Of Shepherds and Blindmen

Intro

John 8-10

Today we are going to be covering a great deal of scripture again. Each chapter is unique and adds to the narrative structure of what John is trying to teach. The controversy over Jesus’ identity continues to grow and people are forced to make a decision as to whether they believe that Jesus is from God or from somewhere/something else. Accusations start to fly as the Pharisees refuse to see Jesus’ divine origins but still strive to understand how He can accomplish such supernatural feats. Chapter 9 is an entire drama centered around a man born blind and the healing that was performed… on the Sabbath. It’s interesting how many problems arise over a miracle performed on that specific day of the week. And finally chapter 10 is a beautiful analogy of Jesus’ connection with the sheep. He compares Himself to the sheepgate and later describes Himself as the Good Shepherd. Both are important analogies for us to understand in order to learn more about Jesus’ love and concern over His sheep.

Controversies around Jesus try to pull us away, but allow the Good Shepherd to guard us and keep us safely under His amazing care.

A quick note before we begin on John 7:53-8:11

You probably notice that there is something very different about this story in our Bibles. Commentaries and theologians debate what to do with this passage because it appears for all intents and purposes as a story looking for a context. It’s as though it were written separately and then placed here because there was no where else to put it… In fact, one commentary shares:

John 1–11 IV. A Biblical Addition: The Woman Seized in Adultery (Pericope de Adultura [7:53–8:11])

this story is found not only after

Make no mistake, most of the Christian Church regards this passage as canonical… meaning that it actually happened. But who wrote it and where it belongs is what has been debated. Most commentaries acknowledge that it disrupts the flow of John’s gospel and is placed right in the middle of a section where John is focusing thematically on the Festival of Tabernacles. Some commentaries even suggest that it bears more similarities in writing to Luke’s gospel, than John’s. Make no mistake, it belongs in the Bible, it just probably wasn’t originally written here.

I love this little story and think often of how it beautifully portrays Jesus’ attitude towards sin. He is loving and sensitive to the woman caught in adultery and with one statement causes even the most pious and religious to reconsider their own need for grace and forgiveness. But it also clearly demonstrates that Jesus does not tolerate sin. While He was the only one there qualified to pick up a stone, He chose not to. But also clearly tells her to stop sinning. He does the same for us.

The inclusion of this passage indicates that those who collated the Bible as we have it in our hands put a lot of thought and effort into making sure that the books we have are trustworthy and true, but also that nothing important was left out.

Disputes

John 8:12-59

The headings here in chapter 8 are quite telling for the focus. There are disputes about Jesus. Jesus makes some fantastic claims and it really does beg the question as to whether He is sent from God or from something else.

Jesus makes a claim in verse 12 that many of us are familiar with. John 8:12 “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”” This is not the first “I am” statement He has made in John’s gospel and it won’t be the last. What makes it so controversial is that “I am” is theologically significant for the people of Israel because it was the name God gave to Moses by which he could tell the people who was sending him. So, every time Jesus says “I am...” He not only offers His followers a better opportunity to understand who He is, but He is also confronting the established religious authority with the truth about His divine origins. They have a problem with His claims to be the Son of God… equal to God. But they won’t entertain the notion that He is the Son of God and equal to God.

We could spend a great deal of time walking through chapter 8 in greater detail, but I feel that much of what we would focus on has already been present in previous chapters, and is also present in the following chapter regarding a blind man. The drama that unfolds is significant and echoes much of what takes place here in chapter 8. So, please find time to read through chapter 8 more thoroughly, but for the sake of progress and time, let’s turn our attention to chapter 9.

Jesus and the Man Born Blind

John 9:1–12 NASB95

As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. “We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. “While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes, and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and washed, and came back seeing. 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.”

Jesus appears at the very beginning and at the very end of this story and it is fascinating to watch the drama unfold as the religious leaders interview and interrogate to discover who is behind the “crime...” which was actually a miraculous healing.

The story opens by identifying a certain man who was blind from birth. This is not someone who was blinded by some accident. This man had never known sight… never saw his parent’s faces… never knew about color… could never play with shadows, watch butterflies or flowers or see loved ones.

But the disciples use the opportunity to ask Jesus a question. Asking Jesus questions is always a good thing to do and there is no such thing as a bad or dumb question!

Previously, we looked at John 5:14 where Jesus healed a parapalegic. “Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.”” How does this contrast with what Jesus teaches about the man born blind? No one’s sin is responsible for this man’s condition. But this man’s condition had a purpose… it was so that God would be glorified through what was about to take place.

What does this tell us about the nature of sin and its effect on the sinner? We need to be careful about what we attribute our problems to. Sin might just have physical consequences that play out in our own lives, or maybe even in our children’s lives. This isn’t the time to touch on generational sin, but it’s a topic worth looking deeper at another time. Deuteronomy 24:16 ““Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers; everyone shall be put to death for his own sin.” This passage is not alone in declaring that each of us bears responsibility for our own sins, but the consequences sometimes reverberate and effect others around us.

Jesus performs a miracle for the man born blind. We could focus on the method where Jesus used his spit to make mud and then tells him to go and wash in a certain pool, but our focus is on the controversy that arises. The man has not yet seen Jesus and so after the miracle occurs and the people are amazed, word spreads and people start to ask how he received sight. “I don’t know” is the only response he can give.

Unfortunately, this simple question becomes only the first of a barrage of interrogations. The people can’t understand how a man born blind can see. They would rather deny it’s the same man than believe such a thing was possible. Verse 14 reveals that this occurs on the Sabbath, which is of course a favorite topic of the religious leaders and one that they would use to prevent good things from happening. Think about this for a moment. This man who had never known sight can now see and the remainder of the chapter is less about the miracle and more about who did it and on what day.

The Pharisees begin their interrogation and the man gives his simple testimony, describing what happened to the best of his abilities. The debate that comes is just weird. “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” They couldn’t accept the fact that Jesus alone is sinless. Divisions occur and they further interrogate the man. So, seeing that they weren’t happy with his earlier testimony, he offers a guess that the man who healed him was a prophet.

The religious leaders don’t believe it, and so they bring in the man’s parents to confirm that it’s truly the man who was born blind. These are some extreme lengths to go to in order to deny Jesus. Verse 22 reveals that the parents are afraid of the Jews asking the questions and so simply defer back to their son.

The man born blind who now sees is brought back before the interrogators and they further press how a sinner can restore sight. John 9:25 “He then answered, “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”” Simple testimony and the truth. But they aren’t happy with it and press further. John 9:30–33 “The man answered and said to them, “Well, here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes. “We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him. “Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. “If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.””

They couldn’t bear the truth and so we see in verse 34 that they call the man a sinner and throw him out. The religious leaders are willing to do terrible things to just about anybody in order to get the testimony they want to hear. That is why the people fear these religious leaders.

After this, Jesus finds the man (remember that he would not recognize Jesus by sight) and asks him about whether he believes in the “Son of Man.” He is teachable and asks Jesus who He might be refering to so that He can believe. And Jesus does something that doesn’t happen often in the gospels… He openly admits to being this Messianic figure. The man believes in Jesus and as we have seen time and time again throughout John’s gospel, this is all that is required to be saved. This is a story of salvation! But Jesus is amazed at the irony of the situation that the man who could not see now sees better than the religious leaders who are completely blind to the truth. Jesus even confronts the Pharisees about this and just as they called the man born blind a sinner, Jesus calls them a sinner based on their own testimony.

Jesus and the Sheep

John 10

Chapter 10 has an abrupt change of topic as Jesus turns His attention to the humble sheep and their need of a shepherd.

John 10:1–6 NASB95

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. “But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. “When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. “A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.

There are villains in this world and they don’t have the best intentions for the sheep… We are the sheep by the way. It’s not just wolves we need to watch out for, but it’s those who are trying to enter by another way. Jesus is saying that only those who enter by the door (or the gate) are legitimate. Only the shepherd can command the sheep to come and they obey. The shepherd enters the right way and has also established a relationship with the sheep. He knows them by name, calls them by name and they follow. Sheep might not be all that intelligent of animals, but they know the voice of the one who takes care of them. Let us be found as faithful sheep who know the voice of our shepherd!

Jesus’ audience doesn’t seem to be getting the message here. Is He still with the religious leaders from the previous chapter or is this an entirely different scene? Either way, they don’t understand.

John 10:7–21 NASB95

So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. “All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. “He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. “He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.” A division occurred again among the Jews because of these words. Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?” Others were saying, “These are not the sayings of one demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?”

Jesus makes two of His famous “I am” statements here. The first in verse 7, that He is the door of the sheep. He is the legitimate way. He again highlights salvation in verse 9 declaring that those who enter by His way are saved. Verse 11, He declares that He is the Good Shepherd and the defines what a good shepherd does… foreshadowing His death on the cross. John 10:11 ““I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” Indeed that is what Jesus does by the end.

Verses 19-21 show that the divisions over Jesus continue. The remainder of the chapter further discusses Jesus’ origins and Jesus appeals to His works, which testify about His Father. More and more people begin to believe.

Conclusion

There is so much to talk about in these chapters. Perhaps I should have given myself more time to go through them more thoroughly. Regardless, the thoughts are the same. Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came to save sinners and to reveal a better way. He did not fit the mold of expectations surrounding the Messiah, at least for the religiouis leaders of the day. Healing on the Sabbath seemed to particularly rile them up and they went to great lengths to interrogate and silence the crowds who were caught up in the excitement of such amazing things happening.

Jesus came to restore sight to the blind. Yes, Jesus performed that very miracle for a man born blind, but the blindness He truly came to address was the spiritual blindness of the people. They needed to see God and to see His intentions for them. And so, Jesus came, God in the flesh to show them the way.

Jesus came to shepherd the sheep. We are the sheep. We need careful guidance and care, lest we fall into dangerous traps or wander astray and are hunted by wild animals. We need the shepherd to corrale us together and to love and care for us as only a good shepherd can. It’s interesting that Jesus uses the analogy of the shepherd and the sheep.

Under the Law of Moses, the sheep died for the shepherd; but under grace, the Good Shepherd died for the sheep (John 10:1–18)

Warren W. Wiersbe

Jesus truly came to subvert expectations. He came to break the mold of what people thought the Messiah could be. He came to reveal the plans of God for the people so that they would be blessings to all people. Let’s make sure we carry on the mission Jesus started. He didn’t walk the paths He did so that we would watch in wonder, He walked those paths so that we would follow in His footsteps and do likewise!