Jesus Heals the Blind Man

Today we continue our study of John as we look at the healing of the blind man. We find the disciples asking a strange question who sinned this man or his parents that he was born blind. It is important to understand that to the Jewish mind sin affected every aspect of life and any kind of birth defect was thought to be the cause of sin. The disciples are simply trying to determine whose sin it was the parents or the man. Yet Jesus responds by saying John 9:3

John 9:3 ESV

Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.

The man was born blind that the power of God could be displayed. His defect was for God’s glory. Jesus is always seeking the glory of God. Not only that but he invites us to seek the glory of God. Indeed I believe this is our primary purpose in life to bring glory and honor to God. You have heard me say before that we have three duties or three jobs as Christians to love God, love people, and tell others about Jesus. Today I ask you why should we do these things. Obviously God commanded them and therefore we should obey. Yet why does God desire these things, I propose that each one of these is tied back to our primary purpose to bring glory and honor to God. When we love God we worship and obey him thus bringing him honor. When we love others we show the love of God and bring him honor. When we tell others about Jesus we proclaim his loving sacrifice for our sins and his victory over death, again proclaiming the glory of God. With this in mind look with me at John 9:1-23 as we consider how the healing of the blind man brought glory to God.

John 9:1–23 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.” 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.” 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.” 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.”

Obedience of the Blind Man

John 9:6–12 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. 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.”

Greater hearing

likely knew Jesus spit on the ground

made mud

yet let Jesus rub it on his eyes

The healing required obedience from the one being healed

Test of faith

Confusion amongst the Pharisees

John 9:13–16 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.

It was a sabbath day

purpose of the sabbath

rest - draw near to God

does not keep the sabbath

Who’s sabbath

If God’s

then Jesus cannot be savior because he sinned against God

Man’s sabbath

Rabbi’s made laws around the laws to keep people from accidentally breaking the sabbath that soon became equal to the biblical sabbath day laws

one such example was you could not do your trade or anything connected to it on the sabbath because you were then working. Jesus was considered a healer and therefore was breaking the sabbath

another example that applies here is the act of kneading bread dough was considered work and the same word for kneading bread is used to describe jesus making mud. Thus he was breaking the sabbath.

In both cases these are not biblical sabbath laws but rabbinical sabbath laws.

Jesus does the miracle on the sabbath to demonstrate he is Lord of the Sabbath.

Then there is another group of pharisees that argue Jesus must be from God because what sinner can do such miracles.

clearly God is with him

This confusion among the religious leaders at Jesus actions and what it means and what to do about it serve to point people to Jesus as the true leader of God. Thus even the pharisees who are seeking to do away with Jesus and have only selfish desires without any true care for God’s glory, in the end even they bring glory to God.

Testimony of the Blind Man

John 9:17–23 ESV

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.” 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.”

Yet the most powerful display of God’s glory is not the healing itself it is not the obedience of the man or even the reaction of the pharisees the enemies of God, but rather the transformed nature of the blind man as he realizes what his healing must mean and he comes to a saving faith in Jesus.

First note the pharisees call in his parents to make sure of who he was

This is our son who was born blind but we know not how he sees

Second Notice the change in how the blind man refers to Jesus.

In verse 11 he simply calls him the man Jesus

John 9:11 ESV

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.”

He is nobody special just a man

then in verse 17 he calls him a prophet

John 9:17 ESV

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.”

at some point whether in his own reflections or due to the debate among the pharisees the blind man has come to realize Jesus must be a prophet.

Next in verse 27 he calls him master

John 9:27 ESV

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?”

Also become his disciples - he is my master

Later in verse 33 he says he is from God

John 9:33 ESV

If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

Finally in vs 38 He calls him his God

John 9:38 ESV

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

You see this man who first saw only Jesus a man like himself as he began to reflect on it soon realizes who Jesus really was and upon meeting him again he fell at his feet and worshipped him as the one true God. The blind man not only recieved physical sight but spiritual sight as well. He truly was healed upon meeting Jesus. This man’s salvation is the most God glorifying moment of the entire story.

Yet notice as well that this man tells his testimony of what Jesus has done on his behalf to his neighbors, to those who knew him as a beggar, to the pharisees and to his parents.

He is literally telling everyone he knows what has happened.

Invitation

So then how do we glorify God. Let us learn from the blind man and seek to be obedient to Jesus, to worship him and tell others what he has done for us.

My challenge for you this morning is to glorify God this week through your obedience, determine what it is God wants you to change in your life and then go change it. Second don’t just have moments of worship but live a life of worship. Finally go and tell others what God has done in your life this week. Be a voice for the miraculous power of God.