Jesus Is God's Answer to Man's Darkness

Pastor, teacher, and author Adrian Rogers has introduced people all over the world to the love of Jesus Christ and has impacted untold numbers of lives by presenting profound truth, simply stated. Thanks for joining us for this message.

Here's Adrian Rogers. He gave the Gospel of John, and of course it was that we might believe in Jesus and believing we might be saved. And he tells us about that purpose in John chapter 20, and if you will, in verse 30. And he says this, And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book, but these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, that is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that believing you might have life through his name. Now John uses a particular name for miracles, and the name that John uses for miracles is the name or the word sign, because a sign was a miracle, but it was more than a miracle. It was a miracle with a message.

It taught as well as performed. Now it's not that the miracles did not happen, they literally happened, but you need to look beyond the miracles and to find the message in the miracle and the significance in the sign. God gives us these signs, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, and he says, There, now, see that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, believe on him, and you will have life. Now we've already talked about some of these signs, some of these miracles, for example, when Jesus turned water into wine, that was the first of these signs.

The wine had run out, and they were disappointed. The party was failing, and Jesus came along and turned water into wine, and that shows us that Jesus is God's answer to man's disappointments. Then there was a nobleman who had a son, and that son was sick, and he came to Jesus and asked Jesus to heal his son. But Jesus rebuked him at first. He said, Except you see signs and wonders, you will not believe.

This man's problem was his doubt, his unbelief. And then Jesus simply gave his word, and the Bible says, And the man believed the word and went his way, and the son was healed. Not only is Jesus God's answer to man's disappointment, Jesus is God's answer to man's doubt. Then we read where there was a man who was paralyzed, waiting for the water to be moved so he could put himself in the water and be healed miraculously. And Jesus came to this man totally paralyzed and asked him, Will you be made whole? And the man said, Yes, and the Lord healed him, radically, dramatically healed him. And what was the message in the miracle? That Jesus is God's answer to man's disability.

We're like that man's sinners, completely without strength until we're touched by the power of God. And then there was a time when the crowds were hungry and there was no food. Jesus took a little lad's lunch and fed 5,000 men plus the women and children with a little lad's lunch.

What is that? They were hungry. Jesus is God's answer to man's desires. He said, I am the bread of life. Now, we're going to see that Jesus is God's answer to man's darkness because we're going to see Jesus healing a man that was born blind.

Look, if you will, now go back to John chapter 9 and let's look at this miracle. Verse 1, 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 sin nor his parents, but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. Now, the first truth I want you to learn is this, that spiritual blindness makes beggars of us all. Here was a man, verse 1 tells us, that he was blind. Now, remember that this man was physically blind, but he is an illustration of a man without the Lord Jesus Christ.

John begins his gospel in John chapter 1 and verse 4, it speaks of Jesus, and it says, In him, in Jesus, was life, and the life was the light of man. Now, what happened when man sinned? When Adam sinned, what happened? Adam became minus God in his spirit.

Now, Adam was made perfect when God created him, and God lived in Adam, and Adam was a temple in which God could live. But when God said to Adam, In the day that you sin against me, you will surely die. And when Adam sinned against God, he did die. But how did he die? He didn't die physically because physically he lived hundreds of years. He died spiritually. What happened is that the life went out of Adam, the spiritual life. Remember again, John 1, verse 4? In him was life, and the life was the light of man.

Now, you think about it. When the Lord went out, the life went out. And when the life went out, the light went out.

Can you remember that? When the Lord went out, the life went out. And when the life went out, the light went out. You see, in him is life, in the Lord is life, and the life was the light. Now, every man that is a son of Adam has the nature of Adam, and he is minus God. He is minus the Lord, minus the life, and minus the light. And so therefore, this man that was born blind is only illustrative of every man, woman, boy, and girl without the Lord Jesus. So when the Lord went out, he was what?

Depraved. When the life went out, he was what? Dead. And when the light went out, he was what?

Darkened. And so he is now depraved, dead, and darkened because he doesn't have the Lord in him anymore. Does that make sense to you? That's what it means to be lost. To be lost, you don't have to be a rapist or a murderer, a bank robber, an arsonist, a blasphemer.

Just be minus God. We are sons of Adam, and in Adam all die. So Jesus says to every man, every woman, you're blind, you're blind. What did he tell Nicodemus back in the third chapter of John? He said to Nicodemus, except a man be born again, he cannot what?

See. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Now he might see physical material things, but he can't understand spiritual things.

What does Ephesians 4 verse 18 say of every man, woman, boy, and girl without Christ? Having the understanding darkened, not the eyes, but the understanding darkened. Being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart. Now there's more than one kind of blindness. There's the blindness of the eyes. There's the blindness of the heart. And so this man was blind. Now here's the second thing I want you to notice about him. Not only was he blind, he was born blind.

Look, if you will, again. The Bible says in verse 1, he was blind from his birth. Now, the disciples ask a foolish question. Who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind? Well, perhaps his parents could have sinned and he'd be born blind.

Sometimes that happens. Sometimes little babies are born blind because of venereal disease. And it is possible that a baby could be born blind because of a parent's sin. Of course, obviously some little babies are born blind, not because of the parent's sin, but he asked who did sin and Jesus said, this man didn't sin that he was born blind, neither was his parents.

But here's an opportunity for the work of God that God's work might be done in him. But how does he become an illustration of every unsaved man, woman, boy, and girl? Number one, he was blind. And number two, he was born blind. Did you know that we were all born blind? Spiritually, we are all born blind. The Bible says in Psalm 51 in verse 5, I was shapen in iniquity. In sin did my mother conceive me.

That doesn't mean that I was conceived out of wedlock. But when it says in sin did my mother conceive me, that means that I was a sinner in conception. I was born, I was conceived with a sinful nature. Even your little precious granddaughter, believe it or not, she has a sinful nature.

And she needs, when she reaches the age of accountability, to be saved. Now listen to this verse, Ephesians 2 verse 3. It speaks of those of us who were lost, among whom also, we all, A-double-L, had our conversation or behavior in times past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. So this man was blind, he was born blind. Now not only was he blind and born blind, but go down to verse 8 and find out something else about him. The neighbors therefore, and they which had seen him that was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? He was blind, he was born blind, and he became a beggar.

And again he represents every man, woman, boy, and girl without the Lord Jesus Christ. What did God create man to be? A king. When God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden, he gave Adam and Eve dominion. That is, they were to rule. Adam and Eve were king and queen of planet earth.

Mankind was to have dominion. But man who was created to be a king, a spiritual king, is now a blind beggar. Listen to this verse in Revelation chapter 3 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, poor and blind and naked. Poor, blind, and naked. What a picture of mankind without the Lord Jesus Christ. And so let me just put down the first thing in your heart and in my heart, and let's see if we can learn it from John chapter 9, that spiritual blindness makes beggars of us all. Now here's the second thing I want you to learn.

And this is very, very important. The blind need more than light in order to see. Now begin now with verse 2, And the disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sin 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 by the way, that is the meaning of the miracle, that Jesus is the light of the world. 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. Now, here was a man who was blind and Jesus, the light of the world was in his presence, but this man could not see Jesus.

He was there in the sunshine. He was there in the light, but he could not see. The blind need more than light to see. A blind man may not see the light, but he would be foolish to deny the light just simply because he cannot see it. But this scripture tells us that man needs more than light, he needs sight. Now, listen very carefully, because some of you have loved ones that are lost.

Some of you want to be soul winners. There's a great truth here. There can be no sight without light, but there can be light without sight.

Now, I have visited Carlsbad Caverns. Some of you have done that or maybe gone into some deep cave and had the people turn out all the lights and the darkness is so deep that you could almost slice it. And no matter if you have 20-20 vision, you can't see a thing there because there's no sight without light. Do you agree to that?

I hope. There is no sight without light, but there can be light without sight. I mean, a man could be standing blind at high noon and still not see.

Now, what is the point here? We need to understand this, that men need more than light in order to be saved. They can't be saved without the light, but they also need the sight. Put this scripture down. 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verses 3 and 4. Paul said, But 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, which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. Now, Satan cannot put out the light, so what does he do? He blinds the heart.

He blinds the mind. The Bible says the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not. Therefore, it takes more than preaching to get people saved.

I used to think, as a young preacher, that what you had to do to get people saved was just to tell them how to be saved. Just turn on the light. But it doesn't matter how much light there is, if the person is blind, he can't see it.

Do you understand what I'm talking about? It takes more than light. It takes sight. And a person who is blind cannot see the light, no matter how strong the light is or how pure the light is. It takes more than preaching to get people saved. That's the reason I frequently say to you, I can preach truth, but only the Holy Spirit can impart truth. That is the reason we must be a praying church. That is the reason that you must be a spirit-filled soul winner. That is the reason that we must have the anointing because we are dependent upon God to open blinded eyes to the gospel of Jesus Christ. It takes more than light. It takes sight. We need to understand that nobody can be argued into the kingdom of heaven.

Nobody can be educated into the kingdom of heaven. I'm not against letting the light shine. You must let the light shine. You must preach.

But remember, there is another dimension. This man was blind, and there he was face to face with the light of the world, but he could not see. Now, notice what the Lord Jesus did, verses 6 and 7. Now, Jesus does something remarkable. And when he had thus spoken, he said, you know, I'm the light of the world.

Now, there's the light there, but now Jesus is going to do something else. And when he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle. That is just mud made of clay or dirt and spit. 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.

Now, what does this mean? What does the clay represent? It represents the same thing to me that those six water pots represented.

Remember those stone water pots, earthen water pots? Clay speaks of humanity. How did God make man?

God made man of the dust of the earth. And because it speaks of humanity, it speaks of weakness. It speaks of failure. It speaks of our inability. And to put clay on his eyes represents that which would seal out the light. That's what's wrong with him, his humanity, his nature.

That's what's caused him to be blind. Then our Lord, I think with a twinkle in his eye, said, go wash in the pool called Siloam. Now, what does that mean? In that language translated, it means go wash in the pool called scent. Why did the Holy Spirit put that in the Word?

What is the significance of that? Go back to chapter 8 and verse 12. Then spake Jesus 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, the Jews wouldn't accept this. And so look in verse 23. And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath. I am from above. Ye are of this world. I am not of this world. That is, I belong in heaven.

My origin is heaven. Here Jesus is speaking about his identification with God the Father. But now go down to verse 26. I have many things to say and to judge of you, but he, now underscore this, he that sent me is true. Now go down to verse 29.

And he that sent me is with me. Go to chapter 9 and look in verse 4. Jesus said before he healed this man, I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day. And then go down to verse 7 where he says, go wash in the pool called sent. I said, Lord, I see it.

I understand. The Lord here, he's saying, this pool represents me. I am the one sent from heaven. I am the one. I am heaven's answer for man's darkness and your humanity blots out the light, this dirt, this dust, this clay.

But I have been sent from above. I am heaven's light for earth's darkness. I am the only one that can take away this darkness, the heaven sent Son of God. So now we need to understand, we are by nature spiritually blind. We need to understand that man needs more than light. He needs sight. And that Jesus Christ is the only one who can give that sight. Now here's the third thing we need to learn. Opened eyes or eyes once open can see the light, but they must learn to see. They must learn to see. Go to chapter 9 and verse 35 for just a moment.

Begin to read here. And Jesus 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 may 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 worshiped him.

Open eyes must learn to see. Now, what had happened to this man was that once he was healed, the Pharisees got out after him. And because he had allowed Jesus to heal him, they were going to put him out of the synagogue. And they began to ask him all kinds of questions. And he really infuriated them because they said, Who is he that healed you? What were his credentials? Who ordained him? Now, they didn't say it this way, but this is what they would say today.

What seminary did he go to? And this man looked at them, and I love this. He said, I don't know what you're asking.

I can't answer those questions, but I'll tell you one thing. Once I was blind, and now I can see. Now, that's great. Now, we're going to talk about that in just a moment. Well, that infuriated them.

Once I was blind, and now I can see. They shut him out, and Jesus sought him out. They are the blight of the world. He's the light of the world. Religion without Christ is a blight. But Jesus sought this man out, and Jesus begins to work with this man. Now, he's had his eyes opened, but he's not yet saved. The Lord is enabling him to believe. The Lord is giving him understanding. He is leading him from a non-saving faith to a saving faith.

He is believing about Jesus before he's trusting on Jesus. Now, look again at his testimony. What a testimony he had. Look, if you will, in verse 25. He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or not, I know not.

One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see. Well, that was a pretty good testimony as far as it went. Well, I mean, if you would ask me, Adrian, do you know whether Jesus was a sinner or not? I'd say, well, I really don't know whether he was a sinner or not.

That wouldn't be a very good testimony. But it was a good testimony when he said for this man at this stage, because that's all he knew. He didn't know anymore. All he knew was that he had been blind. He was born blind. He was a beggar. Jesus put spit and clay on his eyes.

He went and washed in a pool whose name was sent, and now he can see. That's all he knows. He doesn't know anything about Jesus.

He's certainly not a theologian. You see, his eyes are opened, not only physically, but now I want you to see how Jesus is going to open his eyes spiritually. And what's he illustrating here? That it takes more than light, it takes sight, and once you get both light and sight, you still have to learn to see.

Now, notice the progression in this man. This man had honest ignorance. Will Rogers said that a man doesn't show his ignorance by not knowing so much as he does by knowing so much that ain't so. This man, he only knew what he knew. So, a Christian with a glowing testimony is worth a library full of arguments. I mean, they wanted to argue with this man. He said, hey, once I was blind and now I can see.

They could not argue with that. He had an honest ignorance. Now, but I want you to understand this, that the Holy Spirit guides you into truth. The Holy Spirit does not give you truth.

Did you hear that? The Holy Spirit, Jesus said, when he has come, he will guide you into all truth. Once you have the light, you must learn to see. Now, I want you to notice how this man went through a progression. Now, look, if you will, in verse 11. He gets healed and they said to him in verse 10, how were thine eyes opened? He answered and said, a man that is called Jesus made clay. A man, some man did this. His name is Jesus.

He made clay, he did it. That's all he knew about him. He was a man. Now, they said, was he a sinner?

I don't know, just a man. All right, that's step number one. But now, I want you to notice going down to verse 17 of this same chapter. And they said unto the blind man again, what sayest of him that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, he's a prophet.

And now, he's beginning to think on it a little bit. He's saying, this man's more than a man. He is a prophet. Now, going over to verse 31. We know that God heareth not sinners, but if any man be a worshiper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.

Since the world began, it was not heard that any man open the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. Notice his progression now. Notice how he is beginning to see more and more. First, he's a man. Don't know whether he's a sinner or not. Now, he's saying he's a prophet. Now, he is saying he is a man sent of God. Here is a man sent of God. But now, I want you to notice how his faith completely ripens. I want you to look in verses 35 through 38. Jesus 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?

Now, see, he hadn't gotten there yet. He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? He believes he's a man. He believes he's a prophet. He believes he's sent from God, but he doesn't know he's yet the Son of God or who he is. Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him.

Aha, his eyes are open now. And it is he that talked with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshiped.

You see, the man who's been given sight is now learning to see. And that's the way that people come to the Lord Jesus Christ. God has to open their eyes.

The Holy Spirit of God has to give them insight, spiritual insight, but then they began to learn to grow in knowledge until they come to that full orb of faith. Let me give you some scriptures that teach that. Luke 18, 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. So be very careful when you come to church how you hear, because if you have a desire for truth, you'll be given more truth. But if you don't have a desire for truth, even that which you seem to have will be taken away from you.

Or put down this scripture, Romans chapter 1, verse 17. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written, the just shall live by faith. Now how does God speak to you from faith to faith?

Here was a man, he says, well, he opened my eyes. That's a little bit of faith. And then he goes from that faith to this faith. He says he's a prophet. And he goes from that faith to this faith. He says he's sent from God. And he goes from that faith to this faith. He says he is the son of God, I believe, and he's saved. He goes from faith to faith. To him that has will be given.

You see, once the eyes are open, then you need to be able to understand. Put this scripture down, Proverbs chapter 4, verse 18. But the path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more into a perfect day. At first it's gray dawn, and then the sun comes over the horizon, and you can see, but they're just shadows, very little color.

Then the sun gets up a little bit more, you can see, but they're long shadows, and then finally it is high noon, and there are no shadows. That's the way God gives us spiritual wisdom. And so we are born blind beggars. It takes more than light. It takes sight.

It takes a miracle. But once God opens our eyes, then we have to learn to see. Now here's the final thing I want us to see, that man's greatest need, therefore, is to confess and to admit his need. Now go look, if you will, in this same chapter and look in verse 39. Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see, and they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin. But now ye say, We see, therefore your sin remaineth.

Do you know the parable? There are none so blind as those who refused to see. And so those who claimed to be full, Jesus sent away empty. Those who claim to be righteous were sent away unforgiven.

And those who claimed to see remained blind. Man's greatest need is to see his spiritual blindness. Now, the Bible makes that very clear. Just as light obeyed increases light, light refused increases darkness. Listen to this scripture, Romans chapter 1 verse 21.

Because that when they knew God, that is when their eyes were opened, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened. Light obeyed increases light, light refused increases darkness. Now, there can be no greater sin than to reject the light. Once a man hears the gospel and his heart is open to the Word of God, if he does not act upon that light and go from faith to faith until he believes in Jesus Christ, his condemnation is double. Because not only is he judged for the disease, he's also judged that he refused the cure.

Listen to this scripture, John 3 verses 19 and 20. And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world, but men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. Everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

When God comes to judge the world, he's not going to judge the world primarily by the sin that was committed, but by the light that was rejected. And what does this miracle show? That Jesus is the light of the world. We are born blind beggars, but those blind eyes can be opened and will be opened by the grace of God.

And it's not just turning on the light. The heart, the mind has to be opened and quickened to understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. Once the heart, once the mind is opened and quickened, then we live up to the light that we have, we go stepping in the light till we come to Jesus. Man's greatest need is to admit and confess his spiritual blindness. When he says, I see, he remains blind. But when he says, God help me, I'm blind, God opens his eyes and gives him light.