Daily Bible Reading Devotional [John 9:1-41]-March 29, 2017


Scripture Reading(s)


John 9:1-41

9:1 As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth.
9:2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

9:3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.

9:4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work.

9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

9:6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes,

9:7 saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see.

9:8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?”

9:9 Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.”

9:10 But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?”

9:11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ Then I went and washed and received my sight.”

9:12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

9:13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind.

9:14 Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.

9:15 Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.”

9:16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And they were divided.

9:17 So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” He said, “He is a prophet.”

9:18 The Jews 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

9:19 and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”

9:20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

9:21 but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.”

9:22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue.

9:23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

9:24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.”

9:25 He answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

9:26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

9:27 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?”

9:28 Then they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.

9:29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.”

9:30 The man answered, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes.

9:31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will.

9:32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind.

9:33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

9:34 They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?” And they drove him out.

9:35 Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

9:36 He answered, “And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.”

9:37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.”

9:38 He said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped him.

9:39 Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.”

9:40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?”

9:41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.


Reflections


Lydia.jpgIt is remarkable to see how when Christ performed this miracle, the reaction was stunning but not in the sense in which anyone was rejoicing over this mans ability to see. The response was to demand who could have done this, how came to be, and on what authority. The supposed religious rulers of that time were filled with hypocrisy, jealousy and hatred towards Jesus and anyone that stole the spotlight from them. Here we can learn how the miracle of Jesus Christ teaches two different truths.
The first is that it was intentional and planned. Verses 1-3 say how this man’s blind condition was so  “that God’s works might be revealed in him.” God, foreknowing that this man’s blindness would one day be used to display God’s Glory and power. Throughout the course of His ministry, Jesus often performed miracles out of love for His people and to also prove that His work is from God. There was no hidden mystery behind this miracle. It was carefully and purposefully planned from long before in order that Christ could perform this miracle at this exact time and place.
The second is to spiritually open up our eyes to the truth of the Gospel. You see, being physically blind only meant that this man could not literally see what was in front of Him. The miracle was yes, to bring him sight but to also allow for the man to truly see Jesus Christ as His Savior. Unfortunately for the Pharisees around him, they were caught up with needing to stick to the laws of the sabbath and are blinded by their own selfish desires to be seen as religious rule keepers. They wanted to show the people that they held some spiritual standard that the rest of them could not live up to. This miracle was intended to display God’s loving and gracious hand in our lives.

It is astonishing how only one man, the one whom Jesus healed, came to know Jesus Christ as his Savior that day. The rest had hardened their hearts to who Jesus really is and the message of the Gospel that He so powerfully displayed. Yet, it is still something to rejoice in because this man was now a part of God’s family. Whether or not others around came to believe, it was still the undeniable work of something powerful that was being portrayed. We know and believe that power to be the hand of God who still moves and works in our lives today.


Justin-Holmes1.jpgJesus was ignoring a common cultural assumption of His time. He cared for the those who had physical abnormalities. In Jesus’ time and even before His time it was commonly thought that people’s sin was what brought on physical infirmities. Many also believed that these curses can be generational which is why the disciples asked if it was the blind man or the parents of the blind man that sinned. However, it turns out that the only people in the story that sinned were the disciples.

The world is full of cultural assumptions. Even among the Christian church we deal with these types of assumptions. Millions of Christians believe that they can go to a faith healer and if they don’t get healed then it was a lack of faith. Millions of Christians around the world believe that humans must suffer as Jesus suffered in order to be worthy of heaven and so they inflict pain on themselves and even drive nails into their hands. However, we must pay attention to Jesus actions and words. What did Jesus call us to? In this passage it is clear that Jesus was calling us to serve those in need and to spread the gospel while we can. There will be a day when the harvest is over and the master of the field will separate the wheat from the chaff.


2 thoughts on “Daily Bible Reading Devotional [John 9:1-41]-March 29, 2017”

  1. I have been hearing that on Sept. 23, 2017 will be the beginning of the Tribulations ending May, 2021? From what I can gather, a large star or asteroid will collide with Jupiter’s lower half. Most of what I am hearing is being taken from Rev.12 and Daniel 12:11.Could this be true?

    Reply

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