John 9:34–38

What then remained for his adversaries? Nothing but furious contempt, and the heaviest blow their religious authority could strike. "They cast him out." But without meaning to, they first showed how strong his words were. "You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?" They were too proud to learn.

Insults and contempt were their weapons. Pharisees taught by a beggar born blind! Which of them could put up with that?

They could give no answer. They only sealed their own condemnation. They were not rejecting the man. They were rejecting the counsel of God against themselves, the work of God, and the evidence of His word and its power. It was still the pride of knowledge, acting in ignorance: "Would you teach us?" He was not born in sin. He was born so that grace might be shown in him, and so that the works of God should be displayed. They knew nothing of the whole order of God's purposes in grace. And if he had been born in sins, the sovereignty and power of that work of grace would be all the more striking, and their condemnation all the greater.

"They cast him out." He would understand what must follow. The Sanhedrin would take up the matter. Meanwhile, before the legal sentence went out, he was in effect an excommunicated person, cut off from religious privileges. From now on, as far as they could manage it, they would mark him as unfit to associate with. What had he done? What was his crime? He had confessed that the Lord was "of God."

So they cast him out of the synagogue. They had already decided this: if anyone confessed that the Worker of these mighty deeds was the Christ, he should be cast out. So the open break with the disciples of Christ has begun on the side of the synagogue.

He had received light, and this light had collided with the darkness. There could be no harmony, no fellowship, no rest. The light must be put out. As long as he had been a blind member of their system, all was well. They never raised a question. But now he had received light. He would not hide it, and he would not hand his conscience over to them. So they had only to get rid of him as best they could.

They had taken up stones to throw at Jesus at the end of John 8, and they excommunicated the man born blind. The Jews who "cast him out" cast him into the company of the "Son of God."

He learns that being linked with the rejected Christ puts him outside the established order of men. He had already faced the truth that he was blind... and in facing that fact he came under the gracious touch of the Lord. Now he faces the truth of being "cast out" by the world, and in that position he becomes the object of wonderful grace — "found" by Christ.

His neighbours and relatives disowned him. In the end the religious authorities excommunicated him, because he kept giving Jesus credit for being what He was and for doing what He had done. So now, if we insist on giving Jesus the only place worthy of Him, we shall see the same thing. The religious world of today firmly agrees with their treatment of the healed blind man, and casts us out too.

But where do they cast him? Just where every lonely, outcast sinner may find himself. The unclean Samaritan woman and the woman convicted of adultery had been there before him: alone, and yet in the presence of the Son of God. That place is the very gate of heaven. For the Lord had gone outside the camp before him. This sheep of the flock was now put out; but it was only to meet the Shepherd, who had gone before. In that place of shame and exposure they meet each other.

His sheep were cast out by those that took the place of shepherds. Still, this was His way of bringing His own out of bondage into the liberty of children of God. If they were cast out they were only cast out into companionship with Himself, for He was cast out before they were... The place of rejection is the place of light.

Cast out by the Pharisees, he was found by Christ. Was this an accidental meeting? We cannot suppose that. Jesus "finding him," we read. The man did not know where the Lord was. The Lord knew where the man was. He would now do more for him. Who can miss the grace of this? Just at the moment when sympathy was most needed, the Lord again appeared on the scene.

We have already noticed how far this honest man's understanding went. It only extended to the work of Christ. He understood nothing of His Person as yet. That knowledge waited for him until they cast him out beyond the boundary of the synagogue... Now there is something very instructive in this progress in understanding. He had been cast, because of his faithfulness, into a position of decided sympathy with the Son of God.

Once he is cast out, the Lord — rejected before him — finds him and reveals Himself by His personal name of glory. "Do you believe on the Son of God?" The man rests it on the word of Jesus, which to him was divine truth. Jesus then declares that He Himself is the Son of God, and the man worships Him.

On the one hand, any change would more likely go from "man" to "God" than the other way round, because "Son of God" appears so often in this Gospel. On the other hand, "Son of man" was Christ's usual way of describing Himself, so a copyist would be very likely to change "Son of God" into "Son of man." ... Godet also holds to the reading "Son of God," because of the worship the man gave Him.

Saving faith does not come by trying to believe in Christ, or by any religious effort at all. One thing clears away doubt: the heart's own discovery that He is completely trustworthy... Then he discovered that it was the One whose gracious power had done what no one else on earth could do for him. He said, "Lord, I believe," and worshipped Him. Such a Person was well worthy of his trust; and without any trying or striving or resolving, he trusted Him.

The Lord fully received the worship of this man. Peter would not receive worship (Acts 10:25-26). An angel would not let John worship him (Revelation 22:8-9). Only God is to be worshipped (Matthew 4:10). The Lord received worship on many occasions without hesitation, for He is God.

The Lord says to the man who was trying to witness for Him, "Do you believe on the Son of God?" He replies, "Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him?" — that is, I should like to believe on Him... There are only two souls in the gospels to whom the Lord told who He really was.

So with the blind man; though the Lord had given him sight, and afterwards talked with him, he did not know that it was Jesus. He knew Him only after Jesus said, "You have both seen Him, and it is He who talks with you." This failure to recognise the Lord is not the result of natural stupidity or lack of culture or education. Saul of Tarsus was a man of great natural intelligence, and highly educated. But when the Lord speaks to him out of heaven, this same cultured Saul has to ask, "Who are You, Lord?" Only when he hears the answer, "I am Jesus," does he know whose voice it was that spoke.

Notice here that the man had received the Lord's word as the word of God; he had said, "He is a prophet." To speak like that was, like the Samaritan woman at the well, to believe what Jesus said. He did not only admit that something He said was true; he admitted the authority of what He said. Further, this man's heart was drawn. He was fully convinced of the folly of his religious leaders, and he sought what the prophet of God would say to him. To receive the word as having God's authority, and to long for it and for what it reveals, is of the greatest importance... He had already experienced the power of Jesus for himself, and grace was acting in his heart along with this work. That disposes the man to believe what Jesus would say to him.

Saving faith is not reached by trying to believe in Christ, nor by any religious effort of any kind. What clears doubt away is the heart's own discovery that He can be trusted beyond question. The man whose blind eyes the Lord had opened found out who this was. It was the One whose gracious power had done for him what no one else on earth could do. So he said, "Lord, I believe," and worshipped Him. Such a Person was well worthy of his trust; and without any trying or striving or resolving, he trusted Him.

But they cast him out into the arms and heart of the Lord... This is the final step of God's grace in working with the blind man. He is thrust outside Judaism for the truth's sake, because of the work done on his person. There Christ finds him, and leads him to know and believe on Him, far beyond any thought, however true, he had formed before. It was faith in His own testimony and Person.

First, he owns that Christ is "a Man that is called Jesus." Then, with further light, he states that He is "a Prophet." Afterwards, faced with the Jews' condemnation of Christ, he boldly declares that Christ is "of God." Finally, in the presence of Jesus, he comes fully into the light. He owns Christ as Lord, and worships Him as the Son of God. So the man is brought from blindness and beggary to faith and worship.

To be cast out of corrupt religious Judaism for confessing Christ was to be thrown into the company of the Son of God. The Lord had found him in his blindness to give him sight; now He finds him in his loneliness to give him the glorious company of the Son of God. The Lord draws out the man's confidence, and then reveals Himself, not only as a Prophet, but as the Son of God.

The eternal Son was there. He was not in that dazzling glory which would have destroyed all men with a single ray. He was there to be seen and heard — seen by eyes given for the very purpose of seeing the Light, seen in all His grace and power. The man worshipped; that is, he now had a divine religion.

The woman of Samaria failed to recognise the Lord, though she had Him in her mind and stood speaking with Him face to face. She did not know Him until He said, "I who speak to you am He." It was the same with the blind man. The Lord had given him sight and later talked with him, yet he did not know that it was Jesus… And then he knew Him. This failure to recognise the Lord does not come from stupidity or lack of education. Saul of Tarsus had great natural intelligence and a fine education. But when the Lord speaks to him out of heaven, this same cultured Saul has to ask, "Who are You, Lord?" Only when he hears the answer, "I am Jesus," does he know whose voice had spoken.

Such is the final step of God's grace in working with the blind man. He is thrust outside Judaism for the truth's sake, because of the work done on him. There Christ finds him, and leads him to know and believe on Him — far beyond any thought, however true, that he had formed before. It was faith in His own testimony and Person.

In John 9:11 the blind man obeyed the Lord's instructions and received his sight. He then calls the Lord "the man called Jesus." But when the Lord later came to him, He asked, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" The man asked who this was, and the Lord answered, "You have seen Him, and it is He who is speaking to you." At once he answered, "Lord, I believe," and he worshipped Him (v. 38). The Lord fully received this man's worship. Peter would not receive worship (Acts 10:25-26); nor would an angel allow John to worship him (Revelation 22:8-9), for worship belongs to God alone (Matthew 4:10). The Lord accepted worship on many occasions without hesitation, for He is God.

He is following the track of the light that has come to him, and now he has reached its Source… He has not found merely a creed: he is brought to God… He is enlightened morally and spiritually, not only physically. He is in the light, and the light is also in him.

How gently and blessedly the man has been led into the light by confessing Christ. First, he owns that Christ is "a man called Jesus" (John 9:11). Then, with further light, he says He is "a prophet" (John 9:17). Next, faced with the Jews' condemnation of Christ, he boldly declares that Christ is "from God" (John 9:33). At last, in the presence of Jesus, he comes fully into the light. He owns Christ as Lord, and worships Him as the Son of God (John 9:36-38). So the man moves from blindness and begging to faith and worship.

He answered at once, "Lord, I believe." "And he worshipped Him" (v. 38). The Lord fully received the worship of this man. Peter would not receive worship (Acts 10:25-26); nor would an angel allow John to worship him (Revelation 22:8-9): for only God is to be worshipped (Matthew 4:10). The Lord unquestioningly received worship on many occasions, for He is God. He is also truly Man, as the blind man said.

If He were only a Man or a Prophet, He would not be an Object of worship. As the Son of God, He is a divine Person, the just Object of faith and worship.

He might have prayed earlier for the Lord to open his eyes, and then thanked Him for having done it. But it was knowing who He was that called out the homage of his heart. See that drowning young man call for help, and another dive into the deep and save the grateful man! He thanks him warmly for doing it — but who can describe his feelings when he learns that his rescuer was a Prince? It is just the same with the soul saved by our Lord Jesus Christ. His thanks are sincere. But as he grows and learns the wonderful glories of his Saviour, heartfelt homage will make him a worshipper in His presence.

But they only threw him into the arms of the loving Lord. He heard what they had done to the man, and He looked for him. Then He revealed Himself to him as the Son of God. The man believed and worshipped Him. They thrust him outside Judaism. In that outside place Christ found him, and he believed on Christ. Like everything else in John's Gospel, this points ahead to the position of true Christianity: outside the camp of Judaism, outside what has rejected Christ. "Therefore let us go to Him outside the camp and bear the reproach He endured" (Hebrews 13:13).

He answers with the plain simplicity that had baffled the Pharisees. Now that simplicity gives itself with full conviction to the truth that completes it. He says, "Lord, I believe," and worships. He has not found merely a creed: he is brought to God. The once-blind man is enlightened morally and spiritually as well as physically. He is in the light, and the light is also in him.

Suppose someone has found the Lord, submits to the righteousness of God, and has the Holy Spirit living in him. Then comes worship, as John 9 says: "Lord, I believe," and he worshipped Him. In principle, every child of God is entitled to worship Him. But in fact many cannot rise at once into worship. The reason is that their practical state is not one of rest in His grace.