Monday, August 22, 2016 - John 9:31-34

The World is cruel to those who disagree with it. Here we see a man who was born blind. By the power of God he was healed. Now as he comes to give glory to God and testify to the truth of his being healed, he finds himself put out of the temple and the people of God. What happened? What did he do wrong? He simply went with the truth over against the narrative of the wicked religious leaders of the day. We should never be surprised when the world in their spite and hate go to great lengths to exclude us even in the face of overwhelming evidence. 

Consider: 3 John 1:9-11

Saturday, August 20, 2016 - John 9:30

I do not know if this man is innocent or sarcastic in his response, but he continues to drive the point home. Here is the religious leadership of Israel and they have no idea from where this man comes, but He has a power to heal that can only come from God. The healed man has no questions because he was blind and now he sees. This healing came clearly from Jesus. Today many churches have leaders who refuse to see or acknowledge Jesus and His Word. They are doing what is right in their own eyes and seek to have power in this world. They are no different from the leaders we see here.

Consider: 2 Timothy 3:3-4 

Friday, August 19, 2016 - John 9:26-29

They ask the same question looking for a different answer or maybe an inconsistency in his story. The man is clear about what happened. He asked if they wanted to be Christ’s disciples. This causes a caustic reaction. They saw themselves following Moses, but Moses proclaimed Christ. It is a false dichotomy. The choice is not whether to follow Moses or Christ, but to follow God’s Word in which Moses and Christ agree. Make no mistake. This is about power and control. Jesus was a threat to the leaders control and position. Jesus is still a threat to those who seek worldly power, especially in His Church. 

Consider: 2 Timothy 3:1-9 

Thursday, August 18, 2016 - John 9:24-25

They call the healed man back in a second time. This time they make sure and lead him to understand that Jesus was not to be given credit. “We know He is a sinner”. The man’s answer is clear and perfect. He cannot speak to Jesus being a sinner, but he does know one thing. He was blind and now he sees! This is all we need to know: Christ has saved us. We want people to grow in their faith, but to be saved is to be healed spiritually by Christ. Though you may not understand it fully at the beginning, you will know that you have been saved. 

Consider: Matthew 13:31-32, Mark 9:24 

Wednesday, August 17, 2016 - John 9:20-23

Tyrants are often bullies. They work in fear and intimidation. Here we see the parents of this man, who should be praising God for the miracle of their son’s healing, forced to play dumb out of fear of these leaders and their hatred for Christ. Ours is a reasonable faith, and we should work through the questions of our faith on bended knee, in prayer, with our Bibles open. God does not need us to intimidate. We are called to pray for the lost, live our Christian lives in front of the lost, and proclaim the truth of the gospel. 

Consider: 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 

Tuesday, August 16, 2016 - John 9:18-19

The Jews are so set on disproving Jesus that they are convinced the man is lying about being blind from birth. They call on his parents to confirm that he really was blind. It is important for us to be open minded and to examine things. J.C. Ryle said that the hardest people to reach with the gospel are those who are convinced of their own feelings and thoughts. They are not open to see or hear what is plainly in front of them. We often think that if God would work a sign, people would believe. The fact is that unless the Holy Spirit opens our eyes and our hearts we will not see or believe even if it is right in front of our faces.

Consider: 2 Corinthians 4:6 

Monday, August 15, 2016 - John 9:13-17

Jesus has performed this awesome miracle of healing a man blind from birth, but now the religious leaders of the day are looking into the event. At the center of the controversy is that Jesus did this on the Sabbath day. Their objection is not correct, because there is no prohibition to doing good on the Sabbath day. The Sabbath is made for man and not man for the Sabbath. We must never add to or take away from the Law of God, which is what the Pharisees are doing in making this objection. 

Consider: Matthew 12:1-8, Isaiah 58:13-14