Gospel Light Christian Church Thru-The-Bible Series (3.5)

The Gospel Of John

John 9:1-41 - Read this Bible passage once through before referring to the notes below.

Healing the Man Born Blind

v.1 Jesus healed blindness more than other forms of sickness. [1] In the Old Testament, giving sight to the blind was a prerogative of God (EXO 4:11; PSA 146:8) and something which the Messiah would do (ISA 29:18; 35:5; 42:7).

There are few greater sorrows than to be born blind. A blind person is cut off from enjoying most of earth's blessings, because most of earth's blessings are enjoyed through the sight. Spiritually, all men are born blind. They grope uncertainly in this world, unable to see spiritual joys (eg. God's love and care, heaven, angels) or dangers (eg. Satan).

v.2 The Jews believed that sickness is the result of a man's sin. One of the greatest myths is that all sickness is the direct consequence of sin, and therefore, a sick person is a wicked person (Job's friends, ACT 28:4). However, since this man was born blind, it posed an obvious difficulty  - did he sin in the womb or did his parents? [2]

v.3 Obviously Jesus does not mean that this man and his parents had never sinned, neither does He mean that parents' sins do not often affect their children, but that his blindness was not the direct result of a sin committed. Jesus tells them the true cause of most illnesses, namely, that God permits illnesses so that He will be glorified through them. [3]

v.4 While the disciples were more concerned to satisfy their curiosity, Jesus was more concerned to help the blind man and glorify the Father. Jesus' time on earth was short, therefore, He had to optimise the short time available to work the works of God. Generally, work can only be done in the day, therefore, Jesus refers to His time on earth as "day" and His leaving this earth as "night."

v.5 Jesus was aware that the "night" (ie, His departure from this world) would come soon, and that He must use every available second to shine for God, and to enlighten men's understanding. [4] Realising that our time on earth is also limited, are we living like this?

v.6 This "awful" method of healing was used to test the man's faith and obedience. [5] Furthermore, clay taken from the ground appears to be harmful to the eye, rather than useful. Similarly, God puts us through trials of faith before we receive the benefits of His blessings.

v.7 The pool of Siloam [6] was a well-known pond near Jerusalem, that was fed by a spring. As it was some distance from the Temple, the blind man had to grope all the way with salivary-mud-packed eyes, past many people to reach it. In the process, his faith was tested and Jesus' miracle was widely advertised.

v.8 Blind people are usually noticed by those around because they are a minority, and because their manner of walking and behaving is so different from others. After the blind man regained his sight, he walked so differently and behaved so differently, that many wondered whether he was indeed the same person. Furthermore, the blind man was now able to see himself and was shocked by his terrible appearance (eg. unshaven, shabby clothes), and had since rectified it. Similarly, when our eyes are opened by the Lord we see our terrible spiritual state and rectify it, so that our behaviour often becomes almost unrecognisable to our friends.

v.9 Probably those who really knew him well were convinced that he was indeed the blind man, others who did not know him so well were doubtful.

v.11 It is natural for one who is blessed to want to tell others of his blessings, and of the one who blessed him.

v.13 He was probably brought by his neighbours, who were so impressed with this miracle, to the Pharisees to inform them of this great miracle from God. The term Pharisees probably referred to the Sanhedrin, because only the Sanhedrin had the right to excommunicate him (see v.34).

v.14 Jesus had again broken the Pharisee's misinterpretation of the Sabbath day.

v.15 Instead of rejoicing at the miracle, they were more concerned with the method. Similarly, when unsaved people see a wonderfully changed life, they often are more concerned with the unnecessary details, rather than the cure.

v.16 This group of Pharisees who hated Jesus were determined to convince themselves and others that Jesus was a sinner because He had broken their Sabbath rules. Others (who were less antagonistic) weighed the evidence and were puzzled. The question of who Jesus really is, causes much division among men.

v.17 The blind man was either ignorant of the Pharisees' hatred of Jesus or was fearless, so he said that Jesus is a prophet (ie, one sent of God). The blind man, like many unsaved people, believes that Jesus is only a prophet, not the Son of God.

v.18 These Pharisees were unwilling to give Jesus the credit for the miracle and hoped to find some evidence to refute that a miracle took place. [7]

v.22 It was a fearful thing to be put out (ie, excommunicated) of the synagogue because it meant being cut off from all the religious and social life of Israel. [8]

v.24 Since it was obvious that a miracle had occurred, they try to make the blind man disclaim that Jesus ("the Sabbath breaker") healed him. Therefore, they ask the man to proclaim that though Jesus was the one that put the clay on him, yet the healing was from God (wrought through the water of Siloam). Most people willingly acknowledge God as the Giver, but they reject Jesus as the Mediator.

v.25 The blind man is not interested in the theory of how he recovered, he simply rejoices in his recovery. Similarly, a man who is saved may not understand much about the doctrines of salvation, but he rejoices that his spiritual eyes are open. [9]

v.28 The proud Pharisees were shocked to be called the disciples of Jesus the poor carpenter, and quickly claimed to be Moses ' disciples. To them only poor blind men would be Jesus' disciples. If they were indeed Moses' disciples, they would believe Jesus (JOH 5:46).

v.29 They are not referring to Jesus' physical origins which they thought they knew (JOH 6:42, 7:27) but rather: "We know that Moses derived his authority from God, but where did Jesus derive His authority from?"

v.30 The blind man is so tired with all this nonsense that he sarcastically says: "This is amazing - you people claim to know so much about religion, how come you cannot explain this miracle!".

v.31 He goes on to say: "Not only you people don't know, worse still, you talk nonsense - if Jesus is a sinner, how come God heard his prayer? We all know that God does not answer sinners' prayers!"

v.32 Curing of congenital blindness had never been done before.

v.34 The proud Pharisees were infuriated that they were embarrassed by the blind man's arguments, to which they have no reply. Therefore, they exercise their authority as members of the Sanhedrin and cast him out (ie, excommunicate him) of the synagogue. They personally abuse him as an extremely wicked man who deserved to be born blind because of his sinfulness. [10]

v.35 Jesus not only ministered to his physical need but now addresses his spiritual need. It was a blessing that he was excommunicated, so that he would be more receptive to the Gospel (next verse). This man had to be cast out of Jewish society to be ready to receive Jesus. [11]

v.36 This excommunicated man had no one to turn to but Jesus.

v.37 Only to this blind man and to the Samaritan woman did Jesus declare His divinity so clearly. The poor and despised are especially favored by God.

v.38 The Greek word for "worship" indicates divine worship (4:20-24, 12:20). Very few of those who were miraculously healed by Jesus worshipped Him.

v.39 They which see not refer to those who realise their spiritual blindness and turn to God for help, and they which see refer to those who would not turn to God to guide them because they believe that they do not need to do so. [12]

v.40 The Pharisees realised that Jesus was referring to them, and asked, "Are you suggesting that we, who are experts of the Law, are blind?"

v.41 Obviously Jesus did not mean that those who were spiritual ignorant (ie blind) were free from the penalty of sin. Rather, Jesus warns them of the greater danger of thinking that they did not need any spiritual guidance because they thought that they could see spiritually. Furthermore, their sin greater because they knew more spiritual truths than the spiritually ignorant, and with more knowledge comes more responsibility.

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Footnotes

[1] This miracle is recorded only in John's Gospel. Though Jesus healed thousands of sick, He is specifically mentioned to have healed one deaf and dumb, one case of palsy, two lepers, two fevers, raised three dead men, and healed four (maybe five) blind men.

Was this miracle done on the same day as the events of chapter 8? This blind beggar was probably begging at one of the gates of the Temple.

[2] The Bible teaches us that all sickness can be traced back to Adam's sin (ROM 5:12). However, some sicknesses are due to personal sins (DEU 28:15-68), while others are due to the sins of one's parents (EXO 20:5). However, we should not blame every sickness on a particular sin – as this is untrue and will also unnecessarily distress the sick person (e.g JOB 4:7, 8:20, 11:6, 22-5-10).

[3] An important principle to remember is that God works out everything in this world so that they will ultimately glorify Him. For example: when we are sick we realise that health comes from God, we pray more, and are thankful to God when we recover. If man had never fallen into sin, there would have been no opportunity of showing God's mercy. In this case, the powerful works of God through Jesus' would be made manifest in the blind man's miraculous healing. An understanding of this will teach us to bear our sicknesses patiently, as a ministry, to glorify God. God never does wrong, nor does He ever make mistakes, everything He does is right and best.

[4] Before He heals the blind man's eyes, Jesus says "I am the light of the world."' Before Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. He said "I am the Resurrection and the Life"

[5] The use of clay is peculiar to this miracle, though the use of spittle (i.e., saliva) is found in two other miracles (MAR 7:33, 8:23). By using this method, Jesus teaches us that God is free to use whatever method He chooses to do His work, and that He often uses the despised things of the world. Therefore, we must be careful not to limit God's methods, and to measure others' experiences by our own experience.

[6] "Siloam" means sent. Therefore, the message to the onlookers was that they were all spiritually blind, and needed to go to the One was Sent by God, to be healed of their blindness.

[7] v.19 They insinuate that his parents were part of the conspiracy by saying "who ye say was born blind" The greatest cause of blindness is man's hatred of God and the prejudice that results from that hatred.

v.21 This may have been the truth, because the cure was wrought only a short time ago, and in all the excitement there was little time for the blind man to explain everything to his parents.

[8] To the Jews the sentence of excommunication is second only to that of death.

[9] v.26 The evidence is too irrefutable and the blind man too stubborn, so they try to weary him by interrogating him.

v.27 The blind man is sick of so many people repeatedly asking him how he recovered, that he sarcastically asks them if they desire to be Jesus' disciples too?

[10] Men generally resort to personal abuse when they run out of arguments. In their anger, they admit that they knew all along that he was indeed born blind, but were merely pretending to doubt it because they wanted to deny Jesus' miracle.

[11] On very few occasions does Jesus refer to Himself as the Son of God.

[12] This verse seems to contradict those verses where Jesus said that He did not come into the world to judge (3:17, 12:47). The judgement mentioned here is not the judicial judgement which Jesus would do when He comes the second time as the Judge (not the Saviour), but rather the passive, self-inflicted judgement that men will proclaim on themselves as they accept or reject Jesus as their Saviour.