35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
News travels fast and it seems that bad news travels even faster than good. For the formerly blind man, being cast out would have been bad news. His parents and friends should have shunned him and had nothing to do with him anymore. When Jesus heard, it is no indication of his omniscience, but it does point us toward our risen Savior who hears our prayers and knows everything that is happening to us. We don’t have to depend on the gossip chain to inform him and then wait for his comfort. Hebrews 7:24-25 says, "But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them" (NIV). If we are suffering or being tempted, he is making sure we are safe in his salvation.
Jesus does the exact opposite of what was required of the community when someone is cast out of the synagogue. Jesus went and found him. This is a great picture of our salvation. We are first given eyes to see, in other words, we are regenerated. But that isn’t all that happens. Jesus finds us When we were dead in our sins and trespasses, God comes to us. This is echoed in Galatians 4:9 where Paul says, “You have come to know God, or rather to be known by God” (NASU). It is interesting that both are true. There are many verses that show that God finds us, but there are also many that say we should seek him. And in this case, it is clear that Jesus found him.
Jesus’ question is fundamental to salvation. He knew that the man had some scriptural knowledge, and he didn’t need to elaborate on who the Son of Man was. The title was clearly a reference to the Messiah. In today’s world, this question would not elicit a positive response as people are not acquainted with the Bible nor are they particularly inclined to believe in anyone other than themselves. We would have to educate them about Jesus before we could ask them if they believed or wanted to believe in Jesus.
36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”
This response can only come from someone who has been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. This is a person who wants to believe and not just believe, but believe in the coming Messiah. Compare the response of the Pharisees who were doing everything in their power to keep people from believing in Jesus. Such opposition is in contrast to such eagerness and can only be explained by God’s sovereign election and work in a person.
37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.”
This is the second time that Jesus has clearly identified himself as the Messiah and it wasn’t even to his own disciples. The woman at the well and this formerly blind man have the privilege of having Jesus tell them that he is the Messiah. Compare the way Jesus interacted with this man and the formerly paralyzed man in Chapter 5 after he was healed. The paralyzed man’s reaction to his healing was to report back to the Pharisees without even saying one word to Jesus. He was not ready to believe, and Jesus didn’t do anything other than warn him. The contrast is between the way God deals with those whom he has elected and those he hasn’t. The elect are found and they are shown the Messiah, whom they then embrace. Those who are not elect are found and warned.
Since we don’t know who is elected and who isn’t, our action in sharing the Gospel requires us to not only tell people about Jesus but warn them of the consequences of unbelief. If they are elect and it is their time, they will embrace the Lord. If not, they will walk away like the formerly paralyzed man.
38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
This is the only response that a believer can have regarding Jesus. We believe and we worship. We call him Lord and we give him the adoration, worship, and obedience that comes with declaring him Lord. Many believe but don’t call him Lord. Many call him Lord but don’t worship him. Many think they worship him but don’t know him.
I hear person after person declaring on social media that Jesus isn’t God. While this verse doesn’t make the declaration that Jesus is God it is quite clear that he is. Worshiping other gods is the one fundamental problem that plagued Israel from the time of the exodus through the Babylonian exile. If Jesus was not God, then his acceptance of this worship would have been the grossest sin a person could commit. It was breaking the first commandment to the max! God will not tolerate us worshiping anyone else. When Herod simply accepted being called a god, he was struck down (Acts 12:21-23). Herod knew better, how much more did Jesus know better than to accept worship unless he is indeed God in the flesh? If Jesus were not God, then he should have responded as the angel did in Revelation:
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God” (Rev 22:8-9 ESV).
But Jesus accepted worship from this man. His disciples were there watching, and they didn’t object. How can anyone read this and other passages about Jesus’ deity and conclude that he never claimed to be God or that the Bible doesn’t claim Jesus is God?
39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”
Jesus uses healing the blind man as a parable for understanding salvation. His very presence in the world brings judgment on people. Those whom he touches and enables to see are the only ones who will see and be saved. Those who think they see but are in fact blind are established in their blindness.
40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.
We don’t know how much of the conversation with the formerly blind man was heard by the Pharisees. Based on their question, I believe they only heard Jesus’ last statement. If they had heard him reveal that he is the Messiah, they would have been picking up rock to stone him. If they had seen the man worship Jesus, they would have done the same. So, I believe they only heard Jesus saying they would become blind. The implication is that they had already declared that they were seeing. If they hadn’t stated it, then that is what they and been implying in all their previous confrontations. That is why Jesus could state that they were guilty. They claimed to know the Law and the ways of God. If they could see so clearly, and didn’t recognize Jesus, then they are doubly judged.
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