Saturday 29th June
Read John 9:35-41
“Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’
36 ‘Who is he, sir?’ the man asked. ‘Tell me so that I may believe in him.’
37 Jesus said, ‘You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.’
38 Then the man said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshipped him.
39 Jesus said, ‘For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.’
40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, ‘What? Are we blind too?’
41 Jesus said, ‘If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” (NIVUK)
Jesus, absent through much of this interrogation, seeks out the blind man having heard that he was thrown out. That defiance is enough for Jesus to fill in the blanks on his young faith in the man who granted him sight. It is fascinating that Jesus does not ask him if he believes in the Son of God and commentators have spilt much ink seeking to understand why. The simplest reason is likely found in what follows in the discussion – the Son of Man, a prophetic figure from Daniel, is the one who comes in judgement, the one who forces folks into decision.
Jesus is as direct and straightforward as He ever is with anyone in this interaction with the formerly blind man. Three times Jesus affirms that He is the very one people have longed for and sought (v37). It is emphatic a statement of identity anywhere in the gospels. It is granted to one whom He deliberately sought out, one who was persecuted and cast out of fellowship with his own people. In revealing His identity so fully Jesus grants the formerly blind man a new identity, with Him. It is an amazing grace indeed.
We are called to come to Jesus, but all along Jesus is coming to us.
