Healing the Blind Man

Healing the Blind Man- The works of God being displayed IN SUFFERING: 9:1-10:19

Let’s read our text for today:

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.” 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.

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.” [1]

This is the word of God, this word of God expresses to us today that the works of God are on full display in suffering, are on full display in His miraculous and powerful works of healing, and in His wonderful revealed spoken words which convert the human heart with His saving grace.

In the gospel of John there are miracles, there are miraculous signs. John 20:30, states there were all kinds of works of Jesus that were not recorded, in fact there were so many it would have been impossible to record all of them. “But These,” says John, “these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:30-31). John wrote and recorded some of Jesus’ miraculous works in his Gospel, as a vehicle to bring us to the greatness of Jesus Christ, his Person and His work. So, whenever we approach the miraculous works of Jesus weather, they are signs, or just miracles, we are experiencing the greatness of Christ. We are experiencing part of that body of truth called the Gospel. I say the Gospel since it is by preaching the gospel that people come to saving faith, that’s what Paul says in Rom. 1:16, and that is because the gospel reveals the righteousness of God, which fallen, broken, evil, and sinful mankind desperately needs for peace with God, or salvation. The miraculous gifts reveal to us Jesus that we may believe in Him, in His name, in His character, in His work of salvation for us. Jesus in fact points to His works as a testimony, as a witness of who He is. He is the one sent by His Father (John 5:36). As Jesus states,

“But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me.” [2]

Jesus teaches that His works reveal to us who He is. Throughout the Gospel of John, people are seen engaging and wrestling over who Jesus is. As we approach the Gospel of John, we should wrestle with who Jesus is. The Miraculous Gifts contribute to our understanding of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For our purposes in this text, we are going to focus specifically on two healings of Jesus. One is found in John 5:2-47, and the other is in John 9:1-10:21. Of course this work will not exegete both texts, nor plumb the depths of both texts, that could take many more sermons to accomplish. What I want us to see for today, is the remarkable similarities between these two miraculous healings done by Jesus Christ. There are differences, but we will find even these differences are of such a nature they even service to point out the similar nature of these two events.

Notice in both texts we find beggars, who are completely helpless, and are doomed to their suffering in their own flesh.

· 5: 5-6, A man was there who was ill for 38 years, he had been in this condition for a long time. This man would sit there and wait and hope that someone would pick him and lay him in the poll of Bethsaida so he might be healed.

· 9:1-2, A man born blind, who would sit and beg, v8.

Notice the Pools of Water:

· one pool at Bethsaida (5:2) and the other pool at Siloam (9:7).

· One pool was expected to be used in healing but was not (5:4) and the other pool of Siloam was not expected to be used, yet it was (9:7).

Notice the different ways the healings come about:

· For the crippled man, Jesus spoke into existence his healing saying, “get up, pick up your pallet, and walk.” (5:8) Its immediate healing.

· For the blind man, Jesus spits on the ground, makes clay, puts it onto the mans face, and has him wash in the pool of Siloam. (9:6-7)

Notice the different outcomes between these two men: they both were healed and experienced the healing power of Jesus.

· that one man is seen as reporting Jesus to the Pharisees (5:15)

· The other is seen auguring on Jesus’ behalf with the Pharisees, and is thus he cast out of the synagogue, in essence he is excommunicated from his people.

· The crippled man is told your sin can lead to more suffering (5:14)

· The blind man hears Jesus say his suffering has nothing to do with his sins. (9: 1-3)

In what ways were the works of God displayed in the blind man?

1. In his suffering of blindness.

a. We know from Job there is much about suffering we do not understand. We understand God is sovereign, He absolute welds authority over every second, molecule, atom, DNA strand, tone in a word. We know He is providential, that He actively participates in everything, and in all things in some way we just cannot fathom. We also know he cannot be accused of sin, or of tempting anyone with sin. God cannot be accused of Evil.

b. We know from James and Romans that God works all thing for the good of those who love Him, and He works various trials in our lives for our maturing in perseverance and hope. He never allows us to be tempted beyond what we can handle, but He absolutely can give us more affliction than we could ever bare.

2. Were the extra actions of touch meant to display intimacy? Was it that the crippled man was not elect of God, but was healed none the less, yet this blind man Jesus knew was his own, and as His own sheep He wanted this healing to be special, intimate, to come by way of an experienced touch? So the works of God are displayed in this man in the miracle itself.

3. But also, or finally the works of God are displayed in this man as it is used to bring him to saving faith in Jesus Christ. As the texts states:

“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,”[3]

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jn 9:1–12. [2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jn 5:36–37. [3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jn 9:35–38.