John 9:19-22

19 And they asked them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”

20 His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 

21 … but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.” 

22 His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.

“Don’t You Dare Say that Jesus is the Christ, or You are Out of Here!”

“You say that this is your son who was born blind? Well….how does he see if he was born blind?” The Pharisees are interrogating the blind man’s parents. The man’s parents admit that the man is their son, and that he was born blind, but they play dumb about the rest. They said, paraphrasing, “We don’t know how he got his sight back, or who healed him. He is an adult… ask him. He can tell you himself.” We find out in verse 22 that his parents acted like they had no idea how their son was healed because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. The Jewish leaders had already decided, and evidently made it known, that if anyone claimed that Jesus was the Christ, he would be excommunicated from the synagogue. This was a big deal. It didn’t just mean that they were barred from the synagogue. It meant that everyone in the community completely isolated them. There were both temporary and complete excommunications. I would say that in this case, it was complete until the person renounced their belief in Christ. If a person was completely excommunicated, they were to act as if they were in mourning. They were confined to their homes. Only their families could be around them. It was complete isolation from the community. Now think about it… How would they buy food? How would they work for anyone, and make a living? It was a very serious thing. I explain all that before being too hard on this man’s parents for not speaking the whole truth. We don’t know what kind of life these people had. Since their son was found begging as a blind person, it seems to me that either his parents were very poor and couldn’t help support him, or they could have helped him, but chose not to do so. We don’t know the situation, so we can’t judge. They did admit that he was their son, and confirmed that he was blind from birth, but confirmed nothing about the manner in which he was healed. 

I’m sorry, but I have to say it! The Pharisees were bullies! Threatening people who think differently from them made them bullies! Even if they had been right about Jesus, and He wasn’t the Messiah, should they have been going around threatening to excommunicate people who believed in Him? Of course not! Can we as Christians be right about something, but wrong in the way we present it? Is it possible to be a Christian and a bully? Well, someone might call themselves a Christian, but if they are also a bully, then the word bully cancels out the word Christian. We are to do and say everything in love. We are to present the truth, not because we want to be right, but because we want to save a person’s soul. The Pharisees were all about keeping their status, power, and control over people. They only cared about being right! That is not Christianity, and that was not what God intended the law of Moses to be either. The law of Moses was about teaching people to recognize the difference between right and wrong,  to distinguish good from evil, and to choose obedience over disobedience. It was a bumpy ride, but it brought us our Savior. The law of Moses was a tutor to get people ready for the grace and truth that would come with Jesus Christ, so that we would know how to make right decisions on our own without every law spelled out for us, and so that we would have a deeper spiritual understanding of what God expects of us. The law of Moses was ultimately about love. It was about God showing love to humans by giving us a roadmap that taught us who He is, what He expects, and what sin is. That is what the law taught us… all of us… even if we didn’t live in that time, we have still learned from it. If we didn’t have the law, then we certainly wouldn’t understand how to follow Jesus. The Pharisees turned the law into the opposite of what God intended it to be. To them, it was a set of rules that they used to exercise control over others. They didn’t follow the law perfectly themselves, yet they expected everyone else to follow it perfectly, or suffer the consequences. 

Let’s never forget that whatever was written in the past was written for our learning, so that we, through patience and comfort of the scriptures, might have hope (Romans 5:14). What hope? The hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ, who grew up under the law of Moses, and was the only person who kept that law perfectly. Let’s fast forward to the present day. There will never be another sinless person ever again since Jesus walked on earth. There isn’t one now, and there never will be. I pray that I never act like the Pharisees of old and pass unrighteous judgment on everyone who walks by me. I pray that I never think more highly of myself than I ought to. I am one of Jesus’ sheep in His fold. I follow my Shepherd. And that is all I want to do with my life. It doesn’t make me any better than anyone else. It just makes me fortunate to be where I am. It makes me fortunate enough to have been taught the truth. And Jesus wants me to gather more sheep for Him, not drive them away with self-righteousness and pride, like the Pharisees drove people out of the synagogue. Just something to think on this morning…..

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)