Chapter BY Chapter

The Blind Man That Saw God

 

John 9

 

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.  His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

 

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.  As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

 

After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.  “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

 

His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?”  Some claimed that he was.

 

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

 

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

 

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

 

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.”

 

“Where is this man?” they asked him.

 

“I don’t know,” he said.

 

They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.  Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath.  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.”

 

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.

 

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.”

 

They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents.  “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”

 

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

 

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.”

 

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!”

 

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

 

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?”

 

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.”

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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What did we learn last week?

 

1. Jesus is the Light of the world.

   • What does this mean?

     • Jesus’ teachings lead to eternal life.

     • If you follow Jesus & keep his teachings, he will raise you up at the last day.

     • Jesus taught a higher ethic than the Law of Moses.

       1. Matthew 5:27-28, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

       2. Matthew 5:43-44, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,"

     • Jesus’ teachings are more authoritative because he is God.

       1. “You do not know me or my Father.If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

       2. “if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”

       3. “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.”

       4. “The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”

       5. “Before Abraham was born, I am!”

2. Jesus is God.

   • The book of John starts off identifying Jesus as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” right from the start (1:29).

     • Each man is destined for eternal death because of their sin.

     • An ordinary man cannot pay for the sin of another because he has to pay for his own sin.

     • Only an infinite, eternal person could pay for the sin of the whole world.

     • Jesus is sinless. “The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” (8:29)

     • Jesus is eternal and infinite. “if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.” (8:24)

     • There can only be one all-powerful, all-present, all-knowing.There can be only one infinite & eternal being.

   • The Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world is God’s gift to every person. (3:16).

     • To benefit from that gift, you must accept that gift.

     • Nobody receives a tractor as a gift and then drives down the highway with it.

     • Nobody receives a Camaro as a gift and then takes it out in a field and plows the field with it.

     • To receive the gift of God’s atonement for sin, one must accept that Jesus is God.

     • You can’t get onto the highway to heaven in the “self good works jalopy.”

     • You can’t get onto the highway to heaven in the “sins paid by a mere man junker.”

     • You can’t get onto the highway to heaven in the “gotta pay for my own sins in hell wrong way vehicle.”

 

What do we learn in John chapter 9?

 

1. Jesus heals a man born blind.

   • Jesus affirms that he was not blind because of anyone’s sin.

   • Jesus puts some mud on his eyes and send him to the pool called “Sent” to wash it off.

   • After the blind man washed the mud off, he could see.

   • His neighbors were amazed that he could now see.

   • The fact that he was born blind is confirmed by his parents.

   • The man born blind was of age – this means he was at least 40 years old, and his testimony was of considerable weight before the court of the Jews.

   • Nobody had ever heard of a man born blind receiving his sight, but this miracle did happen through Jesus.

   • This man testifies to the Pharisees of several things, which constitute absolute proof because of his age.

     • That Jesus healed his sight though it was a defect from birth.

     • Jesus cannot be a sinner because God does listen to sinners to perform miracles through them.

     • Jesus is a prophet.

     • Jesus must be a godly person that does the will of God.

   • Later, he believes in Jesus and worships him.

2. The Pharisees escalate their persecution of Jesus and his followers.

   • They once again accuse Jesus of not keeping the Sabbath.

     • If a sheep or a cow fell in a well or pit, it would not be a violation of the Sabbath to rescue it, but the Pharisees find it in themselves to accuse Jesus of not keeping the Sabbath for putting mud on someone’s eye to cure him of blindness.

   • They decided that anyone that acknowledged that Jesus is the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue.

   • They equate the blind man’s condition at birth with being steeped in sin at birth.This is contrary to the Scriptures.The book of Job taught that human tragedy falls on the good as well as the bad. The Pharisees prove that they hold unscriptural beliefs.

   • The Pharisees continue to follow the man so they can try to contradict Jesus, and they receive some condemnation for their efforts.Jesus says, ““If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”The Pharisees are so determined to retaliate for Jesus ruining their profiteering operation and having many followers, that they cannot see who he is and that he is sent from God.They refuse the eternal blessings God has given them and the fulfillment of their scripture for the idea of keeping some temporal advantages.

3. More things are affirmed about Jesus.

   • Notice that at the end of chapter 8, Jesus is slipping away from the temple grounds to get away from people that want to stone him.In Chapter 9, it starts out with “and as he went along…”So, this is connected to the previous narrative.Jesus is still making his escape.Yet, he stops to heal this man that was born blind and spent his life begging for assistance.His disciples are focused on the idea that this man was born blind because of his sin or his parents’ sin.Jesus changes the issue to glorifying God and helping this poor man.

   • Jesus is the light of the world.

   • Jesus heals this blind man by putting mud on his eyes and telling him to wash in the pool of Siloam.Why does Jesus use this method of healing?

     • The man already knew it was Jesus because of the conversation of others, so being anonymous for the healing cannot be the reason.

     • The Pharisees still accused him of working on the Sabbath, so avoiding that accusation cannot be a reason.

     • Jesus remained unrecognizable to this man.This could be the reason.This allows Jesus to have the following conversation with him:

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

• Jesus is worshiped by the man and Jesus accepts the worship.This is very important.Only God can be worshipped.Only God can perform miracles such as this at will.One time I was debating with someone that did not believe that Jesus is God.

 

He said, “Are you willing to go to hell over your illogical idea that Jesus is God?”

 

I said, “Are you so determined to go to hell that you have to refuse to believe all the miracles that Jesus did that prove he is God.”

 

• There is division even among the Pharisees because of Jesus.Notice verse 16:

“But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.”

• The Pharisees did not see the Son of Man, but the man born blind saw him.

 

I am going to emphasize this point by reading something that my sister, Susan, wrote.  She passed away in 1990.  She starts this by quoting someone else.

 

“I who am blind can give one hint to those who see – one admonition to those who would make the full use of the gift of sight: Use your eyes as if tomorrow you would be stricken blind.  And the same method can be applied to the other senses.  Hear the music of voices, the song of a bird, the mighty strains of an orchestra, as if you would be stricken deaf tomorrow.  Touch each object you want to touch as if tomorrow your tactile sense would fail.  Smell the perfume of flowers, taste with relish each morsel, as if tomorrow you could never smell and taste again.  Make the most of every sense; glory in all the facets of pleasure and beauty which the world reveals to you through the several means of contact which nature provides.  But of all the senses, I am sure that sight must be the most delightful.”

 

• Helen Keller,

 

“A person doesn’t fully realize the importance of something to him until he has to go without it.  This not only applies to one’s health, and loved ones, but also to physical objects.  Do you know what it is like to be without the use of your hand?  Do you know what it is like to lose the person you love the most?  Do you know what it is like to be without electricity or water?  All of these things can be unconsciously taken for granted.  When we have to do without them, then we can appreciate them all the more. 

 

I have never had the experience of not being able to use my eyes as Helen Keller has, but I have had the experience of being without another part of my body.  A couple years ago, a heavy wood pane fell on my hand.  In a matter of a fraction of a second, my fingers were crushed.  Being without the use of my right hand for several weeks had quite an effect on my everyday life.  If I wanted to write, I had to attempt to grip the pen with my left hand and make readable letters.  Try writing with the opposite hand than the one you are used to writing with.  It’s a very awkward situation.  Simple tasks, such as washing my hair, took an entirely different perspective.  When I regained the use of my hand, I relished the maneuverability like I never had before. 

 

Often, sickness comes sudden and unexpectedly.  Loss of health can ruin many plans that we may have made.  This may leave us in sorrow and despair, especially since all we can do is wait it out.  As I lay in bed last month with a bad cold, I began to think of all the things that I had planned on doing like going shopping.  But I couldn’t do them.  A microscopic virus had invaded my body, and I was at the mercy of this very small thing.  Once I was well, I had the strength to go shopping again.  I relished the value of my health. 

 

A dark night and long day without electricity can really make a person aware of the importance of material things.  Our modernized lives depend greatly on conveniences such as electricity.  I didn’t realize how much I depended on that golden juice until I was left without it after a storm on day.  When I came home from school the clock face was stuck on 1:06 PM.  After vainly trying to turn on the T.V., I decided to wash my hair.  There I was trying to wash my hair in our windowless basement bathroom.  When I thought I had rinsed all the soap out, I plugged in my electric curlers.  “Oh wow!” I said to myself. “No Electricity!”  That also meant I could not use my hair dryer.  I trudged into the kitchen to quench my depression by cooking something for dinner.  I flipped the oven switch to on, threw together a casserole, and popped it in the oven.  Thirty minutes later, I opened the oven door to find a cold, uncooked casserole.  I began to realize my dependence on electricity and when it came back on, I relished it. 

 

One of the hardest things to be without is a loved one or relative.  Whether through death, or separation by way of distance, I have known loneliness and grief.  Often, ones we love are taken for granted as we see them every day.  If the person you love is separated from you, you would wish you could relive the days you had together once again. 

 

A few years ago, my father was given an assignment in Iran.  Although this separation was hard on me, I could see it was even harder on my mom.  The entire responsibility of raising, disciplining, loving and caring for her three children was now left upon her.  Also, there were weekly articles in the newspaper about shootings of American servicemen in Iran.  Mom was left alone without the love and security of her husband of twenty-four years.  Dad’s return was relished by many people, but more by mom than anyone.  The day he returned, she overflowed with happiness and relief. 

 

Yes, a person doesn’t realize the importance of something until they have to do without it, whether it is a material thing, loved ones, or health.  But I am glad that we are blinded once in a while so that we can be enlightened to the value of our sight.  We have so much and we take so much for granted.  Just as Helen Keller said, “We should relish the glory in all the facets of pleasure and beauty which the world reveals to us.””

 

*******  

 

Now, the man born blind knew what it was to relish something.  He relished his sight.  He relished that he could understand that someone that could heal a man born blind must be from God.  He relished YAHUWEH, God With Us.  He worshipped Jesus.