John 9
http://vintagegoodness.com/vintage-goodness-on-ebay/ Bonnie’s Notes on Dr. Dave’s Comments — John 9
v.1 — Right away we see here an example of the Great Commission. Jesus is walking along, sees a blind man and takes the opportunity to talk to him. Every day we go about our work and life. We should be busy and not waste time. We should definitely look for or create opportunities to witness to people about what the Lord has done. As in John 5, sin can be the cause of some physical problems. The Jews seemed to routinely think this way. In this case, Jesus makes it clear that it is not the case. For this man’s blindness to have been caused by sin, he would have had to sin before his birth! Much disease is simply the result of this cursed world (which brought death and disease) and a genome weakened over time. Time does not make things get better as the evolutionist crowd would have us believe. Time brings degradation. The human race is falling apart genetically. There is no glorious sci-fi future.
v. 2 — Who sinned? This question doesn’t even make sense. What is sin? It’s the transgression of the Law. If the blindness had been a punishment for sin, it would have had to come later since he was blind at birth. Since that doesn’t really make sense, they ask if his parents sinned. This is a very self righteous attitude on the part of the questioner. The opposite side of that coin is “I’m not blind, therefore, I haven’t sinned.”
v. 3 — Jesus says the sin did not cause this blindness. Don’t take this like a lawyer. Situations can be complicated. God has often allowed suffering for reasons only He knows. This case is to show the works of God as the Scripture says. Jesus’ purpose was to seek and to save the lost. The healing was a tool to accomplish the Lord’s will. For the man to be saved, he had to repent and put his faith in Christ.
v. 4 — When can’t the Lord’s work be done? A modern day example would be a Chinese Christian in a solitary dungeon or when the rapture occurs. The Holy Spirit will be removed from the earth by the loss of the believers until people start to respond to the Gospel again. Through the two witnesses of the tribulation, and the 144,000 Jewish evangelists, some of the people left will come to salvation. When the rapture comes, the church age is effectively over. Now the mission of the church is to seek and save the lost as Christ did – so let’s get busy.
v. 5 — Here are two more “I AM’s.” The concept of Christ as light is found several times in John’s Gospel.
v. 6, 7 — Sorenson adds some information on Jewish custom at the time. He says, “It was a folk remedy of the Jews that saliva held curative powers for the eyes. However, it could never open blind eyes. Moreover, it was forbidden to be applied on the Sabbath. Jesus’ saliva likely held no therapeutic power. Rather, He evidently followed traditional custom in initiating supernatural healing.
In Galilee, Jesus healed long distance because someone asked for it. The friends of the lame man that let him down through the roof were asking for healing for their companion. This man has no one asking for healing on his behalf and may not be aware of who Jesus is, so the Lord tests him in a trial of obedience.
See II Kings 5 and the healing of Naaman, a general of the Syrian army. A young Jewish servant girl of his tells him there is a prophet in her country that can heal him from his leprosy. The king of Syria sends a letter to the king of Israel. He gets upset and when Elisha hears about it, he says, “Send the man to me.” Elisha doesn’t talk to Naaman but sends him a messenger to tell him what to do. Naaman doesn’t like the idea of dipping 7 times in the muddy Jordan river. He is full of pride and arrogance. His servants who do care for him implore him saying, “My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, ‘ Wash and be clean’?” He grudgingly begins the process. By the final dip the leprosy is gone and he is healed but there is no change until he completes the whole process. Jesus is fulfilling a type shown by Elisha, just as John the Baptist was like Elijah. Elisha asked for twice the power of his mentor Elijah and the Lord gave it to him. The Lord is certainly more powerful than John the Baptist, Elijah, or Elisha.
The instructions were given, the blind man obeyed, and he came back with his sight (the sixth miracle of creation described by John). His obedience showed his trust in the Lord and the faith was rewarded.
v. 8-10 — Some of the neighbors recognized the man and others didn’t. Remember the times when Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice?” Some hear and believe and many don’t.
v.11, 12 — The blind man calls Jesus a “man” at this point which shows that he hasn’t yet reached full understanding. He’s not claiming credit for the work that he did — as instructed — but is stating the facts. It’s obvious to him that the healing is a gift. We can “work” to believe as Jesus instructed but the resulting salvation is a gift that none can earn. Calvinists would claim that any willful obedience is a work. But the Bible is clear that salvation is not of works, yet sinners are commanded to willfully repent and believe.
The man testifies as to what happened to him. Any Christian can do the same unless he is a false convert. Sometimes this can defuse the argumentative people, since no one can argue with our own personal testimony.
v. 14 — Here is another Sabbath day opportunity. Is it an “in your face opportunity” to show the Pharisees what real godliness is like? Whatever Jesus violated on this day was not Old Testament Law but Rabbinical tradition. It certainly infuriated the religious leaders, though!
v. 15 — What Pharisee would not wash some mud out of his own eye on the Sabbath if he was so afflicted? It’s a real stretch here to make clearing your eye of something invasive defined as improper work on the Sabbath.
v. 16 — Just like John 7:13, Jesus’ teaching is causing division and controversy. The Christian will experience a lot of this if he/she is out there talking to people about their souls. Many in the crowd saw the clear working of God here, because a sinner could not heal someone. Therefore the Lord must be whom He claimed to be.
v. 17 — Normally the Pharisees are not interested in man’s opinions. Because they can’t pick on the Lord, they choose somebody else. Now they ask the man who he thinks Jesus is. Jews knew that Old Testament prophets sometimes healed people, so this is a reasonable answer. The formerly blind man is not fully understanding what has happened but he is progressing.
People should investigate the claims of healing that the Pentecostals make today. Studies have been done and demonstrated that claims are bogus. Yet the Pentecostal evangelists keep drawing crowds and money. If the Pentecostals or Christian Science people can heal why don’t they go clear out the hospitals and nursing homes? God still heals but He doesn’t do it now in the manner shown in this passage.
v. 18-23 — These parents are very careful about answering, not wanting to be excommunicated from their Synagogue. What a shame! There should be great rejoicing going on here, but it’s an inquisition instead. The parents fear the Pharisees. Look at Rev. 21:8 where the fearful are cast into hell for fear of obeying the Lord. They are on dangerous ground.
Matthew Henry says, “The fear of man brings a snare, Proverbs 29:25, and often makes people deny and disown Christ and his truths and ways, and act against their consciences. The unlearned and poor, who are simple-hearted, readily draw proper inferences from the evidences of the light of the gospel; but those whose desires are another way, though ever learning, never come to the knowledge of the truth.”
v. 24-27 — “We know Jesus is a sinner,” say the Pharisees because He broke the Sabbath and all men are sinners. Jesus said you can’t honor God if you don’t honor the Son as well. Their praise of God here is empty because they have just accused His Son of being a sinner. See John 5:22-24. Their instruction to the formerly blind man backfired on them as he testifies to divine power in the healing. He already understands the issue and knows that Jesus is special. Even a beggar is not intimidated by these leaders because he knows what has happened to him.
v. 28 — Observing this, you would know who’s wrong even if you didn’t really know what has happened. Why do they assume that you cannot be Jesus’ disciple and Moses’ disciple at the same time? When the Pharisees choose Moses they are choosing the Law. However, Abraham clearly stated to have been saved by faith. See Romans 4:1-4. They are clearly unable to recognize the One of whom Moses foretold. When attacked and unable to answer the charge, they turn to attacking the messenger. Is the healed man one of Jesus’ disciples now? Maybe not yet but he will definitely investigate further.
v. 29 — They very well knew Jesus was from Galilee. They don’t believe He is from God because they do not really know God themselves.
v. 30-33 — What good preaching there is here! The “common beggar” is teaching them the sense of the Old Testament. The Pharisees have missed the big picture — God reaching down to man.
Sorenson paraphrases: “Here is an amazing thing. You guys are so smart that you are supposed to know everything, and yet you don’t even know where He is from. But He opened my eyes . . . If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.”
This man is being persecuted and it’s working. He begins to speak up with clarity about Jesus. There is nothing like persecution to make people think things through. In fact, the churches have always thrived under persecution, in contrast to the languishing of American churches in prosperity today.
Beware of seminaries and Bible colleges that put ideas into heads without a good foundation of Bible learning. Question everything you hear and analyze it by the Scripture because “untruth” is all around you. As the former blind man speaks, he gets stronger and stronger and more sure of his convictions.
v. 34 — The Pharisees now resort to a low blow by insinuating that his parents conceived him in immorality. How dare he try to teach them anything! By the standards of the Pharisees this man had little knowledge, but fortunately he had little or no false teaching. Better to be ignorant of much learning and search for the truth and wisdom only God gives. The Pharisees insult him and cast him out of the Synagogue. Now he will have to build a whole new life. Everything has changed since he now has his sight. He is a sharp and feisty guy. It will be interesting (in heaven) to see how his life progressed from this point.
v. 35, 36 — Jesus knows the man is ready to hear the truth now. He seeks him out and gives him more information. This is a good example for us in dealing with people in certain cases. Don’t overwhelm some people at the first visit, but keep giving more information in successive visits. It depends on how much someone is willing to hear. Jesus’ assumption is that he knows about the Old Testament and that a Messiah is to come. He begins teaching where He needs to.
Matthew Henry says, “Christ owns those who own him and his truth and ways. There is particular notice taken of one who suffers in the cause of Christ, and for the testimony of a good conscience. Our Lord Jesus graciously reveals Himself to the man.”
The man shows respect and desire in his question to Jesus. Sometimes today, people act as if they are doing the Lord a favor to “invite Him” into their life. They do not have the proper Scriptural attitude. Coming in contrition and brokenness of spirit is the requirement.
v. 37,38 — Jesus speaks very clearly here, unlike the way He speaks to the Pharisees, where He is more enigmatic. He rightfully accepts the man’s worship. Angels and disciples do not accept worship from others. Take a look at the so called “religious” leaders of our time. They crave recognition and praise and would probably accept worship if it was offered. The Pope certainly does!
v. 39 — There’s another “I AM” (for judgment) here. Consider the account in II Ki. 6. Elisha is a strong type of Christ. Elisha prayed to the Lord and He answered by striking the soldiers with blindness. Elisha then led them into the middle of the Israeli army. They were fed and sent back. They received a second chance and did not bother Israel for a season. That’s mercy. Mercy and grace were extended, not just to the blind man, but to the Pharisees repeatedly.
v. 40,41 — They are more accountable because they know more than the blind man. Prov. 26:12. A proper attitude is important to get the opportunity to learn and understand the truth. Luke 12:47,48. Everyone is accountable but those with more learning get more stripes (punishment). Matt. 11:25. A babe in understanding got knowledge with understanding because he sincerely wanted the truth.
Sorenson says, “The simple lesson was, if they were blind like the beggar had been, they too could have had their sin removed in trusting Him as he had done. However, in refusing to admit their spiritual blindness and falsely professing to understand spiritually, they remained in their sin. Pride blinds and it binds. The pride of the Pharisees blinded them to not only the truth, but also of their own wretched spiritual condition.”
Some references about the purpose of the Sabbath: Mt. 12:12 / Mk. 2:27 / Col. 2:16.
~~Bonnie