Spiritual blindness: John 1:24-26
Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” John answered them saying, “I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know.”
Verse 19 tells us that Jews sent Levites out to check out John the Baptist. He evaded their numerous pointed questions. Then in verse 26 John the Baptist tells them, “but among you stands One whom you do not know.” Of course, John was referring to Jesus Christ. What did he mean by that statement?
These men, not only the Jews in Jerusalem but also the men they sent, knew the Old Testament very well. They had been taught all their lives that a messiah was coming. The man Jesus Christ had been walking among them for some 30 years. They heard him speak, they saw him perform miracles. They saw Him crucified. All these things and more were told of Him in the Old Testament, yet they still did not recognize Him. Why? Because they were spiritually blind!
Acts 28:26–27 says, “Go to this people and say, ‘You will keep on hearing, but will not understand, And you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; For the heart of this people has become dull, And with their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes; Otherwise they might see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them.’”
What causes spiritual blindness in individuals? Is it the influence of Satan or false teachings? Addressing such blindness may require tackling underlying issues like sin, ignorance, pride, or emotional wounds.
2 Corinthians 4:3–4 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
1 Corinthians 2:14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
Considering these scriptures and many others in God’s Word, one pressing question arises: Do those who are spiritually blind realize their condition of spiritual blindness? Only through divine intervention and a transformation initiated by God can a spiritually blind individual come to acknowledge their blindness.
Fifty years ago, I committed my life to serving the Lord. I hold an associate’s degree in Christian Education and a bachelor’s degree in Christian Counseling. In my retirement, I focus on studying and sharing the teachings of God’s Word with others. I maintain 3 Facebook pages dedicated to spreading the Word of God. Email Dean: hopeinchrist2024@yahoo.com