Unbelief that led to Rejection

Thank you, Jared. I know that chorus in "Man of Sorrows" might have surprised some of you. That's an older hymn. Someone has geniously written a chorus to match it. And to be honest with you, that phrase, "Christ is made a way for sinners sticks with me." And that's a wonderful truth that we see in the Scriptures. It's a wonderful truth that we see in John 9. That's where we'll be this morning in John 9. We've been learning about this blind man, and isn't it wonderful that Christ made a way for the blind man, a sinner who just needed to see. God is that good. He did it for me. He did it for them. I trust He's done it for you.

And if He's not, He can. And I believe He will. And that's what we are hoping for. We'll take your Bible this morning. Turn with me to John 9. We're going to be in verses 13 through 34. We're going to cover quite a few verses, but this will enable us to move to where next week we can look at verses 35 through 41. Now we've had two messages thus far in chapter 9. We've seen in these two messages a two-fold work. First, we saw Jesus do a work in the disciples. Remember, He dealt with their misconceptions concerning this blind man. And of course, in this work, He was preparing them to participate in kingdom work.

We've seen that really reiterated, even in our Wednesday night Bible study. And then second, we saw the work that Jesus did in the blind man. This was a wonderful miracle which could not be denied, even from those who knew Him. Remember, there were His neighbors, and then there were those who obviously saw Him as a beggar, and they could not deny this wonderful miracle. There's that two-fold work in those two messages. Now, as we're continuing in our verses this morning, we'll see Jesus add to this work. We will see a work among the Pharisees or the religious leaders. So anytime we see the word Pharisees, I mention the religious leaders.

That's really talking about the same group of people. Now question, what is this work that Jesus does in these Pharisees? The work is this undeniable miracle or sign will force them to choose one side or the other. They will either express belief in what's going on in this miracle or they will express unbelief in this miracle. So we will see an addition to this work that is going on in these verses. Now we know by now that there is a continued pattern among the religious leaders, and that is a pattern of unbelief. We saw this start to really surface in John chapter 5 after Jesus heals the man that was crippled there at the pool of Bethsaida.

And then as we continue in chapter 5, we see them continue to reject Jesus as He makes these claims to be equal with God. Of course, it continued on into chapter 7 as Jesus is teaching there at the Feast of the Tabernacles and then on into chapter 8 after His encounter with the adulterous woman, we see them continue to reject Jesus. And this is a continued and escalating unbelief on the Jewish leaders' behalf as they are always examining Jesus, they're examining what He teaches, and they're examining what He does. Now this is really nothing new to the Jews. This unbelief.

All throughout the Old Testament, the Jews had a hard time believing God. Isn't that sad? They were God's chosen people and they had the wonderful works of God before them, just like these New Testament Pharisees, but those Old Testament Jews had a hard time believing God. Even in their greatest hour of deliverance when God brought them out of Egyptian slavery and He cursed the Egyptians right before them, they struggled with unbelief. They expressed this unbelief in Exodus 14 verse 11 as they were facing the Red Sea and Pharaoh was pressing behind them. They continued to show unbelief in that journey between Egypt and the Promised Land.

And this went all the way to Numbers chapter 14 when they tested God for the tenth time by refusing to believe that they could take the Promised Land. So what do we see? In between Egypt and facing the Promised Land, they tested God ten times and each of these times it was unbelief. They refused to believe God by His word and by His signs. You see, not only did they have the words of God, but they had the miraculous signs of God right before them. And listen, the Old Testament behavior that I have just described sounds very familiar because these New Testament Pharisees and religious leaders are doing the very same thing.

Now this morning in these verses we're going to examine their examination of this man-born blind. We will see not only their unbelief, but the extent at which they will go. While the title of the message is "Unbelief that Led to Rejection." The title of the message really will help you see the extent at which they will go. All along they could not stay the same and they continued down this road of rejection and unbelief. Now like I said, we're going to be in verses 13 through 34 and then we'll look at three truths, we'll divide these verses, we'll look at their examination of this man-born blind.

We'll see that they interrogated the healed man, they interrogated his parents, and then they interrogated the healed man for the second time. And you might say, "Pastor, that's a strong word 'interrogated.' It's very accurate as to what they were doing." It's quite a few scriptures, but let's look at them because I want you to get them in your mind. Verse 13, "They brought to the Pharisees him who was formerly blind. Now it was on the Sabbath, the day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. Again, therefore the Pharisees also were asking him how he received sight.

And he said to them, 'He applied clay to my eyes, and I washed and I see.' Now 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 great signs?' And therefore there was a division among them. And they said therefore to the blind man again, 'What do you say about him since he opened your eyes?' And he said, 'He is a prophet.' The Jews therefore 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.

And they questioned them saying, 'Is this your son who you say was born blind?' Then how does he see? His parents asked them and said, 'We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. But now we know, but how he sees we do not know. Or who opened his eyes we do not know. Ask him he is of age, he shall speak for himself.' His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews. For the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess him to be the Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. For this reason his parents said, 'He is of age, ask him.' Verse 24. 'So the second time they called the man who had been born blind.

And they said to him, 'Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.' He therefore answered, 'Whether he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know that whereas I was blind, now I see.' They said therefore to him, 'What did he do to you?' How did he open your eyes?' He answered them, 'I told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You do not want to become his disciples too, do you?' And they reviled him and they 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 the man 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.' And they answered and said to him, 'You are born entirely in sins and you are teaching us and they put him out.' Meaning they put him out of the synagogue.

So rather a lengthy portion of Scripture, but I want us to take it in its totality because I want us to see their full examination of this man and this set of circumstances. You have the truths that we're going to look at before you. So let's look at truth number one, the interrogation of the healed man. This interrogation of the healed man. Now earlier in the verses, we see that this man's neighbors and those who knew him as a blind man debated if this healed man really was the man born blind. Remember that debate last week? Now after this debate, we will see that they take to the Pharisees this man to receive help in the matter.

Look at verse 13, 'They brought to the Pharisees him who was formerly blind.' So they are seeking help in the matter, but in these verses we will see that the Pharisees interrogated the man. Three things out of these verses. First they ask this man. Look at verse 15, 'Again therefore the Pharisees also were asking him how he received his sight. And he said to them, 'He applied clay to my eyes.' And he, 'I washed and I can see.' Notice they ask of this man. Earlier the Pharisees are asking him how he received his sight. The language indicates that they ask him more than once. All of the translations that we have say again.

Go back to the verse. 'Again therefore the Pharisees also were asking.' So this is not a one time question. They're asking of this man. Notice the man's reply. He gives a very short version of the event, but this very short version is accurate. What does he say? 'And he said to them, 'He applied clay to my eyes. I washed and I see.' So they're asking, they're asking, trying to interrogate this man. Now notice the second thing. They accuse Jesus.

Look at verse 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 could a man who was a sinner perform such science?' And there was a division among them.' See there is an accusation here. Their accusation was that Jesus was not truly from God. Why? Because he healed on the Sabbath. Now we've dealt with this issue before and we must see that in their eyes it would have been unlawful to heal on the Sabbath.

Now this was according to their oral traditions, their traditions which would have been passed down and they would have assumed that their oral traditions and their written traditions were on equal footing with the Old Testament law. Now in their eyes there would have been two or three violations. I will give them to you because I want you to see the angle at which they're coming to Jesus. First of all, they would have seen that healing was forbidden on the Sabbath unless it was at a place of life and death. So they would have viewed any actions of medicinal purposes, of a medicinal purpose, they would have seen that as work on the Sabbath.

So that would have been a violation. Second, needing was considered work. In other words, if someone was needing dough for bread, that would have been considered work. If he was needing mud, moving mud, making mud, so that would have been considered work. Third, the act of anointing the eyes would have been considered work. So what am I showing you? In their eyes, Jesus was violating the Sabbath at many different levels. But I want you to notice something in the verse. There is a division among their accusers. Go back to the verse, the middle of the verse, verse 16.

But others were saying, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?" So there was a division, it says, among them. We need to see this. There was a second group among these leaders and they were not so concerned with the healing on the Sabbath, but they could not see Jesus as being from God. So really, there are two accusations within verse 16. Some, they are accusing him of violating the Sabbath. Some are not worried about that. They are accusing him of not being from God. So they asked the man, they accused Jesus. And then third, they asked the man again. Go back to verse 17.

"They said therefore to the blind man again, 'What do you say about him since he opened your eyes?' And he said, 'He is a prophet.'" This second question was not to affirm this healed man, but to speak more rejection and even more hate. The Pharisees in that day would have never concerned themselves with the opinion of a beggar. We must remember the social order. They would have never considered his opinion. They were just expressing their disdain for the situation. Now notice the man's reply. What does he say? He says he's a prophet. He is a prophet. See, this second question forces the man to take sides. That's the man that was healed.

He out of the side with the Pharisees or with Jesus who had healed him. He immediately replied that he thought Jesus was a prophet. Now, with this statement, he is stating that Jesus was divinely sent from God because all true prophets in the Old Testament sense were divinely sent from God. Now we must see this is the beginning of true saving faith. If you fast forward over in the verses 35 through 41, you will see that he does come to true saving faith. So this declaration that he was a prophet was an accurate declaration and this speaks of the siding of the man in the situation.

I like what John MacArthur says of this man's words, this man's profession. He says his words reflect a growing understanding on his part as to the true identity of the man called Jesus. D.A. Carson says this confession may reflect a man in his spiritual infancy, but a step in the right direction. Now, why do I give you those quotations? That helps us to see the man's reply is indicative of his position in the situation. They are interrogating him and they are expressing unbelief, venomous hate, but all along the way this man is saying he is a prophet. Expressing that he has a faith even in its infancy.

Now there are two observations which need to be made here. First that this man is taking the right steps to true belief. He is taking the right steps. Second that these investigative Pharisees are refusing to believe. Look at the beginning of verse 18 and the Jews therefore did not believe it. They didn't believe what they saw and they didn't believe what they heard. The Jews did not believe they were overlooking the proof in the man's healing that was right before them. So with this interrogation of the healed man, there are two lessons that we need to learn and I want us to hold on to.

First, there are some and they will not believe even when God works right in front of them. That's what was happening here. What were the signs? What were the miracles for? They were to attest to the deity of Christ. They was living, breathing proof, but they refused to believe. And in our day and in our culture there are some they will refuse to believe the genuine work of God even when it is right in front of them. Many people have a spouse that's not believing and that spouse will reject and reject. They will see the work of God in their spouse. They will watch them grow in Christ.

They will see God use them, but yet that spouse will watch that and they will ignore that and they will reject that. God is watching the very work of God before them, but rejecting that. Many times they will be a mom and a dad and they will have a son or a daughter. They will come to faith in Christ and that son or that daughter will begin to live for Jesus and they will continue to reject that work and it is right before them. It's exactly what's going on in this text. The lesson is some of you here, you have a confession that is accurate, but borrowing John MacArthur's words, it reflects a growing understanding.

You know in conversion the light bulb has to come on. Many times it takes a while for people to begin to understand the truth of their spiritual condition and what happens is they are growing in their understanding of who God is and who they truly are. And that is what brings them to that point of conversion. Conversion is a historical event, but that process by which men are moved to a place of understanding, sometimes it takes time. That's what was going on with this blind man. It's not converted here. This is spiritual infancy and no doubt there are people here.

There might be one man, one woman, one young person and they are growing in their understanding. Sometimes this takes a long period of time. You see? So the two lessons. Some people ignore the work of God when it's right in front of them and some people are in this place of spiritual infancy, growing to the understanding of who they are and growing to the understanding that they need Christ. The second main truth I want us to see the interrogation of his parents. The interrogation of his parents. We see that begin in verse 18 and on down to verse 23. We won't read those verses for the sake of time, but we will reference them as we continue.

Now, for these Pharisees, they have a serious problem. They are divided. They're divided among themselves. The testimony of the neighbors and those who knew the man who was born blind did not help their case against Jesus. So they turned to the man's parents to try to build a case. So they're trying to unify and they're trying to unify against Christ. So they continue in this interrogation. First, they question the parents. We see that in verse 18. What do we see?

"The Jews therefore did not believe." And it goes on to say, "They questioned the parents." They called the parents of the very one who had received the sight and they questioned him saying. We see that in verse 19. Now, this question is really three questions in one. Now notice, first they said, "Is this your son?" Second, they said, "Was this son born blind?" And then third, they asked, "How can he see?" This was a loaded question. This was very intimidating. It was a very intimidating approach to the parents. They were obviously trying to bully the parents into giving them the right answer.

And I say right answer in quotations because they were looking for a right answer that fit into their agenda. So this was a question that was very, very intimidating. Now I want us to zoom through their reply and we see that in verses 20 and 21. Notice they affirm that he was their son. They readily confess that this was their son. This question really was no problem for them or for the religious leaders. Also they affirmed that he was born blind. We see that in verse 20 as well. They readily confess that he was born blind and that he was healed. This question was no problem. And then we notice that they avoided the rest of the question.

Notice verse 21, "But how he now sees we do not know." Or who opened up his eyes, we do not know. Notice that they avoided the rest of the question. Here we see that they began to change their response. This could be for several reasons. First, maybe they weren't there to witness the miracle. We don't know if they were there or not. Second, they could be doubting for themselves. Or third, they were afraid of the Jews and how this might affect them. Now all of these reasons may have been a part of it, but listen, we know the biggest reason. They were fearful of the reaction of the Jews. So they avoided this question.

Here this is our son, sure he was born blind, but they would not answer the rest. Then notice they passed off the question. The end of verse 21, what do we see? Ask him, he is of age, he shall speak for himself. Now this phrase, "Ask him, he is of age." That might strike some of you as being funny. This would mean that he was above the age of 13 years old. See in Jewish culture in that day, a male could not give testimony until he was 13 years old or older. So they are clearly passing off the question. So what do we see? They question the parents. Now the second truth out of these verses, they revealed their attitude. Look at verse 22.

His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews because they had already agreed that if anyone should confess him to be the Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. These parents, these parents of this man, they reveal the attitude of these leaders by their response. See here we see their intentions. Here we see that their intentions were not to truly investigate, but to accuse Jesus. They were unbelieving of the situation and any investigation was meant to be brought about to attack Jesus and attack the man.

Now in verse 22, this language about being put out of the synagogue, being rejected, what this says is they were fearful of excommunication or being under a ban. Their attitude was obvious. That is why the parents reacted this way. They began to pass off this question because they knew the heart of these Pharisees. Now there's one major observation here and that is that the parents were definitely fearful. They were fearful of their bully scare tactics. Their actions reveal the matters of their heart and they were not there to investigate for truth, they were investigate to accuse and to bully and to destroy.

As I was reading these verses this week, I could not help but remember our study in the book of 3rd John. Remember we went through the book of 3rd John back in 2012, as a matter of fact in the month of May. And in that little book of 3rd John, we studied a man named Diotraphies. Remember Diotraphies, we see that in verses 9 through 11. Now when we study Diotraphies, the title of the message was "A Big Bully in the Church." And remember Diotraphies, he loved to be in the forefront. He did not receive the Apostle John or the brothers who were with John. He falsely accused John and he put those who were true believers out of the church.

And remember what I've taught you in that message. There is the man Diotraphies, he's already lived and he's already died and he's right there in 3rd John. But there is the spirit of Diotraphies. And these Jewish leaders are definitely exhibiting the spirit of Diotraphies. They are nothing more than bullies. All they want to do is question the parents to build a case to strengthen their position to accuse Jesus. So that's what we see in this interrogation. And you know for us, for me, it's sad but we must realize that there are people like this in the life of the church.

This is just a part of working in the life of the church on this side of glory. And if you've not come in contact with a man like this, I want to prepare you sooner or later, chances are you will. And in many churches there will be Diotraphies who will step up. Many times it's because of avoid of leadership. Many times it's because God's men give room for Diotraphies. Remember in 3rd John, John said, "Don't worry about it. When I come, I will take care of Diotraphies." But we must understand that that was their spirit. They had the spirit of Diotraphies. And then the third main truth I want us to see.

That is the second interrogation of this healed man. It's a rather lengthy portion of the scripture, verses 24 on down to 34. We'll touch on them as we proceed. Now this second interrogation of the healed man. Now if we're paying attention, we can see this situation escalating. The leadership interrogated the man, then his parents. And now we will see that they go back to the man for more information trying to build a case. Now there are several things out of these verses I want us to see. First, they look out, they look for more, they look for more information out of this man. They look for more information in this man.

The second time, verse 24, they call to the man who had been blind. They say, "Give God glory." We know this man is a sinner. Now in questioning this man, this approach might seem strange. The King James reads, "Give God praise." The new American that I read from says, "Give God glory." Now this does not mean praise God. Many people would assume that. This does not mean that they are saying praise God. But what this means is they are saying something like this, "Before God, step up and admit the truth." That's what we see in other places in the Scripture.

If you go all the way back to the book of Joshua, chapter 7, verse 19, when Joshua is confronting Achan, there is sin in the camp. There have been a great defeat. Achan had harbored sin in the life of the camp. And what does Joshua say? Joshua, listen, is accusing him and Joshua is saying, "Step up before God and admit the truth." And that is exactly what they are doing here. They are looking for more information to accuse. Second notice the man's response to their approach. Verse 26, they said, "Therefore to him, what did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" Previously, what does he say?

They say, verse 25, "He therefore said, whether he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know, whereas I was blind, and now I see." So what do we see? The man's response to their approach. Of course, verse 26 is the same question, but we see this man has a more bold response. He senses their animosity towards Jesus, and it became even more bold, even seemingly sarcastic. Notice their reaction to this man. Their reaction to this man. We see this in verse 28 on down. And they reviled him.

And they said, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses." See, he had said, "Do you want to become his disciple?" And here in their reaction, we see that this man's response infuriated him. They were insulted that he would talk to them in such a way. Remember the social structure of the day. He spoke to them in a manner that was unacceptable in their eyes. They were insulted that he would dare ask them if they wanted to become a follower of Jesus. And in verse 29, they did what they always did, and that was they held on to their heritage.

One commentator I read this week said they retreated to the safety of their supposed loyalty to Moses. You see? So what do we see? They looked out for more information. We see the man's response to their approach. We see their reaction to this man. And then fourth, we see the man's increasing boldness. Verse 30, "The man answered, and he said to them, 'Well, here's 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 God's 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.'" So this is an increased boldness on this man's part. In these verses, we see the longest continuous discourse from the healed man to the leadership. There are two things that we can see in these verses. First, this man approaches his healing with common sense. Basically in the verses, what he is saying is this. "He did wonderful things here, and you do not know where he is from. You're supposed to be the authorities," is what he is saying. Also he is saying that Jesus must be from God.

He is saying that he must be from God because no one who could do such a great miracle could not be from God. So he has increasing boldness. And then fifth, their final rejection, verse 34, "They answered and they said to him, 'You were born entirely in sins, and you were teaching us, and they put him out.'" In this last verse, we see the religious leadership do two things. First, they attack the man. He had the boldness to say to them that common sense should force them to see what had taken place before them was truly from God. And second, they put him out of the synagogue. That's what that phrase means, and they put him out.

This was harsh language in the original. This means being banned. This means being excommunicated. He would have been banned from worship at the synagogue. He would have been banned from worship at the temple, and he would have been banned from associations from his own people. He was literally kicked out. And that is their final rejection. So here in these verses, we see the continued downward rejection of these Pharisees. They examine the man again, not for the sake of the truth, but to try to discredit Jesus, to try to discredit the man who had been born blind, and to strengthen their position.

The more they investigated, the more they had to choose one way or the other. You notice the two different reactions here? The man that was born blind, the man that was healed, moved more towards belief, and these leaders moved more towards rejection. You see the reactions. Now, in application, we must see, listen, these truths, the life of the church, the life of kingdom work, and we must see that there are individuals who will reject the work and the word and the truths of God. We must see that there are people that the more God works before them, the more they reject and the more they reject.

I referenced earlier the great work of God in calling the people of God out of Egyptian captivity. What did we see from those Egyptians? More and more rejection. As God revealed himself to them through Moses and they saw the very judgments of God on their gods, they continued to reject and reject and reject. And all through the scriptures, we will see people that the more they see of God, the more they reject of God. And sadly, we see that in the life of the church today. Their men, their women, they grow up watching God work and they continue to reject. Now, as we draw towards conclusion, I want to address two things here.

If you are like the man born blind, maybe you are at a place of more and more understanding. If you are like that man, see he was blind and he was healed and he is in between his healing and conversion. If you are like that man where God is opening up your eyes to your spiritual condition, I want to say to you, stay on the path of receiving the light that is put before you. Continue to respond positively to the work of God around you. Continue to respond positively to the truths of the word of God that are declared to you. Because listen, what God is doing is revealing more and more of who you are and who he is and what true conversion is.

That's what's taking place in the life of this blind man. And there are some of you here. You're exactly like this blind man. The light is coming on. Understanding is coming your way. And I want to encourage you, stay on that path. In our approach to dealing with sinners, in our approach to dealing with people who are under conviction of sin, in our approach, we do not manipulate. We teach, we preach, we counsel, we encourage, but we trust the Spirit of God. We believe that the Spirit of God is the active agent of God. He is God who can come and bring that sinner to conversion.

And I say to you, seek the Lord while he may be found and receive the truths that are put before you. But also, if you are seeing the work of God around you, please don't reject it. That's a very sad thing when people reject the literal work of God around them. Listen, be careful what you stand up against. Oh, be careful. Listen, study the Scriptures. Be like the Berean Christians. What did they do? They studied the Scriptures to see if the truths that were brought before them were from the Word of God.

And as God begins to move and as God begins to save, listen, don't reject the workings of God around you because you can find yourself at a place like these Jewish leaders where you are literally turning your back on the works of God. It's a sad thing in the life of the church when you see that happen. I've been in ministry long enough to see people do this. I've seen people get mad over the Word of God that was preached. I've seen people get mad when sinners are converted. I've seen people get mad at the preacher just because they preach the truth. Oh, please don't do that.

And many times when individuals do this, they will go and find a place where they can be comfortable and their ears will be tickled. And listen, when people do that today, that is nothing more than what we see here. So what do we see in this message this morning? We see unbelief, but unbelief that led to rejection. And notice again the rejection. They put the man out, excommunicated. But who were they rejecting? The man or Christ? They were rejecting the man, yes, but they were rejecting the work of God. Belief that led to rejection. It's sad, but there's so much that we can learn here. Lord, help us.