◄ What Does John 9:25 Mean? ►

What a wonderful testimony we have from this man that was blind: "One thing I know, once I was blind but now I see." This man offers a clear undeniable witness to the truth. His impaired vision had been restored, and he was able to clearly see the trap into which the Pharisees were about to fall.

These proud leaders of the Jews were seeking to discredit the Lord Jesus. They questioned the man about his healing testimony; they cross-questioned his parents in an attempt to deny his blindness; then they called the man again for additional questioning. But every time the proud Pharisees failed in their endeavour. Their aim was to discredit the Lord Jesus as a healer and a teacher and label Him as no more than a sinner, but the outcome was to expose their own bigoted opinions and their gross spiritual myopia.

The Pharisees had become so frustrated with the adulation that the Lord Jesus received from the crowds because of His supernatural abilities and Messianic claims, that they threatened to excommunicate from the synagogue, any person who was prepared to legitimise Christ's gifts of healing or consider His Messianic claims to be authentic.

The man's parents had been intimidated, and refused to be drawn in to their nefarious questioning, for they feared the Jews. They confirmed that he had been born blind, but side-stepped the other questions so that they would not be excluded from the synagogue: "Ask him," they retorted, "he's old enough to tell you!"

And so we find that for a second time the Pharisees summoned the man who had been born blind in a desperate attempt to have him denounce the Lord Jesus and expose His miraculous healing as fraudulent: "We know this man is a sinner!." they cried in a further, desperate attempt to have this healed man deny the Lord Jesus, but what a brave and accurate challenge they received in return: "Whether he is a sinner or not I do not know but this one thing I do know, that once I was blind but now I can see."

Not only were the physical eyes of this blind man opened, but we discover his open defiance of the Pharisees resulted in a deeper, spiritual awakening in his inner soul for he was later to pronounce: "Lord I believe," that You are the Son of Man, the Messiah of Israel, and Saviour of the world.

This is a true story, but it is also a beautiful picture of developing faith; a simple childlike trust in the Lord Jesus which gave birth to the salvation of the soul for the forgiveness of sins, life everlasting, and spiritual growth.

In their proud and jealous attitude, the religious leaders of the day were so intent on discrediting this little miracle of the Lord Jesus that they missed the greatest miracle of all: that God incarnate was in their midst. He had the power to heal their every hurt and forgive their every sin. He had the authority to give them life eternal if they would simply open their eyes to the truth and say: "LORD I believe, help my unbelief." Instead, they remained dead in their trespasses and sins, at enmity with God, and under eternal condemnation because they did not believe in the only begotten Son of God.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the example of this blind man and His developing faith. I pray that I may have eyes to see the truth, and not be influenced by the worldly mindset that seeks to discredit You and the Lord Jesus, Whom You have sent. Thank You that my eyes were opened to the truth of Your glorious grace. Give me boldness to proclaim this truth to those in my life so that their eyes may be opened to You. This I pray in Jesus' name, AMEN.