John 9:13-17, 35-38

There has been much discussion and debate over the Person and work of Jesus Christ. It has rightly been said that the most important question in the Word of God is found in Matthew 22:42, “…What think ye of Christ? whose son is he?”

Our knowledge of Christ must extend beyond that of relevance, to one of relationship. It’s not enough that He is Lord, but He must also be our Lord. But not only so, we must also recognize Who Christ is in relation to God.

In our text verses of John 9, we have a man who had been born blind. That Christ had done a mighty work could not be denied. And so the man knew without a doubt that this Man, Jesus, had exercised the very power of God (verse 33). To him, there was no other conclusion but that Jesus Christ was a prophet. This was his testimony, and he was willing to suffer persecution at the hands of the religious leaders for it (verse 34). But then Jesus came to him and revealed a deeper Truth to him.

Jesus’ question and the man’s response show us that there is a great significance to being the Son of God. That the religious leaders were aware of this significance is seen in verse 22, where we learn that they had threatened to excommunicate anyone confessing that Jesus “was Christ.” There was no real problem with confessing Him as a prophet, as was the former blind man’s original confession. But to be Christ meant so much more, and this is where the opposition came in.

The Old Testament prophesied that the Christ would be called “The mighty God, The everlasting Father” (Isaiah 9:6); that He would actually be called “Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14), “which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:23). Being Christ meant being the manifestation of God in human flesh (1 Timothy 3:16), and we are told that “in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). To be The Christ, Jesus had to be God.

Why would the Jewish leaders object to anyone confessing that Jesus was the Christ? Because they had rejected their God and judged themselves unworthy of eternal life (Acts 13:46), going about “to establish their own righteousness” (Romans 10:3). They had turned from the commandment of God, following the traditions and ways of their fathers (Matthew 15:2-6). By rejecting Christ, they rejected their God.

Jesus asked the former blind man in our text if he believed on the Son of God, the physical manifestation of God incarnate. He then revealed to the man that He is the Son of God.

What about you – what do you think of Christ? Do you believe He is the Son of God? How will you respond? The man in our text believed. “...And he worshipped him” (John 9:38).

“And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16)

Is Christ your God?