John 9:1-41: The Healing of the Man Born Blind

John 9:1-41:

The Healing of the Man Born Blind

By Dr. Hal Harless

Foundation Fellowship of Greenville, TX

November 22, 2009

I. Introduction

A. Please turn to John 9:1.

While you are turning.... H. A. Ironside related that:

Mr. Spurgeon used to tell of an aged Christian who was born blind, and yet he was a happy saint. One day when speaking with another believer he said, "You know, I have much more to give thanks for than you." "What! More than I?" the other exclaimed. "Why, I have been able to see for years!" The blind man looked up with those sightless eyes and said, "Oh, yes, but you have had to see so many things that have been disagreeable and distressing, so many faces that were unkind and angry and unholy, but the first face that I shall ever see will be the face of my blessed Savior, who loved me and gave Himself for me. So," he said, "I have more to be thankful for than you." It takes the grace of God to enable one to speak like that.[1]

II. Exposition

A. Background

1. We are still in Jesus' public ministry (John 2:1-12:36a).

2. We are in Judea and the Feast of Dedication or Hanukkah is near.

3. We are studying Jesus' sixth sign in John's gospel.

4. Jesus had proclaimed Himself to be the Light of the World in HIs last discourse.

5. Today, we will look at a man born blind who met the Light of the World.

B. Exposition: The sixth sign: the healing of the man born blind (John 9:1-41)

1. The healing (John 9:1-7)

^9:1As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. ² And His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?" ³ Jesus 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. ⁴ We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world." ⁶ When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes, ⁷ and said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam " (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and washed, and came back seeing (John 9:1-7).

a. "As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth."

1) As Jesus was exiting the temple (John 8:59), He saw a man who was blind from birth.

2) Jesus would have been exiting from one of the two southern gates.[2]

3) Doubtless, that man must have been there at other times when Jesus was exiting the temple.

4) However, God's choice in healing is sovereign.

b. "And His disciples asked Him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?'"

1) Jesus' disciples, exhibiting typical cause and effect thinking, ask whether the man's blindness was the result of his sin or his parents.

a) Rabbi Ammi said, "There is no death without sin, and there is no suffering without iniquity."[3]

b) Mankind's fall into sin in Adam brought sin and death into the world (Rom 5:12 ff.).

2) However, we cannot link a specific illness or disability to a specific sin.[4]

c. "Jesus 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.'"

1) Jesus explained that the man's blindness was neither his fault nor his parents, but was an opportunity to display God's power.

2) The disciples saw the blind man as a theological question.

3) Jesus saw a human being with a need and an opportunity to show God's love.

d. "We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work."

1) Jesus had works to do that were commissioned by the One who sent Him, God the Father.

a) Those works had to be done while there was still opportunity, the day.

b) Rabbi Tarfon said, "THE DAY IS SHORT, AND THE WORK [TO BE PERFORMED] IS MUCH; AND THE WORKMEN ARE INDOLENT, BUT THE REWARD IS MUCH; AND THE MASTER OF THE HOUSE IS INSISTENT."[5]

2) Jesus showed an awareness that a time of darkness was coming; He knew that His time was short.[6]

e. "While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world."

1) Jesus repeated that He was the Light of the World, but limited it to the time that He was in the world.

a) Therefore, this sign is connected to the last discourse (see John 8:12).

b) Jesus said, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden" (Matt 5:14).

c) Now, as Jesus' disciples, we are the light of the world because we bring Christ's light to others.

2) The OT promised that Messiah would restore sight to the blind.

a) "On that day the deaf will hear words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see." (Isa 29:18).

b) In addition, Isaiah promised, "Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped" (Isa 35:5).

c) The Messiah's commission was, "To open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon and those who dwell in darkness from the prison" (Isa 42:7).

f. "When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes."

1) Jesus spat on the ground and made clay, which He then applied to the man's eyes.

a) This is reminiscent of God creating Adam from clay.[7]

b) The Gk. word translated "spat" is ptuō, which certainly sounds like what it describes.[8]

c) Some in antiquity believed that spittle had curative power.[9]

i) However, the Jewish rabbis forbad that treatment on the Sabbath.[10]

ii) Kneading, hence making clay, was forbidden on Sabbath.[11]

2) On other occasions, Jesus had healed the blind by a touch (Matt 9:27-31) or spittle alone (Mark 8:22-26). Our Lord changed His method so that people would focus on the message.[12]

g. "And said to him, 'Go, wash in the pool of Siloam' (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and washed, and came back seeing."

1) Jesus sent the man away to wash in the pool of Siloam.

a) The pool of Siloam was some distance away on the South side of Jerusalem near the end of King Hezekiah's tunnel to the Gihon spring.[13]

b) The pool of Siloam (Heb. ShillōaÊ) was the source of the water used in the Feast of Booths ritual (see John 7:37-39).[14]

c) This is an allusion to the Messianic prophecy, "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until Shiloh (Heb. Shillōh) comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples" (Gen 49:10).

2) When the man obeyed in faith, he received his sight and returned.

3) John noted that "Siloam" means "sent." Jesus sent the blind man, but the Father sent Jesus. The sending of Jesus by God the Father is a major theme for John mentioned in no fewer than forty verses.[15]

2. Where is Jesus (John 9:8-12)?

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?" ⁹ Others were saying, "This is he," still others were saying, "No, but he is like him." He kept saying, "I am the one." 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" (John 9:8-12).

a. "Therefore the neighbors, and those who previously saw him as a beggar, were saying, 'Is not this the one who used to sit and beg?'"

1) Those who were familiar with the formerly blind beggar were astounded.

2) The giving of alms was very important in Judaism, "SIMEON THE RIGHTEOUS8 WAS ONE OF THE LAST OF THE MEN OF THE GREAT SYNAGOGUE. HE USED TO SAY: THE WORLD IS BASED UPON THREE THINGS: THE TORAH, DIVINE SERVICE, AND THE PRACTICE OF KINDLINESS."[16]

b. "Others were saying, 'This is he,' still others were saying, 'No, but he is like him.' He kept saying, 'I am the one.'"

1) Their reactions were confused; some thought that it was he, and others thought that it must be someone who resembled him.

2) The formerly blind man asserted his own identity.

c. "So they were saying to him, 'How then were your eyes opened?' 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.'"

1) Of course, this led to the question of how he was healed.

2) The formerly blind man reiterated the events of John 9:6-7.

d. "They said to him, 'Where is He?' He said, 'I do not know.'"

1) The story of his healing sparked curiosity in his hearers.

2) Therefore, they inquired where this Jesus was. However, the formerly blind man did not know

3. Who is Jesus (John 9:13-41)?

a. He is a prophet (John 9:13-17).

¹³They 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" (John 9:13-17).

1) "They brought to the Pharisees the man who was formerly blind."

a) The neighbors took the formerly blind man to the Pharisees.

b) Wuest translates "the man who was formerly blind" as "the once-blind man" (NTET).

2) "Now it was a Sabbath on the day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes."

a) Jesus had performed this healing on the Sabbath.

b) This resulted in yet another Sabbath controversy.

3) "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.'"

a) The Pharisees cross-examined the formerly blind man, and, sticking to the facts, he again retold the events of John 9:6-7.

b) His replies got shorter each time (thirty-one words in verse 11, but only twelve here).

4) "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."

a) There was a division of opinion among the Pharisees.

b) Some held that Jesus' Sabbath breaking proved that He could not be from God.

i) The syllogism was:

Major premise: All who are from God keep the Sabbath.

Minor premise: Jesus does not keep the Sabbath.

Conclusion: Jesus is not from God.

ii) Although the syllogism is valid, they were committing the fallacy of equivocation by assuming that keeping the Sabbath meant keeping their rules for the Sabbath.

c) Others reasoned that a sinner would not be able to perform such signs.

i) Included in Jesus' Pharisaic supporters would have been Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea.

ii) Jesus was again the reason for a division (John 7:12, 43).

5) "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.'"

a) The Pharisees asked the formerly blind man his opinion of Jesus. He replied that Jesus was a prophet.

b) Pay attention to the formerly blind man's understanding of Jesus as he comes to full faith.

b. (The man's parents) (John 9:18-23)

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, 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" (John 9:18-23).

1) "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."

a) The Jewish religious authorities refused to believe the healing until they had questioned the formerly blind man's parents.

b) As usual in John's gospel, the term "the Jews" means "the Jewish religious authorities."[17]

2) "And questioned them, saying, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?"

a) The Jewish religious authorities asked the formerly blind man's parents three questions.

b) First, they asked if he were their son.

c) Second, they asked if he were born blind.

d) Finally, they asked how he now saw.

3) "His parents answered them and said, 'We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind. 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.'"

a) The formerly blind man's parents were quick to answer that he was, in fact, their son, and that he was born blind.

b) However, the formerly blind man's parents evaded the question of how he was healed by pointing out that he was of age and capable of speaking for himself.

4) "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."

a) The Jewish religious authorities had agreed to excommunicate anyone that confessed that Jesus was the Christ.

b) This situation would be of intense interest to those of John's readers that were Jewish and had faced expulsion from their synagogues.[18]

c) About this time (c. AD 85-90), the eighteen traditional benedictions were revised to include a benediction against Christians.[19]

5) "For this reason his parents said, 'He is of age; ask him.'"

a) Therefore, the formerly blind man's parents were afraid of the Jewish religious authorities' reaction and chose to evade the question.

b) As Proverbs says, "The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted" (Prov 29:25).

c. He is a Man from God (John 9:24-34).

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." 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 (John 9:24-34).

1) "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.'"

a) The Jewish religious authorities put the formerly blind man under oath and attempted to force him to change his testimony.

b) The phrase "Give glory to God" means, "Admit the truth" (Josh 7:19) and puts the witness under oath.[20]

2) "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.' So they said to him, 'What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?'"

a) The formerly blind man stubbornly stuck to the facts.

b) The Jewish religious authorities asked again, how the formerly blind man was healed.

c) Perhaps they were seeking to catch him in some inconsistency.

3) "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?'"

a) The formerly blind man ran out of patience and resorted to sarcasm.

b) He asked the Jewish religious authorities if they wished to become Jesus' disciples.

c) Grammatically, a negative answer was expected.[21]

4) "They reviled him and said, 'You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.'"

a) The formerly blind man's sarcasm incensed the Jewish religious authorities.

b) They insulted the formerly blind man and accused him of being a disciple of Jesus.

i) The Gk. word translated "reviled" means "to abuse, to revile or harshly criticize, including curses and defamation."[22]

ii) This has been translated, "They hurled abuse at him" (Barclay), "they hurled insults at him" (NIV), and "They heaped insults on him" (NET).

iii) Wuest translates, "they railed upon him harshly with a scornful insolence" (NTET). They proudly claimed to be disciples of Moses, fine behavior for Moses' disciples!

5) "'We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where He is from.' 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.'"

a) The Jewish religious authorities proudly acknowledged Moses, but considered Jesus nobody.

b) The formerly blind man replied with fine sarcasm that the real miracle was that the Jewish religious authorities did not know all about someone who was able to perform such a notable miracle.[23]

c) Barclay translates, "Here indeed is an astonishing state of affairs" (Barclay).

6) "We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him."

a) The formerly blind man turned the Jewish religious authorities' own logic on them.

b) His major premise was that all God-fearing obedient people have their prayers answered by God.

c) The Pharisees had argued the same in verse 16.[24]

7) "Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind."

a) The formerly blind man went on to point out that a unique and powerful miracle had been performed in his healing since he was born blind.

b) Thus, his minor premise was that Jesus' prayer was certainly answered by God.

8) "If this man were not from God, He could do nothing."

a) Therefore, the formerly blind man concluded that Jesus must be from God or He would not have been able to do such a thing. His syllogism was:

Major premise: All godly people have their prayers answered by God.

Minor premise: Jesus' prayer was certainly answered by God.

Conclusion: Jesus is a godly person.[25]

b) Finally, the formerly blind man uses a reductio ad absurdum ("reduce to absurdity") argument.

c) He uses a second-class condition to argue that, "assuming Jesus was not from God, He would not be able to be doing anything" (NTET).[26]

9) "They answered him, 'You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?' So they put him out."

a) The Jewish religious authorities angrily retorted that the formerly blind man was sinful from birth.

b) This is the ad hominem ("against the man") fallacy.

c) They were angered that he dared to teach them and defeat them at logic, so they employed the argumentum ad baculum ("argument from the stick") and expelled him from the synagogue.[27]

d) The formerly blind man had bested them at their own game, or, as Wiersbe said, "The blind man calls their bluff."[28]

d. He is the Son of Man (John 9:35-41).

³⁵Jesus 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. ³⁹ And 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." ⁴⁰ Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, "We are not blind too, are we?" ⁴¹ Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, 'We see,' your sin remains" (John 9:35-41).

1) "Jesus heard that they had put him out, and finding him, He said, 'Do you believe in the Son of Man?'"

a) Jesus, hearing of the formerly blind man's excommunication, sought him out.

b) Our Lord asked him pointedly if he believed in the Son of Man.

i) In the Gk., "you" is emphatic.[29]

ii) The Gk. word translated "believe" means "to consider someth[ing] to be true and therefore worthy of one’s trust."[30]

iii) The Gk. word translated "in" literally means "into."

iv) "Son of Man" is a Messianic title from Dan 7:13.

v) John would latter write, "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God" (1 John 5:1).

c) We trust our way into Christ.

2) "He answered, 'Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?' Jesus said to him, 'You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.'"

a) The formerly blind man asked the identity of the Son of Man so that he could place his faith in Him.

b) Jesus revealed Himself to the formerly blind man as the Son of Man, a Messianic title (Dan 7:13).

3) "And he said, 'Lord, I believe.' And he worshiped Him."

a) The formerly blind man trusted in Christ and worshipped Him.

i) The Gk. word translated "worshipped" is never used in John's gospel of anything besides the worship of God.[31]

ii) Peter (Acts 10:25 ff.), Paul, and Barnabas (Acts 14:18) all pointedly refused worship.

iii) Angels also refuse worship (Rev 19:10; 22:8-9).

iv) However, Jesus does not refuse worship (John 9:38; 20:28).[32]

b) Jesus is God.

4) "And 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.'"

a) Jesus taught the paradox that His coming had the effect of giving sight to the blind both spiritually and physically, but also of blinding spiritually some who see physically.

b) Wiersbe comments, "John 9:39 does not contradict John 3:16-17. The reason for our Lord's coming was salvation, but the result of His coming was condemnation of those who would not believe."[33]

c) Phillips paraphrases, "My coming into this world is itself a judgment--those who cannot see have their eyes opened and those who think they can see become blind" (NTME).

5) "Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, 'We are not blind too, are we?'"

a) This saying upset some nearby Pharisees who protested that surely they were no blind!

b) Grammatically, the Gk. expects a negative answer.[34]

c) Jesus had already said concerning the Pharisees, "Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit" (Matt 15:14).

6) "Jesus said to them, 'If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, "We see," your sin remains.'"

a) Jesus replied that their claim to have sight established their sin of willful unbelief.

b) The Gk. is a second-class condition, i.e., "If you were blind and you are not...."[35]

c) The coming of the Light necessitates a choice.[36]

II. Applications

A. What this says about Jesus Christ ...

1. Jesus is the Healer.

2. Jesus is the Light of the World.

3. Jesus is God receiving worship.

B. What this says to us ...

1. Healing

a. God's choice in healing is sovereign.

b. We live in a fallen world.

c. However, we cannot link a specific illness or disability to a specific sin.

2. Believers are also the light of the world.

a. We have the opportunity to reflect God's love.

b. Even the simplest testimony can be powerful.

c. The coming of light necessitates a choice.

d. We trust our way into Christ.