Today’s Speaker: Brother Mark Pannell will conduct the 11:00 am service today. Pray for him as he delivers God’s word.
Television Broadcast: Our Reign of Grace Television program is being broadcast on WFXL Fox 31, Channel 4. The program will air every Sunday morning at 11 AM.
Radio Broadcast: Sunday morning at 9:30am on 98.7 FM –WISK.
John 9:39… “And Jesus said, for judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.”
“A sight for sore eyes” is an expression describing an unexpected, yet welcomed experience. An oasis in the desert is a sight for sore eyes to one without water. Jesus was a sight to behold to the man blind from birth in John 9. He is more so to those healed of judicial blindness. Three unmistakable truths bear this out.
A. “For judgment I am come.” This judgment is not punitive in nature. John 12:47… “And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.” This judgment is to distinguish between believers and non believers. The “Greek” for “judgment” is “Kree-no’” meaning “to separate.” Light has a predictable influence on darkness. It drives out the darkness. When Christ comes in the preaching of the true gospel he distinguishes between those of the light and those of darkness. When he comes, he finds all either in a state of condemnation or a standing of justification, no exclusions, no exceptions.
B. “That they which see not might see.” What, heretofore unknown is revealed to every justified sinner? How God can be both a just God and a Savior. (Isaiah 45;20-22) Until the sinner can answer this question experientially he cannot see. But God’s people will see this “Mystery of godliness” revealed. (1 Timothy 3:16) How Jesus Christ enabled the Father to be both just and justifier. A holy and righteous God cannot arbitrarily save sinners. He must be just when he saves and he must save all for whom Christ died. Christ to the rescue. 2 Corinthians 5:21… “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” God the Father charged my sins to Christ. Sin charged demands death. He suffered the death I deserve. God the father charged his righteousness to me. Righteousness charged demands life. He is the Lord our righteousness. (Jeremiah 23:6) Christ’s righteousness, the merits of his obedience, suffering and death imputed answered every demand of God’s holy law and justice against every sinner for whom he died. This ALONE enables God to be just when he justifies sinners. Acts 4:12… “There is salvation in none other, for there is no other name under heaven, given among men whereby we must be saved.”
C. “And they which see might be made blind.” To those whom God enlightens is the “mystery of Godliness” made known and embraced. All others are “made blind.” The Greek for “made blind” is “ghin’-om-ahee”, meaning “to expose.” Some which see not are made to see. The rest are exposed as judicially blind. These are they of which Christ spoke in John 5:40… “And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” Do you see? Or, do you seeing, see not? (Matthew 13:13) What a sight to behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2Corinthians 4:6)
--- Winston Pannell
When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. (John 19:13)
Man has no right to pass any sort of judgment at all upon the ONE who “rules in the heavens and among the inhabitants of the earth” (Dan.4:35) Nebuchadnezzar goes on to state, “there is none that can stay HIS hand or say unto him what doest thou?” (i.e.; question HIS doing much less HIS person.) Yet here at Gabbatha we see both Jews and Gentiles alike questioning and condemning HIM who is the “fullness of the GODHEAD bodily”. What arrogance that any worm of the dust should think it in any wise proper to judge the JUDGE of all the earth.
While it is clear that this examination was a contrived one which dared to put the LORD of all the earth on trial, yet in the common preaching of our day men are called upon to do the same thing as if they had that right and ability to continue to do so. We often hear men plead with others to “accept the LORD”, to “let the LORD in their heart”, or to otherwise make some sort of judgment on HIM whose way is past finding out. The underlying notion behind such “preaching” is that man is some sort of “sovereign” over his own “free will” and does indeed hold the LORD hostage until he makes up his mind as to whether or not to “allow” the LORD (who according to them is wringing HIS hands in hope that they will choose HIM) to save him.
The dire predicament that all men are in by nature does not afford them either the position, nor the ability to make such a “choice”. All men are “dead in trespasses and sins”, not merely wounded but without hope. Men cannot and will not choose the way of the LORD because they are bound in the very darkness of a Stygian midnight in which they cannot see spiritual things. “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)
It is the height of arrogance for any potsherd of the earth to think that he might “contend” or bargain with HIM who has the power to “destroy both soul and body in hell”. This is why the LORD said that HE had hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes. None shall be saved except that man for whom the LORD JESUS CHRIST did obtain eternal redemption. They are those who are made manifest by a broken and contrite heart which are made to see their own just destruction played out before their very eyes and compelled to cast themselves upon the mercy of the Eternal JUDGE. “Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee.” (Psalm 65:4)
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