Born Blind, Now Seeing
Because of this, some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath.” John 9:16 · Berean Standard Bible
The Pharisees can't agree. Some say Jesus can't be from God because He broke the Sabbath. Others ask how a sinner could do such miracles.
This division shows that even among the religious leaders, the evidence for Jesus was compelling. The miracle couldn't be easily dismissed.
Two groups of Pharisees voice opposing views about Jesus based on the healing.
The religious leaders are arguing among themselves. The miracle is so powerful that it's splitting their ranks—some follow the rules, others follow the evidence.
The Pharisees split into two camps: those who condemn Jesus for Sabbath violation and those who cannot dismiss the evidence of a divine sign, creating a 'schisma' (division) among them.
The term 'schisma' appears three times in John (7:43, 9:16, 10:19), always triggered by Jesus. The theological dilemma is genuine: legitimate signs should validate a prophet, but Sabbath-breaking should disqualify one.
Two factions among the Pharisees express opposing conclusions about Jesus' identity based on the same evidence.
The religious establishment fractures under the weight of contradictory evidence: the healing points to divine authority, but the Sabbath violation suggests the opposite—and they cannot reconcile the two.
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.
16Because of this, some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath.”
17So once again they asked the man who had been blind, “What do you say about Him, since it was your eyes He opened?”
18The Jews still did not believe that the man had been blind and had received his sight until they summoned his parents
Read all of John 9 — A man blind from birth receives sight, and the Pharisees interrogate him relentlessly. His simple testimony dismantles their theology piece by piece.
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