John Chapter 9:24-33 The Blind will see Part 3

John 9:24-33 (ESVST)
So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “ Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” 
After the Pharisees and the church leaders got confirmation from the parents of the blind man that he was born blind and now he sees. The Jews still did not believe fully and had doubts. The parents told them that they cannot speak for the man as he is old enough to speak for himself. We know that the parents did this out of fear. The Pharisees and leaders then called the man and again asked him to give glory to God. This could mean two things, either this meant that he should stop saying that Jesus healed him and say that it was God since they know that Jesus is a sinner or it could mean that the man should stop lying and give glory to God by not lying about what Jesus did. The second one seems more likely in that they said that they knew that Jesus was a sinner and already have decided that he could not have made this man who was blind, see. So they are saying, stop lying and give glory to God by telling the truth. The man’s answer to this also indicates that the second one is more likely.

25 He answered, “ Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 They said to him, “ What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” 

The man became agitated and tried to be even more diplomatic and told them that he does not know wether Jesus was a sinner or not. All he knows is that he was blind and now he sees. They then asked him to tell them again how Jesus healed him as if to say that they did not hear him correctly all the other times he did tell them. He told them how he already have told them and how they did not listen as they kept on arguing with him. He then asked them why they wanted to hear again if they won’t believe anyway, did it mean that they wanted to be his disciples. 

28 And they reviled him, saying, “ You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “ Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 

Then at this point the Pharisees and the leaders lost it and started insulting the man, meaning they started to heap abuse at him. They instead said that he is the one who is Jesus’s disciple not them. They said, they knew that God had spoken to Moses but, as for this man, no one knew where he came from. Now, in a sort of sachastical manners the man told them that he was amazed by their statement and the reason is that they as Pharisees, holy men, men that knew the law, men of God, did not know where this man comes from but yet he opened his eyes. He asked them as men of God, should you not have known about this? It is strange that you do not know. 

31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

He then continues to support his claim by giving them three reasons why Jesus is from God and exposing the ignorance and hypocrisy of the Pharisees and the leaders. He told them that they knew that God does not listen to sinners (quoting the Old Testament and showing that as Pharisees and the leaders of the church, they are expected to have known that but they don’t. Ps. 66:18 109:7; Prov. 15:29; Isa. 1:15;) and they knew that without God, no one can do what Jesus did. He also told them that no one since the world began has it being heard that anyone has healed a man who was born blind. He then says therefore, if this man was not from God, he could do nothing. 
Posted in John 9, The Gospel of John.

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