John 9:1-41
Title: A
Picture of Profound Belief.
Analysis:
In
chapter 9 of the book of John, the author makes a dramatic comparison with the
previous events. Just a little while earlier the crowds and the religious
leaders picked up stones to kill Jesus (8:59). The Messiah eluded their grasp
and the first thing He does is display His miraculous power again by healing a
man who was born blind.
As
Jesus continued His ministry to the people of Israel, He passes by a man who
had been blind from birth. The disciples ask the Lord whether it was the man’s
or his parent’s sin that had caused the blindness. In this time, the Jews linked
almost all illness and disease to personal or parental sin. The disciples
assumed that someone must have sinned for the man to have such a disease as
blindness. In this case however, the Lord showed them that sin was not the
reason for disease and suffering.
The
Lord replies to the disciples by saying in verse 3, “It was neither that this
man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be
displayed in Him.” The Lord, making clay from the ground applies it to the
man’s eyes and tells him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. The man went and
washed and immediately his sight was restored!
The
crowds soon saw the man who was blind and marveled that his sight had been
restored, they questioned Him saying, “How then were your eyes opened?”
Excitedly the man replies in verse 11 saying, “The man who is called Jesus made
clay and anointed my eyes…I went away and washed and I received sight.”
Now,
the day that Jesus healed the blind man was a Sabbath. So the blind man was
brought to the Pharisees (vs. 13) and questioned as to how he became healed of
his blindness (vs. 15). Upon hearing that Jesus healed again on the Sabbath
some decided that He could not be from God for He did not keep the Sabbath
while others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” Just as
there was a division in the crowds about Jesus in 7:40-43 the religious elite
were now divided as to who Christ really was.
Unbelieving,
the religious leaders call in the blind man’s parents to see if he really was
blind and had received his sight verses. 18-19 say, “Is this your son, who you
say was born blind? Then how does he now see?” Unwilling to answer for fear of
the religious authorities, the parents admit that it is their son and that he
was blind, but do not say that Jesus was the one who made him well. The reason
for fear was that the Jews said they would remove people who confessed Christ
form the synagogue.
The
blind man is once again summoned to answer the questions of the religious
leaders. The man points to the simple fact of the miracle saying in verse 25,
“…one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” Not satisfied the
religious men press him further saying, “What did He do to you?” Seeing their
hypocrisy, the man responds sarcastically saying, “I told you already and you
did not listen; why do you want to hear it again? You do not want to become His
disciples too, do you?” Being angered (vs. 28) they revile the man and claim
that they do not know where Jesus came from.
In
an amazing response and confession of Jesus, the blind man now responds with
far more spiritual insight than the religious leaders had saying in verses
30-33, “Well here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from,
and yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not hear sinners; but if
anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him. Since the beginning of
time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born
blind. If this man were not from God he could do nothing.” Immediately the
religious are enraged and put him out of the synagogue.
Jesus,
knowing what had happened finds the blind man, and although He had restored his
physical sight, He now grants the man spiritual sight to know who He is and
believe in His name. The man worships Jesus as Lord (vs. 38). In contrast, the
Pharisees who were spiritually blind remained in their sins, and willful
rejection of Jesus Christ as Lord.
Response:
‘I
once was blind, but now I see’ resonated through my mind after studying this
passage of Scripture. The blind man accepted the harsh treatment of those who
were religious for he knew that the pleasure of God was far greater than the
pleasure of man. For me as a believer this is a reminder that persecution will
come and it will most likely come from those who are inside the church and are
religious. The way to handle persecution is to respond as this man did. He
would not reject the Lord Jesus even if it meant loosing privileges in the
temple and synagogue. He was not concerned about associating with the religious
elite but rather with the very Son of God. In a display of humility and honour he
bows down to his knees and worships Jesus as Sovereign Lord. What a great
example for us as believers to be firm in our belief of Christ and to worship
Him with a strong faith a believing heart.
Blessings,
Lucas C.
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