THE BLINDNESS OF THOSE ACCUSING OTHERS OF BLINDNESS

THE BLINDNESS OF THOSE ACCUSING OTHERS OF BLINDNESS

The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?”  They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”  They went each to his own house.  —John 7:45-53

            Those sent to arrest Jesus saw something quite different from any other man’s teaching.  They did not take Jesus into custody and when they returned to the chief priests and Pharisees they asked, “Why did you not bring him?”  They had expected that the officers would have brought Jesus with them.  They did not.

            When they did not arrest Jesus and bring Him to the chief priests and Pharisees, they said to the officers, “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”  Now, in reality—

• The chief priests and Pharisees were the ones that were deceived
• One in authority, one of their leaders, had believed, yet secretly. That was Nicodemus.
• He had gone to Jesus before… at night
• They said the crowd did not know the law and the assumption was that they did
• They accused the crowd of being accused

Nicodemus spoke up and said, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?”  He was making some suggestions in that statement—

• Our law does not judge a man without giving him a hearing
• They were making a judgment without a hearing
• The hearing was to be so they could understand and learn what He was actually doing

They shut Nicodemus down with a derogatory (from their viewpoint) statement.  “Are you also from Galilee?”  This was meant to be a rebuke and after that, they each went to their own home.  So much for intellectual integrity and honesty.  They were not even willing to meet with Jesus to get an understanding of who He really was.  And so is the case today.  Many will deride Him, but they will not take the time to understand Him.  How sad…

But, Dear Father, we know there are those who will listen.  Please guide us to them, open the door for the gospel and may we bring the good news about Jesus to them.  Yes, may this be so by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus and all for Your honor and glory.  So may it be!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqWYSyDZYIg&list=RDEqWYSyDZYIg&start_radio=1