Last Sunday, we looked at the miracle of Jesus giving sight to the blind man. We said that this sign put the works of God on full display for all to see. We even spent some time looking at the reaction of this man’s neighbors and those around him. We saw that some of them didn’t even believe it was him at all. Well, we had to know that ultimately there would be some mention of the Pharisees. It seems like any time Jesus performs one of his miracles, that the Pharisees come in and try and poke holes in what others think they have just seen. Today I want us to look at what happens as the Pharisees react to what has taken place.
We’re told that the people who knew this man who was once blind brought him to the Pharisees. Now, it’s important to note that in verse 14, we are told that when Jesus healed this man it was the Sabbath. The Pharisees, who aren’t too particularly fond of Jesus to begin with, have the man tell them exactly what was done in order to give this man his sight. The man tells them in the simplest way possible what happened. He says that Jesus made mud, put it on his eyes, and then told him to go and wash it off. After the man followed these instructions he could see. This is the same story that he told to the folks who had previously questioned him, and it’s the same as we have it recorded for us in the first part of this chapter that we looked at last Sunday.
After hearing this man’s explanation, there appears to be a division amongst the ranks of the Pharisees. Some of them are enraged because Jesus’ making of mud or clay to put on this man’s eyes violates a Pharisaic law prohibiting working on the Sabbath. Others are left asking the elephant in the room question of “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” Well, the short answer is that obviously he isn’t the sinner that they have thought him previously to be. Eventually they ask the formerly blind man what he thinks of the man who healed him. This man tells them that he is simply a prophet. While he is on the right track, he’s not quite there, but he will be before long.
Some of the Pharisees think about it during the meantime and decide that obviously this man was never really blind. This is kind of a foolish statement, because who would fake such a thing for their entire life, but this isn’t the first or last time those seeking to oppose Jesus will throw out such heinous suggestions. They decide to find this man’s parents and ask them if he had really always been blind. His parents, not wanting to find themselves in trouble, will only offer up affirmations that yes he was their son and that yes he was born blind. They acknowledge that now something has changed and that their son can see for the first time. However, they decline to suggest any ideas as to why or how their son can now see. They quickly shift the focus off of them and put it back onto their son, reminding the Pharisees that their son is of age to give his own testimony. John tells us that they did this because they feared any punishment that might come from the Jews.
The man who used to be blind is called back in for a second round of questioning. They decided to phrase the question a little differently the second time in hoping to get him to denounce his previous statement that the man called Jesus healed him. They say, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” While we may want to give them credit for saying that the man should give credit to God, we have to take their statement in its entirety. The credit going to God isn’t the problem, it’s the notion that they are wanting to make Jesus a sinner that is the issue. We’ve seen numerous times that you cannot separate the Father from the Son. However, that is just what they are trying to do, and the man bites to a certain extent. He responds, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” We have to ask the question now that some of the Pharisees asked earlier, “how could this man be a sinner just like everyone else and have the power to perform such a mighty work?” Quite simply, if he was a sinner, he couldn’t.
They keep pressing him trying to get not just an answer, but the answer they want from him. The man gets frustrated with their constant questioning and finally asks them if they are asking because they want to be his disciples? The Pharisees become so angry with this question that they begin to attack him. They say that he is a disciple of this man (which isn’t a bad thing like they think it is). They point to the fact that they have strictly followed Moses’ teachings (forgetting the fact that they have corrupted them) as proof that they are following God’s rule. The man picks up on the fact that the Pharisees are seemingly trying to place Moses above God. He wonders how such an amazing thing could have taken place and yet the Pharisees be so angry over it. I mean, there is no way that this man could have been healed other than it being a work of God. These words do not sit well with the Pharisees. They wonder how this man who they thought to have been born blind as a result of some heinous sin could teach them anything of value about God. After all, they are the true followers of God’s rule, or so they think. They cast this man out of the synagogue.
Jesus hears about what has taken place between this man and the Pharisees. He finds him and asks him a simple question. Jesus asks the man, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” After some back-and-forth Jesus reveals to the man that he is the Son of Man. The man instantly says to him, “Lord, I believe.” Notice that there isn’t any disagreement or hesitation on the part of the formerly blind man. There is instant and immediate worship of Jesus Christ coming from this man.
You know, it was all well and good that this man knew that Jesus was a messenger from God. It’s nice that he thought him to be a prophet. However, both of these notions are slightly inaccurate, or should we say that they don’t take it far enough. You see, Jesus wasn’t just a messenger or a prophet. He was the messenger and the prophet and the priest and the king. He was God himself in human form, in the form of a servant. It’s always a good thing to share with others your story of becoming a Christian. I have shared mine numerous times with folks and I love talking about how God revealed himself to me so that I had no doubt who He is. But you see, there is a difference between sharing my personal testimony and sharing the gospel. My testimony, while a perfectly valid example of God’s work, is not the gospel. The gospel is the ultimate good news; the gospel is Jesus Christ.
The testimony of this man who was born blind and could now see is a truly amazing work from God. We said last Sunday that it was a prime example of the works of God being on full display for everyone to see, but we don’t want to just stop with proving that God is real. There are numerous religions and faiths out there that would agree with us on the premise of there being an ultimate God, an ultimate Creator and Sustainer. There are millions of non-Christians around the world who believe in a God, but not in Jesus. What makes Christianity, the Gospel, different is Jesus Christ. What makes us different is the Son. Friends, it is imperative that we evangelize and reach out to those around us and show them that they are in need of God, but so often this is done without any attention given to Christ. Scientific studies and religious commonalities that seemingly “prove” the existence of God are all well and good, but they are not the gospel. The gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is what is represented with the elements on the table before us this day.
I watch as numerous athletes, actors, writers, and many others receive awards and give speeches and they say that they give thanks to God, but the gospel seemingly has no impact upon their life. It’s how the man who is infamous for adulterous relationships, heavy gambling, or continuous excessive drinking can claim God. You see, he’s not worshipping the same as a true Christian does. The true Christian worships according to the gospel, not just according to religion. I want to encourage you to not only tell others about God, but to tell them about the good news of the gospel. I want you to tell them exactly what was accomplished for us on the cross and who accomplished it. Remember, Scripture isn’t just a story, it is the story, the very Word of God. Religion is nice and I appreciate it just as much as the next person, but the gospel is so much greater. The gospel tells me that I am forgiven for all of my many faults and sins and just how that came to be. As we continue to work towards the goal that Jesus set for us in making disciples of all nations, let us remember that we should always promote the gospel and not just religion. We should always promote the Triune God; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and not just stop with an oversimplified form of God as if He is some abstract figure. Let us all rejoice in the privilege that it is to share the gospel this day. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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