13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. 17 So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”
18 The Jews[a] 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 19 and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21 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.” 22 (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus[b] to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.) 23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
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 is a sinner.” 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.” 26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 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?” 28 And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 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. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”[a] 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt;[b] but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.
Personal Reflection and Discussion
Discuss With A Group
What is something that has happened in your life that most people would not believe?
The day Jesus performed the miracles was the Sabbath, and that is a major reason the people took the man to the Pharisees.
- What is the Sabbath issue for the Pharisees? …for Jesus (see Mk 2:23-28; Mk 3:1-5; Ro 12:1)?
- How is the response of the healed blind man similar to and different from the response of the lame man in Jn 5:9-15?
- How do you tend to respond to the acts of God in your life (see Mk 5:19-20; Lk 17:11-19; Jn 4:28-29)?
- What was and what wasn’t the blind man’s testimony (see 1 Jn 1:1-3)? What does that say or suggest about our witness and testimony?
- We can learn from this: unbelief is often irrational and insulting. We will face this type of unbelief as we share our faith. It is not our job to overcome unbelief, God does that. It’s our job to plant seeds that He makes grow. What are some of your concerns in meeting Jesus with others? Why are these all null issues when it comes to the love and power and promises of Christ? Or aren’t they? Discuss.
- Upon what did the formerly blind man’s faith rest (see also Jn 4:39-42; 4:46-53; Jn 20:24-29; Ro 10:14-17)? Upon what does your faith rest/depend? What does/has the Holy Spirit used to grow your faith?
Prayer
Dear Jesus, we pray that you use us to plant the seeds of faith and that you help them grow. In times when we share our faith and get hit back with harsh words, please allow us to show grace and patience. We thank you for continuing to grow in us a deep and strong faith in you. Amen.
Greek Word of the Day
English Word: Christos | Transliterated Word: khris-tos
The Messiah, anointed, an epithet of Jesus: — Christ
Adjective from chrio, to anoint. Anointed, a term used in the OT applied to everyone anointed with the holy oil, primarily to the high priesthood (Le 4:5, 16) Also a name to others acting as redeemers.
Family Engagement Activity
Plant a seed today and watch it grow. As you plant, pray for someone who does not
believe. Ask the Lord to grow the faith of that person. As you watch the seed grow,
continue to pray the Holy Spirit works in the lives of those who do not believe in Jesus.
Going Activity To Consider
Credit Jesus for something He’s done for you to a group or to someone today.