Today’s passage: John 9:18-41
Helpful thoughts:
- Today, we will complete the narrative of the healing of the man born blind.
- Because he was healed on the Sabbath, the spiritually blind religious leaders refused to believe Jesus was of/from God.
- In chapter 8, Jesus claimed to BE God (8:48).
- The fear of man is a powerful thing. These parents should have been rejoicing and praising God. Instead, they were devising ways to get around the angry questioning of their religious leaders.
- The Pharisees believed they already “saw” and were therefore unwilling to see the Light. They did not WANT to believe in Jesus. Therefore, they:
- Forbade their people from believing in Jesus
- Threatened expulsion from the synagogues
- Interrogated with intimidation and mockery
- Publicly humiliated people who challenged them
- All in the name of following Moses.
Questions to consider:
- What would the Pharisees and other religious leaders have had to admit if they were going to believe in Jesus? What was so precious to them that they would have “lost” in order to gain Christ? What similar thing is true of all sinners in need of repentance? Why is it so hard to truly believe in the simple gospel message and surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ?
- What is the sad irony of the Pharisees’ claim to be followers of Moses? Were they following Moses? If they were, what would they have done with Jesus? (John 5:46, Luke 16:31)
- What did the formerly blind man do once Jesus told him He was the Christ (Verse 38)? Of what response and of what kind of life is Jesus worthy?