The Gospel of John, Chapter 9, records a personal battle in which a man who was born blind but healed by Jesus held strongly to his testimony in spite of pressure from everyone who knew him. Faced with the reality of the miracle, they questioned the man’s identity. How could it be possible that although born blind he could see? They found themselves unable to deny both.
So, they set out to disprove the miracle by questioning whether he was in fact, the man known to all as having been blind from birth. They set about questioning him, his parents and his neighbours. Was it really him, or one who looked like him? Unable to answer the question, they took him to the Pharisees, who were well-known for dotting every “i” and crossing every “t” (of the Hebrew language equivalents).
The battle against Jesus being the Messiah was fought over the healed man’s identity. The unprecedented miracle was undeniable, but would the man’s testimony survive their onslaught? Even those who knew the man backed off and left him to fight alone.
The man who now could see perfectly did not know who had given him sight; however, he confirmed his identity and maintained his testimony, in spite of their veiled threats and the indifference of his neighbours. The toughest test was his parents’ fear of being denied worship in the local synagogue. The man did so until Jesus returned and revealed himself as the Son of God.
The biggest battle we face may involve our willingness to stand against religious nit-pickers, reporters with intrusive microphones seeking a “Gotcha!” from the new and unwary believer. Or when those well aware of our former condition or lifestyle shy away from us in denial.
The man who had been born blind but whose vision was now 20/20 knew one thing and one thing only: “Once I was blind, but now I see.” A newly-saved believer grilled by the media or a hostile official and knowing little about the Lord Jesus, could well say: “Yes, I am now a Christian. It’s a miracle. I don’t know how; all I can say is that I have changed.”
As happened with the man born blind, Jesus will come to you after the battle and identify himself as not only the Saviour or Healer but also as the Son of God. The miraculous change will be only the beginning. Until Jesus reveals himself further, it will be up to you to hold fast to your confession in the face of all those who seek to deny the undeniable by challenging you in every way possible.