18 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. 19 And they asked them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20 His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;”
9:18
But the Jews did not believe concerning him,
The “Jews” here are the Pharisees spoken of earlier in this context. They did not believe what the formerly blind man said about Christ.
that he had been blind and received his sight,
The religious leaders were skeptical of the healing of the man born blind.
until they called the parents of him who had received his sight.
The Pharisees summoned the parents to give account of what happened to their blind son. Having failed to justify their belief by talking to the man healed, now they tried another approach of interrogating his parents.
9:19
And they asked them, saying,
These Pharisees went to the parents of the healed man and directly asked them whether he was their son. Others might be mistaken about who he was but not his parents. They asked the parents three questions:
Is this your son?
Was he born blind?
How does he now see?
“Is this your son, who you say was born blind?
The Pharisees wanted to know if there was a mistaken identity about the man claiming to be healed.
How then does he now see?”
Jesus’ antagonists thought that someone manipulated the perception of the son’s healing.
9:20
His parents answered them and said,
The parents were cautious in their answers to the Pharisees. They gave short, simple, and factual answers to questions about their son.
“We know that this is our son,
The parents stated the plain, bald facts. There was no going back on reality.
and that he was born blind;”
The parents confirmed that the blind beggar was born blind.
PRINCIPLE:
There will always be those who attempt to discredit Christ.
APPLICATION:
At the basis of an unregenerate heart is skepticism about God’s claims. These people hear what God has to say, but with resistance. Their hearts are veiled to hearing truth.
2 Co 4: 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
