Testify with Boldness Background Passage Gospel of John, Chapter 9 Lesson Passages Gospel of John, Chapter 9:8-11, 13-17, 35-41 Lesson for November 9-10, 2013 Dr. James Patterson IINTRODUCTION I had been blind since birth, said Arthur. It was not easy, but I lived by my wits and survived. Not many wanted to throw their coppers into my cup, but I developed a style of begging that made people feel guilty if they didn t. I wasn t rich, but I got by. However, that s nothing, compared to what I did next. One day a Rabbi was walking through town, and I called him over and explained my situation to him. I was so persuasive in my plea for help that he wanted to try something, so he made some mud to put on my eyes and suggested I go to Siloam to wash it off. I travelled as quickly as a man in my physical condition possibly could. I got to Siloam and washed my eyes thoroughly. I scrubbed my entire face vigorously and with precision. For good measure, I rinsed three times, because three is my lucky number. I took some excess cloth from my robe and dried my eyes and face meticulously. I opened my eyes, concentrated with all of my might, and... I had made myself able to see. It was a miracle. How many times have people been blessed by the Lord but then took all the credit for the blessing, themselves? Was it because their faith in Jesus was so limited, they could not imagine that He was the source of their bounty? Or, was their self-esteem so overly inflated that they were blind to the possibility that any success could come, apart from their own efforts? Thankfully, the central figure in today s lesson was quick to recognize the true source of his blessing, and he was steadfast in his testimony to the healing power of Jesus Christ. Because of his humility and his sincere faith in the Lord (even under intense pressure), he received not only physical sight that day, but more importantly, spiritual sight and eternal life, as well.
Summary of Prior Chapters Chapter Six featured the miracle of Jesus feeding well over 5,000 followers, divinely multiplying only five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus clearly declared in Chapter Seven that He came from God. He was on a mission authorized by God, but His time on Earth would be very short. In Chapter Eight, some Pharisees brought an adulterous woman to Jesus and asked His evaluation of her. He explained that whoever among them that was without sin could throw the first stone. Realizing their predicament, the crowd departed. Later, Jesus affirmed in John 8:12 that He was the light of the world. LESSON PASSAGE 1 John 9:1-7 (TEACHERS: This passage is not included in Lifeway s Explore the Bible lesson, but it does provide important background information helpful to understanding the passages that were highlighted in the weekly lesson.) (NIV) 9:1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? 3 Neither this man nor his parents sinned, said Jesus, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man s eyes. 7 Go, he told him, wash in the Pool of Siloam (this word means Sent ). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. Verses 1-3 Though the main function of verses 1-7 is to present the miracle, John manages to work in some significant theological teaching. The first question deals with the cause of the blindness. A theological problem in Judaism at this time was to explain the cause of birth defects. The question of
whether a handicapped child suffered the handicap from the sins of the parents or his/her own pre-natal sin was actively debated. Jesus rejected both conclusions that could be drawn from the Jewish assumption. Neither this man nor his parents sinned. The important issue was not the cause of the man's blindness but the role that it would now play in the work of God in the world. Verses 4-5 Jesus is the world's light, and while there was opportunity He must do the work of the Father. The urgency of doing the work while He was in the world implied that a situation is coming that will bring on the darkness again. In this way, Jesus and John foreshadow the coming Cross. Verses 6-7 Jesus provided a simple task for the blind man to perform as a way to demonstrate his trust and faith. The man did as instructed and was thus able to see. LESSON PASSAGE 2 John 9:8-11 (NIV) 8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, Isn t this the same man who used to sit and beg? 9 Some claimed that he was. Others said, No, he only looks like him. But he himself insisted, I am the man. 10 How then were your eyes opened? they asked. 11 He replied, The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see. Verses 8-9 The formerly blind man s friends and neighbors were the first to struggle over what this healing signified. For as long as they had known him, this person had sat as a poor, blind beggar. The neighbors doubts surfaced in their attempts to rationalize the situation. Some argued that the man in question was a different person, who only resembled the formerly blind man. It seemed, ironically, that some of the friends could not believe their own eyes. Verse 10 As the friends gradually came to accept the fact of the miracle, they next wrestled with how. They wanted an explanation especially one that fit their current world view.
Verse 11 The healed man told them everything that happened with the mud and the washing in the Siloam. Thus begins his witness for Jesus. He had little understanding of Jesus' identity. His only clue was the fact that Jesus had healed him. LESSON PASSAGE 3 John 9:13-17 (NIV) 13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man s eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He put mud on my eyes, the man replied, and I washed, and now I see. 16 Some of the Pharisees said, This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath. But others asked, How can a sinner perform such signs? So they were divided. 17 Then they turned again to the blind man, What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened. The man replied, He is a prophet. Verse 13 The man s neighbors took him to the Pharisees. This was not necessarily an act of aggression. A miracle of this magnitude cried out for explanation from their religious leaders, as the neighbors certainly had no clue. Verse 14 Two of the details about this miracle were sure to concern the Pharisees. The healing happened on the Sabbath. Furthermore, Jesus made a muddy paste to smear on the blind man s eyes. According to the rabbis interpretation of the Fourth Commandment, making mud for any reason on the Sabbath was prohibited. Consequently, the Pharisees had to decide which was more important to them Jesus miraculous healing of a blind man or holding strictly to their perspective of Sabbath-keeping. Verses 15-16 The Pharisees asked the man to explain the process by which he was healed. To the man s credit, he did not dilute his testimony to gain favor with the religious leaders. He stuck to the truth. Some of the Pharisees immediately rejected both the healing and the healer. The bottom line in their argument (according to rabbinical teachings) seemed to be that intervention to prevent death was permitted on the Sabbath, but intervention to make life better was not permitted. So the charge against Jesus was that He intervened to heal a person whose life was not in danger. He had
not prevented death; He had improved life, and that was forbidden! Such disrespect for the Law forced some to conclude that Jesus was therefore a sinner. Verse 17 This set the stage for the next witness of the man who was born blind. The question, "What do you say about him?" was not designed to elicit the man's opinion. It was a technique to force him to one side of the issue or the other. In the context, it was a heavy-handed way of saying to the man, "Agree with us; say he is a sinner." The wrong answer might cost him his place within the community The manipulation backfired. When forced to decide, the man's statement was even more powerful than his witness in verse 11. He identified Jesus as a prophet. The insight of the man born blind was growing. His witness was getting closer to the full truth. LESSON PASSAGE 4 John 9:18-34 (TEACHERS: This passage is not included in Lifeway s Explore the Bible lesson, but it does provide some useful information to fill in the gap between the passages that were highlighted in the weekly lesson.) From The Message 18-19 The Jews didn t believe it, didn t believe the man was blind to begin with. So they called the parents of the man now bright-eyed with sight. They asked them, Is this your son, the one you say was born blind? So how is it that he now sees? 20-23 His parents said, We know he is our son, and we know he was born blind. But we don t know how he came to see haven t a clue about who opened his eyes. Why don t you ask him? He s a grown man and can speak for himself. (His parents were talking like this because they were intimidated by the Jewish leaders, who had already decided that anyone who took a stand that this was the Messiah would be kicked out of the meeting place. That s why his parents said, Ask him. He s a grown man. ) 24 They called the man back a second time the man who had been blind and told him, Give credit to God. We know this man is an impostor.
25 He replied, I know nothing about that one way or the other. But I know one thing for sure: I was blind... I now see. 26 They said, What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes? 27 I ve told you over and over and you haven t listened. Why do you want to hear it again? Are you so eager to become his disciples? 28-29 With that they jumped all over him. You might be a disciple of that man, but we re disciples of Moses. We know for sure that God spoke to Moses, but we have no idea where this man even comes from. 30-33 The man replied, This is amazing! You claim to know nothing about him, but the fact is, he opened my eyes! It s well known that God isn t at the beck and call of sinners, but listens carefully to anyone who lives in reverence and does his will. That someone opened the eyes of a man born blind has never been heard of ever. If this man didn t come from God, he wouldn t be able to do anything. 34 They said, You re nothing but dirt! How dare you take that tone with us! Then they threw him out in the street. In summary, the Jewish leaders continued to try and build a case against Jesus, hoping to prove that: 1. He was a fraud and had somehow tricked the neighborhood into thinking that He had miraculously healed this man of blindness. Or, 2. If He did perform this miracle, He violated at least two Sabbath customs. When the Jews persisted in their questioning, the former blind man appeared to become frustrated and took the offensive. His logic was simple. Surely God does not answer the prayers of sinners. Jesus could not have restored his sight apart from God's help. Therefore, God had answered Jesus' appeal and thus Jesus could not be a sinner. In fact, if this man were not from God, He could do nothing. The Jews did not find the man's teaching acceptable. Regardless of his logic, his conclusion contradicted their opinion. They furiously responded, You were born completely in sin. [How dare] you teach us?"
LESSON PASSAGE 5 John 9:35-41 (NIV) 35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, Do you believe in the Son of Man? 36 Who is he, sir? the man asked. Tell me so that I may believe in him. 37 Jesus said, You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you. 38 Then the man said, Lord, I believe, and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind. 40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, What? Are we blind too? 41 Jesus said, If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains. Verses 35-38 Jesus does not abandon His followers. He found the outcast and shared a remarkable conversation with him. This caps off the man s journey from physical blindness to physical sight, as well as from spiritual blindness to spiritual sight. As soon as Jesus revealed that He was the Messiah, the man professed his wholehearted belief. Verse 39 For the first time in this chapter, Jesus and Pharisees came face to face. Jesus explained that He came as the light to the world. His primary purpose was to help sinners to see the reality of God. Individuals who admit their spiritual blindness and believe in Jesus for the light of salvation will see God. Conversely, those who claim to already know God but reject the One God sent will be shown to be spiritually blind. Verses 40-41 In contrast to His conversation with the healed man, Jesus conversation with these Pharisees did not go as well. The Pharisees exemplified the category of people who claimed to know God but who were, in reality, lost in their sins. These experts in the Law could not imagine why Jesus would accuse them of being spiritually blind. They confidently assumed they possessed 20/20 spiritual vision. They felt that their religious reputation proved their elite status as discerners of moral truth.
However, those who refuse to see the saving truth in Jesus can never walk in the light. The beginning of spiritual sight occurs when a person becomes aware of a desperate need of forgiveness from the Lord. The Pharisees were a great distance away from asking forgiveness from anyone much less this unlettered teacher who dared to criticize, to accuse, and most importantly, to disregard their hallowed position. LIFE APPLICATION: How will we apply the lessons learned in today s passages? We never know when the Holy Spirit is going to call on us to testify to others concerning our faith and hope in Jesus Christ. We need to work consistently to equip ourselves to explain our Christian experiences with accuracy and conviction. To do that, we need to be sure to take ourselves out of the spotlight. God is the author of all good things, not us. We should become familiar with Scripture, reading the Bible with regularity. With discernment, we should use the many other tools and resources available to us in this day and age: regular church attendance, Bible study classes, Christian radio and television shows, written commentaries, Internet sources, books, inspirational music, and more. Perhaps most importantly, we need to model Christian living in our daily behavior. Like the sign said in front of a church: Preach the gospel at all times. Use words, if necessary. CLOSING PRAYER: Heavenly Father: We know that without Your will, we cannot even draw our next breath. Help us to be obedient followers. We welcome the blessings You pour into our lives good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over. Help us to be bold in our testimony to others about the Divine difference that You have made in our lives. In the Holy Name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen