Healing of Man born blind

Introduction

John 20:30–31 (ESV)

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Event

Jesus’ disciples ask about the man born blind (9:1–5)

John 9:1–5 (ESV)

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”. Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Sin? (This question reflects a view that all suffering was punishment for sin of one kind or another. There is a general connection between sin and suffering due to the fall. There is sometimes a direct connection between a particular sin of an individual and suffering (see 5:14), but not always (see Luke 13:2–5).)

Displayed - (Manifest - to cause something to be fully known by revealing clearly and in some detail—‘to make known, to make plain, to reveal, to bring to the light, to disclose, revelation.’ (Louw, Nida))

Jesus heals the man born blind (9:6–7)

John 9:6–7 (ESV)

Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.

Jesus healed in different ways, why? I have always thought it was because Jesus wanted others to know that healing was because of him and not a method.

The man is questioned by his neighbours (9:8–12)

John 9:8–12 (ESV)

The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

The man is questioned by the Pharisees (9:13–17)

John 9:13–17 (ESV)

They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”

Parents of the man are questioned by ‘the Jews’ (9:18–23)

John 9:18–23 (ESV)

The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.) Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

The man is questioned by ‘the Jews’ again (9:24–34)

John 9:24–34 (ESV)

So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.

Jesus reveals himself to the man (9:35–39)

John 9:35–39 (ESV)

Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”

Jesus accuses the Pharisees of ‘blindness’ (9:40–41)

John 9:40–41 (ESV)

Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

Blind - (a figurative extension of meaning of τυφλόςa ‘unable to see, blind,’ 24.38) pertaining to not being able to understand—‘unable to understand, incapable of comprehending, blind.’ (Louw, Nida)

Guilt - the moral consequence of having sinned—‘guilt, sin.’ (Louw, Nida) - estrangement from God. (Sense)

See - to come to understand as the result of perception—‘to understand, to perceive, to see, to recognize.’ (Louw, Nida)

Jesus

Give sight to the blind

John 9:39 (ESV)

Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”

Give sight to the Blind

Isaiah 42:5–9 (ESV)

Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

Jesus is the fulfillment of this declaration of God. Jesus has come to declare the truth and provide it through His life, death and resurrection.

Those who see may be blind

Isaiah 6:9–10 (ESV)

And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “ ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

This text was quoted by Jesus and Paul to talk about the lack of understanding of the Jewish leaders in reference to Jesus.

Jesus is the light of the World

John 1:1–5 (ESV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:9–13 (ESV)

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 3:16–21 (ESV)

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

John 8:12 (ESV)

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Jesus came to reveal the will of God to redeem people through the forgiveness of their sins.

What they did not understand was that Jesus is the means to the redemption of man.

People

SUMMATION! JESUS AND THE BLIND MAN (9:35–41): The Savior says he has come into this world for two reasons.

That the blind might see (9:39a): Spiritual sight will be given to all those who sincerely ask.

The witness by Jesus (9:35–37): He informs the former blind man he is indeed the Messiah!

John 9:35–37 (ESV)

Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.”

Believe - to believe to the extent of complete trust and reliance—‘to believe in, to have confidence in, to have faith in, to trust, faith, trust.’ (Louw, Nida)

When Jesus reveals himself to the Blind man, He believes and received sight (Spiritual)

The worship of Jesus (9:38): The man worships the Savior.

John 9:38 (ESV)

He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

Worshiped - (an idiom, literally ‘to incline the face to the ground’): to prostrate oneself before someone as an act of reverence, fear, or supplication—‘to prostrate oneself before.’ (Louw, Nida)

That those who think they can see might be blinded (9:39b–41): Overhearing this, the Pharisees rightly conclude that Jesus is referring to them!

John 9:39–41 (ESV)

Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

Those who claimed to understand were actually blind.

Takeaway

Jesus gave sight to the blind to bring an understanding that we are blind in our Sin and need God to bring light to us.

Jesus is the Light of the world that brings understanding and the way to forgiveness.

Deuteronomy 18:18–19 (ESV)

I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.

If we humbly listen to Jesus and believe in Him we will be forgiven, but if we reject Him and do not listen to Him our guilt remains.