Thoughts

But no one had the courage to speak favorably about him in public, for they were afraid of getting in trouble with the Jewish leaders.

John 7:13 NLT

Many among the crowds at the Temple believed in him. “After all,” they said, “would you expect the Messiah to do more miraculous signs than this man has done?” When the Pharisees heard that the crowds were whispering such things, they and the leading priests sent Temple guards to arrest Jesus.

John 7:31-32 NLT

So the crowd was divided about him. Some even wanted him arrested…

John 7:43-44 NLT

They asked his parents, “Is this your son, the one you say was born blind? Why can he see now?”
His parents replied, “We know that he’s our son and that he was born blind. But we don’t know how he got his sight or who gave it to him. You’ll have to ask him. He’s old enough to answer for himself.” (His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews. The Jews had already agreed to put anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ out of the synagogue. That’s why his parents said, “You’ll have to ask him. He’s old enough.”)

John 9:19-23

Current Events?

So now I have a question for you. Do these passages sound familiar to you? Do they sound similar to anything that is happening today?

“Cancel culture” is not new, is it? The Pharisees were used to being in control of the public narrative. People were afraid to voice their opinions, if they differed from what the Pharisees taught. The people could see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears what Jesus did and what He taught, and some believed that He was who He said He was, but many were afraid to support Him, lest they be thrown out of the synagogue.

Stand

But there was one in our reading today who had courage.

They asked the man who had been born blind another question: “What do you say about the man who gave you sight?” The man answered, “He’s a prophet.”

John 9:17 GWT

At this point in the narrative, the Pharisees have the interview with his parents, which we have already read. As you know, they said, “He’s old enough, ask him yourselves.”

So once again the Jews called the man who had been blind. They told him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man who gave you sight is a sinner.”
The man responded, “I don’t know if he’s a sinner or not. But I do know one thing. I used to be blind, but now I can see.”
The Jews asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he give you sight?”
The man replied, “I’ve already told you, but you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear the story again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”
The Jews yelled at him, “You’re his disciple, but we’re Moses’ disciples. We know that God spoke to Moses, but we don’t know where this man came from.”
The man replied to them, “That’s amazing! You don’t know where he’s from. Yet, he gave me sight. We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners. Instead, he listens to people who are devout and who do what he wants. Since the beginning of time, no one has ever heard of anyone giving sight to a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn’t do anything like that.”
The Jews answered him, “You were born full of sin. Do you think you can teach us?” Then they threw him out ⌞of the synagogue⌟.

John 9:24-24

This man refused to alter his answer just to mollify the Pharisees. And he paid a price, didn’t he?

The Prize

But did he really?

Jesus heard that the Jews had thrown the man out ⌞of the synagogue⌟. So when Jesus found the man, he asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
The man replied, “Sir, tell me who he is so that I can believe in him.”
Jesus told him, “You’ve seen him. He is the person who is now talking with you.”
The man bowed in front of Jesus and said, “I believe, Lord.”

John 9:35-38 GWT

I would say that he gained everything.

The Time Is Now

Beloved, “cancel culture” is growing stronger every day. For the most part, right now the Left is focusing on political conservatives. But Christians are only a very, very short step away from being their next major targets. I can see it very clearly. If we plainly and boldly proclaim the Gospel, which says there is only ONE way to be saved, they will come after us. If we plainly and boldly proclaim that ALL are sinners in need of the forgiveness that only comes through Jesus, we will be tried and convicted of hate speech. And the list goes on.

Will you bend the knee to these people, or will you boldly stand for Jesus? The time is coming…No, the time is almost here when you will need to make a decision.

Remember the words of Jesus:

But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.

Matthew 10:33 NLT

We must stand before men, and bow the knee only before Jesus.

For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:9-11 NASB

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 7-8 NLT, Ch. 9 GWT

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