JOHN LESSON 28


     We will begin this lesson in John 9:17.

     V-17, "They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of
him, that he hath opened thine eyes?  He said, He is a prophet."

     In the last lesson, we closed with the Pharisees being of
different opinions.  Some believed He was of God, and some did not.
Now, they want the blind man to settle this argument for them by
telling them who Jesus is.  The blind man does not know.  He realizes
there is something supernatural about Jesus, so for a better
explanation, he calls Him a prophet.  People throughout the ages have
been willing to admit that Jesus was a prophet, because they, too,
realize that He had more power than anyone they had ever known.  The
truth is that Jesus Christ was God the Word, God the Son.  Until we
realize that Jesus was God the Word, who took on the form of flesh and
dwelt among us, we will be like this blind man who called Him a
prophet.  We will not know the fullness of Him until we realize that
He is, was, and always will be Emmanuel - God with us.

     V-18, "But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had
been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of
him that had received his sight."

     These particular Jews had not seen this miracle take place.  They
did not even believe that the man had been blind before.  Now they are
badgering the man who had received his sight.  They wanted some solid
evidence that he had really been blind, so they call for the man's
father and mother.  They knew they were not capable of restoring sight
to the blind, so they believed that this could not be.

     V-19, "And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say
was born blind?  how then doth he now see?"

     V-20, "His parents answered them and said, We know that this is
our son, and that he was born blind:"

     V-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."

     These parents were reluctant to say too much, because they feared
the Jewish leaders. They say ask him.  Let him be responsible for
whatever has occurred.  They even add that he is of age.  The Jews
first want to know if this is really their son.  If he is their son,
they want to hear the parents say that he was blind from birth.  If
even this is true, then they want to know how he can now see.  The
parents were probably not there when he received his sight.  It looks
to me like they should have been proud to give credit to whomever
restored their son's sight.  We see in verse 22, why they were
reluctant to say.

     V-22, "These words spake his parents, because they feared the
Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess
that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue."

     V-23, "Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him."

     To an Israelite, about the worst thing that could happen to him
was that he would be banished from the synagogue.  I cannot imagine
the pain of a parent with a child born blind, however.  It seems to me
that my joy over a blind child that could now see would be so great,
that it would diminish my fear of having to leave the synagogue.  If
this son is truly of age, then they have suffered twenty years or more
knowing their son could never see.  I cannot imagine their reluctance
to praise Jesus for this miracle.

     V-24, "Then again called they the man that was blind, and said
unto him, Give God the praise:  we know that this man is a sinner."

     These Jews were not willing to accept Jesus as their Messiah,
even if they condemned themselves by not admitting the obvious only
conclusion.  The praise should be to the one who healed him.  Little
did they know that Jesus was God manifest in the flesh.  All men are
sinners.  This really was not a man, but God the Son housed in the
body of man.  In a way they spoke truth, because man should not take
credit for things God did.

     V-25, "He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know
not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see."

     This man who could now see has no idea who healed him.  He just
knows that he was blind and now can see.  He will not deny that he can
see, for fear his blindness might return.

     V-26, "Then said they to him again, What did he to thee?  how
opened he thine eyes?"

     V-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?"

     We see, here, that these Jews are not willing to accept the
truth.  It appears the answer the man (healed of blindness) gives them
is a bit sarcastic.  He says, if I tell you again, will you believe
and follow Him?  He says, does telling you more than once make you any
more willing to believe?

     V-28, "Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple;
but we are Moses' disciples."

     Here we see disciple used as someone who disciplines themselves
and follows someone.  They are willing to accept the teaching of
someone who they decide to follow.  That makes them disciples of
Moses, since Moses gave them the teaching they are willing to follow.

     V-29, "We know that God spake unto Moses:  as for this fellow, we
know not from whence he is."

     This is really a lie.  They have no first hand knowledge of
Moses.  The only thing they really know of Moses is that they have
been taught that he gave the law.  The difference is that they
accepted the teaching that Moses gave the law, and they did not accept
Jesus' teaching that He is Messiah.

     V-30, "The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a
marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath
opened mine eyes."

     V-31, "Now we know that God heareth not sinners:  but if any man
be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth."

     V-32, "Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened
the eyes of one that was born blind."

     You see, here, that this man, whose sight was given to him by
Jesus, is more aware of the things from God's teaching than these (so
called) learned men of the law.  He reminds them that they were not
able to give him sight, even with all of their intelligence of the
law.  They claimed to be God's representative to the people, why could
they not give him his sight?  They claim to be better than Jesus, so
why could they not do the miracles Jesus did?  The man just simply
says, you are sinners, because you could not do this.  Jesus is free
of sin, because God answers His prayer.  He says it all in verse 33.

     V-33, "If this man were not of God, he could do nothing."

     He just the same as calls them sinners.

     V-34, "They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born
in sins, and dost thou teach us?  And they cast him out."

     They were so puffed up with pride that they could not be taught
of anyone.  They certainly would not be taught of him, because they
thought themselves better than him.  He probably did not care that
they threw him out of the synagogue.  He was not as hamed of Jesus.

     V-35, "Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had
found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?"

     Jesus comes to him and asks him the most important question that
any of us ever answer, "Do you believe on the Son of God?" You see,
Jesus had never told this man who He was.

     V-36, "He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might
believe on Him?"

     We see, here, a man eager to learn.  He knows whatever Jesus
tells him is the truth.  He calls Jesus, Lord.  We see in this, a
willingness to follow Jesus.  He will follow and believe on whoever
Jesus says He is.

     V-37, "And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it
is he that talketh with thee."

     This time Jesus leaves no doubt who He is.  I think the reason
that Jesus didn't say It is I, is because He reminds the man that He
is the same one who gave him his sight.  He says you have seen Him.

     V-38, "And he said, Lord, I believe.  And he worshipped him."

     We see, here, the blind man who received his sight was not nearly
as blind as these Jewish leaders who did not believe unto everlasting
life.  When the opportunity was offered, this man believed.

     V-39, "And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world,
that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be
made blind."

     We see here, that Jesus is speaking of the spiritual and not the
physical.  He has taught a beautiful story about how the physical
house of Israel, who had the law, will be blinded to the gift of grace
that He (Jesus) will bring to those who do not h ave the law (the
Gentiles).  Jesus was rejected by God's own chosen people (the Jews).
The Gentiles (those who had previously been in spiritual darkness)
would see and accept Jesus as Saviour and Lord.

     V-40, "And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these
words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?"

     These Pharisees were like the lukewarm Christians of today.  They
claimed to be His followers, but they were only following Him on the
surface.  They were not truly His followers, willing to stop being
Pharisees.  In II Timothy, it calls people like this, "having a form
of godliness, but denying the power thereof."

     V-41, "Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no
sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth."

     These Pharisees were proud that they were learned in the law.
The law had promised a Messiah.  If they had truly realized Jesus to
be this Messiah, they should have stopped being proud that they had
the law, and realized they were nothing until they forsook all and
followed Jesus.

                                 Notes








                           John 28 Questions


1.  What did the blind man call Jesus in verse 17?
2.  What had divided the Pharisees?
3.  Who is Jesus Christ, really?
4.  What did these Jews not believe?
5.  Who did they call to confirm it?
6.  What three things did they want to know from the blind man's
    parents?
7.  How did the parents answer?
8.  What made them not tell who did this miracle?
9.  What did they add when they told these Jews to ask their son?
10. What would happen to anyone who believed that Jesus was Christ?
11. These Jews said give God the praise and then called Jesus what?
12. What did the blind man say to the Jews in answer to their saying
    this about Jesus?
13. What did the blind man say to them when they asked for him to tell
    them again how he was healed?
14. Whose disciples were these Jews?
15. How is disciple used in verse 28?
16. What lie did the Jews tell in verse 29?
17. The man said we know that God heareth ________________________
    ______________________________.
18. Who had ever opened anyone's eyes who had been blind from birth?
19. If they were ________________________________ than Jesus, why
    could they not open his eyes?
20. In verse 33, what is the strong statement the man makes to the
    Jews?
21. What is the prideful statement these Jews make to the man?
22. What did they do to the man whose sight had been given him?
23. What did Jesus do when He found that they had thrown him out?
24. What question did Jesus ask him?
25. What did he call Jesus?
26. In verse 38, what did the man say that we all need to say?
27. Why did Jesus say He came into the world?
28. What did some of the Pharisees who followed Jesus ask?
29. Who, in our day, can they be compared to?
30. What had given them so much pride?
31. What must they realize to be acceptable to Jesus?

                                 Notes