9:13-34 “I was blind but now I see”

March 16, 2021

Read John 9:13-34

The neighbours were mystified by the blind man’s healing and he himself knew only that “the man Jesus” had done it (9:9-12). So they took him to the Pharisees (13), hoping that religious leaders might have an explanation – might this be the Messiah (Isaiah 35:5, Isaiah 42:7; Luke 7:20-22)? But the Pharisees were in a dilemma, for in healing him Jesus had once again broken the Sabbath (14). So, though some of them were impressed, others concluded that despite the greatness of the sign Jesus must be a sinner (16).

The man himself had decided that Jesus was “a prophet” (17; 4:19). It was not the full truth, but it was better to own him as a prophet than as a sinner! The Pharisees still found it impossible to believe that the story could be true (18). The man’s parents confirmed the truth of it (19-20) but they were unwilling to say more out of fear of rejection (21-23; 7:13). So the man himself was urged to “give glory to God” – a solemn charge to be truthful (24; Josh.7:19). The man was not overawed by the Pharisees’ prejudiced conviction that Jesus was a sinner, because he could not deny what had happened to him (25).

When he realised that the Pharisees were not interested in the truth (27; 8:25) but only in defending their commitment to Moses (28-29), he rose to the challenge (30). The remarkable thing was not that he should have been healed but that they should refuse to believe, for a sign as great as this surely pointed to someone who had come from God (30-33; Exod.4:11; Psalm 146:8). Out of prejudice, they rejected the miracle and they rejected him (34). Unlike his parents (22), he was a faithful witness, willing to stand up for Jesus whatever the consequences might be (Matt.10:32-33).