John – Chapter 9:35-41
9:35-41 Spiritual Blindness and Sin – Jesus elicits a confession of faith in His encounter with the blind man. Jesus is the one sent by the Father because He performed the work of the Father. Despite recognizing the voice of the source of healing, this man remains on the border between unbelief and faith. But when the Lord reveals Himself to the man, he does confess his faith, and worship follows this confession. v.35 – The way that Jesus comes back into the picture resembles the healing of 5:14. There, he finds the paralytic to warn him from returning to his old way of sin. Here, Jesus is concerned for the excommunicated, seeks out the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and binds him more tightly to himself. That the story of the Good Shepherd comes next in chapter ten is no coincidence. The emphasis is, “Do you believe in the Son of Man (God)?” The man has already stated that Jesus is a prophet (v. 17), one sent and authorized by God (v. 33), and remained in his conviction until expelled. Jesus elsewhere warns that this will happen (5:11-12). Now Jesus reveals “for what” and “for whom” the man has made this confession. v.36 – There is some dispute between “Son of God” and “Son of Man” in the manuscripts. Regardless, the man’s answer evidences uncertainty. What does Jesus mean? Elsewhere there is confusion about the “Son of Man” title (12:34). Repeatedly through John’s Gospel Jesus unexpectedly shifts from third person to “Son of Man,” regardless whether the hearers are familiar with the title. v.37-38 – Jesus definitively identifies himself as this Son of Man using the perfect tense, “have seen” once and for all times. And to “see” is more than physical sight but to know by faith who He is. The man abandons all reserve, confesses “Lord, I believe,” and worshiped Him (προσκῠνέω, Mt 8:2). Why mention the title“Son of Man?” The man worshiped Jesus at this confession of identity. On one hand, Jesus wants this miracle to be understood in the broader context of Jesus’ entire mission. Jesus returns to the man to make him conscious of greater things (1:51) and bind the man’s faith to Himself. On the other hand, it is not clear that the hearers and Pharisees attached the Son of Man with their Messianic expectation (see Daniel…