Sermon Central
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John Chapter 9 Part 4 Series
Contributed by Stephen Belokur on Sep 10, 2013 (message contributor)
Summary: Why don't the Pharisees and Jewish leaders believe the testimony of the Man born blind? Why don't we believe the testimony of all of creation when it is so obvious. Do we say, "Don't confuse me with the facts?"
(Props needed - six foot thread - Bible collection CD)
John 9:13-34 (Video)
They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.
Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath.
Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”
Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”
But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.
Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”
The man replied, “He is a prophet.”
“They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. ‘Is this your son?’ they asked. ‘Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?’
“We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 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.”
“His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
“A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. ‘Give glory to God by telling the truth,’ they said. ‘We know this man is a sinner.
“He replied, ‘Whether He is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!’
“Then they asked him, ‘What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?
“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?’
“Then they hurled insults at him and said, ‘You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where He comes from.’
“The man answered, ‘Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where He comes from, yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does His will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.’
“To this they replied, ‘You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!’ And they threw him out.”
We love to be right!
Jesus had performed a great miracle - the blind man could now see
Was he a “plant”?
The Pharisees heard about the miracle (the grapevine)
Like the NSA of today they probably had people tracking Him!
They had the man brought in and questioned him
They debated among themselves
They asked the MBB (Man Born Blind) what he thought about Jesus
They didn’t believe him or didn’t want to believe him
Let’s call in his parents and question them
Look at how they phrase the questions: “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?”
The Pharisees call the MBB back in and start their questions with “Give glory to God, we know this man is a sinner.”
“Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know.
I was blind but now I see!”
They still don’t believe his testimony and ask again how he was healed
He goads them, “do you want to be His disciple too?”
They retaliate with Moses
The uneducated, unemployed beggar responds, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where He comes from, yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does His will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.”
Being unschooled, the MBB must have been a good listener!
The Pharisees have lost the argument, they curse him and throw him out.
The evidence is piled up against them.
Don’t confuse me with the facts!
OK. So the witnesses all seem to agree and this man may have actually been blind and healed but we still don’t believe Jesus is who He says He is; healing on the Sabbath???
We just can’t believe that!
Belief, faith, that seems to be a hard concept for much of humanity.
