A Study of John's Gospel. Pt. 53.

Good morning to all of our Readers from many different continents, time zones and environmental circumstances.

I marvel as I reflect upon each one of you from so many different locations. Why do I marvel? Because your finding this Bible study blog is all of God. I praise Him daily for each Reader and each country that you represent. May our Lord continue doing a great work through His living Word that is contained in each post. 

As we near the close of John 9 I want to show you how things ended up for the blind man who received his sight from Jesus Christ. His words "One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see" are beautiful and inspiring to us. 

They show us the heart of God toward fallen man, a heart full of compassion, grace and mercy. However, He also has a heart that accepts mankind only as each individual turns from sin to Jesus Christ in repentant faith. 

Our last post ended with the Jews claiming allegiance to Moses because God spoke to him. This is very ironic since Jesus taught these same men that Moses wrote about Christ! They were desperate men seeking some way that they might kill Christ. 

Our text below picks up with the blind man who received his sight teaching truth to those who were supposedly teachers of truth. 

The blind man instructs the rabbis and Pharisees in truth. 

John 9:30-33  The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. 31) Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. 32)  Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. 33) If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.

The formerly blind man declared that it was a marvelous thing that Jesus opened his eyes while the Pharisees claimed ignorance about who Christ was. The word "marvelous" means something that causes amazement with terror. It means something that is admirable, excellent or extraordinary  that passes human comprehension. 

The man who used to be blind was not talking about the miracle of receiving his sight. Rather, he was talking about how the Jewish rulers could be so blinded to the truth and the reality that Jesus Christ was sent from God the Father. 

Now, this man is going to teach them truth that will hit them between the eyes and they will explode with more anger and hostility. 

He told them a scriptural truth. God does not hear sinners. The Old Testament texts below clearly teach this truth and the blind man would have been familiar with them. 

God will not hear an unrighteous person.

Psalm 66:18  If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: 

Proverbs 28:9  He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination. 

Isaiah 59:1-2  Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2) But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 

The next truth that the formerly blind man spoke was that God will hear those who worship Him and do His will. The blind man would have been familiar with the text from Psalm 33 and we have two New Testament texts to shows us this truth. 

God will hear those who are "right" with Him through faith in Christ.

Psalm 33:18  Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; 

1 Peter 3:12  For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. 

Acts 10:34-35  Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35) But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. 

The blind man's last recorded words spoken to the Pharisees, Sadducees and rulers were a powerful testimony of truth and a hammer blow to their hatred and unbelief.

His last words to the Pharisees put his faith into sharp focus.

John 9:32-33  Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. 33) If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.

Take your time and read his words in the text above. Put yourself in that crowd of people. The religious leaders, rulers and rabbis were given a verbal spanking by the man who received his sight from Jesus.

Since the world began, he said, it has never happened that one born blind ever had a man lay hands on him and received his sight. His last words serve as a solemn warning to those who mock or deny Jesus Christ. If this man were not of God, the man declared, he could do nothing!

The blind man paid a high price in declaring his faith in Jesus Christ. 

John 9:34  They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out. 

The religious leaders and rulers became vicious toward the man who used to be blind. They derided him saying that he was a sinner from his head to his feet. How dare such a vile, unclean man like him teach these "learned" men! 

His stand for Christ came at a high price. They cast him out from the synagogue. He was cut off from the Temple, cut off from his family and cut off from the social benefits of being a Pharisee or Sadducee. 

The word "cast" is a strong word that means driven out with violence, deprived of any power of influence, expelled from society and banished from family. It is a word of violent rejection and contempt. 

In our next post we will read about what happened next to the man who received his sight. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

First, the man who used to be blind was very bold in speaking out about who Christ is and what He did for him. He was only a poor, uneducated beggar who was marginalized by that society and scorned by the religious elite. Yet, instead of being intimidated, he was bold. The more that he spoke to them the bolder he became.

Is that fact not a good thing for us to think about? If we love the Lord and we study His word, we should also be passionate about our faith like the blind man was. 

Second, the formerly blind man did know some Old Testament truth and he shared that truth with the unbelieving Jews. God does not hear the sinner but He will always hear the righteous who place faith in His saving provision. 

I pray that the Lord will open our minds to His truth and help us to retain it in our minds, so that we can share it at the appropriate time like this man did.

Last, there was a high cost to be paid by the man who received his sight. He endured hatred, ridicule, scorn and ultimately, was excommunicated by the religious leaders. There is always a personal cost when we express our allegiance to Jesus Christ but it is always worth it. The world hates those who are born again because we are not of the world. 

Let us allow our Lord's words to encourage us for the spiritual warfare that each believer is in. 

 Bob

Matthew 10:34-38  Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35)  For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36)  And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. 37) He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38) And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.