John 9:13-17 (WEL) They brought him, who used to be blind, to the Pharisees. 14 Now, it was the Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 15 So the Pharisees asked him again how he had received his sight. “He put clay on my eyes, I washed, and I see,” he said to them. 16 Then some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God because he does not comply with the Sabbath Day.” Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such miracles?” So, there was a division among them. 17 So once more they ask the blind man, “What do you say about him who opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”
V13 They brought him, who used to be blind, to the Pharisees.
These are the leading Pharisees, who were most desirous to arrest and kill their Messiah.
Comments:
(Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary) “sitting probably in council, and chiefly of that sect (John 7:47, 48).
Those who brought him to this council did not do so as a testimony for Jesus but rather to condemn Jesus.
V14 Now, it was the Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.
Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath and as such He knows the truth. What can be done or must not be done. The Pharisees’ standard concerning the Sabbath is evil for they supplanted the Bible laws.
Principle: Jesus teaches the truth about the Sabbath and everything else.
V15 So the Pharisees asked him again how he had received his sight. “He put clay on my eyes, I washed, and I see,” he said to them.
How evil these Pharisees are. It is their interpretation of Mosaic law that is correct and none other.
Principle: Make sure you read, study, and interpret the Scriptures in their plain, normal sense. Do not add or subtract.
Comments:
(Zondervan King James Version Commentary, New Testament) “Both of these activities were violations of the Sabbath. “Kneading,” involved in making clay, is one of the thirty-nine works prohibited on the Sabbath by Jewish law, according to Mishnah, Shabbat 7:2. “Opening eyes” was not necessary on the Sabbath, because there are six other days on which to heal a person whose life is not in jeopardy (see Luke 13:14). Notably, the man omitted these details in his testimony to the Pharisees: He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see (v. 15). Although he apparently was protecting Jesus, the Pharisees nonetheless concluded that This man (Jesus) is not of God (v. 16) and that the Sabbath had been violated.”
V16 Then some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God because he does not comply with the Sabbath Day.” Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such miracles?” So, there was a division among them.
This is the verdict of the Council.
The question concerns the Sabbath. Their law claimed that healing was breaking God’s Sabbath. God’s law stated that healing was not breaking the Sabbath.
Principle: Whose law will you follow? The standard is God’s word in its plain, unadulterated sense.
The Others here are probably those who saw a higher law than the Pharisees’ interpretation of the Sabbath. They might have been Nicodemus (John 3:1) and Joseph of Arimathea (Mark 15:42-47).
Healing on the Sabbath: https://ffoz.org/torahportions/commentary/healing-on-the-sabbath
“Yeshua reasoned, “If it is then permissible to make a medical adjustment to one small part of the body to correct it, how much more so should it be permissible to make a medical adjustment to correct the rest of the body?” The Master’s logic follows a simple line of legal reasoning:
- A surgical procedure constitutes work (melachah) forbidden on the Sabbath.
- Circumcision is a surgical procedure and should, therefore, not occur on the Sabbath.
- Yet, the commandment to circumcise supersedes the Sabbath prohibition.
- Circumcision is a surgical procedure performed for the sake of only one body part.
- Therefore, the healing of man’s whole body should supersede the Sabbath all the more.
“Rabbi Eliezer ben Azariah answered, “If circumcision, which involves a remedy for only one of the 248 parts of the human body, supersedes the Sabbath, how much more does saving the whole body supersede the Sabbath!” (Talmud)”
V17 So once more they ask the blind man, “What do you say about him who opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”
They asked the healed man his opinion of whom Jesus is. Why? Perhaps so they could kill him, too, because he is a living witness of the goodness of God (John 12:9-11).
The man knew some things: 1) Jesus can heal and 2) that he is a prophet.
The man did not know some things: 1) Jesus is that prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15), and 2) Jesus is the Messiah.
We learn:
- People can ask innocent questions only to turn it around to falsely accuse.
- When people hate, they seek to destroy.
Questions:
- How are you prepared to answer questions from religious leaders?
- Do you believe, study, and interpret the Bible in its plain, normal sense?