Title: To Give Sight and to Blind (a purpose of the Lord's First Coming)

Topic: First Coming

Summary: We look at a puzzling statement Jesus made about why he came into this world. Giving sight is a great goal, but what did he mean that he came that those who see may be made blind (John 9:39)?

Use the reference links below to follow along in the Bible as you watch.

References:
John 9:39, 5, 16, 21, 25, 38-39, 41
Genesis 19:11
Deuteronomy 28:28, 34, 67
2 Kings 6:17-18
Psalms 69:20-23; 146:8-9
Isaiah 6:9-10; 29:9; 43:8-11; 36:10
Zephaniah 1:17-18
Zechariah 12:4
Matthew 4:16; 15:10-14; 22:46; 23:16, 24, 26, 33, 37
John 3:3, 16, 18-21
Acts of the Apostles 9:9
1 John 5:20; 2:10-11

2423. 'Behold now, your servant has found grace in your eyes' means a state of humility resulting from the affection for truth, and 'you have magnified your mercy' means a likeness of a state of humility resulting from the affection for good. This becomes clear from what has been stated already about grace and mercy in 598, 981. For people governed by an affection for truth are not able to humble themselves sufficiently so as to acknowledge from the heart that all things are attributable to mercy; and this being so, instead of mercy they speak of grace. Indeed the less the affection for truth is in them, the less humility there is within their mention of grace. On the other hand the more affection for good exists with someone the more humility there is within his mention of mercy. This shows how broad the difference is in the adoration and consequently the worship between those governed by the affection for truth and those governed by the affection for good. For in order that worship may exist, adoration must exist, and in order that adoration may exist humility must do so too. This applies to every single aspect of worship. From this it is evident why both grace and mercy are mentioned here.