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The Gospel of John, The Period of Conflict - The Clash of Belief and Unbelief, Continuing discourse after the feast, The Man Blind from his Birth, Part XXVI, John 9:24-27 - Lesson 73
Read Verses 9:19 thru 23, for review: John 9:19-23, And they asked them, (his parents) saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see? His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself. These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.
John 9:24, Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.
In our manner of speech they tell him to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God.
Give God the praise.
Quit lying!
They continue to try to shake the testimony of the man who had received his sight.
They know something unbelievable has happened but because of blindness to their man-made interpretations of the law their reasoning is corrupted.
John gives us a glimpse of how unbelief will corrupt the God given reasoning power of man.
Blindness will corrupt reasoning.
They have not broken down the testimony of the man by inquiring of his parents.
This inquiry did not reveal any discrepancy in the account of the miracle.
So this man is again called in an attempt to break down his will and confess that something else besides Jesus caused him to see.
It appears that the Jews have concluded that a miracle had occurred because they attribute what had happened to him to the power of God.
But since they also have concluded that Jesus is a sinner because he broke the Sabbath law, there must be some other explanation for this miracle.
It cannot be this man Jesus.
We cannot give credit to a sinner.
Again they adopt the wrong premise.
They say Give God the praise!
But they are hypocrites because in order to give God the praise he must give Jesus Christ the praise.
This they do not have ears to hear!
John 9:25, He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.
In the face of fierce opposition and in a public gathering with the probability of being cast out of the temple the man born blind stands firm in his testimony and is counted for Jesus Christ.
He refuses to discuss the question of whether Jesus was a sinner.
He is not equipped to discuss theological questions.
He simply says what all new born Christians should say when testifying.
Once I was blind but now I can see.
I could not see God and the things of God.
I did not have the eyes for that.
I was blind to those things but now I can see.
Once I was lost but now I am found.
There is no question about his ability to see.
He is assured that he can see because he knows that he used to be blind.
He knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that he can see.
This is a mark of a child of God.
A child of God knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was blind!
And he knows that he can now see!
God gives assurance to his own, doesn't he.
We know, don't we.
And the man born blind knew it was absolutely nothing that he had done that had earned him his sight.
It was all Jesus Christ and none of him. 100% to 0%!
All grace on God's part and no works on the man's part.
John 9:26,27, Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes? He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?
The Jews seek to know how.
How this and how that.
Perhaps if we know how we can prove that this man Jesus is a fraud, they think.
If we know what he did we can examine his actions against our traditions and laws.
We may find further lawbreaking on his part.
Him not only breaking the Sabbath law but perhaps some other law.
He must be a false prophet.
There must be some explanation for this.
He is not with us so he must be an enemy of God.
Faith cannot explain it.
Unbelief asks how. Belief asks who.
How this man's eyes were opened is not important.
How you were saved is unimportant.
Who saved you, is what is important.
But praise the Lord for this man born blind.
He is advancing in his understanding of Jesus Christ.
He knows that they are trying to trip him up.
He knows that they have no interest in becoming the disciples of Christ.
So he uses a bit of sarcasm in his reply to these unbelievers.
I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?
Prov 26:5, Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit. Use sarcasm to show a fool his folly.
So the man born blind exposes the folly and unbelief of these Jews. |