Friday | 17 May 2019
The Gospel of John recounts Jesus’ healing of a man who was born blind. Joh 9:1. Because Jesus had performed this miracle on the Sabbath, the man was brought before the Pharisees to give an account of his interaction with Jesus. Joh 9:14. Towards the end of his interrogation, the healed man declared, ‘Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.’ Joh 9:30-33. The Pharisees responded by saying to him that he had been born entirely in sin. They then put him out of the synagogue. Joh 9:34.
When Jesus heard that the man had been put out of the synagogue, He went and found him, and said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of God?’ Joh 9:35. In response to Jesus, who revealed that He was the Son of God, the man confessed, ‘Lord, I believe.’ Joh 9:36-38. Evidently, he had received faith by hearing the word that Jesus had spoken to him. 2Co 4:13. Rom 10:17. By faith, this new believer was able to worship in fellowship with the Lord. The point to note is that this man had been put out of the Jewish ‘sheepfold’. However, Jesus came and found this ‘sheep’ and called him by name into His sheepfold.
Following this event, Jesus taught on ‘the Shepherd and sheep’, identifying four distinct phases of His work as the great Shepherd who had come to seek and to save the sheep who had been given to Him by the Father. Later, as He prayed to the Father on the Mount of Olives, Jesus restated this work, which was completed through His offering on the cross.
Further Study:
John 9
Daily Proverb:
References:
Joh 9:1
Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.
Joh 9:14
Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.
Joh 9:30-33
The man answered and said to them, ‘Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.’
Joh 9:34-38
They answered and said to him, ‘You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?’ And they cast him out. Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, ‘Do you believe in the Son of God?’ He answered and said, ‘Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.’ Then he said, ‘Lord, I believe!’ And he worshiped Him.
2Co 4:13
And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed and therefore I spoke,’ we also believe and therefore speak.
Rom 10:17
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.