NIV Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition - Flipbook - Page 44
J ohn 9 : 2 4
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page 1820
24 A second time they summoned the man who had been b
lind. “Give glory to God by
telling the truth,” w they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” x
25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was
blind but now I see!”
26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”
27 He answered, “I have told you already y and you did not listen. Why do you want to
hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”
28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are
disciples of Moses! z 29We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t
even know where he comes from.” a
30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You d
on’t know w
here he c omes from,
yet he opened my eyes. 31We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the
godly person who does his will. b 32Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man
born blind. 33If this man were not from God, c he could do nothing.”
34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at b
irth; d how dare you lecture us!”
And they threw him out. e
Jesus Teaches about Spiritual Blindness (150 )
35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do
you believe in the Son of Man?”
36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” f
37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” g
38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. h
39 Jesus said, a “For judgment i I have come into this w
orld, j so that the b
lind will see k
and those who see will become blind.” l
40 Some Pharisees who were with him h
eard him say this and a
sked, “What? Are we
blind too?” m
41 Jesus said, “If you were b
lind, you w
ould not be g
uilty of sin; but now that you c laim
you can see, your guilt remains. n
Jesus Is the Good Shepherd (151 )
“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the
gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2The one who en
ters by the gate is the shepherd of the s heep. o 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him,
and the s heep listen to his v
oice. p He calls his own s heep by name and l eads them out.
4When he has brought out all his own, he goes on a
head of them, and his s heep follow
him because they know his v
oice. 5But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they
will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6Jesus used
this figure of speech, q but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
10
a
9:24
wJos 7:19
xver 16
9:27
15
yver
9:28
zJn 5:45
9:29
8:14
aJn
9:31
bGe 18:23-32;
Ps 34:15,16; 66:18;
145:19,20; Pr 15:29;
Isa 1:15; 59:1,2;
Jn 15:7; Jas 5:16-18;
1Jn 5:14,15
9:33
cver 16; Jn 3:2
9:34
2
22,35; Isa 66:5
dver
ever
9:36
fRo 10:14
9:37
gJn 4:26
9:38
28:9
hMt
9:39
iJn 5:22
jJn 3:19
kLk 4:18
lMt 13:13
9:40
2:19
mRo
9:41
nJn 15:22,24
10:2
over 11,14
10:3
pver 4,5,14,16,27
10:6
qJn 16:25
38,39 Some early manuscripts do not have Then the man said . . . 39Jesus said.
9:25 By now the man who had been blind had heard the same ques-
9:40-41 The Pharisees were shocked that Jesus accused them of
tions over and over. He did not know how or why he had been healed,
but he knew that his life had been miraculously changed, and he was not
afraid to tell the truth. You don’t need to know all the answers in order
to share Jesus with others. Just tell them how he has changed your life.
Then trust that God will use your words to help others believe in him too.
9:28, 34 The man’s new faith was severely tested by some of the authorities. He was cursed and evicted from the synagogue. Persecution
may come when you follow Jesus. You may lose friends; you may even
lose your life. But no one can ever take away the eternal life that Jesus
gives you. Always count on the fact that God hears those who worship
him (9:31).
9:38 This man gained not only physical sight but also spiritual sight
as he recognized Jesus first as a prophet (9:17) and then as his Lord.
When we turn to Jesus, we begin to see him differently. The longer we
walk with him, the better we will understand who he is. Peter tells us to
“grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”
(2 Peter 3:18). If you want to know more about Jesus, keep trusting him
in every area of life.
being spiritually blind. Jesus was saying that only blindness (stubbornness and stupidity) could excuse their behavior. To those who
remained open to Jesus and recognized how sin had blinded them from
knowing the truth, he gave spiritual understanding and insight. But he
rejected those who refused to turn from their arrogant, self-satisfied,
and judgmental attitudes.
10:1 At night, sheep were often gathered into a sheep pen to protect
them from thieves, weather, and wild animals. The sheep pens were caves,
sheds, or open areas surrounded by walls made of stones or branches.
The shepherd often slept across the doorway of the pen to protect the
sheep. Just as a shepherd cares for his sheep, Jesus, the Good Shepherd,
cares for his flock (those who follow him). The prophet Ezekiel, in predicting the coming of the Messiah, called him a shepherd (Ezekiel 34:23).
10:3-5 Jesus’ sheep recognize his voice. A person’s voice conveys more
than words; it conveys intent. Sometimes it speaks warmth, comfort, and
encouragement. Sometimes it provides a warning. Ancient Middle Eastern
shepherds were known for calling each of their sheep by name, and each
sheep would respond to its own name. When we read Jesus’ words in
the Gospels, we must listen for the caring Shepherd behind them. Jesus
knows your name. Hear his call.