John 9:13-23
The Pharisees Investigate
Read the passage
13They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.
14Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened his eyes was a Sabbath.
15So the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. The man answered, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.”
16Because of this, some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a sinful man perform such signs?” And there was division among them.
17So once again they asked the man who had been blind, “What do you say about Him, since it was your eyes He opened?” “He is a prophet,” the man replied.
18The Jews still did not believe that the man had been blind and had received his sight until they summoned his parents
19and asked, “Is this your son, the one you say was born blind? So how is it that he can now see?”
20His parents answered, “We know he is our son, and we know he was born blind.
21But how he can now see or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.”
22His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews. For the Jews had already determined that anyone who confessed Jesus as the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.
23That was why his parents said, “He is old enough. Ask him.”
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
The neighbors bring the man who used to be blind to the Pharisees. The day Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes was a Sabbath.
The Pharisees ask him again how he received his sight. He tells them that Jesus put mud on his eyes, and when he washed, he could see. Some Pharisees say Jesus is not from God because He does not keep the Sabbath; others ask how a sinful man can perform such signs. They are divided.
They ask the man what he says about Jesus. He says that Jesus is a prophet. The leaders do not believe that he had been blind and received sight, so they call his parents.
The parents confirm that he is their son and that he was born blind, but say they do not know how he now sees. They say he is of age and should speak for himself. John explains their fear: the leaders have agreed that anyone who confesses Jesus as the Christ will be put out of the synagogue.
Their testimony establishes that this really is their son and that he was born blind. Yet the questions are being asked in a setting where one answer can cost a person a place in the synagogue. The threat makes it harder to speak freely about Jesus. His gift of sight is before them, but the fear of what others may do shapes the conversation.
Questions
1 Why do the Pharisees investigate the healing?
AnswerThe healing happened on the Sabbath, so they question whether Jesus could be from God if He did not fit their interpretation of Sabbath practice.
2 What does the healed man say about Jesus?
AnswerHe says Jesus put mud on his eyes and that washing brought his sight. When pressed about Jesus' identity, he calls Him a prophet.
3 Why do the leaders question the parents?
AnswerThey do not believe the man had been blind, so they ask his parents to verify his identity and former condition.
4 Why are the parents cautious?
AnswerThey fear being put out of the synagogue. They confirm what they know but direct the leaders back to their adult son.
What This Means for Us
The leaders' investigation begins with a real question but becomes a search for a reason to discredit the healing. Families can pursue evidence without deciding in advance what the evidence is allowed to show.
The parents' fear is understandable. When someone is afraid to speak truthfully, ask what they fear losing. Offer to stand with them through the consequences, rather than merely telling them to be brave.
Prayer
God of truth, keep our questions honest and our judgments open to evidence. Give courage to people whose testimony is costly, and make our household safer for truthful speech. Amen.