The testimony of individual blessing.
I. THE REST ANSWER TO CRITICS OF JESUS. Here are the fitting representatives of that vast multitude who in all ages have striven to heap scorn on the Name of Jesus. "We know," they say. That was just the way Nicodemus talked when he came to Jesus. He came with patronage on his tongue—"We know thou art a Teacher come from God." Thus also we read concerning some of Jerusalem that they were sure Jesus could not be the Christ, for as to the Christ no one knew whence he would come; but as to Jesus, they knew whence he was. And the quondam blind man did well in not meeting argument with argument. Let the opponents of Jesus bring forth the knowledge in which they are so confident; those give them their best answer who can point to some indubitable change in their own experience. Christianity is propagated by testimony rather than argument. Many people are quite capable of appreciating evidence who would be utterly bewildered at the very entrance of an argument. Controversy, which some are so fond of, has done little for the cause of Christ. But testimony has done a great deal, even such testimony as was here presented—testimony to the senses. He who used to be seen as a blind man is now seen with full power of vision. Here is a welcome change—a change that has to be accounted for, not as to the disposition producing it, but as to the power. It must be a kind and gracious power that gives sight to the man born blind. if the reverse had happened, if the seeing man had been struck blind, this would need explaining, even as really happens in the case of Elymas (Acts 13:11). There, of course, the explanation lies ready to hand in the judicial and admonitory. Happy those who, when specious and conceited arguments against faith in Jesus are laid before them, can fall back on the testimony of their own experience. Something good has happened to them which they believe Jesus to have produced.
II. THE STRONGHOLD OF A CHRISTIAN'S FAITH. A Christian is under no compulsion to answer the questions, the doubts, the arguments, of other people, unless indeed he has set himself the task of convincing them. If we would win people to Christ, we must be all things to them, and meet argument with argument, if that will do good. But questions and doubts may sometimes rise in our own minds, and the true answer to them is in getting down to fact, and observing how those who once were blind have now come to see. A living Christianity, actual and manifest results of the gospel, these are our strongholds when the struggle comes.
III. A QUESTION AS TO OUR OWN EXPERIENCE. All our intellectual conclusions concerning Jesus are in vain unless there has been a deep personal experience. No matter how careful the search, no matter how sound the reasoning, it is all in vain. Many have written to support Jesus as the Christ, but when we read between the lines, we see how all their talk is from the outside. They can recommend Jesus to others, but it is pretty plain they have not accepted him for themselves. How can we truly know Jesus, how can we be sure of our hold upon him, unless there has been some deep beneficial change in ourselves? A far deeper experience is possible for every one of us than this man went through. Of all those born naturally blind, only a few have ever had natural vision added to them—the few, namely, that Jesus dealt with. But of those born spiritually blind, i.e. all of us, it is the Divine intent that we should all say in due season, "Whereas I was blind, now I see."—Y.
John
John 9 - john-9 - worlddic.com