John 9: Light & Spiritual Blindness

• v.1-12 Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
• v.13-34 The Pharisees Investigate the Healing
• v.35-41 Spiritual Blindness

[Note: It is fascinating to see how in this chapter Jesus takes a physical healing of blindness and leads on to teach about spiritual blindness)

v.1-12 Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

v.1-5 Jesus encounters a blind man

v.1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.

v.2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

v.3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

v.4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.

v.5 While I am in the world,

I am the light of the world.”

[Note: Jesus sees a blind man and his disciples question why the man is blind. It’s about letting God be glorified, he replies (implied – by healing him). While we can see, let’s do the Father’s work. He makes an amazing declaration of being the world’s light.]

v.6,7 Jesus heals the man blind from birth

v.6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.

v.7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

[Note: He put mud on the man’s eyes and told him to wash in the pool – he does and sees.]

v.8-12 Questions are raised

v.8 His neighbours and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?”

v.9 Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him. ”But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

v.10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

v.11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

v.12 “Where is this man?” they asked him. “I don’t know,” he said.

[Note: Others see him and wonder if it’s the same man and they disagree. They ask him what happened, and he tells what Jesus did, to which they ask where Jesus is.]

v.13-34 The Pharisees Investigate the Healing

v.13-16 He is taken to the Pharisees who object that this happened on the Sabbath

v.13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.

v.14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath.

v.15 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.”

v.16 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.

[Note: They took the man to the Pharisees and as it was a Sabbath the Pharisees question him and objected that it had happened on the Sabbath.]

v.17-23 They question the man again and then his parents

v.17 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.”

v.18 They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents.

v.19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”

v.20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind.

v.21 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.”

v.22,23 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.”

[Note: Questioning the man, he said Jesus was a prophet, but they still don’t believe the man had been blind, so they question his parents who affirm he had been born blind, but how he regained his sight was a mystery to them. His parents hedged from fear of the authorities.]

v.24-25 The man marks a remarkably clear testimony

v.24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”

v.25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

[Note: So they question the man again and he gives a clear testimony.]

v.26-30 The man upsets the Pharisees with his confidence

v.26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

v.27 He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”

v.28,29 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses!  We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”

v.30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.

[Note: They ask yet again how it happened and he gives a derisory answer. They insult him and demean Jesus and the man finds that amazing!]

v.31-34 To his clear logic they berate him

v.31-33 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.  If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

v.34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.

[Note: Would God heal using a sinner? They abuse him and throw him out.]

v.35-41 Spiritual Blindness

v.35-38 The man comes to belief

v.35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

v.36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”

v.37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”

v.38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

[Note: Jesus finds him again and challenges him and the man questions Jesus who reveals himself as the expected Son of Man. The man believes and worships Jesus.]

v.39-41 Jesus declares his purpose and upsets the Pharisees

v.39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

v.40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”

v.41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

[Note: Jesus declares a principle and the Pharisees speak defensively and so Jesus challenges them.]

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: