John 9 Testimony of Grace

Testimony of Grace

In the Scriptures, we see testimonies of what God has done in the lives of His people. One of my favorite is the story of the man born blind in John 9.

As He (Jesus) passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. The disciples asked Jesus a question based upon a pretty common way of thinking. The way of thinking was, if something bad happened, it was a result of specific sin. So the disciples ask Jesus whose sin was it. The man himself or was it because of his parents. However, Jesus’ response was neither. It was not because of some specific sin but rather the man was born blind so that the works of God might be displayed. 4 We must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Having said these things, He spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then He anointed the man's eyes with the mud 7 and said to Him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. So Jesus makes mud and tells this man to go and wash and when the man obeys, he returns with eyes that can see. Yet when the man’s neighbors saw the change, some of them couldn’t believe it. Even after he said John 9:8–12 “The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.” In fact, this healing caused enough of a disturbance, that the man was taken before the religious leaders and we read that they, first criticized Jesus for healing on the Sabbath Day and then they went into denial. John 9:18–21 “The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” His parents confirm that yes this man was blind and yes he is no longer blind, but they refuse to go any farther. Rather, out of fear, they put the responsibility back upon the man who was blind. Once more the man is summoned. The Pharisees cannot admit that the man receiving sight is a bad thing, so they try to change the lingo to take away any focus on Jesus. They say John 9:24 “So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man (Jesus) is a sinner.” Yet the formerly blind man cannot stay silent. He must give testimony of the One he has not yet seen. John 9:25 “He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” The Pharisees once again ask how it all happened and read of the back and forth in John 9:26–34 “They said to him, “What did He(Jesus) do to you? How did He open your eyes?” He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” (I do not know if that question was asked in innocence or out of sarcasm, but we know that the Pharisees did not take it kindly. And they reviled him, saying, “You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this Man, we do not know where He comes from.” The (formerly blind) man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where He comes from, and yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” So the man who was blind confesses that this Jesus who healed him must be from God. Yet the Pharisees They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.” The Pharisees would have none of it. Now to be cast out was no small thing. Yet the man is expelled because he would follow Jesus. The One who had healed him, the One he had yet to see. Now we don’t know how long of a time there was between verse 34 and verse 35. Probably not very long, yet we read John 9:35–39 “Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is He, sir, that I may believe in Him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen Him, and it is He who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped Him. So we read of this man’s testimony. A man who for the entirety of his life was blind, until he came into contact with Jesus. Jesus radically changed his life for the better. Not for the easier, but for the better. Everytime someone comes into contact with Jesus, they are left with a choice. To accept or reject. We read here of the testimony of a man who says, “I was blind but now I see.” And he gives us a confession. “Lord I believe.” Everyone who is a Christian has had this same realization at some point in their lives. We have all come to the place where we say “Lord, I believe.” For me it was when I was about 4 or 5 years old. I realized I was a sinner and I knew Jesus could save me. So in my young heart I said “Lord I believe. I believe that You can forgive and I believe that You will forgive. So please forgive me.” What beautiful words are the testimonies of God’s people. Today we are going to continue to hear some testimonies and then after our final testimony, we are going to head down to the River and Logan will follow the Lord in Believer’s Baptism. But first, let us hear the testimonies of a few others who have said “Lord, I believe.”

Testimony Time

Sara

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Logan Johnson