John • #6 of 7 signs

John 9:1-41 • The healing of the man born blind...

• John's motivation to write? That we might receive eternal life by believing in Jesus.

John 20:30-31 → 30Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31but 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 signs that John mentions are 7 which he recorded in his gospel. They are...

► Sign 1, Water to Wine, Jesus is the master of the ELEMENTS → John 2:1-12

► Sign 2, Nobleman's Son, Jesus is the master over DISTANCE → John 4:46-54

► Sign 3, Lame Man at Bethesda, Jesus is the master over TIME → John 5:1-18

► Sign 4, Feeding of 5,000+, Jesus is the master over DIMENSION → John 6:1-15

► Sign 5, Jesus walks on water, Jesus is the master over NATURE → John 6:15-21

► Sign 6, The Man Born Blind, Jesus is the master over HISTORY → John 9:1-41

► Sign 7, The Raising of Lazarus, Jesus is the master over DEATH → John 11:1-46

• The Man Born Blind, Jesus is the master over HISTORY

John 9:1-41 → 1As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. 2And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” 3Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.”

• "As He passed by,..." - the temple. They are still in Jerusalem.

• "He saw a man blind from birth." This is a critical notation. This is not someone who was sighted, but by accident or illness became blind. This man has never seen anything - EVER! Imagine for a moment trying to describe colors to someone who has never seen them. Or a sunrise or sunset. Or even night compared to day. It's ALWAYS been night for this man.

• His disciples concern over the blind man's condition being a result of his own sin, or that of his parents, seems a little simplistic to me. For one, if it's his own sin, what sin could he have committed in the womb? If his parents sin, then why punish the child?

• Jesus response indicates that the eternal plan for this man's blindness was "so that the works of God might be displayed in him." Something was about to happen, something unexplainable, except that Jesus is God. • Jesus goes on to explain that "while I am in the world, I am the Light of the world." It's like day now, but once Jesus is gone it will be like night. Work must be done now while it is "day". No one can work when it is "night".

► Some commentators mention the idea that the time of darkness is only the time while Jesus was in the grave. I'm not sure that I agree with that, but I think it doesn't really matter, because Jesus told His disciples that in their future, "You are the light of the world." (Matt 5:14) and commissioned them to "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." (Matt 5:16). It was always Jesus' game plan to not only save us, but to set us about lighting the way for others to find Jesus for themselves.

6When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes, 7and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and washed, and came back seeing.

• Some would say that Jesus was making some kind of medicinal treatment for this man's eyes, to remedy whatever affliction that was keeping his eyes from working correctly. And that may be true, BUT I think that Jesus, the Creator God, made the man some new eyes! "Those eyes not working for you? Great, let Me just whip up a new pair for you!"

• Sending the man to the pool of Siloam, which literally means "sent" to cleanse the excess clay out of his eyes is a little hard for me to understand. He apparently didn't see until he had washed his eyes. Was it the clay that restored his sight? Or the water? Either way, this extra step will set the scenario for the man to point to Jesus as the source of his healing.

8Therefore the neighbors, and those who previously saw him as a beggar, were saying, “Is not this the one who used to sit and beg?” 9Others were saying, “This is he,” still others were saying, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the one.” 10So they were saying to him, “How then were your eyes opened?” 11He 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.” 12They said to him, “Where is He?” He said, “I do not know.”

• So this miraculous change in the blind beggar (the only thing he could do at that time in history to get enough to feed himself) is creating some serious discussions amongst the people. "Is this not the one who used to sit and beg?" Some thought it was him, some doubted it, others thought he was someone else, only similar.

• The man himself is among them making the claim, "I am the one" and was also telling everyone that he received his sight because of "the man who is called Jesus", but couldn't point Him out. Guessing that might be the reason that Jesus sent him to the pool to wash, so that at least for the moment, he wouldn't have any idea what Jesus looked like.

13They brought to the Pharisees the man who was formerly blind. 14Now it was a Sabbath on the day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 15Then 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.” 16Therefore 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. 17So 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.”

• Brought before the Pharisees, and questioned in regard to this miracle, the man explains the steps leading to his new ability to see. The statement in verse 14, "Now it was a Sabbath on the day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes" would be more evidence the Pharisees could use that Jesus was a sinner, as He both worked on the Sabbath, and also got the formerly blind man to violate the Sabbath as well by sending him all the way to the pool to wash.

• Lots of confusion amongst the Pharisees, some thinking Jesus can't be a man of God because He worked on the Sabbath. Others questioning if He was a sinner, how could He work such a miracle? When they asked the man, probably not knowing for sure what to say, exclaimed "He is a prophet." I could almost hear his response being voiced more like a question than a definitive statement.

18The 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, 19and questioned them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?” 20His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21but 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.” 22His 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. 23For this reason his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

• The Jews then interrogated the blind man's parents, who confirm that he is indeed their son, but in the fear of being kicked out of the synagogue permanently, tell them that they don't know how or who restored his sight. And then tell them in regards to their son, "Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself."

24So 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.” 25He then answered, “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26So they said to him, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?” 27He 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?” 28They reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where He is from.” 30The 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. 31We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him. 32Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.” 34They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?” So they put him out.

• Not getting any clarity from his parents, they bring the formerly blind man back, and grill him once again, telling him they believe Jesus to be a sinner. The man responds that he doesn't know about Jesus being a sinner, but that the "one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." It like he's amazed at the blindness of the leaders. HE GAVE ME SIGHT! Pay attention!

• The the man, whether in sincerity, or sarcastically (my choice), responds to the Pharisees questioning them, "you do not want to become His disciples too, do you?"

• They respond by throwing Moses into his face, but the man incredulously throws Jesus back into their faces... "Well, here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him.  Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind.  If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.” He doesn't hesitate to query them on their lack of understanding. "Hey you idiots! He gave a man blind from birth sight. Never been done before since the beginning of time. Get a clue!"

• The Pharisees response is to "put him out", and I believe this means he's permanently barred from the synagogue, not just that the kicked him out of the building.

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

• So Jesus then meets up with the newly sighted man, who keep in mind, has never seen Jesus, and through a short dialogue, reveals to the man that he is "the Son of Man", Some translations say "the Son of God". The Son of Man is a messianic title, a title for Christ.

• The man believes and worships, acknowledging Jesus' divinity.

39And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” 40Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” 41Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.

• Jesus' play on words demonstrate the concept, that those who think they have all the answers are really the blind ones, and only those who find Jesus while in their darkness are those who receive sight.

• If you've ever been in a totally dark place, like a mine or a cave, where there is no light at all, where you can't even see your hand in front of your face, then you can begin to understand this man's blindness. Yet, the smallest amount of light in that type of environment can totally subdue the darkness.

• It's only when we reach a point in our lives that we understand that we are lost, that we can be saved. There is nothing we can do in and of ourselves that can bring us to God. In our darkness He is calling to us, to give up our striving, and to let Him fix everything for us. Which Jesus did on the cross. All we need to do is believe, and worship.

• Jesus is the master over HISTORY