The Gospel as Judgment?
Perhaps you have read troubling passages in the Bible such as Exodus 10:20.
But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go.
- Exodus 10:20 NKJV
Some are tempted to dismiss passages in the Old Testament claiming something along the lines of “God had a system update in the New Testament because of Jesus’ ministry.” They may not word it that way but that’s the gist of it in my opinion. But, even if you believe that God has changed in some way from what He was like in the Old Testament and what He is like in the New Testament here is a similarly troubling passage from the New Testament. Surprisingly from the gospel of John.
And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”
- John 9:39 NKJV
Personally, I believe God does not change (James 1:17). But why would God harden Pharaoh’s heart or make those who see blind?
This is a challenging question and one that is worth exploring. Let us dive into the story recorded in John 9 and see how it can help us navigate this difficult topic.
Meet the blind man.
Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
- John 9:1-2 NKJV
When studying a narrative it is imperative to pay attention to the information the writer gives us. In this case, from the very beginning, we find out that this man has been blind from birth. This is an important detail in this story. The second important detail is a cultural one, from the question the disciples ask we learn about how people thought about someone who was born blind. If someone was born blind others assumed either they or their parents had committed some great sin. These two pieces of information are very important and will help us understand what takes place in the rest of the story.
Knowing that the man was born blind and that the disciples were asking who sinned we can assume that people interacted with this man and even his parents as if they were inferior, more sinful, and less worthy of God’s blessings. This mindset could have caused people also to be less sympathetic toward that family.
Perhaps the disciples, like many of us, thought the problem would be more tolerable if they
Similarly, when the disciples asked Jesus, “Who sinned?” (John 9:2), they frankly eschewed the role of a caring servant and chose instead to adopt the role of judge. […]
Jesus, however, refused to accept the disciples’ alternative of blame and in fact shifted the base system of the discussion from blame to the grace of God in the face of human need.
- Gerald L. Borchert, John 1–11, vol. 25A, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1996), 313.
Jesus, the Light of the world
3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
- John 9:3-5 NKJV
Jesus is clear that the blindness of the man is not directly related to either his sins or the sins of his parents. What Jesus says next is a bit puzzling. My interpretation of it is that the presence of the effects of sin presents an opportunity for a revelation of the works of God. I would not say that God desires sin to exist in order to demonstrate His power, but rather that the presence of the consequences of sin in our fallen world does not exclude God’s existence or His willingness to intervene. In the midst of all pain and suffering Jesus stands as the answer to all of our needs and the cure to all of our afflictions. The blindness of the man was not directly related to his sins or the sins of his parents but is a result of him being born in a sinful world, where we are all negatively affected in one way or another. But whatever way sin affects us, Jesus is the answer we need.
A miracle!
6 When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. 7 And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.
- John 9:6-7 NKJV
Jesus does something odd. He makes clay by spitting on the ground, and takes that clay and anoints the eyes of the man. But the man is not healed at this point. The story is not about the healing powers of Jesus’ magical saliva. Jesus tells the man to go to the pool of Siloam and wash. The man obeyed, he went and washed and came back seeing! A miracle had taken place.
Sharing his testimony
8 Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?”
9 Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.”
He said, “I am he.”
10 Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”
11 He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.”
12 Then they said to him, “Where is He?”
He said, “I do not know.”
- John 9:8-12 NKJV
This miracle caused quite a commotion in the neighborhood. Suddenly people were divided, some recognized the man as the previously blind beggar, and others insisted it was simply someone who looked a lot like him. The man did his best to clarify that he was indeed the previously blind beggar. This caused people to wonder how his eyes had been opened.
This initial description of the miracle is very important for it is the most detailed description the man will give.
“A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.” (John 9:11b)
In the New King James Version, I counted 31 words (25 words used in the original Greek text). This may seem nit-picky, but bear with me, it will make sense later on.
Those who were asking questions now want to know where Jesus is, but the man previously blind man does not know.
Meet the Pharisees
13 They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. 14 Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”
16 Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.”
Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.
- John 9:13-16NKJV
The blind man is now brought to the Pharisees. It is important to note here that when John used the term “Pharisees,” he employed that term to designate the group out of which the enemies of Jesus came. (Gerald L. Borchert, 317.) The neighbors were likely seeking help in understanding this astonishing miracle. It is at this point we learn that the healing had taken place on the Sabbath.
The man is asked once again how he received his sight and answers saying “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” This description is significantly shorter with only 12 words in the NKJV (10 words in original Greek). Just keep this detail in mind as the story progresses.
The Pharisees are sure that Jesus is not from God because He is not keeping the Sabbath the way they think He should keep it. From the strictest Pharisaical standpoint, Jesus had infringed the Sabbath tradition (not Scripture!) at two, probably three, points. First, he had healed on the Sabbath, which was permissible only when life was in danger. Patently it was not so in this case. Second, in making the mud he had kneaded on the Sabbath, which was specifically forbidden. Third, he had anointed the man’s eyes, which the stricter teachers also proscribed. For some, Jesus’ breach of the Sabbath traditions was enough to damn Him. Good men do not break the Sabbath which God has instituted. Jesus broke the Sabbath, ergo Jesus is not a good man. It was all so tidy. No hint here of any openness to review what might have been God’s purpose in giving the Sabbath, or to face the possibility that the God who had given the Sabbath had further things to reveal. Their God was petrified in the past. (Bruce Milne, The Message of John: Here Is Your King!: With Study Guide, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 139-140.
Others disagreed, asking how a sinner could be capable of performing such miracles. This caused a division among those who were there. So they turn to the man who had previously been blind and ask his opinion on the matter, since Jesus had opened his eyes. The man claims Jesus is a prophet.
Refusing to believe
18 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. 19 And they asked them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”
20 His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
- John 9:18-23NKJV
The situation continues to escalate and the parents of the previously blind man are brought to help clarify things. The parents confirm that the man is their son and that he was born blind. But out of fear, they avoid commenting on how he received his sight and who was responsible for opening his eyes. It was inconvenient to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, that kind of talk would get you ostracized from the synagogue.
Was blind but now I see
24 So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.”
25 He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”
- John 9:24-25NKJV
Here is the beauty of sharing your testimony. The beauty of telling others what God has done for you is fairly straightforward. You don’t have to argue or prove anything. The man simply said I was blind and now I see. the Pharisees could argue all they wanted whether or not Jesus was a sinner, but it did not change the fact that He opened the eyes of that man. You do not need to engage in theological debate to share what God did for you. Just share what life was like before you met Jesus, and what life has been like since your encounter with Jesus.
How did the miracle happen?
26 Then they said to him again, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?”
27 He answered them, “I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”
28 Then they reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples. 29 We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.”
- John 9:26-29 NKJV
Explaining a miracle will not cause others to believe. They had heard the story, they were interested in finding faults or explanations. They were not interested in believing and because of this they no longer heard what happened. If they were interested in following Jesus the man would gladly tell the story, but he knew they had no interest in following Jesus. The Pharisees now retreat to “safe territory” they claimed to be disciples of Moses, while accusing the man of “this fellow” who lacked pedigree, at least in their eyes. Interestingly, this fellow, whom they didn’t even know where He was from, opened the eyes of a man who had been born blind.
A marvelous thing
30 The man answered and said to them, “Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! 31 Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. 32 Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. 33 If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.”
34 They answered and said to him, “You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?” And they cast him out.
- John 9:30-34 NKJV
The blind man boldly addresses the Pharisees.
What was incredulous to him was that the officials who supposedly represented the perspective of God actually failed to recognize the work of God. As a result, not only did they not recognize God’s work in this unique healing event (the healing of congenital blindness), but they also failed to recognize the origin of the healer (pothen, “whence”). To summarize, first, in his answer to the investigators he revealed his astonishment (“that is remarkable!”); second, he practically taunted them as specialists in the knowledge of God (“you don’t know … yet he opened my eyes,” 9:30); third, he virtually instructed them in his theology of God (God “listens to the godly … who does his will,” 9:31); fourth, he asserted the uniqueness of his experience (“nobody has ever heard … opening the eyes of a man born blind,” 9:32); and fifth, he concluded the certainty of the healer’s divine ministry (“if this man were not from God, he could do nothing,” 9:33).
- Gerald L. Borchert, John 1–11, vol. 25A, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1996), 322.
The man’s theology is not 100% solid, especially because chasing after signs and wonders can lead you to be deceived. However, this is his personal testimony. He was born blind. He met Jesus and Jesus opened his eyes. He had no doubt this miracle had been done by God. It’s not like people who were born blind had their eyes opened regularly. What Jesus did was unheard of. It was not a trick, nor was it an isolated event (Jesus performed other miracles). There was plenty of evidence not only from signs and wonders but also from the life that Jesus lived and the content of His teachings.
The Pharisees can’t argue with this man’s personal testimony and decide to change tactics and make an ad hominem attack. Instead of attacking the argument the man made they attack him personally, saying he was completely born in sin, perhaps a reference to the fact that he had been born blind, and that was interpreted as a punishment from God for a grave sin.
Vision and blindness
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”
36 He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”
37 And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.”
38 Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him.
39 And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”
40 Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”
41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.
- John 9:35-41. NKJV
Jesus heard what had happened and sought out the man he had healed. Up until now, the man had not seen Jesus. When the man meets Jesus he confessed his faith and worshiped Jesus. Jesus makes an interesting statement.
“For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”
God seems to like reversals. The last will be first and the first will be last ( for more on that read Becoming Great) and the blind will see and those who see will become blind. Throughout this story, those who refused to believe in Jesus gradually became more blind to who Jesus was. Notice that at the beginning of the story, the man tells a detailed account of what had taken place. Each time he repeats the story the account becomes shorter and less detailed until finally the account of the miracle is no longer repeated. This storytelling technique creates the sense of someone slowly becoming blind to what happened.
Each time the Pharisees, and anyone else who was around witnessing these events, rejected the idea that Jesus had opened the eyes of this man who had been born blind, they became more blind to what God was doing. Though they witnessed the power of God at work, they rejected it and in the process became blind to what God was doing. The pride of the religious leaders kept them from believing, and by reusing to believe they made themselves blind.
Another way of looking at this is that a revelation of Jesus’ power caused those who rejected Him to become blind to who He is. The Pharisees and everyone else who witnessed the miracle had the perfect opportunity to believe and accept Jesus as the Messiah, but by rejecting Jesus they also hardened their hearts to God, essentially becoming blind to the wonderful things God was doing in their midst.
The gospel as judgment
Whenever we share the gospel, the good news that God loves us and that Jesus died for our sins, and that through Jesus we can have eternal life as a free gift, the person who hears the gospel has the opportunity to accept Jesus and to grow in faith. However, that person is also free to reject God and harden their heart.
Maybe you have experienced this, when God causes you feel a sensation inside of you, a desire to seek Him, to believe Him to draw closer to Him. Each time that happens it is a great opportunity to invite God into your life and to choose to follow Him. Sometimes it can be quite random, other times you catch a glimpse of what God is doing in your life or in the lives of those around you. Sometimes someone you know or love is sharing with you what God has done or is doing in their life, and you feel something in your heart, a yearning for God. Or at least a curiosity as you begin to consider that God might really exist. Those moments are a great opportunity, and they are also moments of judgment. Where you can take one of two paths. You can choose to move towards God or away from Him.
Whenever you share with a friend or a family member about your personal journey with God you are giving them an opportunity to accept God, to believe and receive salvation, and to grow in their faith. The person you are sharing with also has the opportunity to reject God and harden their heart.
Sadly, some are so set in their rebellious ways that they actively reject God at every opportunity they get. I believe this is what happened with Pharaoh. It was not that he was ignorant about the God of Moses and the Hebrew people, but rather he was proud and arrogant and refused to humble himself. the manifestation of God’s power which caused many to believe and to marvel only hardened Pharaoh’s heart. The revelation of the great power of the God of the Hebrews only hardened the heart of Pharaoh, because even in the presence of overwhelming evidence of God’s power, Pharaoh refused to believe.
Similarly in this story, the Pharisees witnessed an incredible miracle, but their pride kept them from believing in Jesus. When God reveals His power it causes some to turn to Him and others to turn away from Him. I believe that those who reject God do so not because of a lack of evidence but rather despite the evidence. They are like the religious leaders who wanted to hear about the miracle one more time (John 9:26) but not because they wanted to believe, but rather because they wanted to refute that it was from God.
The problem with the Pharisees was not ignorance. It was rebellion.
Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.(John 9:41NKJV)
The good news is good news to those who accept it. But to those who reject it, it is judgment. We are to share our personal testimony, we should to tell others about what God is doing in our lives because each time we do we give them an opportunity to open their hearts to God. However, each time we share it also brings judgment, it is a moment of decision, and our eternal destiny is shaped by the choices we make during our lifetime.
I know this is a heavy topic. But I strongly believe that this is the case. So each post I write I do so to the best of my abilities to facilitate your acceptance of God. I truly want to encourage you and offer some guidance so that you might come to love God and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
Please, do not harden your heart.
Think about your own life, and consider what God has done for you. Surely you have witnessed His hand at work. You are alive today because God has intervened in His mercy and kept you alive.
My friend, as you read this, do not harden your heart.
Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior.
Confess your sins, stop making excuses for the things you know you should not be doing. Invite Jesus into your heart.
If you don’t know what to say try something along these lines
“Lord Jesus, for too long I’ve kept you out of my life. I know that I am a sinner and that I cannot save myself. No longer will I close the door when I hear you knocking. By faith, I gratefully receive your gift of salvation. I am ready to trust you as my Lord and Savior. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for coming to earth. I believe you are the Son of God who died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead on the third day. Thank you for bearing my sins and giving me the gift of eternal life. I believe your words are true. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus, and be my Savior. Amen.”
Take this step today, and continue on this journey.
Another prayer you can pray regularly is something along the lines of
“Lord, take my heart; for I cannot give it. It is Your property. Keep it pure, for I cannot keep it for You. Save me in spite of myself, my weak, unchristlike self. Mold me, fashion me, raise me into a pure and holy atmosphere, where the rich current of Your love can flow through my soul.”
If you have any further questions feel free to reach out to me either by commenting on this post or by reaching out to me through my social media.
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May God bless you and guide you all the days of your life.
