Anchor My Faith

Healing Is the Real Issue

Scripture: John 9:24-27

We ended the previous lesson with the parents of the blind man denying that they knew how their son had gained his sight and then we asked you how much you would be willing to lose or suffer before you deny knowing Jesus.

In this lesson, the interrogation of the blind man continues, seeking for something the Jews can use as evidence against those related to this healing that took place on the Sabbath.

^{Jn 9:24} 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.”

Questioning of the parents ends without finding anything of value and they are dismissed as witnesses. The former blind man is again called to the witness stand in hopes that more information can be obtained from him. The man is instructed to “Give glory to God”, which is equivalent to us putting our hand on the Bible and swearing to tell the truth. It could also mean, for this man, give glory to God for your healing and honor him by telling the truth.

The statement, “We know that this man is a sinner.” indicates that those doing the questioning have already determined in their minds that Jesus is guilty of breaking the Sabbath. In their minds, Jesus is a sinner as a violator of the Sabbath law and is also guilty of being an impostor, for if he were from God he would keep the Sabbath (John 9:16).

To their assessment ^{Jn 9:25} “[The former blind man] answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

Like his parents, the man is confining himself to just the facts and does not give an opinion about whether Jesus is a sinner or not. He believes that Jesus is not a sinner and argues this in John 9:30 – 33, but here he stays with the facts, and that being I was blind from birth and now I see.

These Pharisees who were questioning him still did not believe him, so ^{Jn 9:26} “They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”’

We need to step back some and consider what is happening here. The facts seem clear that the man was born blind, that Jesus healed him and did it on the Sabbath. For the Pharisees to not charge Jesus with breaking the Sabbath law indicates a bigger issue. If Jesus did heal the man, then the issue is, how as a man like them was he able to do it? By repeatedly asking the man how he was healed, they are hoping to find some evidence, or have the man confess that the healing never took place and that this is a fake healing.

Out of frustration, ^{Jn 9:27} “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?”’

When first asked this question the man replied with, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see” (John 9:16). Now, out of frustration, he doesn’t answer their question but instead challenges their willingness to listen to what he has been telling them. With each statement, the man pushes back harder and crosses the line when he challenges them about becoming disciples of Jesus.

This will surely cause the Pharisees to react, but we will have to wait for that reaction until the next lesson.

Conclusion

The issue is now not about Jesus breaking the Sabbath, but about the ability of Jesus to create eyes that have never seen before. To accept this healing is to accept one more piece of evidence that Jesus is who he says he is. For these Pharisees, who are spiritually dead, that is impossible.