Unbelief and the Miraculous, Part 1 (John 9:8–17)

Series: “John: Life in Christ’s Name”Text: John 9:8–17

By: Shaun Marksbury Date: October 1, 2023

Venue: Living Water Baptist ChurchOccasion: AM Service

Introduction

Many studies throughout the years prove what we already know: Peer pressure is a powerful motivator in our lives. When our children see those in their age-range engaging in any activity, they are more likely to participate. This can include dangerous activities, as social media has demonstrated, prompting young people to try to swallow spoonfuls of cinnamon, eat Tide pods, and so forth. This isn’t unique to their generation, as previous generations would engage in smoking, drinking and driving, and drug usage without the influence of social media. Peer pressure has always been with mankind.

Unfortunately, it causes us to avoid engaging in right activities, as well. For instance, an experiment was conducted with a classroom of students; everyone in the classroom except for one student previously agreed to answer a math question incorrectly. When the teacher asked for the answer to the question, every student except for the unsuspecting child agreed with an incorrect answer. Even though the child knew this answer to be wrong, he looked around the class and assumed that he must be in the wrong. He kept his mouth closed.

Unfortunately, the power of the opinions of others doesn’t end at childhood. If many adults begin to agree that 2 + 2 = 5, then the number of people willing to argue for against that will begin to drop. Some will begin to think they are wrong, or they will simply not want to rock the boat and be seen as an outsider.

For some, though, the truth is the truth, no matter what. Even if the whole world is saying that Jesus is not the Christ, the Lord, there will be some willing to stand against their peers and confess the truth. This is the case when the Lord has transformed your heart — the fear of exclusion is nothing in light of the glorious inclusion with the Lord Himself!

In this passage, we see this man who the Lord has substantially changed. He is so different that those around him question what has taken place, bringing him into conflict with the status quo. Many had already decided to reject Jesus, and others were afraid to embrace the truth, but this man knows what has taken place. As he faces doubters, he grows in his confidence in the Lord.

We also face the doubts of our neighbors and even our leaders. Even so, we cannot give into the pressure that they exude upon us. We must still believe in the truth despite the doubters, which is what we see this morning.

First, Believe in the Lord Despite the Doubts of Neighbors (vv. 8–12)

Therefore the neighbors, and those who previously saw him as a beggar, were saying, “Is not this the one who used to sit and beg?” Others were saying, “This is he,” still others were saying, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the one.” So they were saying to him, “How then were your eyes opened?” 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.” They said to him, “Where is He?” He said, “I do not know.”

Remember that the last verse we read was v. 7, which said that the man came back seeing. He returned to the area he had occupied for so long, which means that he was recognizable to his neighbors. Well, he was somewhat recognizable, anyway, for something fundamental had transformed in this man’s life!

The neighboring Jerusalemites had seen this man in times past begging. As a beggar who was also born blind, he likely took a stooped posture, tilting his head toward conversations while never exuding confidence in his body language. Now, he returns without assistance, perhaps walking erect without concern of stumbling, perhaps looking directly into the faces of his neighbors for the first time. This activity alone would give him an entirely different appearance to his neighbors, for he shed his former beggarly form.

This tells us how complete this healing was. I watched a documentary years ago on someone who had his vision repaired, giving him the ability to see. However, he had difficulty with it, adjusting to a new world of information. Even tasks which would seem simple to us, like distinguishing between an actual apple on the table and a picture of an apple, proved taxing. He had sight, but then he had to learn how to see. When Jesus heals the blind, we don’t read about months of rehabilitation and training, and this blind man seems able to adjust to his new condition instantaneously.

There is a sermon in just this transformation. He could now see, completely. His blindness had locked him into a life of begging, relying on the kindness of others for sustenance, but for the first time in his life, he can now work! He even walks and looks different than he did. This is how completely the Lord transforms us!

So, the neighbors are unsure, asking, “Is not this the one who used to sit and beg?” They can’t agree, though. Some said he was the same man, but to those who kept saying that he only looked like the beggar, this man had to keep replying with who he was!

I need to give an aside for those of you who study deep and like to engage in religious discussions with those who are unbelievers. The unbeliever you speak with, if he or she has knowledge of the Greek text of the Bible, might note that the expression in the original language that this man uses in v. 9 is ego eimi, “I am.” This was a big deal when Jesus said this in back in John 8:58, but not so much here. The Jews responded to Jesus by picking up stones, but this man doesn’t get that reaction. That’s because that, while the ego eimi phrase can refer to God’s name in Exodus 3:14, it can also be a shorthand way of saying “I am he.” This is important in apologetics, as we defend the deity of Christ, for some people might know that the expression “I am” can be translated differently throughout the Bible. Context determines meaning on all such questions.

This man is simply testifying to the fact that he’s been transformed. So, in v. 10, they finally get to the important question: “How then were your eyes opened?” This question is just as important for the formerly blind man as it is for his neighbors, for it forces him to think about who Jesus is and how it’s possible that He could heal a man of blindness.

As such, throughout this chapter, this man is going to undergo an evolution of belief about Jesus. Here in v. 11, he’s going to refer to the “man who is called Jesus.” In v. 17, he’s going to say that Jesus is “a prophet.” In v. 25, he even expresses doubt that Jesus is a sinner. Finally, in vv. 35–38, we’ll see him call Jesus Lord, profess belief that He is the Son of Man, and then fall down and worship Him! It’s fascinating how the questioning, doubts, and even persecutions of others will force us to think about Jesus like never before, thinking through and developing a theology about Him!

As for this moment, this man reports exactly what he knows and what happened. In v. 11, he says, “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.” Being blind, the man only knew Jesus by what He is called, and then he did what the Lord told him to do.

So, the people ask the most natural question imaginable in the next verse. They ask, “Where is He?” As one commentator notes, this question “does not betray a desire to check their neighbour’s story, but a natural desire to meet the man who had performed such an astonishing miracle.” His limited testimony is enough for them to want to meet Jesus.

(As an aside, I hope that encourages you. You might not know Greek and Hebrew, name all the books of the Bible, or quote the early church fathers. Still, just as this man’s testimony was enough, you can certainly also tell others about what He’s done for you!)

Now, this man was in a difficult spot. Jesus had sent him to wash, and when the man had returned, he wouldn’t have known by sight who healed him yet. Perhaps our Lord even moved on to another area. Either way, he can’t pick Jesus (or anyone yet) out of a crowd. This means that he can’t point them to Jesus just yet. This will force the man to think more about the importance of knowing Jesus.

Yet, the crowd isn’t sure yet about all this. The people might be emotionally stirred right now, but they don’t necessarily believe in Jesus based on this testimony. In fact, rather than thinking through this, they decide to consult “the experts,” taking this man to the religious leaders instead. And that will only lead to more unbelief, as we see next.

Second, Believe in the Lord Despite the Doubts of Leaders (vv. 13–17)

They brought to the Pharisees the man who was formerly blind. Now it was a Sabbath on the day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received his sight. And he said to them, “He applied clay to my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” Therefore some of the Pharisees were saying, “This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others were saying, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And there was a division among them. So they said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?” And he said, “He is a prophet.”

The neighbors would well know that the Pharisees opposed Jesus. We saw that in the last chapter, and in v. 22, we’ll note that the people knew that the Pharisees had already decided to excommunicate anyone from the synagogues who choose to confess Christ. Still, the people are astonished by this miracle, so they want their anti-Jesus leaders to explain how Jesus could open the eyes of a man born blind.

The Pharisees, of course, are eager to answer this question. Now, the issue here isn’t that the people and the religious leaders are looking for clarity. It’s okay to ask questions and investigate claims. As John later says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). As one commentary notes, “The law cautioned people to be wary of teachers who might lead them astray by performing signs and wonders (Deut 13:1–5).” So, the issue isn’t that the Pharisees are holding an inquest and seeking to get to the bottom of this miracle.

The problem here is that the Pharisees have already decided against Jesus. They have already heard of other miracles and have chosen to ignore them. So, they are not necessarily moved by this testimony, either; even in light of all the subtle reminders that this man was formerly blind. So, the Pharisees ask questions because they want to poke holes in testimonies about Jesus; they’re seeking evidence they can use against Jesus before the people. As the religious leaders God ordained in Israel, they are using their position to intentionally lead people away from Jesus Christ — that’s what makes the error of the Pharisees so damnable.

Specifically, the Pharisees seem to fixate on the fact that Jesus performed this miracle on a Sabbath day, as v. 14 suggests. In v. 15, they ask again of the man how the healing took place, and he focuses on the fact that Jesus applied the clay to his eyes. Remember that spitting on the ground and mixing mud or clay was (and still is) forbidden on the Sabbath day. It seems like such a small thing, especially considering it changed the blind man’s whole life, but that is the aspect on which the Pharisees chose to focus.

It's worth noting that the Pharisees were not so obsessed with Sabbath observance that they couldn’t imagine any scenario in which it was acceptable to work. They had no problem with priests working on the Sabbath, for instance, slaughtering animals. They also believed that it was okay to labor to save a man who was “in imminent danger of death.” Yet, in their religious minds, this man could have lived another day blind.

One might ask why Jesus would choose to continue to antagonize the religious leaders on this point, then. Why not just heal on another day? One commentator points out this question and provides the following answer. Jesus did this,

First and foremost, because it displayed His divine authority as Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 6:5). But He also did it to demonstrate that such extrabiblical standards were an unnecessary and oppressive burden on the people. By making the seventh day a wearisome one governed by dozens of trivial, hairsplitting rules, the Jewish leaders had perverted God’s design for this weekly day of rest and thanks to God; after all, as Jesus pointed out, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). The religious leaders prided themselves on keeping the minutiae of the legalistic Sabbath rules, while at the same time ignoring far more important issues such as showing mercy (cf. Matt. 12:11–12; Mark 3:4; Luke 13:15–16). No wonder Jesus excoriated them for “[tying] up heavy burdens and lay[ing] them on men’s shoulders, [while] they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger” (Matt. 23:4). They corrupted the Sabbath, turning it from a day of glorifying God into a means of legalistic self-glorification.

Jesus challenged their self-righteous system, which they could not forgive. So, in v. 16, many of them say, “This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” They might even have put the emphasis on the “is not”! As one commentary notes, “One would have expected that such a miracle as Christ wrought upon the blind man would have settled his reputation, and silenced and shamed all opposition, but it had the contrary effect; instead of being embraced as a prophet for it, he is prosecuted as a criminal.” They would not allow this to stand.

Still, just as not all religious leaders are bad, there were a few who were a bit more open, it seems. They reply, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” Some note here that this could be a division of different forms of unbelief. While that’s possible, it’s not the only explanation. There were secret believers among the Pharisees. Still, that Jesus performed signs isn’t proof-positive of His godliness. As another commentary notes, the argument

is worthless, even if the conclusion is sound. Not only the Old Testament (Dt. 13:1–5) but also the New (e.g. Mt. 7:21–23; 2 Thes. 2:9) insists that miracles cannot be an infallible guide to spiritual authority. If Moses’ rod could become a snake, so could the rods of the Egyptian magicians. This does not mean miracles have no attesting force. They are sometimes seen as ‘signs of the apostles’ (cf. 2 Cor. 12:12). In the Fourth Gospel, although any demand for signs is rebuked (cf. notes on 4:48), yet Jesus prefers faith based on signs to no faith at all (10:38; 14:11). In other words, the second group employs at best a weak argument, but comes up with the truth, however hesitantly expressed.

So, at least this question invites more inquiry. This means that there was, as we read here, division among the ranks of the Pharisees. Jesus often provoked division of opinion (John 6:52; 7:12, 43; 10:19).

Unable to settle the issue on their own, they invite the opinion of the formerly-blind man. In v. 17, they ask, “What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?” There’s an emphatic pronoun here — “You, what do you say about Him?” They consult the recipient of the miracle to learn his opinion of the Miracle Worker.

A few commentaries note that this may not be an admission that Jesus opened the man’s eyes. The language might indicate here that they are leaving the suggestion to him: “You say he cured you of your blindness—well, what do you say about him?” Some were certainly less willing to believe than others.

Whatever the case, this questioning prompts the man to take his first step forward with Jesus. He says of Jesus, “He is a prophet.” This is the same initial conclusion, you’ll remember, that the woman at the well came to concerning Jesus (John 4:19). What does he mean by this?

First, it’s not clear whether this man was thinking that Jesus is “the Prophet” predicted by Moses (Deut. 18:15). There’s no article in the original language, though it can still be read that way based on a rule of Greek grammar. However, this man probably doesn’t have that level of belief in Jesus just yet, and so the translations opt for “a prophet” here.

What’s significant about the man saying that Jesus is a prophet? Before, he had identified Jesus as a man. However, as he heard his neighbors and the Pharisees debate, he’s concluding that Jesus isn’t only a man. At the very least, Jesus is operating with the blessing of God. He’s asked, and he gives his conclusion, even knowing that this is an unpopular opinion — Jesus isn’t just an ordinary man!

Conclusion

The Pharisees don’t like this reply. Next time we are in this text, we’re going to see them get more antagonistic. However, this man will only continue to grow in his belief.

As we go through this, we continue to read the rich irony here in John’s Gospel. As one commentary notes, “This poor blind beggar had a clearer judgment of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God, and saw further into the proofs of a divine mission, than the masters in Israel, that assumed an authority to judge of prophets.” He could see truths about Jesus that people able to see their whole lives were blind to seeing.

The question, of course, is whether you are blind to the truth. Do you see Jesus as just an ordinary man? Or, are you willing to go against the opinions of others and say that Jesus is more than that? If you see the truth about Jesus, I hope that you won’t allow the questions of others create doubt within you. And, if you are not sure that you’re a Christian, I hope that you will come to this true Prophet and ask Him to open your eyes!