Gospel of John - Personal Testimony - part 1

                    

A Personal Testimony: Part 1

John 9:13-23

Personal testimony, especially in a legal case, is considered of great importance in the decision of a judge. We hear many accounts of personal testimony in the criminal, political and the social realms. And for the personal testimony to stand truthful it must be bound by irrefutable facts. So is the text for the next two lessons, the importance of Jesus’ personal testimony and the testimony of the blind man healed by Jesus. Let’s look at our text, “They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.  Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.”

Jesus had already testified in the temple courtyard that he had come from God to save the world, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.” (8:23-24), that he spoke what the Father had told him, “‘Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,’ Jesus replied. ‘I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.’” (8:25-26), and that he was from the beginning, “Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me…Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” (8:42,58)

Jesus has set the scene with his personal testimony, he was sent by God the Father, he only spoke what the Father had told him to speak, and that the facts to back his testimony is that he was from the beginning of creation. And now Jesus has given further proof of his personal testimony, the power to heal. Jesus stated earlier that the reason for the man’s blindness from birth was that the works of God might be displayed in the blind man’s life, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” (9:3) 

Now, the blind man is standing in the court of the Pharisees having to give his personal testimony as to why he is now able to see. “Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.” The man who could not see Jesus, recalled what Jesus had done to his eyes, and told him to do. It all took place on the Sabbath. He was not thinking of the laws of the Sabbath, only that he was told to go and do what Jesus said, and now he could see for the first time in his life. 

It became apparent to the formerly blind man that his eyesight was not the only issue in this court, it was the works of God done by Jesus, the one who healed him. “Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.”

Even with the personal testimony and the evidence of the healing of the blind man's eyes, the Pharisees were still not convinced. For there was a schism among the Pharisees. For although the healing happened on the Sabbath, according to the Pharisees' interpretation of the Sabbath, any man who does any work on the Sabbath is a sinner, and breaks the law of Moses. On the other hand, the miraculous works of God in the healing of the blind man was undeniable. Standing in front of them was a man testifying to being blind at birth and now healed and able to see clearly for the first time in his life.

The personal testimony from Jesus in the courtyard of the temple was now being addressed in these proceedings. Was Jesus’ testimony true or false? Was he sent from God or was he a demon possessed sinner breaking the Sabbath law.

Application - In every conversion of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, there is personal testimony of the works of God in the changed life of a person, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Cor. 5:17)  It is this personal testimony and the change from the fleshly nature to the spiritual nature that is evidence in a life transformed by the Holy Spirit of God. Then there are the miraculous healings of the works of God in the lives of those who God’s purposes to demonstrate his authority, love, and power. This is the evidence that Jesus Christ is who he said he was 2000 years ago.

We are to share our personal testimony of Jesus in our lives and the words of God. Our testimony is only valid if it is evidenced by the works of God by the Holy Spirit. In the book of Revelation, the martyrs overcame by their testimony to the works, words, and power of the blood of Jesus Christ even in death, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (12:11)

In our times, firsthand personal testimony is being questioned and scrutinized by the world. First, as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, our personal testimony is verified by the evidence of the love of God shown to others, and this confirms that our testimony is true. For Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (Jn. 13:34-35) and Paul wrote, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” John later wrote in his epistles,  “Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked…it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. (1 John 2:4-6, 8-11, 15-17)

If our personal testimonies are truly from the works of God the Father, in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit of God that is working in us, then we will walk in the light and the world will not understand because it walks in the darkness and blindness of the god of this age, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. “ (2 Cor. 4:4)

Second, we are being divided just like the Pharisees in the courtroom. Some testify to the things of this world, whether political, social, or cultural as truthful and of utter importance. Many in the church are divided because they believe the things the world believes in are imperative. John wrote, “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.  The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.” (1 John 2:16-17) God has no one political, social, or cultural preference in this world. We are not of this world, just as Jesus said “I am not of this world.” Jn. 8:23  Our home and citizenship is in His kingdom, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Phil. 3:20, “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” (1 Pet. 2:11-12), and “For this world is not our home; we are looking forward to our everlasting home in heaven. With Jesus’ help we will continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by telling others of the glory of his name. Don’t forget to do good and to share what you have with those in need, for such sacrifices are very pleasing to him. (Heb. 13:14-16 TLB)

Next the Pharisees began to question further the newly-healed blind man. Let’s read the text, “Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, “He is a prophet.” They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?” “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

The personal testimony of both Jesus and the blind man were not sufficient evidence to sway the mind-set of the Pharisedical court. For now the man was asked to testify if Jesus was who he said he was. The man spoke with some certainty, “He is a prophet.” Though there hadn’t been a prophet in Israel for nearly four hundred years, with the exception of John the Baptist, the Pharisees still hadn’t made a determination on John being a prophet. Here is a man, Jesus, who had the power to heal, to demonstrate the works of God the Father. 

Even with all this firsthand personal testimony, the Pharisees still doubted the testimony of the former blind man’s healing. They now wanted to question the authenticity of the personal testimony of the man by bringing in his parents. “They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?” “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.”

The parents were afraid to appear before the Pharisees because of the authoritarian power of prohibiting them from attending a synagogue.  “His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue.” 

They gave their truthful testimony of their child’s plight of blindness since birth, and that they had no firsthand knowledge of the healing outside of the son’s personal testimony and the factual healing of their son’s eyes. They had nothing to add or subtract to the previous testimonies. They responded to the Pharisees’ question with “But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” The parents' response told the Pharisees that their son was an adult, he spoke and gave his own personal testimony, and they know of nothing else pertinent to their son’s healing or to the testimony of Jesus, as to being sent from God, and the growing question. “Is Jesus the long awaited Messiah?”

Application -  Peter stated, “Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.” (1Pet. 3:14-17) 

We should understand that we will need to give our personal testimony of the hope we have in salvation through faith in Christ by God’s grace, and the hope in the coming of the Son of God for His Bride, the Church. Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit from the Father, to embolden us to be witnesses. He, the Holy Spirit of God, will speak through us, and give us the words to speak when we are questioned about our faith and the works of God. Jesus said, “When they drag you into their meeting places, or into police courts and before judges, don’t worry about defending yourselves—what you’ll say or how you’ll say it. The right words will be there. The Holy Spirit will give you the right words when the time comes.” (Luke 12:12), “When the Holy Spirit, who is truth, comes, he shall guide you into all truth, for he will not be presenting his own ideas, but will be passing on to you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. (Jn. 16:13 ) Message 

Like the parents and the man born blind, we will all be able to give our personal testimony because of the Holy Spirit who lives in us, in whom we are sealed to the day of our salvation, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” (Eph. 1:13-14)

Also like the characters in the lesson, we may be afraid, but God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but His Spirit, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.” (2 Tim. 1:7-8)

So standfast in the Lord and power of the Holy Spirit, so that we can give with confidence our personal testimony of salvation in Jesus Christ.

I’m again including the ABC’s of salvation (JD Farag). Please, Jesus, God the Son, came to this world to save all who would believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you, He is the Light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and all authority in heaven and earth have been given to him. He will answer you if you will truly believe. If you haven’t asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

 First, A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Second,

 B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Third, 

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it.

If you would like other lessons, please go to http://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis

I am developing a new webpage on Spiritual warfare. Please give it a look. I’m adding answers each week to questions that pertain to our time today.  Thank you

http://uss-warfare3.webnode.com