Blinded by Sin
A Sermon on John 5:43
Originally preached June 15, 1958
Scripture
43I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
Sermon Description
Sin blinds the unbeliever from believing in Jesus. In this sermon on John 5:43 titled “Blinded by Sin,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones continues his exposition of this chapter that is nestled in the context of divine healing and divine declarations made by Jesus. However, the Jews outright dismissed Jesus’s claims, refuse to receive Him as Lord and Savior, and ultimately begin plotting to kill Him. In their rejection, Jesus condemns them, saying they praise people for earthly glory and have no love of God. In this Scripture, Dr. Lloyd-Jones unfolds Jesus’s next condemning truth: they are blinded by sin. Jesus tells them that they will receive someone who arrogantly comes in their own name, but refuse to receive Him who comes in the name of the Father. The Jews, along with all unbelievers, are blinded by sin. Sin blinds the unbelieving, causing them to lose rationality and become a fool. Sin blinds. Unbelievers lose all sense of proper judgment because sin clouds judgment and restricts it to prejudice, subjectivity, and arrogance. Like the physically blind who cannot see their path, sin blinds unbelievers to any moral judgment. Dangerously, sin blinds one to receive Jesus, repenting of sin and trusting Him by faith to be forgiven and avoid the horrors of hell. How can one be saved from this blindness? In this sermon, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones examines the disease of sin and how one can be cured.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon text is from John 5:43 which says "I am come in my father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive."
- Jesus is addressing the Jews who refused to believe in him despite the evidence and miracles.
- The Jews thought they knew God, could detect imposters and were men of understanding but failed to recognize the Son of God.
- Sin blinds and fools us, depriving us of wisdom and judgment. The Jews prided themselves on judgment but crucified the Son of God.
- The world has always honored men who come in their own name but refused those who come in God's name like Noah, Lot and the prophets.
- The Jews chose Barabbas, a robber, over Jesus. The world worshipped Caesar and false messiahs but rejected Jesus.
- The world believes the most fantastic claims but refuses the Son of God and his offer of salvation. They believe in politicians, quacks and charlatans but not Jesus.
- Sin also depraves us morally which is why our judgment is flawed. We believe what we want to hear. False prophets flatter us but true prophets tell us the truth about our sin which we don't want to hear.
- Men hate God by nature and love sin. They hate the light and truth because it exposes their sin but love darkness.
- The message of repentance, that we are helpless sinners who need to be born again and follow Christ in self-denial is hated by the world.
- Sin blinds us to the glory and love of Christ. The tragedy is men can't recognize or be moved by the Son of God.
- We must receive Christ as the Son of God and Savior, see him on the cross and fall at his feet or we remain blind due to sin. We must ask God for mercy, new life and understanding.
Sermon Q&A
Martyn Lloyd-Jones on John 5:43 - Key Questions and Answers
What does John 5:43 say and what is its significance?
John 5:43 states, "I am come in my father's name, and ye receive me not. If another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive." This verse represents a profound indictment by Jesus of the human tendency to reject divine truth while readily accepting imposters. Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies this as "the most striking fact in the whole history of the human race" - that mankind has consistently rejected God's messengers while embracing those who come in their own authority.
Why does Lloyd-Jones believe people reject Christ but accept imposters?
According to Lloyd-Jones, sin causes two critical problems that explain this phenomenon: 1. Sin blinds and fools us - it "deprives us of wisdom and of understanding and of judgment," affecting our ability to recognize truth 2. Sin depraves us morally - making us prefer messages that flatter us rather than confront us with uncomfortable truths about ourselves
As he states, "The false prophet always tells us exactly what we want to hear and what we like to hear."
What historical examples does Lloyd-Jones provide of people rejecting God's messengers?
Lloyd-Jones provides numerous examples throughout history: - Noah being rejected for 120 years while warning of the flood - Lot being dismissed in Sodom and Gomorrah - The prophets of the Old Testament being killed - John the Baptist being executed - Jesus himself being crucified - The apostles being persecuted and martyred - The Protestant Reformers being persecuted - The Puritans receiving similar treatment - Early Methodists like Wesley and Whitfield being stoned and attacked
Why does Lloyd-Jones believe this rejection of truth is still relevant today?
Lloyd-Jones argues this pattern explains "the whole predicament of the world this very evening." He states that "if the whole world simply believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and followed him, our problems would vanish like the morning mist." The world's rejection of Christ and its willingness to follow false leaders and ideologies explains the continued moral confusion and conflict in society.
What does Lloyd-Jones identify as the reason we prefer false prophets?
The false prophets tell us what we want to hear, specifically: - They flatter us rather than confront us - They tell us "we are not so bad after all" - They suggest we can perfect ourselves and the world without divine help - They minimize the severity of our moral problems - They comfort us with false assurances ("peace, peace when there is no peace")
How does Lloyd-Jones describe our natural response to the true gospel message?
Lloyd-Jones explains that by nature we hate the gospel message because: - It tells us the truth about ourselves - that we are sinful and depraved - It places the problem within us rather than in external circumstances - It tells us we cannot save ourselves - It calls us to repentance - It states we need to be completely born again rather than merely improved - It demands self-denial and cross-bearing
What is Lloyd-Jones' final appeal to his listeners?
Lloyd-Jones concludes with a powerful appeal for people to receive Christ: "Have you received Christ? Have you received him as the son of God? Have you received him as the savior of your soul?" He urges his listeners to recognize their blindness and depravity, and to turn to Christ asking for mercy and new life. He assures them that if they ask sincerely, God "will do it, even here and now."
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.