Christ heals a man blind from birth
9
📖And as Jesus was passing by, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2 📚And his disciples asked him, saying, “Teacher, who sinned, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?”
9:2 Among the Jews it was a common idea that a person’s own sins were the cause of any sickness or disability that might come to him. This attitude appears also among Job’s friends (notes at Job 4:7-9; 8:3; 18:5-21). The disciples were trying to understand if this applied to a person born with some defect. Was the man’s blindness a punishment that came because of his parents’ sin? or did the man somehow sin himself before he was born? The Jewish rabbis of the time speculated about the possibility of an unborn baby sinning while still in its mother’s womb.
Also there may have been speculation in those days about the idea of reincarnation – that every person experiences multiple births and that his sins (or righteous acts) in a previous life affect his condition in this present life. There is no reason to think the disciples believed either of these speculations (compare Job 11:12; Heb 9:27). But they were curious as to why this man was born blind. Observe that they were not suggesting some way to help him. They were not showing compassion. He was to them just an object for theological discussion.⚜
3 📚Jesus answered, “Not because either this man or his parents sinned, but that the works of God might be revealed in him.
9:3 The Lord Jesus denied the speculations of the disciples. He is not denying that the parents or the son were sinners as all men are sinners (Rom 3:23). He is saying that the cause of the man’s blindness was not connected with their sins.
The teachings of the Lord Jesus are contrary to the doctrine of reincarnation. If He had believed that doctrine, or thought it had any significance at all in explaining man’s life on earth, this was the perfect opportunity to say so. Instead, He denied the very basis of the doctrine – that a person’s own sins in any supposed previous life affect what he will be in this life. What the Lord taught in Luke 16:19-31 also is opposed to this doctrine. See also the note at John 3:3.
Jesus says that the man was born blind for a much higher purpose that the disciples imagined. A mighty work of God was about to take place in the man, and glory and honor would come to God through it. God may have the same purpose in any sickness, disability or defect that brings suffering to us. It may be that a similar work of God will be revealed in us. Or a different work which will also glorify Him – a work in the heart that will make us humbly, faithfully, joyously endure any kind of suffering for Him (John 16:33; Acts 5:41; Rom 5:3; 2 Cor 4:16-18; 12:9-10; Col 1:24; 1 Pet 4:13).⚜
4 📚While it is day, I must do the works of him who sent me. The night is coming, when no one can work. 5 📚As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world”.
9:4-5 See John 8:12. While Christ was on earth His presence made the darkness like day (Matt 4:16; Luke 1:78-79). But He had only a short time to finish His work. The night was coming (Luke 22:53). It would remain until He comes the second time (compare Rom 13:12; 2 Pet 1:19).⚜
6 📚When he had said this, he spit on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, 7 📚and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which, being translated, means Sent). So he went away, washed, and came seeing.
8 📚Therefore the neighbours and those who previously had seen that he was blind, said, “Is not this the one who sat and begged?”
9 Some said, “This is he”; others said, “He is like him”. But he said, “I am the man”.
10 📚Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”
11 📚He answered and said, “A man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ And I went and washed, and I got my sight”.
12 📚Then they said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I don’t know”.
13 📚They brought the one who had previously been blind to the Pharisees 📖. 14 📚And it was the Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.
15 📚Then once more the Pharisees asked him how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and can see”.
16 📚Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the Sabbath 📖”. Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such miraculous signs?” And there was a division among them.
17 📚They said to the blind man again, “What do you say about the one who opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet”.
9:17 He believed that Jesus was sent by God and represented God. Later he came to understand that Jesus was much more than a prophet (vs 35-38).⚜
18 📚But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight.
9:18 The enemies of Jesus did not want to believe this miracle took place and so they tried to ignore all the great evidence for it. Very often what people believe has nothing to do with facts and evidence, but comes out of their desires and prejudices.⚜
19 📚And they asked 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 we do not know by what means he now sees, and we do not know who opened his eyes. He is of age. Ask him. He will speak for himself”.
22 📚His parents spoke these words because they feared the Jews. For the Jews had already agreed that if any man confessed that he was Christ 📖, he would be put out of the synagogue 📖. 23 📚Therefore his parents said, “He is of age. Ask him”.
9:20-23 They knew it was Jesus who had given sight to their son but they were not bold and honest like him. Fear of others keeps people from standing for the truth (John 12:42-43). Verse 22 reveals how those who reject the Lord Jesus may persecute believers when they have power to do so. They often use unjust pressure, fear, and threats to turn people from the truth (Acts 4:18, 21; 5:17-18, 40; 7:57-58; 8:3). Don’t we see this happening very often in this country?⚜
24 📚Then once more they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give God the praise. We know that this man is a sinner”.
9:24 These Pharisees were determined to discredit the Lord Jesus. Their words “Give glory to God” does not mean that they were concerned for God’s glory. They were either charging this man to tell what they thought was the truth, or else saying “do not give any honor to Jesus”. They told this poor man the horrible lie that Jesus was a sinner. However they had no evidence for this at all (John 8:46). But haters of the truth and malicious men act as if they think evidence is unnecessary.⚜
25 📚He answered and said, “I do not know whether he is a sinner or not. One thing I know: I was blind, now I see”.
9:25 He had definite opinions about whether Jesus was a sinner (vs 30-33), but before speaking of that he wanted to establish one fact once and forever: he had been blind and Jesus had given him sight. This was a fact he could not doubt. The same is true when men receive spiritual sight from the Lord Jesus. They know it has happened. Millions of believers in Christ through the centuries and throughout the world can say “I was spiritually blind and the Lord Jesus gave me sight”.⚜
26 📖Then they said to him again, “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? Do you also want to become his disciples?”
9:27 His question is pure sarcasm.⚜
28 📚Then they insulted him, and said, “You are his disciple, but we are the disciples of Moses.
9:28 They display the usual method of proud men whose reasoning is opposed and defeated (John 7:48). But insults and abuse do not answer a single good argument or do away with a scrap of evidence. They meant they were followers of the law Moses wrote down, but actually they were not. See John 5:45-47; Matt 23:1-3. They proudly proclaimed themselves as Moses’ disciples and yet were plotting to kill the One about whom Moses wrote (John 1:45; 5:46; Luke 24:27, 44). This is another illustration of Jer 17:9.⚜
29 📚We know that God spoke to Moses. As for this fellow, we don’t know from where He came”.
9:29 They could have known from where Christ came, but refused to believe Him when He told them (John 6:41-42; 8:23-25).⚜
30 📚The man answered and said to them, “Why here is a marvellous thing! You don’t know from where He is, and yet He opened my eyes.
9:30 This answer of a poor illiterate man has more wisdom in it than that displayed by all these very religious and highly educated Pharisees put together. Often the sound sense of simple men of faith puts to shame the reasoning of so-called experts. The reason for this may be seen in Matt 11:25-26; Ps 8:2; 119:99; Isa 54:13; Jer 31:34; 1 Cor 2:12; 1 John 2:20, 27.⚜
31 📚Now we know that God does not hear sinners, but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does His will, He hears him.
9:31 The Pharisees knew the teaching of the Old Testament on this. See Ps 66:18; Prov 15:29; Isa 1:15. But in this case they were not willing to go where this truth led.⚜
32 📚Since the world began it has not been heard that any man opened the eyes of one who was born blind.
9:32 There is no case recorded in the whole Old Testament.⚜
33 📚If this man were not from God, he could do nothing”.
9:33 They wanted to talk theology. So he gave them his well-reasoned theological conclusion.⚜
34 📚They answered and said to him, “You were utterly born in sins, and do you teach us?” And they drove him out.
9:34 These men of much learning were not able to overturn this simple man’s conclusion. So again they abuse him (v 28).⚜
Spiritual blindness
35 📚Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”
9:35 Note at 5:14. He will seek and find all His own and will draw near those who have been cast out by men because of their faith.⚜
36 📚He answered and said, “Who is he, Lord, that I might believe in him?”
37 📚And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen him and it is he who is talking with you”.
9:37 See John 4:26. The Lord delights to reveal the truth about Himself to the humble and childlike (Matt 11:25-27).⚜
38 📚And he said, “Lord, I believe”. And he worshipped him.
39 📚And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see might see, and that those who see might be made blind”.
9:39 He did not come to sit as judge and condemn men to punishment. But His very coming as the light of the world resulted in judgment (John 3:17-21). It divided people into two groups – those who came to the light and those who did not, those who were given sight and those who were blinded. In this verse Jesus is obviously speaking of spiritual blindness and sight. When He says those who “see will become blind”, He means those who have light, who think they see and even pride themselves on seeing, will be made completely blind (compare Matt 13:14-16). This was a judgment they brought on themselves by refusing the light of Christ. For other reasons why Jesus came to earth see note at Matt 5:17.⚜
40 📚And some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these words and said to him, “Are we also blind?”
41 📚Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin, but now you say, ‘We see’, so your sin remains.
9:41 Men are responsible for what they do with the light God gives them. Compare John 12:35-36; Matt 6:22-23; Luke 11:35. These Jews had the light of the Old Testament, the “light of the world” was in their midst, and they had the light God gives to all men everywhere – John 1:9; Rom 1:18-20. If they had been totally blind and had never had a ray of light they would not have been responsible, nor guilty of rejecting light. But they were proud of their knowledge and not willing to admit their need. And they willfully rejected the light they had. So God could not overlook their guilt.
In spiritual matters it is better to have no knowledge and light at all than to have it and not put it to proper use (compare 2 Pet 2:21). Those who are called Christians who have much truth but do not practice it are more worthy of condemnation than those who never heard of Christ. The more light we have the greater our sin if we do not follow it.⚜