Sun
Jun 1
1. RENEWED INTERROGATION
a. Upon summoning for the second time the young man whose sight Jesus had restored, what did the Pharisees try to force him to do? John 9:24.
“The Pharisees saw that they were giving publicity to the work done by Jesus. They could not deny the miracle. The blind man was filled with joy and gratitude; he beheld the wondrous things of nature, and was filled with delight at the beauty of earth and sky. He freely related his experience, and again they tried to silence him, saying, ‘Give God the praise: we know that this Man is a sinner.’ That is, Do not say again that this Man gave you sight; it is God who has done this.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 473.
b. What irrefutable argument did the young man present? John 9:25.
Mon
Jun 2
2. RENEWED INTERROGATION (continued)
a. What did the Pharisees again ask the young man whose sight had been restored—and what was their actual aim? John 9:26.
“[The Pharisees] questioned again, ‘What did He to thee? how opened He thine eyes?’ With many words they tried to confuse him, so that he might think himself deluded. Satan and his evil angels were on the side of the Pharisees, and united their energies and subtlety with man’s reasoning in order to counteract the influence of Christ. They blunted the convictions that were deepening in many minds.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 473.
b. How did the young man answer them—and who stood by his side to thus inspire him? John 9:27.
“Angels of God were also on the ground to strengthen the man who had had his sight restored.
“The Pharisees did not realize that they had to deal with any other than the uneducated man who had been born blind; they knew not Him with whom they were in controversy. Divine light shone into the chambers of the blind man’s soul. As these hypocrites tried to make him disbelieve, God helped him to show, by the vigor and pointedness of his replies, that he was not to be ensnared.”—Ibid., pp. 473, 474.
c. How are we assured of this same help today? Luke 12:11, 12.
“Now, with your Bibles you want to go before God, open them before God, and plead with God. You want your understanding quickened; you want to know that you know the real principles of the truth, and then when you meet with opponents you will not have to meet them in your own strength. The angel of God will stand right by your side to help you in answering every question that may be asked you. But at the same time Satan will stand right by your opponents to stir them up to say things hard for you to bear, in order to provoke you to speak unadvisedly; but let your conversation be such that Satan can take no advantage of your words.”—The Review and Herald, May 3, 1887.
Tue
Jun 3
3. COURAGE BEFORE THE WILLFULLY BLIND
a. Unable to deceive the restored young man, how did the Pharisees belittle him—and how has such ignorance been manifested throughout history? John 9:28, 29; 1 Corinthians 1:18, 19, 26–28.
“For His church in every generation God has a special truth and a special work. The truth that is hid from the worldly wise and prudent is revealed to the childlike and humble. It calls for self-sacrifice. It has battles to fight and victories to win. At the outset its advocates are few. By the great men of the world and by a world-conforming church, they are opposed and despised. . . .
“The great leaders of religious thought in this generation sound the praises and build the monuments of those who planted the seed of truth centuries ago. Do not many turn from this work to trample down the growth springing from the same seed today? The old cry is repeated, ‘We know that God spake unto Moses; as for this fellow [Christ in the messenger He sends], we know not from whence he is.’ John 9:29. As in earlier ages, the special truths for this time are found, not with the ecclesiastical authorities, but with men and women who are not too learned or too wise to believe the word of God.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 78, 79.
b. What example can we learn from the sincere testimony of the young man, along with other honest believers in Christ? John 9:30–33; Acts 4:19, 20.
“In all modesty, in the spirit of grace, and in the love of God we are to point men to the fact that the Lord God is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord.
“In the name of the Lord we are to go forward, unfurling His banner, advocating His word. When the authorities command us not to do this work, when they forbid us to proclaim the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, then it will be necessary for us to say as did the apostles: ‘Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.’ Acts 4:19, 20.”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 395.
Wed
Jun 4
4. DARK ATTITUDES, DARK ACTIONS
a. Since the angry Pharisees were unwilling to accept the evidence, what did they do with the young man who testified of his healing? John 9:34.
“The man had met his inquisitors on their own ground. His reasoning was unanswerable. The Pharisees were astonished, and they held their peace—spellbound before his pointed, determined words. For a few moments there was silence. Then the frowning priests and rabbis gathered about them their robes, as though they feared contamination from contact with him; they shook off the dust from their feet, and hurled denunciations against him—‘Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us?’ And they excommunicated him.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 474.
b. In contrast, how did Jesus treat the young man? John 9:35–38.
“The man cast himself at the Saviour’s feet in worship. Not only had his natural sight been restored, but the eyes of his understanding had been opened. Christ had been revealed to his soul, and he received Him as the Sent of God.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 475.
c. Explain the big difference between the casting out of defiant rebels vs. stubbornly blind rejecters of Christ excommunicating souls who lovingly obey God. 1 Kings 9:6–9; Matthew 12:31, 32; Psalm 11:3.
“[Wycliffe observed,] no man can be truly excommunicated unless he has first brought upon himself the condemnation of God.”—The Great Controversy, p. 84.
“Opposition is the lot of all whom God employs to present truths specially applicable to their time. There was a present truth in the days of Luther—a truth at that time of special importance; there is a present truth for the church today. . . . Those who present the truth for this time should not expect to be received with greater favor than were earlier reformers. The great controversy between truth and error, between Christ and Satan, is to increase in intensity to the close of this world’s history.”—Ibid., pp. 143, 144.
Thu
Jun 5
5. BLESSED vs. JUDGED BY THE LIGHT
a. What did Jesus say concerning the results of His work? John 9:39.
“A group of Pharisees had gathered near, and the sight of them brought to the mind of Jesus the contrast ever manifest in the effect of His words and works. . . . Christ had come to open the blind eyes, to give light to them that sit in darkness. He had declared Himself to be the light of the world, and the miracle just performed was in attestation of His mission. The people who beheld the Saviour at His advent were favored with a fuller manifestation of the divine presence than the world had ever enjoyed before. The knowledge of God was revealed more perfectly. But in this very revelation, judgment was passing upon men. Their character was tested, their destiny determined.”—The Desire of Ages, p. 475.
b. How did the Pharisees react to Christ’s words? John 9:40. As He addressed them, how did Jesus unveil their guilt for their own blindness? John 9:41.
“The manifestation of divine power that had given to the blind man both natural and spiritual sight had left the Pharisees in yet deeper darkness. . . . If God had made it impossible for you to see the truth, your ignorance would involve no guilt. ‘But now ye say, We see.’ You believe yourselves able to see, and reject the means through which alone you could receive sight. To all who realized their need, Christ came with infinite help. But the Pharisees would confess no need; they refused to come to Christ, and hence they were left in blindness—a blindness for which they were themselves guilty. Jesus said, ‘Your sin remaineth.’ ”—Ibid.
Fri
Jun 6
PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Of what did the Pharisees try to convince the formerly blind man?
2. Who was using the unbelieving Pharisees?
3. Who helped the young man give explicit and convincing answers?
4. What happened when he courageously, openly confessed Christ?
5. Explain what is really the worst form of blindness, and why.