João 9
Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
João 9
Wiersbe wrote "The disciples did not look at the man as an object of mercy but rather as a subject for a theological discussion. It is much easier to discuss an abstract subject like “sin” than it is to minister to a concrete need in the life of a person. The disciples were sure that the man’s congenital blindness was caused by sin, either his own or his parents’, but Jesus disagreed with them." (Bible Exposition Commentary) Lowell
João 9
Wiersbe - Perhaps they (PHARISEES) could discredit the miracle. If so, then they could convince the people that Jesus had plotted the whole thing and was really deceiving the people. He had craftily “switched” beggars so that the sighted man was not the man who had been known as the blind beggar. The best way to get that kind of evidence would be to interrogate the parents of the beggar, so they called them in and asked them two questions: (1) “Is this your son?” And (2) “If he is, how does he now see?” If they refused to answer either question, they were in trouble; or if they answered with replies contrary to what the leaders wanted, they were in trouble. What a dilemma! They answered the first question honestly: he was their son and he had been born blind. They answered the second question evasively: they did not know how he was healed or who healed him. They then used the old-fashioned tactic called “passing the buck” by suggesting that the Pharisees ask the man himself. After all, he was of age! (BORROW Be Alive or Bible Exposition Commentary) John 9:21 but how he now sees, we do not know; or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself." BGT John 9:21 πῶς δὲ νῦν βλέπει οὐκ οἴδαμεν, ἢ τίς ἤνοιξεν αὐτοῦ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἡμεῖς οὐκ οἴδαμεν· αὐτὸν ἐρωτήσατε, ἡλικίαν ἔχει, αὐτὸς περὶ ἑαυτοῦ λαλήσει. KJV John 9:21 But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself. NET John 9:21 But we do not know how he is now able to see, nor do we know who caused him to see. Ask him, he is a mature adult. He will speak for himself." CSB John 9:21 "But we don't know how he now sees, and we don't know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he's of age. He will speak for himself." ESV John 9:21 But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself." NIV John 9:21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don't know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself." NLT John 9:21 but we don't know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself." YLT John 9:21 and how he now seeth, we have not known; or who opened his eyes, we have not known; himself is of age, ask him; he himself shall speak concerning himself.' PARENTAL "TWO STEP" HOW? & WHO? but - Term of contrast. They knew their son was born blind but now they begin to stutter and vacillate, verse 22 explaining why they choose this evasive tactic. How he now sees, we (absolutely) do not know (eido) or who opened (anoigo) his eyes, we do not know (eido) - They agree that he sees but how they deny that they know. More significantly, they deny they knew who performed the miracle. So clearly they know it was a "Who,", but out of fear of excommunication, they were not about to utter a name. Note they use the same verb for know (eido) modified by an absolute negative (ouk). In short, they absolutely deny knowing who opened his eyes. Had their son mentioned His Name (their son clearly knew - Jn 9:11)? We can't say for certain, but personally I think they knew the Name and would rather lie outright than to be put out of the synagogue. Ask (erotao) him; he is of age, he will speak for himself." - Ask is a command in the aorist imperative. One has to believe this "ask" was somewhat muffled. And so the first step was deny knowledge and the second step is to punt which is an American idiom that means to consider, devise, or undertake a different course of action in an attempt to resolve an undesirable situation, specifically incurring the ire of the religious elite!
João 9
Wiersbe - Our Lord’s method of healing was unique: He put clay on the man’s eyes and told him to go wash. Once Jesus healed two blind men by merely touching their eyes (Matt. 9:27–31), and He healed another blind man by putting spittle on his eyes (Mark 8:22–26). Though the healing power was the same, our Lord varied His methods lest people focus on the manner of healing and miss the message in the healing. There were at least two reasons for our Lord’s use of the clay. For one thing, it was a picture of the Incarnation. God made the first man out of the dust, and God sent His Son as a real Man. Note the emphasis on the meaning of “Siloam”—“sent.” And relate this to John 9:4, “The works of Him that sent Me” (see also John 3:17, 34; 5:36; 7:29; 8:18, 42). Jesus gave a little illustration of His own coming to earth, sent by the Father. The second reason for the clay was irritation; it encouraged the man to believe and obey! If you have ever had an irritation in your eyes, you know how quickly you seek irrigation to cleanse it out! You might compare this “irritation” to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit as He uses God’s Law to bring the lost sinner under judgment. (BORROW Be alive or Bible Exposition Commentary) D L Moody - John McNeill says the blind man was made out of clay (Ge 2:7+), so clay was a good thing to mend him with. These means seem eccentric. Such is the Gospel in the opinion of the worldly wise. They sneer at “the blood,” and cry for “culture,” “education.” Colin Kruse writes that "According to the Mishnah, normal anointing such as one might do on weekdays was allowable on the sabbath, but anointing with special substances not normally used was forbidden because that constituted a healing activity that was not allowed (Šabbat 14:4)." (Borrow The Gospel according to John : an introduction and commentary)
João 9
Wiersbe - Unable to refute the evidence, the judges began to revile the witness; and once again Moses is brought into the picture (John 5:46). The Pharisees were cautious men who would consider themselves conservatives, when in reality they were “preservatives.” A true conservative takes the best of the past and uses it, but he is also aware of the new things that God is doing. The new grows out of the old (Matt. 13:52). A “preservative” simply embalms the past and preserves it. He is against change and resists the new things that God is doing. Had the Pharisees really understood Moses, they would have known who Jesus was and what He was doing. (BORROW Be Alive or Bible Exposition Commentary) Mounce quips "the only stratagem available to those who have come out second best in a debate—an abusive ad hominem....Their answer was the equivalent of the childish taunt, “My dad is better than your dad.”...The Greek articles (sy, “you,” and hēmeis, “we”) in v. 28 mark a strong contrast. “You are a disciple of that man, but we belong to Moses." We know it was to Moses that God gave the law (Ex 33:11; Nu 12:6–8), but we don’t know where this Jesus came from and therefore who it was that authorized him to speak.” The comparison was meant to show how inferior were the credentials of Jesus in comparison with those of Moses....That Isaiah had spoken of the restoration of sight to the blind as one of the signs of the messianic age (Isa 29:18; Isa 35:5+; Isa 42:7) simply escaped them" (See The Expositor's Bible Commentary) Notice the irony in their appeal to Moses, for earlier Jesus had spoken of Moses warning the Jews "Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. “But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” (Jn 5:45-47+) Notice the little "hinge word" but (hinges open doors and this one is "big!"), a word which means an 180 degree change, an "about face," and in this context in a sense depicts what amounts to an impassable chasm, one that separates all mankind into either those who enter heaven forever or hell forever! In short, the contrast these Pharisees themselves describe is one that they will rue the day they made, because in a sense they are predicting their own future judgment because "by the works of the Law (MOSES) no flesh will be justified (SAVED) in His sight." One other point to note is that this same word "reviled" is used by Peter of Jesus Who "while being reviled, He did not revile in return." As the dialogue continues, this man did not revile in return, but simply spoke truth. THOUGHT - If you are a disciple of Jesus, you WILL BE REVILED at some point in your life! If you have never been reviled as a disciple of Jesus, then there are only two options - (1) you are not a genuine disciple or (2) you have not been bold in the Spirit to speak the truth in love. The world hates the "J" word, for Jesus convicts sinners of their sin (cf Jn 16:8-11+) and unless they respond and receive His Gospel, He will condemn them for their sin to eternal punishment (Jn 5:22-23, 26-29+, Rev 20:11-15+). Here's what Jesus had stated earlier that relates to their claim to be "disciples of Moses" - “Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me." (John 5:45-46+) So in one sense they were not even disciples of Moses, for a student follows his master teacher and this master teacher believed in the Messiah. And secondly, because of their knowledge of the truth of the law of Moses, they will experience a more severe degree of eternal punishment (cf Mt 11:21-24+) Reviled (3058) loidoreo from loidoros = reviling, railing, one who reviles as in 1 Cor 5:11) means to subject one to verbal abuse, and thus to reproach, vilify, speak in a highly insulting manner, insult strongly. Revile implies a scurrilous, abusive attack prompted by anger or hatred. Rail (against) means to scold someone using harsh, insolent, or abusive language. Only 4 uses in NT - Jn. 9:28; Acts 23:4; 1 Co. 4:12; 1 Pet. 2:23. Marvin
João 9
Wiersbe - Four times in this chapter people asked, “How were you healed?” (John 9:10, 15, 19, 26) First the neighbors asked the man, and then the Pharisees asked him. Not satisfied with his reply, the Pharisees then asked the man’s parents and then gave the son one final interrogation. All of this looked very official and efficient, but it was really a most evasive maneuver on the part of both the people and the leaders. The Pharisees wanted to get rid of the evidence, and the people were afraid to speak the truth! They were all asking the wrong question! They should not have asked “How?” but “Who?” (Simply rearrange the letters!) But we are so prone to ask “How?” We want to understand the mechanics of a miracle instead of simply trusting the Saviour, who alone can perform the miracle. Nicodemus wanted to know how he could re-enter his mother’s womb (John 3:4, 9+). “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” (John 6:52+) Understanding the process, even if we could, is no guarantee that we have experienced the miracle. (BORROW Be alive or Bible Exposition Commentary) Opened (455) anoigo from ana = again + oigo = to open) means to open, to open up, to open again, to give access to. To open one's eyes causing them to see (Acts 26:18). To open one's mouth that they might begin to speak (Mt 5:2). Figuratively, to open a "door" meaning to make possible (Col 4:3). Luke records the parallel passages (Lk 11:9, 10). Of heavens open = have the heavens opened or divided so that celestial things become manifest - Mt 3:16; Lu 3:21; Jn 1:51; Acts 7:56; 10:11; Rev 19:11; (Lxx of the following passages) Isa 64:1; Ezek 1:1; Ps 78:23. In 2 Cor 6:11 the idea is to pour out one’s mind, open one’s heart, to speak fully and frankly. Anoigo is used in NT and Lxx of Jesus not opening His mouth - Not to open one’s mouth = not to utter complaints (Acts 8:32; Isa 53:7 cp Ps 38:14; 39:9) Anoigo uses in John's writings - Jn. 9:10; Jn. 9:14; Jn. 9:17; Jn. 9:21; Jn. 9:26; Jn. 9:30; Jn. 9:32; Jn. 10:3; Jn. 10:21; Jn. 11:37 Rev. 3:7; Rev. 3:8; Rev. 3:20; Rev. 4:1; Rev. 5:2; Rev. 5:3; Rev. 5:4; Rev. 5:5; Rev. 5:9; Rev. 6:1; Rev. 6:3; Rev. 6:5; Rev. 6:7; Rev. 6:9; Rev. 6:12; Rev. 8:1; Rev. 9:2; Rev. 10:2; Rev. 10:8; Rev. 11:19; Rev. 12:16; Rev. 13:6; Rev. 15:5; Rev. 19:11; Rev. 20:12 John 9:11 He answered, "The man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash'; so I went away and washed, and I received sight." BGT John 9:11 ἀπεκρίθη ἐκεῖνος· ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ λεγόμενος Ἰησοῦς πηλὸν ἐποίησεν καὶ ἐπέχρισέν μου τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ εἶπέν μοι ὅτι ὕπαγε εἰς τὸν Σιλωὰμ καὶ νίψαι· ἀπελθὼν οὖν καὶ νιψάμενος ἀνέβλεψα. KJV John 9:11 He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight. NET John 9:11 He replied, "The man called Jesus made mud, smeared it on my eyes and told me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed, and was able to see." CSB John 9:11 He answered, "The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and told me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' So when I went and washed I received my sight." ESV John 9:11 He answered, "The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed and received my sight." NIV John 9:11 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." NLT John 9:11 He told them, "The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.' So I went and washed, and now I can see!" man: Jn 9:6,7,27 Jer 36:17 MAN CREDITS JESUS FOR THE MIRACLE He answered, "The Man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed (epichrio) my eyes, and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash (nipto)'; so I went away and washed (nipto), and I received sight (anablepo)." - The Man is not derogatory in this context (see below). He did not yet know that Jesus was the Messiah (cf Jn 9:36+). The man indicates that in fact it was THE MAN, not THE MUD! Jesus did not compose a mud pack with healing power, but He anointed the blind man's eyes, utilizing His supernatural healing power. Yes, Jesus had emptied Himself of His divine prerogatives, but clearly He retained His supernatural power. The preposition "ana" in anablepo has the idea of restoration to a proper state and does not mean that he had seen before, since we know he had been blind from birth.
João 9
Wiersbe - At this point, the man has been healed, but he has not been saved (ED: HEALED PHYSICALLY BUT NOT SPIRITUALLY!). The light had dawned, but it would grow brighter until he saw the face of the Lord and worshiped Him (see Prov. 4:18). At least twelve times in the Gospel of John, Jesus is called “a man” (see John 4:29; 5:12; 8:40; 9:11, 24; 10:33; 11:47, 50; 18:14, 17, 29; 19:5). John’s emphasis is that Jesus Christ is God, but the apostle balances it beautifully by reminding us that Jesus is also true man. The Incarnation was not an illusion (1 John 1:1–4). (BORROW Be Alive or Bible Exposition Commentary) Anointed (2025) is epichrío (epí = upon + chrio = to anoint) occurs only in John 9:6 and John 9:11. In reality, it was not the mud that brought healing to this blind man. It was God’s miraculous grace and power. In order to qualify this nonmedicinal healing element of the mud, the verb epichrío is used. If aleipho were used, meaning just to smear on without the element of divine power, it would have led both the blind man and others to believe that there was miraculous healing power in the mud. This impression the Lord wanted to avoid giving. Epichrio is used in a report of healing and also to describe the wax that receives the impression of the seal. D L Moody - HE told a straightforward story, just what the Lord had done for him. That is all. That is what a witness ought to do—tell what he knows, not what he does not know. He did not try to make a long speech. It is not the most flippant and fluent witness who has the most influence with a jury. This man’s testimony is what I call “experience.” One of the greatest hindrances to the progress of the gospel to-day is that the narration of the experience of the Church is not encouraged. There are a great many men and women who come into the Church, and we never hear anything of the Lord’s dealings with them. If we did, it would be a great help to others. It would stimulate faith and encourage the more feeble of the flock. The apostle Paul’s experience has been recorded three times. I have no doubt that he told it everywhere he went: how God had met him; how God had opened his eyes and his heart; and how God had blessed him. Depend upon it, experience has its place; the great mistake that is made now is in the other extreme. In some places and at some periods there has been too much of it—it has been all experience; and now we have let the pendulum swing too far the other way. J J Knapp - Made Clay John 9:11 While some of the neighbours held the cured born-blind man for someone who resembled him and others saw the same person in him, the graced one declared calmly and determined: “I am he.”This excluded doubts concerning the identity. However, then they started an investigation into the manner in which he had obtained his sight, and he answered unpretentiously in truth: “A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.” What strikes us in particular in this report, is not only the perfect glory, that makes him say concerning Christ just as much as he knew of Him, calling Him the man Jesus, while he would only later acknowledge and confess Him as the Son of God; but it is in particular the mention of the miraculous eye-salve, that Christ anointed his eyes with. It had happened like that indeed. Christ had, to cure the blind one, not waited for a more convenient opportunity, but had served Himself of the most prevalent, the most common and the simplest as a means to help this person: a handful of dust moistened with some saliva,—that had been all; and exactly the insignificance of the means made it to be felt and tasted that the curing power had proceeded from Christ Himself, and made it clear that He deserved the honour. This also applies to the opening of the eye of the soul. Certainly, the preaching of the Word is commonly the royal way along which the grace of God comes near the sinner’s heart. However, do not suppose that the gospel must always be brought in the solemn gatherings of the congregation on the Day of Rest to reveal its healing power to born-blind sinners. It happens often that the Lord puts our beautiful sermons to the side, as if they were useless; that He leaves our stirring language, of which we ourselves expect maybe too much, unused, and allows our glorious singing of psalms, that is not seldom a vehicle of His grace, to go aimlessly over the heads without it making a sanctifying impression. Then He makes clay. A woman who sings two lines of a song, oh, not with the intention to convert her husband, but just from the fullness of her heart, becomes the means to kindle a light in the heart of her partner. A child that is learning a text by heart and is heard by chance; a scrap of paper found with a word from Scripture; a prayer that was overheard, a glance, a hidden tear,—insignificant things, is it not, but to which the power of grace is added to make the born-blind to see, so that the power is not ours, but of God. John 9:12 They said to him, "Where is He?" He said, "I do not know." BGT John 9:12 καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· ποῦ ἐστιν ἐκεῖνος; λέγει· οὐκ οἶδα. KJV John 9:12 Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not. NET John 9:12 They said to him, "Where is that man?" He replied, "I don't know." CSB John 9:12 "Where is He?" they asked. "I don't know," he said. ESV John 9:12 They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know." NIV John 9:12 "Where is this man?" they asked him. "I don't know," he said. NLT John 9:12 "Where is he now?" they asked."I don't know," he replied. Where: Jn 5:11-13 7:11 Ex 2:18-20 SEEKING JESUS FOR CONFRONTATION They said to him, "Where is He?" - They do not state specifically why they seek Jesus' whereabouts. Most likely they had some ailments that they wanted healed. Sadly Jesus was almost never sought for the Savior and Redeemer He had come to be for Israel and all mankind. In Lk 19:10+ Jesus says "the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” This is the same question as in Jn 7:11+ "So the Jews were seeking Him at the feast and were saying, “Where is He?”" He said, "I do not know (eido)." - He had absolutely no idea where Jesus went.
João 9
Wiersbe - Since the Pharisees were the custodians of the faith, it was right that the healed man be brought to them for investigation. The fact that they studied this miracle in such detail is only further proof that Jesus did indeed heal the man. Since the man was born blind, the miracle was even greater, for blindness caused by sickness or injury might suddenly go away. Our Lord’s miracles can bear careful scrutiny by His enemies. (BORROW Be Alive or Bible Exposition Commentary)
João 9
Wiersbe - Jesus’ act of deliberately healing the man on the Sabbath Day caused the Pharisees great concern. It was illegal to work on the Sabbath; and by making the clay, applying the clay, and healing the man, Jesus had performed three unlawful “works.” The Pharisees should have been praising God for a miracle; instead, they sought evidence to prosecute Jesus. (BORROW Be Alive or Bible Exposition Commentary)
João 9
Wiersbe - The religious leaders were judging on the basis of one thing: nobody who breaks the Sabbath could possibly be a true prophet of God. They were “one-issue” thinkers, not unlike some religious people today. The Pharisees did not realize that Jesus was offering the people something greater than the Sabbath—the true spiritual rest that comes from God (Matt. 11:28–30). (BORROW Be Alive or Bible Exposition Commentary)
João 9
Wiersbe - Some of the Old Testament prophets, such as Moses, Elijah, and Elisha, did perform miracles. The Jewish people would look on their prophets as men of God who could do wonderful things by the power of God. (BORROW Be Alive or Bible Exposition Commentary) Adam
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Wiersbe - What lay behind all of this questioning and these furtive replies? The fear of people. We met it at the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:13), and we shall meet it again at our Lord’s last Passover (John 12:42). These people were seeking the honor of men and not the honor that comes from God (John 5:44). To be sure, it was a serious thing to be excommunicated from the synagogue, but it was far more serious to reject the truth and be lost forever. “The fear of man brings a snare” (Pr 29:25). The Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus, and the parents were trying to avoid a trap; but all of them were only ensnaring themselves! The parents should have heeded the counsel of Isaiah 51:7 and Isaiah 57:12. (BORROW Be Alive or Bible Exposition Commentary)
João 9
Wiersbe - Anxious to settle the case, the Pharisees did call the man in; and this time, they put him under oath. “Give God the praise” is a form of Jewish “swearing in” at court (see Josh. 7:19). But the “judges” prejudiced everybody from the start! “We know that this Man is a sinner!” They were warning the witness that he had better cooperate with the court, or he might be excommunicated. But the beggar was made of sturdier stuff than to be intimidated. He had experienced a miracle, and he was not afraid to tell them what had happened. (BORROW Be Alive or Bible Exposition Commentary) Marvin
João 9
Wiersbe - He did not debate the character of Jesus Christ, because that was beyond his knowledge and experience. But one thing he did know: now he could see. His testimony (John 9:25) reminds me of Psalm 27:1-14. Read that psalm in the light of this chapter, from the viewpoint of the healed beggar, and see how meaningful it becomes. (BORROW Be Alive or Bible Exposition Commentary) F F Bruce - “It was frustrating for his interrogators that neither of those statements could be refuted: the former statement was confirmed by the evidence of the parents; the truth of the latter they could see for themselves. Why not admit the conclusion to which these two facts pointed?” (Borrow John Commentary page 216)
João 9
Wiersbe - For the fourth time, the question is asked, “How did He open your eyes?” (see John 9:10, 15, 19, 26) I can imagine the man getting quite impatient at this point. After all, he had been blind all his life, and there was so much now to see. He certainly did not want to spend much longer in a synagogue court, looking at angry faces and answering the same questions! (BORROW Be Alive or Bible Exposition Commentary) John 9:27 He answered them, "I told you already and you did not listen; why do you want to hear it again? You do not want to become His disciples too, do you?" BGT John 9:27 ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς· εἶπον ὑμῖν ἤδη καὶ οὐκ ἠκούσατε· τί πάλιν θέλετε ἀκούειν; μὴ καὶ ὑμεῖς θέλετε αὐτοῦ μαθηταὶ γενέσθαι; KJV John 9:27 He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples? NET John 9:27 He answered, "I told you already and you didn't listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You people don't want to become his disciples too, do you?" CSB John 9:27 "I already told you," he said, "and you didn't listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You don't want to become His disciples too, do you?" ESV John 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?" NIV John 9:27 He answered, "I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?" NLT John 9:27 "Look!" the man exclaimed. "I told you once. Didn't you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?" I told you already Jn 9:10-15 Lu 22:67 THE MAN WITH NEW SIGHT IMPLIES THEY NEED NEW EARS! He answered them, "I told you already and you did not listen (akouo) - They had heard his voice and his words but did not understand the truth of what he had spoken. What the healed man is saying seems to be that the Pharisees did not have spiritual ears to hear. They did not want to hear the truth and so became deaf to the truth THOUGHT - Could this be an example of judicial hardening (deafness to spiritual truth)? See Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Judicial Hardening. Why do you want (thelo) to hear (akouo) it again? You do not want (thelo) to become His disciples (mathetes) too, do you - NET says "You people don't want to become his disciples too, do you?" Talk about striking a raw nerve! You can rest assured that they HEARD this question even though the way he asks the question calls for a negative response! Watch their immediate reaction in the next verse! Leon
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Wiersbe - We admire the boldness of the man in asking those irate Pharisees if they wanted to follow Jesus! The man expected a negative answer, but he was courageous even to ask it. (BORROW Be Alive or Bible Exposition Commentary)
João 9
Wiersbe - The leaders were sure about Moses, but they were not sure about Jesus. They did not know where He came from. He had already told them that He had come from heaven, sent by the Father (John 6:33, 38, 41–42, 50–51). They were sure that He was the natural son of Mary and Joseph, and that He was from the city of Nazareth (John 6:42; 7:41–42). They were judging “after the flesh” (John 8:15) and not exercising spiritual discernment. (BORROW Be Alive or Bible Exposition Commentary)
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Wiersbe - The beggar then gave the “experts” a lesson in practical theology. Perhaps he had Psalm 66:18 in mind: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” The leaders called Jesus a sinner (John 9:24), yet Jesus was used of God to open the blind man’s eyes. (BORROW Be Alive or Bible Exposition Commentary)
João 9
Wiersbe - He added another telling argument: Jesus healed a man born blind. Never, to their knowledge, had this occurred before. So, God not only heard Jesus, but He enabled Him to give the man sight. How, then, could Jesus be a sinner? Religious bigots do not want to face either evidence or logic. Their minds are made up. Had the Pharisees honestly considered the facts, they would have seen that Jesus is the Son of God, and they could have trusted Him and been saved. (BORROW Be Alive or Bible Exposition Commentary)
João 9
Wiersbe - Again, the leaders reviled the man and told him he was born in sin. However, he would not die in his sins (see John 8:21, 24); because before this chapter ends, the beggar will come to faith in Jesus Christ. All of us are born in sin (Ps. 51:5), but we need not live in sin (Col. 3:6–7) or die in our sins. Faith in Jesus Christ redeems us from sin and gives us a life of joyful liberty. The religious leaders officially excommunicated this man from the local synagogue. This meant that the man was cut off from friends and family and looked on by the Jews as a “publican and sinner.” But Jesus came for the “outcasts” and never let them down. (BORROW Be Alive or Bible Exposition Commentary)
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Wiersbe - The Good Shepherd always cares for His sheep. Jesus knew that the man had been excommunicated, so He found him and revealed Himself to him. (BORROW Be Alive or Bible Exposition Commentary)
João 9
Wiersbe - The man now reached the climax of his knowledge of Jesus Christ and his faith in Him. It is not enough to believe that He is “a man called Jesus,” or even “a prophet” or “a man of God.” “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God” (1 John 5:1). John wrote his Gospel to prove that Jesus is the Son of God, and to present to his readers the testimonies of people who met Jesus and affirmed that He is God’s Son. This beggar is one such witness. Jesus identified Himself as the Son of God (see John 9:35; also Jn 5:25), and the beggar believed and was saved (John 9:38). “My sheep hear My voice” (John 10:27). He did not “see and believe”; he heard and believed. (BORROW Be Alive or Bible Exposition Commentary)
João 9
Wiersbe - Not only did he trust the Saviour, but he worshiped Him. If Jesus Christ is not God, then why did He accept worship? Peter, Paul, and Barnabas certainly didn’t accept worship (see Acts 10:25–26; 14:11–15). John the Baptist affirmed that Jesus is the Son of God (John 1:34) and so did Nathanael (John 1:49). Jesus stated that He is the Son of God (John 5:25; 9:35), and Peter also affirmed it (John 6:69). Now the healed blind beggar has joined this group of witnesses. (BORROW Be Alive or Bible Exposition Commentary)
João 9
Wiersbe - John 9:39 does not contradict John 3:16–17. The reason for our Lord’s coming was salvation, but the result of His coming was condemnation of those who would not believe. The same sun that brings beauty out of the seeds also exposes the vermin hiding under the rocks. The religious leaders were blind and would not admit it; therefore, the light of truth only made them blinder. The beggar admitted his need, and he received both physical and spiritual sight. No one is so blind as he who will not see, the one who thinks he has “all truth” and there is nothing more for him to learn (John 9:28, 34). (BORROW Be Alive or Bible Exposition Commentary) In John 12:47-48 Jesus explains how His coming brought judgment - "If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day."
João 9
Wiersbe - Jesus had already called them “blind leaders of the blind” (Matt. 15:14), so they had their answer. They were blinded by their pride, their self-righteousness, their tradition, and their false interpretation of the Word of God. (BORROW Be Alive or Bible Exposition Commentary) French: The miracle ends up being a parable: the blind man sees and the seeing Pharisees are blind. Adrian Rogers You know the proverb, there are none so blind as those who refuse to see. And so, those who claim to be full, Jesus sent away hungry. Those who claim to be righteous were sent away unforgiven. And those who claim to see remain blind. Man’s greatest need is to see his spiritual blindness. And the Bible makes that very clear. Just as light obeyed increases light, light refused increases darkness. Listen to this scripture Romans 1:21: “Because that when they knew God,”—that is, when their eyes were opened—“they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” Light obeyed increases light. Light refused increases darkness. Now, there can be no greater sin than to reject the light. Once a man hears the gospel and his heart is opened to the Word of God, if he does not act upon that light, and go from faith to faith until he believes in Jesus Christ, his condemnation is doubled, because not only is he judged for the disease, he’s also judged that he refused the cure....When God comes to judge the world, He’s not going to judge the world primarily by the sin that was committed, but by the light that was rejected. And what does this miracle show? That Jesus is the Light of the world. We are born blind beggars, but those blind eyes can be opened and will be opened by the grace of God. It’s not just turning on the light; the heart, the mind, has to be opened and quickened to understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. And once the heart, once the mind is opened and quickened, then we live up to the light that we have, we go stepping in the light, till we come to Jesus. Man’s greatest need is to admit and confess his spiritual blindness. When he says, I see, he remains blind, but when he says, God help me, I’m blind, God opens his eyes and gives him light Ultey has an interesting comment - These last few verses show that this chapter was an acted-out parable of spiritual blindness which cannot be healed (the unpardonable sin of unbelief), and physical blindness, which can! In Galilee Jesus had spoken some frightening words about the Pharisees Then the disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?” (cf Mt 15:1-11) But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted. “Let them alone (aorist imperative); they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”(Mt. 15:12-14+) Comment - That command "Let them alone" is frightening. What Jesus was saying that God would abandon them to their unbelief. The takeaway is do not refuse Jesus' offer to cure your spiritual blindness. One is reminded of Paul's words in 2Co 6:2 "Behold, now is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, now is “THE DAY OF SALVATION”. Note the two "behold's" to make sure he has your attention!!! Brian Bell The same light that leads one person, can blind another! The Gospel brings about different reactions from different kinds of hearts: The blind sinner receives the truth and sees; The self-righteous religious person rejects the truth and becomes even more blind spiritually. It is a dangerous thing to reject the light. Believers, have you examined your spiritual eyesight lately? Any spiritual blindness that may be dimming your ability to see and follow The Light of the World? Any spiritual blind spots in your life? There are none so blind as those who won't see! Because you are self-satisfied you are un-healable! Sometimes Religious men are often the blindest of all! Spurgeon “It is not our littleness that hinders Christ; but our bigness. It is not our weakness that hinders Christ; it is our strength. It is not our darkness that hinders Christ; it is our supposed light that holds back His hand.” Open our eyes, Lord. We want to see Jesus. To reach out and touch him, and say that we love him. Open our ears, Lord, and help us to listen. Open our eyes, Lord. We want to see Jesus. (Bob Cull) End: Today you either claim “to see” (i.e. Understand spiritual things, but really don’t); or you realize your “spiritual blindness”, and have asked, or are ready to ask, Jesus to restore your sight. None come in contact w/Christ without being blinded or enlightened! A.T.
João 9
Wiersbe - Our Lord’s reply was a paradox. “If you were blind, you would be better off. But you claim to see. Therefore, you are guilty!” Blindness would at least be an excuse for not knowing what was going on. But they did know what was going on. Jesus had performed many miracles and the religious leaders ignored the evidence to make a right decision. Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12; 9:5). The only people who cannot see the light are blind people and those who refuse to look, those who make themselves blind. The beggar was physically blind and spiritually blind, yet both his eyes and his heart were opened. Why? Because he listened to the Word, believed it, obeyed, and experienced the grace of God. The Pharisees had good physical vision, but they were blind spiritually. Had they listened to the Word and sincerely considered the evidence, they too would have believed on Jesus Christ and been born again. In what sense did the Pharisees “see”? They saw the change in the blind beggar and could not deny that he had been healed. They saw the mighty works that Jesus performed. Even Nicodemus, one of their number, was impressed with the Lord’s miracles (John 3:2). If they had examined the evidence with honesty, they would have seen the truth clearly. “If any man wills to do His [God’s] will, he shall know of the doctrine” (John 7:17, literal translation). “And ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life” (John 5:40). (BORROW Be Alive or Bible Exposition Commentary) John
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Wiersbe - We never meet this healed beggar again, but surely the man followed Jesus closely and was among those who witnessed for Him. We hope that he was able to win his fearful parents to the Lord. While being excommunicated from the synagogue was certainly a painful experience for him, he certainly found in his fellowship with Jesus Christ much more spiritual help and encouragement than he could ever have found in the Jewish traditions. Even today, there are people who must choose between Christ and family, or Christ and their traditional religion. This blind beggar made the right choice, even though the cost was great. “The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” (Prov. 4:18). (BORROW Be Alive or Bible Exposition Commentary) Related Resource: What is the unpardonable sin / unforgivable sin? | GotQuestions.org ILLUSTRATION -I heard about a king who visited one of these slave galleys. You know, they didn’t used to run these ships with diesel, but they would put a lot of slaves beneath the, ah, the decks. And they chained these slaves to these massive oars, row upon row of them, and they would pull at the beat of a drum. And there would be a lichter there with a great whip to make them work harder. And the drum would beat so they would row in cadence. Those were the awfulest prisons and the most horrendous torture of the day. And the king went walking through the, ah, slave galley to see these slaves. And he thought he would interview some of the prisoners. He asked one man, “Why are you here chained to this oar?” He said, “O, sire,” he said, “I’m here as an unfortunate, an unfortunate set of circumstances.” He said, “I was standing in a crowd when a heinous crime was committed and,” he said,”I was picked up with the rest of them.” He said, “I, I was doing nothing. I was an innocent bystander.” He said, “I’ve, I’ve got my wife and my children at home. Sire, I’m innocent.” He asked another, he said, ah, “Why are you here?” “Oh,” he said, “it was a, a villous scheme.” He said, “There were those who lied on me.” He said, “I have been framed.” He said, “I have been lied against. I’ve been liabled.” And he said, “I have been accused of committing a, a crimes against the king. And, sire, you are my king. I pledge to you my loyalty. I would never do such a thing.” “Oh,” said the king, “that’s terrible. That breaks my heart.” He asked another, he said, “Why are you here?” The man wouldn’t even lift his head. He said, “Sire, I’m paying the just debt that my sins have incurred. I have sinned against God. I’ve sinned against my king. I’ve sinned against my countrymen. I have been a wicked and a vile sinner, and I am suffering the just reward of my sin.” When the king heard that, he said, “You nave, you rascal, you thief, you malevolent person. What are you doing here in the midst of so many honest men? Guards, release him and let him go.” - Adrian Rogers Greg Laurie - SEEING AND BELIEVING The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law. Deuteronomy 29:29 Anyone who has been a Christian for more than a few weeks is familiar with the story of Jesus healing the blind man. It’s one of the Greatest Hits of the Bible, if you will. But we don’t always know about the conversation Jesus had with the blind man— and the Pharisees—after he gave the man his sight. In fact, it’s in what happened after Jesus healed the man that we find the point of this story: Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” John 9:35–41 The Pharisees mocked the blind man and were horrified when he suggested that they might want to follow Jesus themselves. But when “religion” turned this man away, Jesus took him in. If you’ve been disillusioned with religion, or tried to keep all the rules and regulations but still come up empty, then Jesus is waiting for you with open arms, ready to open your eyes. TRUE BLINDNESS In telling the Pharisees, “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus was saying, in essence, “If you were blind, then you would not be held accountable for truth you were unable to see. But you claim that you can see, and yet you willfully ignore the truth of my Word. That’s why you are held accountable and found guilty. You saw the light but chose to live in darkness.” We often wonder what happens to people who have never heard about God. Will they be condemned because they have not accepted a truth they never had the chance to hear? The story of the blind man gives us an answer. God is perfectly holy and perfectly just. It goes against his nature to condemn someone who is ignorant of his truth. In fact, Scripture declares that God is loving, patient, and longing for fellowship (see 2 Peter 3:9). God will judge us according to the truth we have received. We will not be held accountable for what we do not know. This, however, doesn’t excuse us from all responsibility; otherwise we might claim that ignorance is bliss. No matter where we live, we humans are born with eternity in our hearts (see Eccles. 3:11). Each of us was born with a soul—a sense that life should have meaning and purpose. But if we turn away from what little we know to be true, this shows we don’t really want to know God. It isn’t ignorance; it’s rebellion. Like the Pharisees, we want religion, not Jesus. GOD REVEALED I believe that if a person is a true seeker of God, then God will reveal himself to him or her. Jeremiah 29:13 promises, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” God doesn’t hide from us. God wants us to know him and is waiting for us to open our eyes and hearts to the life he has for us. The Bible tells us about a man named Cornelius who was very religious and prayed to God constantly. Cornelius had never heard of Jesus Christ, but he was asking God to reveal himself. God answered the prayers of Cornelius by sending Peter to him. Peter told Cornelius about Jesus and when Cornelius heard that wonderful message, he believed. That’s because he was a true seeker. THE SEEING SKEPTIC There’s nothing wrong with asking honest questions about God. It has been said that skepticism is the first step toward truth. But there’s a big difference between skepticism and unbelief. Skepticism is open to believing, while unbelief is refusing to believe. Skepticism is honesty, while unbelief is stubbornness. Skepticism is looking for light, while unbelief is content with darkness. An unbeliever has no intention of changing or believing. Unbelievers will offer up well-worn excuses and arguments, but even when confronted with evidence to refute their unbelief, they reject it out of hand. They don’t want to believe. Jesus put it this way: “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed” (John 3:19–20). Perhaps something has happened in your life that has caught your attention. Maybe you have been going through a time of suffering. Maybe God has been making his presence clear to you. Whatever it may be, I would encourage you to pay attention. Like the blind man, be prepared to have your eyes opened. Look around you and ask yourself what God might be trying to show you. BORROW - Walking with Jesus : daily inspiration from the Gospel of John