How does John 9:28 connect with other instances of disbelief in the Gospels? The verse in focus “Then they heaped insults on him and said, ‘You are His disciple; we are disciples of Moses!’” (John 9:28) A familiar echo through the Four Gospels • Nazareth’s rejection – “And they took offense at Him… He was amazed at their unbelief” (Mark 6:3-6). • Pharisees accusing Jesus of casting out demons by Beelzebul (Matthew 12:24). • Demanding another sign after countless miracles (Matthew 16:1; John 6:30). • Religious rulers planning to kill Lazarus and Jesus even after the resurrection miracle (John 11:47-53). • Many disciples turning back when Jesus claimed to be the Bread of Life (John 6:66). • Thomas refusing to believe the resurrection until he saw and touched (John 20:24-25). • The two on the Emmaus road slow of heart to believe all that the prophets had spoken (Luke 24:25). Shared patterns with John 9:28 1. Clinging to tradition over revelation – “We are disciples of Moses!” mirrors “We have Abraham as our father” (John 8:39). 2. Rejecting undeniable evidence – A blind man now sees, yet leaders refuse to acknowledge the Source—just as they dismissed Lazarus’s resurrection. 3. Resorting to insult or intimidation – “They heaped insults on him” aligns with labeling Jesus “demon-possessed” (John 10:20) or calling Him “glutton and drunkard” (Luke 7:34). 4. Protecting position and power – Fear of losing influence (John 11:48) lies beneath both episodes. 5. Misreading Moses and the Prophets – Jesus: “If you believed Moses, you would believe Me, because he wrote about Me” (John 5:46-47). Why disbelief persists despite clear signs • Hardened hearts (Mark 3:5). • Spiritual blindness contrasted with the healed man’s physical sight (John 9:39-41). • Pride that refuses to yield authority to Christ (Matthew 23:5-7). • Fear of social or religious expulsion (John 12:42-43). Consequences highlighted throughout the Gospels • Loss of further revelation—parables conceal truth from the willfully blind (Matthew 13:13-15). • Growing hostility that culminates at the cross (John 19:6). • Missed blessing: “He did not do many miracles there, because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58). Encouragement drawn from the contrast • The once-blind man becomes a bold witness because he simply tells what Jesus did (John 9:25). • Thomas moves from doubt to worship, confessing, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). • Those who humble themselves and believe experience light and life (John 12:46). John 9:28 thus stands as one snapshot in a Gospel-wide mosaic: repeated disbelief in the face of overwhelming evidence, contrasted with the transforming power of simple, wholehearted faith in the Son of God. |
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