THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE #35

With Dale Ratzlaff

John 9:28-41

They reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. “We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where He is from.” The man answered and said to them, “Well, here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes.  “We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him. Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.” They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?” So they put him out. Jesus heard that they had put him out, and finding him, He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.”  And he said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped Him.  And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains. 

In John 9:28 the Pharisees said,

You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.

This fact is a key verse in this chapter and a significant one in our study of the Sabbath. Here is the confrontation between the old covenant and the new covenant. Hear, Moses (Sinai) is pitted against Christ. One cannot go in both directions; either he is a disciple of Jesus or a disciple of Moses. In the next few verses, we can sense the deep spiritual insight of this formerly blind beggar, and the appalling spiritual blindness of the Pharisees still under the veil of the Torah, who had been confronted with the truth of Jesus and who He was and is, but had opted to remain disciples of Moses.

The Pharisees answered this new disciple of Jesus with,

We know that God has spoken to Moses; but as for this man, we do not know where He is from.” The man answered and said to them, “Well, here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from and yet He opened my eyes” (Jn. 9:29, 30).

To fully understand what is taking place here we must look at a passage in John 7 which immediately follows the discussion of the Sabbath incident regarding the healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda.

Therefore some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, “Is this not the man whom they are seeking to kill? And look, He is speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to Him. The rulers do not really know that this is the Christ, do they? However we know where this man is from; but whenever the Christ may come, no one knows where He is from” (Jn. 7:25-27).

This new disciple of Jesus picks up the foolishness of the people’s reasoning. In one incident the Jewish leaders reject Jesus because they know He is from Galilee and state that when the Messiah comes, they will not know where He is from. The next moment they reject Jesus as the Christ because they do not know where he is from! However, He is opening the eyes of the blind, doing the very things Messiah was to do!

This “seeing” disciple of Jesus continues to witness to the learned, but “blind,” Pharisees, bringing insight after insight which must have hit their spiritual pride like burning arrows.

We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing, and does His will, He hears him. Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that any one opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing (Jn. 9:31-33).

What a compelling argument which could not be answered. The credentials of Jesus were founded in His kingdom work, His Jubilee ministry. The Pharisees had no answer, and, utterly humiliated by the logic and spiritual insight of this new disciple of Jesus, they answer,

“You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?” And they put him out (Jn. 9:32-34).

The Pharisees did to this new disciple of Christ what religious (in contrast to truly Christian) leaders have done throughout the centuries to those who have taken a stand for truth. They “put him out.” His parents had avoided speaking in favor of Jesus so they would not be disfellowshipped.

For the Jews had already agreed, that if anyone should confess Him to be Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue (Jn. 9:22).

Consider carefully the Sabbath theology taught, the depth of meaning uncovered, the love expressed, and the needs met in the next few verses. These verses are the high point of our study on Jesus and the Sabbath. They lead us to the true redemption and “rest”—yes, here we come to Sabbath in Christ.

Jesus heard that they had put him out; and finding him, He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered and said, “And who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.” And he said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshipped Him (Jn. 9:35-38).

Jesus not only knew that His new disciple had been disfellowshipped, but He cared. He still knows and cares. Jesus set out to find this man so young in his newfound faith. I am reminded of the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15. The Good Shepherd searched for the lost sheep until He found him. He still does. Jesus gave this young-in-faith disciple an opportunity to receive a further revelation of truth. The new disciple’s understanding of Christ at this point was very limited. He understood Christ to be “a prophet” (Jn. 9:17). With his limited knowledge of Jesus, his uneducated background, this previously blind beggar who had no ax of self-interest to grind, openly confessed himself on the side of Jesus. His only motive was that of gratitude. As he began to move out in his limited knowledge and experience, Jesus met him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” Today that same Son of Man still gives an opportunity for greater revelations of truth to those who walk in the full knowledge of what they have already received, no matter how limited that truth is. Jesus did not condemn or make fun of this young disciple’s lack of insight. By asking this man if he believed, it appears Jesus expected His new disciple to recognize Him as the Son of Man, but the man answered, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe?” I thank God that He still treats with kindness and patience those of us who seem to be so dull of hearing and so slow to receive spiritual insight. Jesus gave His new disciple a revelation of truth which met his greatest need: He revealed Himself. Today the greatest longing in the heart of God is still to make Himself known to us. It is only His presence which will bring redemption and spiritual rest and meet the real need of our heart. John records the simplicity, and workability, of the new covenant gospel. “Lord, I believe.” The new covenant gospel is still simple, and it still works. Do you believe? If you do, then the last insight of this passage will be your highest priority, your greatest joy: “and he worshipped Him.”

Consider the paradoxical nature of this incident. The Pharisees, who were known to be meticulous observers of old covenant Sabbath laws, by their meticulous observance of these laws, rejected the Messiah, to whom these laws pointed. As disciples of Moses, their point of reference and judgment was like a yoke around their neck which bound them. In striving hard to obtain, they failed. The blind beggar, on the other hand, did not strive. Instead, his healing, his insight, his acceptance, his restored relationship to God and intimate, face-to-face fellowship with Jesus were the result of God’s sovereign grace! Here, in stark contrast, are the principles of the two covenants operating side by side. If one is to be a disciple of Jesus, he cannot, at the same time, be a disciple of Moses.

But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away (2 Cor. 3:15,16).

Here, too, is a great paradox. As mentioned before, the Pharisees were strict Sabbath keepers. They followed the old covenant Sabbath laws to the letter. In following these laws, they completely missed the redemption and true “rest” to which the Sabbath laws pointed. On the other hand, this “sin blinded” beggar, redeemed from the curse of sin and saved by faith, entered without works into the true “rest” of God.

Whether one draws the purpose of the Sabbath from the commandments as listed in Exodus (rest) or Deuteronomy (redemption), there is no question that Jesus fulfilled that purpose.

With these insights let us come back to the passage in John. This previously blind beggar has become a “new creation.”

If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come (2 Cor. 5:17).

This child of God is now a new man: healed, washed, found, accepted, and worshipping in intimate, face-to-face fellowship with none other than the Creator Himself. Here is true redemption; here is the true “rest of God” to which the old covenant Sabbath laws pointed. This man did not work! All was of grace. This blind man was found, healed, washed, and accepted, by the “work” of Jesus on that Sabbath day. This redeemed man entered into the “rest” which “remains” for the one who believes! Jesus’ “work” on that Sabbath brought redemption and Eden’s “rest” to this man.

And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see; and that those who see may become blind.” Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things, and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains” (Jn. 9:39-41).

These are sad, tragic words of Jesus. They serve as a solemn warning to those who are deeply entrenched within their belief system and believe they have the truth and are the true people of God. They are fearful words for those who are still bound to Sinai for their reference point of life and judgment.

Application

• The urgent “work” to which Jesus invites us to enter is kingdom work, Jubilee ministry.
• It appears that Jesus again, openly and intentionally, healed in such a way that caused the Jewish leaders to believe He had violated old covenant Sabbath law. Let us pray for wisdom and guidance when and where to exercise Christian freedom.
• The Pharisees were blinded in their judgment by their reference point of Sinaitic laws. We must be careful not to follow their example but follow the “law of Christ.”
• This chapter points out in stark contrast the two systems: Christ (the new covenant) and Moses (the old covenant). We cannot be in both covenants. We must decide if we are disciples of Moses or disciples of Christ.
• This incident is paradoxical, and we can learn much true theology here.
• The Pharisees cast this man out of their fellowship, Jesus took this man into fellowship with Himself.
• The Pharisees meticulously observed the Sabbath laws but totally missed the redemption and real rest to which these laws pointed.
• The blind beggar, who did not work but was saved by grace, was redeemed from sin and entered into the true “rest of God”: intimate, face-to-face fellowship with the Creator.
• The learned Pharisees, who almost knew the Old Testament law by heart, seemed to be steeped in spiritual blindness because the veil of Sinai was still over their eyes.
• The previously blind beggar, who knew little, if any, of the law, and was considered to be born entirely in sin, showed deep spiritual insight.
• The “work” of Jesus was to bring redemption and establish His “rest.”
• According to the Jews, Jesus broke the Sinaitic Sabbath, but in doing so, He brought redemption and true “rest.”
• Jesus pronounced a solemn warning upon those who say “they see” (know the truth) yet in reality, they are “blind” and “remain” in sin.
• The underlying dynamic of Jesus was to move the reference point of the Pharisees from Sinai to Himself.
• The way Jesus related to the Sabbath indicates that He considered the Sabbath to be a ritual or ceremonial law that pointed forward to the rest and redemption He would bring.

Prayer

Thank you, Father, for the insight in John nine. Help me to be as kind to those blinded by sin as Christ was to this man. May I look to Jesus and the new covenant and not try to live in both covenants which will only confuse and cause false guilt. Thank you for the simple gospel. Thank you for including me in this gospel proclamation.

In Jesus name.

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Dale Ratzlaff

Dale Ratzlaff (1936–2024), is the founder of Life Assurance Ministries and Proclamation! Magazine. He served as a Seventh-day Adventist pastor for 13 years, seven at Monterey Bay Academy where he taught Bible. He and his wife Carolyn left the Adventist church in 1981 when he realized he could no longer teach the investigative judgment with a clear conscience. He has authored several books on Adventism that are available through his website, SabbathInChrist.com.

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