in John chapter 3, verse 3: “Nicodemus, except a man be born again, he cannot (what’s the next word?) see…. Except a man be born again, he cannot see….”
You see, here was a man who was blind. It’s a picture of all people outside of Jesus Christ. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 18 says this: “They have the understanding darkened, they’re alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them (now listen to this next phrase), because of the blindness of their hearts.” Many are listening to me today who can see perfectly, and yet your heart is blind. This man was blind. I’ll tell you something else about him.
Not only was he blind; he was blind from his birth. He was born blind. That’s what the Bible says in verse 1. He was born blind. Now the disciples and others were into a question. They wanted to know why he was born blind. Was it because of his personal sin or parental sin? Jesus said that his blindness was neither personal nor parental, but congenital. He was simply born blind. And so is every man outside of the Lord Jesus Christ. David said in Psalm 51: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; in sin did my mother conceive me.” That is, “I was born with the seeds of sin and spiritual darkness in my heart.” And the Bible says in Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 3: “…we are by nature the children of wrath…” Every person who is born into this world is born spiritually blind.
And because he was blind and born blind, he was a blind beggar. And so is every man outside of the Lord Jesus. Now you may have several hundred thou in the bank this morning. You may drive to church this morning in a luxury automobile. You may be dressed in silken threads this morning. But, O, if you could only understand outside of Jesus what a beggar you are. “Oh,” you say, “I don’t have any, I don’t have any needs.” You remind me of those in Laodicea where the Lord Jesus said in Revelation chapter 3 and verse 17: “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” That’s the way God sees you. Here was a man. He was blind. He was born blind and he became a beggar. Jesus is using that as an illustration of every man outside the Lord Jesus Christ.
II. A Blind Man Needs More Than Light in Order to See
Now there’s a second thing I want you to see - that a blind man needs more than light in order to see. A blind man needs more than light in order to see. Notice verse 5. Jesus said, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” But this blind man needed more than light. Listen, dear friend. A blind man may not see the light, but he would be foolish to deny the light just because he cannot see it. We have some precious blind members of our congregation who come and worship with us every Sunday. They know the light is shining in here, but they can’t see it. But none of them would be so foolish as to deny it. They know that the light is shining, but, you see, the blind need more than light. They need sight.
Now the light is the truth, dear friend; the sight is the salvation. Now there can be no salvation without truth, but there can be truth without salvation, unless you receive the truth and are saved. You see, there are people who will sit here today bathed in the light of this message who will never see that light. Second Corinthians chapter 4, verses 3 - 4, listen to it. The apostle Paul said, If our gospel be hid, it is hid from them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not…” Dear friend, this, this auditorium can be bathed in gospel light and the blind will sit here and not see. Listen to it. “In whom the god of this world….” And who is the god of this world? The devil. “…hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
Now what does that tell us? I’ll tell you what it tells me, dear friend. I want to reiterate it again that the blind need more than light in order to see. It tells me that no one will ever be educated into the kingdom of God. And it tells me that no one will ever be argued into being a Christian. Don’t ever get into an argument with an unsaved man and think you can argue him into heaven. You can’t. When you argue with him and he says, “I just don’t see it,” he’s not lying. He’s telling the truth. He can’t see it. And don’t scold him for not seeing it any more than you would scold a literally blind man for not seeing a sunset. He can’t see it until there is a miracle that takes place in his heart and in his life.
Remember this: That no man can be saved without truth, but it takes a miracle for him to understand the truth. God must open his eyes spiritually. No one is argued or educated into the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, we must pray, “Oh God, Spirit of the living God, perform a miracle today in this place and open eyes so that they can see the light that the pastor is preaching.” No pastor ever opened anybody eyes. All he does is proclaim the truth. It is God that opens the eyes to see the truth.
It’s so wonderful the way the Lord Jesus did it that day. Don’t ever tell me that Jesus doesn’t have a sense of humor. I love this passage. It just literally, folks, it tickles me when I read it. Now He is talking to the ossified, petrified, calcified Pharisees. They hated Him. They hated the light. He was the light of the world, and they hated Him.
They hated Him because of their pride.
And so here is a man and Jesus, right in front of these Pharisees, He opens this man’s blind eyes and He does it on the Sabbath just to rub a little salt in their wounds. And I want you to notice how He did it. It so funny to me. Look. “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. And when he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.”
Now that’s real high - class medicine, isn’t it? Spit and dirt. Puts it in their eyes. Here, here’s this man. He’s blind. Jesus spits on the ground, makes a wad of clay, puts it on both eyes. Now this is a man. He’s been blind from his birth. “And he said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, what is that next word? Sent, S - E - N - T, Sent.”
Now don’t miss this. I was sitting in my study when I saw it and I almost fell off my chair. It just blessed me so much. I didn’t find it in any commentary, but I, I just, I, I just saw it. I said, “Why did He tell him to go wash in a pool Siloam? Why did He put clay on his eyes? And why does the Bible make it so clear that the name Siloam is Sent?” Well, you see, dear friend, that clay speaks of man’s humanity. Man was made of the dust of the earth. He’s made of clay. That is, his weakness, his failure, his humanity. And that clay is, He puts it on his eyes as if to say, “This is what is sealing out the light, your humanity, your, your frailness, your earthiness. That’s what’s sealing out the light.” And then He tells him, “Now that I’ve put this clay on your eyes, you go wash in a pool that is called Sent.” Now what is the pool stand for? If the clay stands for man’s weakness and humanity, what does the pool stand for? The pool is a picture of the heaven - sent Savior.
Now let me prove it to you and show you how beautiful it is. Now go back to John chapter 8 for a moment and look with me in verse 12. And I’ll tell you why this is, it’s just so funny to me, in a sanctified way you understand. All right. John 8, verse 12: “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world…” See, this thing’s been going on even before you get to chapter 9. The chapter divisions are there just to keep preachers from preaching too long. All right now. “Then Jesus spake again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
Now understand, Jesus is talking more than about physical blindness therefore. It’s very clear. All right. Now look in verse 23 if you will: “And he said unto them, You are from beneath. Yeah, you’re the clay, see. I am from above; you are of this world; I am not of this world.” He’s speaking now of His heavenly origin. Now look, if you will, in verse 26: “I have many things to say and to judge of you; but he that sent me is true…” Oh, oh. Remember that word Sent? Remember that word Sent? The pool means Sent.
Now watch this. “…he that sent me is true….”
Now skip on down to verse 29: “He that (what?) sent me is with me…” Oh, it’s getting exciting here. Skip on down to verse 42: “Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, you would love me; for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he (what?) sent me. He sent me.” Then look, if you will, go right on to John chapter 9, verse 4 before He opens the eyes of this blind man. “I must work the works of him that (what?) sent me, while it is day…” I am the one that has been sent. You’re from beneath. You’re like this clay. I am from above. I’ve been sent. So He puts clay on the blind man’s eyes and says, “Now go wash in a pool, which is called (you tell me what) Sent.” Jesus is the light of the world, my dear friend. Jesus is the only one who can remove this blindness. Isn’t that neat? I tell you, that, that’s just a blessing to me as I, I think about that.
And so Jesus, with a twinkle in His eye, said, “You go wash in a pool called Sent because I am the heaven - sent Savior.” And the only one that can take away your blindness is the heaven - sent Son of God. Now what have I said, dear friend? I have said that spiritual blindness makes beggars of us all. I’ve said, secondly, that the blind need more than light to see. They need sight. The blind need more than light to see. They need a miracle. Now here’s a third thing I want you to see as we, we think about midnight at high noon. And it was midnight at high noon for this man until Jesus did a miracle on him.
III. Opened Eyes Must Learn to See
The third thing I want you to see is this: That opened eyes must learn to see. Opened eyes must learn to see. Now remember, this man who was born blind. I mean, when Jesus performed a miracle on him, he’d never seen a face. He said, “Oh, that’s what a sheep looks like. Oh, that’s the sky. So that is a cloud. Oh, this is a tree.” Now he could see, but he had to learn what he was seeing. You see, when a man receives spiritual sight, then he must take that spiritual sight and he must grow. Let me point this out. Look, if you will, now, beginning in verse 35, ah, John chapter 9 and verse 35. Jesus heard that they had cast Him out.
By the way, this man got saved and the Pharisees, they were so infuriated. They were like that grinch, you know. When he saw anybody having fun, he bit himself. You know, they can’t stand it that this man has joy and happiness. And it makes them so angry. They say, “Well, get rid of him.” So they cast him out of the synagogue (verse 35). But when the Pharisees shut him out, Jesus sought him out. I love that, dear friend. “Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him (Jesus now sought him out), he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? And he answered, “Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?” I mean, he, he’d never even seen the face of Jesus. Who is He, that I might believe on Him? “Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.”
Now I want you to see how this man is now learning to use his eyes. His eyes have just been opened. But he goes from an immature faith to a very mature faith. He goes from what I call a searching faith to a settled faith. Now, you see, he meets the Lord Jesus. Jesus has healed him. His physical eyes are open. He’s been cast out of the synagogue. But now Jesus wants to bring him to that full faith, that full salvation. And so the Pharisees had found him. Go back to verse 24: “Then again called they the man that was blind…” Now these are the Pharisees. “…and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know this man is a sinner.” Go ahead and admit that the man who healed you is a sinner.
Now remember, this man is talking to these intellectual theological high muckety-mucks and top waters and he doesn’t know how to answer them. I mean, he’s been a beggar. He’s had no education, no been to school. He can’t read. He can’t do anything. And they say, “Give God the glory and call Jesus a sinner.” Now here’s what he answers. “And he answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not; one thing I know, whereas I was once blind, now I see.” Don’t you love that? Don’t you love that? Look, listen to it again. “…the one thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see.”
Now, friend, I want to ask you a question. What good were all of their musty, dusty books and all of their cynical arguments in the face of that testimony? Listen to me, dear friend, those of you who were saved last week. You don’t have to be a PhD to witness for Jesus. A Christian with a glowing testimony is worth a library full of arguments. I mean, a man who can say this, “I don’t know the answer to that, and I don’t know the answer to this,” and, dear friend, you don’t have to know the answer to everything. You just simply say, “This I do know.” A witness only tells what he knows, what he has seen. Jesus said, “You’re My witnesses.” He said, “Let me tell you what I do know. Once I was blind, and now I see.”
What a testimony that was. But, wait a minute. I wouldn’t expect him to say twenty years from now, “Whether Jesus is a sinner or not, I don’t know.” I wouldn’t expect him to say that twenty years from now. That’s all right right there. That’s all right for that moment because that’s all he knew. But, dear friend, now that his eyes have been opened, he must learn to see. Why does God open your eyes so that you can see? And so I want you to see how this man goes on to a full - orbed testimony. I want you to see how quickly he is learning now concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.
Look with me very quickly here in verse 11; chapter 9 and verse 11. I want you to see the progression here. I want you to see how he goes from truth to truth. Notice the progression. If you don’t mind underscoring your Bible, find verse 11: “And he answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes…” That’s the beginning step. He knew this much, that He was a man. Okay. A man. That’s all some know about Jesus.
But I tell you, my dear friend, you are doubly loaded with ignorance if you don’t at least confess that Jesus is a man. I mean, He did come to this earth. No reputable historian would deny the fact there was a man named Jesus who lived in Galilee so long ago. And so here this man says, first of all, “He’s a man.”
But after he listens a little more and understands some more things, skip on down to verse 17: “They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes He said (underscore this), He is a prophet.” Ha, ha. Do you see, do you see how the light is just dawning on him? “He’s a man,” and He was a man. But now, “He is a prophet.” But now, wait a minute. He’s continuing to see and he’s beginning to, to use his eyes. Go on to verse 33. And now he says, as he continues to argue with them, “If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.” Now He’s a man. He’s more than a man. He is a prophet. He’s more than a prophet. He is a man of God. But now, wait a minute. He’s not finished with him yet. And look in verse 35: “And Jesus, ah, heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? And he answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe, and he worshipped him.” In verse 35 underscore “Son of God.” A man, a prophet, a man of God, Son of God! Do you see it? Do you see how he goes stepping in the light? Do you see that God opened his eyes? And with his opened eyes he is learning and learning and learning and learning.
My dear friend, God didn’t open your blinded eyes just to have you sit around. Do you want to learn truth? You can learn truth. Well, you say, “Oh, the Holy Spirit will give me truth.” No, the Holy Spirit’s not going to give you truth. Jesus said, “He will guide you into all truth.” But you, my dear friend, must want to learn the truth. Luke 8 and verse 18: “Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.”
Now what does that mean? It means, dear friend, the way to have more light is to obey the light that you have. Put this verse down, Proverbs chapter 4 and verse 18: “The path of the just is as a shining light. It shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” I love that verse. What God says is, “Here’s the way a man grows in grace and knowledge. The path of the just is as a shining light that shineth more and more unto a perfect day.” When you first have your eyes opened spiritually, it’s just great on. The light is just coming over the horizon. You see some things. You see some shapes of trees or houses. You just can see. But then the sun, sunrise begins to happen in the soul, and the sun comes up. And the first thing you know, or after a while it’s high noon, a perfect day, and you see without any shadow at all. “The path of the just is as a shining light that shineth more and more unto a perfect day.” That’s the way, dear friend, it is to be for you. It takes more than light. It takes sight.
But once God gives you sight, then you must use the sight that you have to learn to see. Man’s biggest need is to admit his blindness. Man’s biggest need is to admit his blindness. Now come to verse 39: “And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see (that is, with their physical eyes) might be made blind.” That is, that they might understand the spiritual darkness of their hearts. “And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?” Ha, ha, these, Jesus called them blind leaders of the blind. “Are we blind also?” Now notice verse 41: “Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.”
Now listen, dear friend. Man’s biggest need is to see his need. Man’s biggest need is to admit his blindness. There are none so blind as those who refuse to see. You see, when Jesus met someone who claimed to be righteous, He sent that one away unforgiven. When He met someone who claimed, ah, to be full, He sent that one away hungry. When He met someone who claimed to see, that person still remained blind.
Do you know what kept these Pharisees from coming to Jesus? It was their arrogance, their dishonesty, and their abominable pride. There are many in this auditorium today who need the light, but your problem is, you sit there and say, “There’s nothing wrong with me. I’ve got 20/20.” And that’s the reason you’ll never get saved because you say…. Jesus looked at it. “Because you say we see, therefore your sin remaineth.”
I heard about a king who visited one of these slave galleys. You know, they didn’t used to run these ships with diesel, but they would put a lot of slaves beneath the, ah, the decks. And they chained these slaves to these massive oars, row upon row of them, and they would pull at the beat of a drum. And there would be a llichter there with a great whip to make them work harder. And the drum would beat so they would row in cadence. Those were the awfulest prisons and the most honorous torture of the day. And the king went walking through the, ah, slave galley to see these slaves. And he thought he would interview some of the prisoners. He asked one man, “Why are you here chained to this oar?” He said, “O, sire,” he said, “I’m here as an unfortunate, an unfortunate set of circumstances.” He said, “I was standing in a crowd when a heinous crime was committed and,” he said. ”I was picked up with the rest of them.” He said, “I, I was doing nothing. I was an innocent bystander.” He said, “I’ve, I’ve got my wife and my children at home. Sire, I’m innocent.” He asked another, he said, ah, “Why are you here?” “Oh,” he said, “it was a, a villous scheme.” He said, “There were those who lied on me.” He said, “I have been framed.” He said, “I have been lied against. I’ve been liabled.” And he said, “I have been accused of committing a, a crimes against the king. And, sire, you are my king. I pledge to you my loyalty. I would never do such a thing.”
“Oh,” said the king, “that’s terrible. That breaks my heart.” He asked another, he said, “Why are you here?” The man wouldn’t even lift his head. He said, “Sire, I’m paying the just debt that my sins have incurred. I have sinned against God. I’ve sinned against my king. I’ve sinned against my countrymen. I have been a wicked and a vile sinner, and I am suffering the just reward of my sin.” When the king heard that, he said, “You nave, you rascal, you thief, you malevolent person. What are you doing here in the midst of so many honest men? Guards, release him and let him go.”
Because you say you see, your sin remains. And as long as we say, “Lord, I’m rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing.” “….and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.”
Conclusion
Friend, listen. It takes more than light. It takes sight. Would you say, “Dear God, I’ll be honest enough to admit that my spiritual blindness?” And would you say, “Jesus, You are the light of the world. And, Lord Jesus, You’re the only one who can open my blind eyes. And, Lord Jesus, as You opened this man’s eyes so long ago physically, open my eyes that I might see.” Heads are bowed and eyes are closed. No one stirring. Friend, I beg you, I beg you. No one stirring. No one moving, please. The service is not over. I beg you in the name of Jesus to let Jesus come into your heart and open your blind eyes. Father, help many today to receive Christ. And if you want to be saved, would you pray a prayer like this: While heads are bowed and eyes are closed, “Oh God, I admit that I’m a sinner. I admit that I have been born blind. And except I be born again, I cannot see. Lord Jesus, You’re the only one who can open my blinded eyes. Help me, Lord Jesus. Save me today. Come into my heart. Forgive my sin. Save me today. And help me, Lord Jesus, to make it public. In Your name I pray, amen.