I Once Was Blind, But Now I See, John 9:8-23

John 9:8-23 NASB  Therefore the neighbors, and those who previously saw him as a beggar, were saying, "Is not this the one who used to sit and beg?"  (9)  Others were saying, "This is he," still others were saying, "No, but he is like him." He kept saying, "I am the one."  (10)  So they were saying to him, "How then were your eyes opened?"  (11)  He answered, "The man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash'; so I went away and washed, and I received sight."  (12)  They said to him, "Where is He?" He *said, "I do not know."  (13)  They *brought to the Pharisees the man who was formerly blind.  (14)  Now it was a Sabbath on the day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.  (15)  Then the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received his sight. And he said to them, "He applied clay to my eyes, and I washed, and I see."  (16)  Therefore some of the Pharisees were saying, "This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath." But others were saying, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?" And there was a division among them.  (17)  So they *said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?" And he said, "He is a prophet."  (18)  The Jews then did not believe it of him, that he had been blind and had received sight, until they called the parents of the very one who had received his sight,  (19)  and questioned them, saying, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? Then how 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 how he now sees, we do not know; or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself."  (22)  His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed Him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.  (23)  For this reason his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."

Dr. Kelly Nelson Birks
Messiah Reformed Church, Omaha, NE
www.drkellynelsonbirks.com