The Gospel According to John: 9:13-38

Series Introduction:

The theme verse for our series is John 20:31

John 20:31 – “…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.”

The “these” John is referring to are the seven recorded SIGNS/miracles and the seven recoded “I Am” STATEMENTS of Jesus. John focused on those 14 key SIGNS and STATEMENTS in order to show us that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the World because He’s God’s only begotten Son. God had John write these things so that we would believe and put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ so that by the grace of God we would be FREED from the penalty of our sin and given life to the FULL here on earth and life FOREVER in heaven.

Recap: John 1 - 8:11

John 1 - We are introduced to Jesus as the Word made flesh and told His purpose for coming to earth. We are also given John the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” and Jesus calls His first disciples.

John 2 - Here we have the first recorded sign (the water turned into wine) and Jesus demonstrating His authority in the turning over the tables at the temple during Passover.

John 3 - The amazing discourse between Jesus and Nicodemus and John the Baptist’s second testimony about Jesus, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

John 4 - Jesus and the woman at the well, living water, Samaritans come to Jesus and then the chapter ends with the second sign/miracle, Jesus healing the nobleman’s son.

John 5 - The third sign/miracle, Jesus healed the man at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath Day

John 6 - We have the fourth recorded sign/miracle, the feeding of the five thousand. Then we have the first “I Am” statement, “I am the Bread that came down from Heaven” and the chapter ends with people starting to divide over Jesus.

John 7 - We see specifically how people are dividing over Jesus, some were divided because of unbelief, others because of uneasiness about the danger of following Jesus and others because of uncertainty about the claims of Jesus.

John 8 - The chapter begins with the religious leaders bringing the woman caught in adultery to Jesus wanting to trap him and stone her. The chapter ends with the religious leaders getting caught in their own trap and wanting to stone Jesus.

John 9 - A man blind from birth… (story the text, quote v. 7, “ [Jesus] said to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and washed, and came back seeing.”

Picking up in John 9:13

John 9:13–38 (NASB)

13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who was formerly blind. 14 Now it was a Sabbath on the day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received his sight. And he said to them, “He applied clay to my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” 16 Therefore some of the Pharisees were saying, “This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others were saying, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And there was a division among them. 17 So they said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?” And he said, “He is a prophet.” 18 The Jews then did not believe it of him, that he had been blind and had received sight, until they called the parents of the very one who had received his sight, 19 and questioned them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?” 20 His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but how he now sees, we do not know; or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed Him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. 23 For this reason his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” 24 So a 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.” 25 He then answered, “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 So they said to him, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “I told you already and you did not listen; why do you want to hear it again? You do not want to become His disciples too, do you?” 28 They reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 “We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where He is from.” 30 The man answered and said to them, “Well, here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes. 31 “We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him. 32 “Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33 “If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?” So they put him out. 35 Jesus heard that they had put him out, and finding him, He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.” 38 And he said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped Him.

When God opens your eyes you can see...

Jesus speaks like a prophet.

(v. 17) So they said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?” And he said, “He is a prophet.”

Ezekiel 33:33 (ESV)

33 When this comes—and come it will!—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

John 18:37 (NIV)

37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

Deuteronomy 18:15 (NASB)

15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him.

Acts 3:19–24 (ESV)

19 Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ 24 And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days.

The man born blind could clearly see that Jesus spoke the truth of God like a prophet. Jesus was the Prophet that had been prophesied about. And the truth Jesus spoke confirmed it. Do you trust the word of Christ? Do you believe what He says is true?

When God opens your eyes you can see...

Jesus heals better than physician.

(v. 25) He then answered, “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

John 9:10–12 (NASB)

10 So they were saying to him, “How then were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash’; so I went away and washed, and I received sight.” 12 They said to him, “Where is He?” He said, “I do not know.”

Jesus is referred to Himself as a physician…

Matthew 9:11–12 (NASB)

11 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.

Psalm 147:3 (NASB)

3 He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.

Prophecy about Jesus healing better than a physician…

Isaiah 35:5–6a (ESV)

5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy...

Jesus said He fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy about the Messiah...

Matthew 11:3–5 (ESV)

3 [they] said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.

The main reason Jesus heals better than a physician is because He is the only one that can heal us spiritually…

Isaiah 53:5 (ESV)

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

The man born blind could clearly see Jesus was the healed him because Jesus is the Great Physician. Do you see it? What do you need to be healed from today?

When God opens your eyes you can see...

Jesus is the fulfilled promise.

(v. 35-38) Jesus heard that they had put him out, and finding him, He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.” 38 And he said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped Him.

The key phrase here is “Son of Man”. Jesus called Himself that more than anything else (Jesus refers to Himself as the Son of Man 69 times in the Gospels) and it points back to a promise God made all the way back in Genesis 3.

Genesis 3:14–15 (NASB)

14 The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life; 15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

Jesus most likely used the title to make it clear He was claiming to be the Messiah.

Daniel 7:13–14 (NASB)

13 “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. 14 “And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.

Jesus fulfilled the promise God made that a “son of man” would defeat Satan and destroy sin.

Galatians 3:22 (ESV)

22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

The man born blind could clearly see that Jesus fulfilled the promise. He saw Jesus was the Son of Man and he worshiped Him. Do you see it?

Memory Verse of the Week:

John 15:14 NASB

14 “You are My friends if you do what I command you.

Discussion Questions: (John 9:13-38)

Why do you think John pointed out that Jesus did His miracle on the Sabbath? (v. 13-14)

What was causing the division among the Pharisees? (v. 15-16) What causes division about Jesus today?

Who is Jesus to you and why do you believe that? (v. 17)

Why do you think the Pharisees didn’t believe the testimony? (v. 18-19) What are some obstacles you’ve had regarding your faith?

Do you believe the parents of the man born blind were sinful in how they answered the Pharisees? Why? (v. 21-23)

Did the man born blind give glory to God in his answer? How? (v. 24-25)

How do we know the man born blind considered himself a disciple of Jesus? (v. 26-28) Do you think he was a disciple?

Do you think the Pharisees were true disciples of Moses? (v. 28) Why or why not?

Why did they care so much about where Jesus was from? (v. 29)

Do you believe the things the man born blind said in (v. 30-33) were/are true?

How does Jesus looking for the man born blind encourage you? (v. 35)

Why did the man born blind worship Jesus? (v. 38) Why do you worship Jesus?

What else does this passage tell us about God?

What did you learn about yourself from this text?

Did anything else in these verses stick out to you?

How do you believe God is leading you to respond to His word?