GROWING PERCEPTIONS OF CHRIST.
John 9:35-41.
We have been talking about the man born blind, and how Jesus had healed him. The man was not healed until he had obeyed Jesus, and went and washed himself in the pool to which he had been sent (John 9:6-7). We noticed in passing that by the time he was sharing his testimony he had still not seen Jesus, and therefore did not know where Jesus was (cf. John 9:12).
Despite not having seen Jesus with his eyes, the more the now-seeing man-born-blind spoke the truth about Jesus, the more his spiritual perception grew. First he told his neighbours that his healer was ‘a man that is called Jesus’ (John 9:11). Then he told the Pharisees that ‘He is a prophet’ (cf. John 9:17); then that ‘He hath opened my eyes’ (cf. John 9:30); and that ‘If this man were not from God, he could do nothing’ (John 9:33).
JOHN 9:35. The man born blind was now healed, but he was an outcast, ostracised by the society in which he lived. Notice the gracious condescension of Jesus as He sought him out in order to raise him from physical healing to saving faith. Jesus asked the man, “Dost thou believe on the Son of God?”
JOHN 9:36. The man born blind was open to learning, so he asked, “Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him?”
As our perception of the Lord Jesus Christ grows, we too must be open to new revelations of Jesus. None of us have arrived yet, but it is an on-going learning process as we ‘behold the Lamb of God’ (cf. John 1:29).
JOHN 9:37. It is evident here that this was the first time that the man born blind had set eyes upon Jesus. Jesus now told him, “Thou hast both seen Him, and it is He that talketh with thee.”
By saying this, Jesus identified Himself to the man born blind not only as the man who had healed him, but as the Son of God (cf. John 3:18; John 5:25; John 10:36; John 11:4).
JOHN 9:38. The ultimate level of spiritual perception concerning the Person of Christ came when the man professed faith, “Lord, I believe,” and prostrated himself at the feet of Jesus. Significantly, Jesus accepts the worship of those who believe in Him.
JOHN 9:39. Jesus is the light of the world, and as such He brings the light of life to those who will follow Him (cf. John 8:12). Conversely, The light only casts the shadow of judgment for those who will not come to Him (cf. John 3:18-21).
JOHN 9:40. Some of the Pharisees who witnessed this conversation between Jesus and the man born blind (they had spies everywhere!) asked, “Are we blind also?”
JOHN 9:41. Jesus’ answer was that those who refuse His light are left under judicial blindness: “your sin remaineth.”
