Commentary on the Four Gospel Books
The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
G090 The Hardness of Heart of the Pharisees
John 9:24-41

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All the Bible verses quoted in this article are from the King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

John 9:24-41

24 Therefore they called a second time the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give glory to *God! We know that this Man is a sinner.”

25 He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I do know: that although I was blind, now I see.”

26 Then they said to him again, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?”

27 He answered them, “I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you wish to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”

28 Then they reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.

29 We know that God has spoken to Moses; but as for this Man, we do not know where He is from.”

30 The man answered and said to them, “Why, this is a remarkable thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He opened my eyes!

31 Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him.

32 Since eternity past it was unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one having been born blind.

33 If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.”

34 They answered and said to him, “You were completely born in sins, and do you teach us?” And they cast him out.

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and having found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”

36 He answered and said, “And who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”

37 And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is speaking with you.”

38 Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshipped Him.

39 And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see might become blind.”

40 Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”

41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.

In the previous lesson, we learned about the event where the Lord Jesus performed a miracle, healing a man who was born blind. In this lesson, we will study the hardness of heart of the Pharisees in Jerusalem, as they doubted the healing miracle and did not believe that the Lord Jesus is the Christ, who came from the God.

John 9:24

24 Therefore they called a second time the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give glory to *God! We know that this Man is a sinner.”

In the previous lesson, we learned about the event where the parents of the man born blind were questioned by the Pharisees. They affirmed that he was indeed their son who had been born blind but could now see, even though they did not know how their son had been healed.

We believe that, among the three possible scenarios presented in the previous lesson, the third one is the most plausible. That is, the parents of the man were unaware of how their son was healed until the messengers sent by the Pharisees found them and informed them that the Lord Jesus had healed their son. If that was the case, then until that moment, they still did not know for certain how their son had been healed. The words of those who sought them out had not yet been verified. Thus, when they responded to the Pharisees, “But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not,” it was not a lie.

Here, God’s people can draw this lesson: what we hear others recount without verification cannot be confidently affirmed as truth, even if the account may indeed be accurate. There must be at least two witnesses to confirm the matter, based on what they have personally seen and heard. However, we must also consider the possibility of false testimony, as recorded in 1 Kings 21.

It is possible that while the Pharisees were questioning the parents of the man born blind, the man himself was still standing nearby. Therefore, the Pharisees once again summoned him before them, attempting to compel him to slander the Lord Jesus.

The phrase, “Give glory to *God!” was commonly used by the Israelites to call someone to confess the truth before God, as seen in the case where Joshua urged Achan to acknowledge his sin.

“And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.” (Joshua 7:19)

In the understanding of the Israelites, when a person confessed a truth before God, including the acknowledgment of sin, they recognized God’s absolute authority and righteousness. At the same time, they entrusted everything to God’s judgment and mercy.

In this case, the Pharisees intended to urge the man who had been blind to confess what they considered to be the truth—that the Lord Jesus was a sinner. The Pharisees had turned their own biases and perspectives, which were contrary to the truth, into what they called the truth.

Today, in many religious organizations bearing the name of the Lord, countless biases and perspectives that are contrary to the truth are treated as truth and preached in place of the Word of God.

The Pharisees’ statement, “We know that this Man is a sinner,” was both a lie directed at the man who had been blind and a slander against the Lord Jesus. They had no evidence to conclude that the Lord Jesus was a sinner, except for the fact that He healed and cast out demons on the Sabbath, which they regarded as breaking the commandment. This accusation arose from their lack of understanding of the spirit of the fourth commandment, leading them to charge the Lord Jesus with violating the sanctity of the Sabbath.

Today, the majority of people in religious organizations bearing the name of the Lord label God’s people who keep the Seventh-day Sabbath as followers of a cult. However, a cult is a teaching that contradicts the Scriptures. Following the example of the Lord Jesus and His apostles in keeping the Ten Commandments of the God, including the fourth commandment to sanctify God’s Sabbath, is in obedience to God’s Word. How can that be considered following a cult? On the contrary, it is the teaching that abolishes the fourth commandment and fails to sanctify the Seventh-day Sabbath that is heretical because it contradicts Scripture. The teaching that the Seventh-day Sabbath has been changed to Sunday is also heretical, as it has no basis in Scripture.

Some religious organizations bearing the name of the Lord seriously observe the fourth commandment but mix heretical teachings into their doctrines. A typical example is the Seventh-day Adventist Church (founded in 1863), which teaches that God’s people must abstain from eating certain foods deemed unclean. However, God declared three times that He has made them clean (Acts 11:5–10). They also teach that the souls of the dead are no longer conscious, even though the Lord Jesus clearly taught that the souls of the dead remain conscious (Luke 16:19–31). Furthermore, Moses himself appeared and conversed with the Lord Jesus.

The most prominent Seventh-day Sabbath-keeping heretical group in terms of false teaching is the “World Mission Society Church of God” (WMSCOG), founded by Ahn Sahng-hong in 1964 in South Korea. This group teaches about a “God the Mother” and claims that Ahn Sahng-hong is both Christ and the Holy Spirit.

From this, we see that in the last days, Satan creates Sabbath-keeping heresies to cause those who lack discernment to associate all who believe in Christ and keep the Ten Commandments of the God with heretical groups.

John 9:25

25 He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I do know: that although I was blind, now I see.”

The blind man’s response forced the Pharisees to confront reality. How could a sinner enable a man born blind for decades to see? Thus, doesn’t the Pharisees’ earlier claim that the Lord Jesus is a sinner amount to reckless slander?

The man born blind spoke the truth, which the Pharisees could not refute. He did not know whether the Lord Jesus was a sinner and therefore could not claim Him to be one. What he was certain of was that he had been blind but now could see. His words implied that if the Lord Jesus were a sinner, it would be impossible for Him to have healed his eyes.

For God’s true people, when asked how they know the Lord Jesus is real and His teachings are true, the answer should be: “Because He delivered me from the guilt of sin, freed me from a sinful nature, and gave me peace in my soul.” Truly, those who sincerely repent and fully accept the atoning death of the Lord Jesus experience extraordinary peace in all circumstances, no longer fear suffering or death, overcome temptations, delight in living according to God’s Word, and are empowered to live by it.

John 9:26-27

26 Then they said to him again, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?”

27 He answered them, “I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you wish to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”

The Pharisees questioned the man who had been blind once again about how the Lord Jesus had healed him. But they were surprised by his response. Surely the Pharisees had heard his answer, as recorded in verse 15. But in reality, they “heard but did not hear.” The phrase “did not listen” means they did not believe. They heard but did not believe, so they continued to ask the same question.

The question, “Why do you wish to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?” was not necessarily sarcastic. Although the man born blind recognized that the Pharisees were opposing the Lord, as seen in their desire for him to confess that the Lord Jesus was a sinner, perhaps he also hoped that, as they carefully considered the matter, they would come to believe in Him.

John 9:28-29

28 Then they reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.

29 We know that *God has spoken to Moses; but as for this Man, we do not know where He is from.”

The blind man’s response made the Pharisees angry, so they scolded him. The Apostle John did not record their rebuke but only another false accusation from the Pharisees. They falsely accused the man who had been blind of being a disciple of the Lord Jesus, even though he had never been His disciple. Perhaps, for these Pharisees, anyone who defended or spoke well of the Lord Jesus was considered His disciple.

The Pharisees claimed to be disciples of Moses, but Moses had died, and while he was alive, he never claimed anyone as his disciple. Thus, another ambiguity appears in the thoughts and words of the Pharisees.

The Israelites in ancient times believed Moses was sent by the God because he acknowledged being sent by the God and performed ten miracles in Egypt. The Lord Jesus also acknowledged that He was sent by the God and performed even more miracles than Moses, even raising the dead. His fame spread throughout the land of Canaan. But the Pharisees hardened their hearts and did not believe. Therefore, they declared that they did not know where He was from.

Faith is different from belief. While belief is trust based on evidence, faith is trust that originates from a deep spiritual understanding, independent of specific evidence. Faith is a gift that the God gives to each person, and it is a mystery. Romans 1:19-20 affirms that the God has given each person an awareness of Himself and of His invisible attributes. Anyone who examines the knowledge of the God in order to hold on to Him will receive faith in His existence and in all His works. A person who truly has faith in the God will come to know Christ and believe in Christ.

The Pharisees not only lacked faith in the Lord Jesus, but they also lacked belief that He was the Christ, the One sent by the God, even though they had witnessed the miracles He performed.

John 9:30-33

30 The man answered and said to them, “Why, this is a remarkable thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He opened my eyes!

31 Now we know that *God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is *God-fearing and does His will, He hears him.

32 Since eternity past it was unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one having been born blind.

33 If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.”

The Pharisees were learned and considered themselves to have a deep understanding of the Scriptures. The man who had been blind, on the other hand, had only heard others read and explain the Scriptures. Yet, the words of the blind man were appropriate and reasonable, making it impossible for the Pharisees to refute them.

“This is a remarkable thing” refers to the fact that the Pharisees did not know where the Lord Jesus came from. They should have known that the Lord Jesus came from the God, for He taught about the God and performed many miracles, including healing the eyes of the man born blind.

“Now we know that” speaks generally about the people of Israel. The people of Israel had a correct understanding of the God. They knew that He does not hear the prayers of sinners, but He hears those who fear Him and do His will. The will of the God is summarized in the Ten Commandments. To do the will of the God is to keep His commandments. Therefore, if the Lord Jesus did not belong to God, He would not have been able to perform miracles, heal the sick, and cast out demons.

Indeed, throughout the history of the people of Israel up until that time, there had never been a report of anyone healing a person born blind. The one who could perform such a healing could only be someone who is from God. Conversely, someone who is not from God cannot perform the healing of a person born blind.

“From God” means revering the God and keeping His commandments.

The blind man’s statement is an acknowledgment that the Lord Jesus is someone who is from God. And thus, it implies that the Pharisees lacked the understanding to recognize who is truly from God.

John 9:34-36

34 They answered and said to him, “You were completely born in sins, and do you teach us?” And they cast him out.

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and having found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of *God?”

36 He answered and said, “And who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”

The righteous words of the man born blind left the Pharisees unable to refute him, so they became angry, rebuked him once more, and expelled him from their meeting. This rebuke is recorded by the Apostle John. They accused him of being someone whose very existence was rooted in sin, implying that this is why he was born blind. They also suggested that he was neither holy nor knowledgeable like they were and therefore unqualified to tell them what is right or wrong.

The Pharisees were both vague and arrogant. They forgot that King David himself acknowledged that he was conceived in sin and born in iniquity (Psalm 51:5). This is the common condition of all humanity, except for Christ. The Pharisees were no better than the man born blind, and in fact, their worth may have been far inferior to the one whom the God had prepared, who suffered for many long years so that His glory might be revealed through the healing performed by the Lord Jesus. His suffering was not merely the result of being born blind but also the constant slander and scorn from society, which believed his blindness was a punishment for his or his parents’ sin.

Perhaps the Pharisees’ questioning of the man born blind and his parents was witnessed by many people and spread among the crowd present at the Temple. Therefore, when the man born blind was cast out by the Pharisees, the Lord Jesus heard of it. He went to him and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of *God?”

Many Israelites believed that the Messiah, that is, the Christ, who was promised in the Scriptures, was “the Son of *God.” Nathaniel, Peter, Martha, and even the Ethiopian eunuch acknowledged this.

“Believe in the Son of *God” means to believe in the Lord Jesus, believing that He is the Christ, the One sent by the God to bring salvation to humanity.

The Israelites used the term “the Son of *God” to refer to someone whom the God loved and chose to do His work. At that time, they did not yet have the concept that the Christ was God Himself.

The question that the Lord Jesus asked the man born blind is also a question for all people in the world. For faith in the Son of *God will save those who believe from the punishment and consequences of violating the Ten Commandments of the God.

Perhaps the man born blind recognized the voice of the Lord Jesus and knew that He was the One who had healed him. He respectfully called Him “Lord” and truthfully answered His question. The response implied, “Please tell me, who is “the Son of *God” so that I may believe in Him?”

John 9:37-38

37 And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is speaking with you.”

38 Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshipped Him.

Perhaps when the Lord Jesus said, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is speaking with you,” He looked directly into the man’s eyes. It is likely that at that moment, the spirit of the man born blind was deeply moved, as the truth was just proclaimed by the Lord Jesus. Therefore, the man immediately confessed, “Lord, I believe!” Then, he bowed down and worshiped the Lord Jesus. The verb “worship” is used to describe kneeling or prostrating down to the ground in reverence.

It is difficult for us to fully empathize with the emotions of the man born blind at that moment. After being blind from birth for many years, suddenly receiving sight, seeing “the Son of *God,” and having his spiritual eyes opened to recognize Him as the Christ.

John 9:39-41

39 And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see might become blind.”

40 Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”

41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.

Perhaps at that moment, the crowd around them stopped, witnessing the man who had been blind worshiping the Lord Jesus. It is likely that while the man was still bowing at the feet of the Lord Jesus, He spoke to the crowd, which included some Pharisees. These Pharisees had probably just entered the temple, unlike those who had questioned the man who had been blind.

The term “judgment” (G2917) used here not only refers to the act of judging but also to the result of the judgment, which is condemnation. Anyone who does not believe that the Lord Jesus is the Christ, the Son of *God, has already been judged and condemned by the God, as it is written in John 3:18.

“For judgment” refers to the time when the God judges and condemns mankind because humanity has violated His Ten Commandments.

The Lord Jesus came into the world so that those who repent and are sorrowful for their sins may receive the God’s salvation and escape condemnation.

“Those who do not see may see” refers to those who acknowledge their spiritual blindness and are enlightened in their spirits to recognize the truth. The question, “And who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” represents the desire for truth of those who are spiritually blind.

“Those who see might become blind” refers to those who are proud and think themselves full of spiritual knowledge but become spiritually blind and cannot perceive the truth. The rebuke, “You were completely born in sins, and do you teach us?” and the self-assertive question, “Are we blind also?” symbolize the pride of those who consider themselves spiritually enlightened.

When some Pharisees nearby heard the Lord Jesus’ teaching, they spoke up, hoping that He would confirm that they were not spiritually blind.

The Lord Jesus’ response likely left them stunned. His words implied that they were truly spiritually blind and still in sin due to their hardened hearts.

“If you were blind, you would have no sin.” This means that if you acknowledge that you lack understanding and do not know that you are sinning, you would not be guilty of sin. This is similar to how children, who are not aware of sin, are not held accountable for sinful actions.

“But now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.” This means that because you claim to have understanding, your sin is not excused. The question now is whether you will truly repent to be forgiven.

We will conclude this lesson here.

May the Holy Spirit guide us into all the truths of God’s Word (John 16:13). May the Word of God sanctify us (John 17:17). May the Faithful *God of Peace Himself sanctify our spirit, soul, and body entirely, without blame (1 Thessalonians 5:23), at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Beloved Savior. Amen!

Timothy Christian Huynh
Priscilla Christian Huynh
12/14/2024

Note:

About Using “*God” and “holy spirit”

Wherever the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts of the Bible use a definite article with a noun to denote GOD, we translate it into English as *God or “the God” to refer to God the Father. We understand that “God,” without a definite article, was used as a collective noun for all and any of the three Persons of the Godhead. And “God,” with a definite article, was used to refer to God the Father.

In the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the term “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) without the definite article “the” (το) is used to denote the power of God, which is given by God the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Spirit” (το πνευματι το αγιω) is God, and “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) is the power that comes from God.