Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 2141
John 9:35.
THE eyes of the Lord Jesus are always on His chosen and He knows every circumstance which occurs to them. “Jesus heard that they had cast him out.” Our Lord had done too much for this man to forget him. Where Divine Grace has worked a great work its memory lingers. As it is written, “You will have a desire to the work of your hands.” In this let us take comfort—if anything has happened to grieve us—Jesus has heard of it and will act accordingly. Our Lord sought for the outcast one. Unasked, He had opened his eyes. Unsought, He looks after him in his hour of trouble. He was not easy to find but our Lord is great at searching out His lost sheep and He persevered until He found him. If we, at any time, should seem cast off from Christ as well as cast out by proud religionists, He will find us when we cannot find Him. Blessed be His name!
Our Lord’s objective was to do this man real service—he had been cast out of the synagogue and he, therefore, needed comfort—and it would be a grand thing so to comfort him as to lead him onward and upward in the Divine life! Our Lord’s way of comforting was to ask a question which would lead to heart-searching and suggest spiritual advance. It is not the way that you and I might take, but His ways are not our ways, neither are His thoughts our thoughts. Wisdom is justified of her methods. It is the best thing, when a man is in soul trouble, to make him look to his own condition before God and specially to his faith—for when he finds that he is right on the main point—this assurance will be to him a wellspring of comfort.
We are sure that our Lord took the very best means to bring this man to well-grounded confidence when He said to him, “Do you believe on the Son of God?” He helped him, by this question, to make a considerable advance in faith, for although the poor man had believed in Jesus up to the measure of his knowledge, his knowledge had been slender. But now he was to learn that the opener of his eyes was the Son of God! This is such faith as the Person of our Lord deserves, but such as many have never rendered to Him and for lack of this they miss the great power of His Grace.
The man was excommunicated and was then placed under the ban of the Jewish Church—but trust in the Son of God would quickly remove from him any alarm which he might feel on that account. He that enjoys the favor of the Son of God will not tremble at the frown of the Sanhedrim! Oh, that the Lord would comfort many this morning while I press upon each one of you this one personal question, “Do you believe on the Son of God?” To young and old, to rich and poor I shall direct this solemn enquiry.
It is not a perplexing question upon an abstruse point, but a simple and urgent enquiry relating to everybody here present. It is not a problem profound and intricate—a question of free will or predestination, of postmillennial or premillennial advents—it is a practical question—pressing and present and one that concerns every man in his everyday life at this very moment. I wish each one of you to think that I now put my hand on your shoulder and look you in the face and say earnestly, “Do you believe on the Son of God?” This is not a question out of which angry controversy can possibly arise, for it has to do with yourself and yourself only!
Whatever discussion there may be will be confined within your own bosom. It concerns yourself, only, and it is put in the singular, “Do you believe on the Son of God?” It was put by Jesus Himself to this man—consider, then, that Jesus puts it to you, also this morning, even to you, apart even from your spouse or friend.
I. I shall begin pressing home the question, by the help of the Holy Spirit, by making the remark that THE QUESTION NEEDS TO BE RAISED. It must not be taken for granted that you believe on the Son of God. “Oh, yes, I am a Christian,” says one. “I was born in a Christian country. I was taken to Church while a babe and was duly christened and I now repeat the creed. Surely this is sufficient proof of my faith!” Or possibly you say, “My mother took me to the Meeting House before I could walk and ever since I have never quit the ways of old-fashioned Nonconformity.”
All this may be so, but it is not to the point. “Do you believe on the Son of God?” This is a spiritual and vital question which cannot be thus set aside. You reply, “My moral character has always been correct. In business I have always discharged my liabilities and I have always been ready to help every charitable institution.” I am glad to hear all this. Still, it does not touch the matter now in hand—this query goes deeper than outward conduct. Hear it again—“Do you believe on the Son of God?”
Numbers of moral, amiable, generous and even religious people have not believed on the Son of God. Excuse me, I cannot let you slip through in the crowd. I must lay hold upon you with a holy vehemence that even forgets courtesy for the moment and I must say to the best of you, “Do you believe on the Son of God?” Though this man had been scrupulously obedient, yet our Lord asked the question! It may be I speak to some who say, “I have been at all times obedient to the duties of religion. Whatever I have found to be commanded of God in His Word I have carefully carried