John 9 - Can You Say, "I Was Blind But Now I See?"
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
In the Jewish worldview a person who was disabled or diseased from birth was being punished because either he or his parents had sinned. But Jesus uses this situation to show the disciples and the religious leaders how this is absolutely false. Jesus rebutted the notion that someone was given a disease or affliction because of their own or other's sin. He taught that each person will be responsible for their own sin, no one else.
The night was coming. The night symbolized the darkness of the world and the devil. He would only be with them so long. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world", once again signifying He was God. No human in their right mind would say, "I am the light of the world". They would be deranged and deluded, but Jesus wasn't.
8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.” 10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked. 11 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.” 12 “Where is this man?” they asked him. “I don’t know,” he said.
Those who knew him formerly and saw him begging daily in the streets, could not believe Jesus' miracle. Some tried to say he was not really that man. It's crazy what people will do to try and deny a miracle is right in front of them if it shows the truth of who Jesus is.
It's almost humorous when the blind man says, "No, I am that man!" They still continue to question him. They certainly did not believe in the supernatural. You would have thought they had at least heard of some of the signs and miracles Jesus had already done. The blind man explained how he was healed, and the people demanded to see Jesus. The man did not know it was Jesus, which was unusual. When Jesus people he usually revealed himself, but this will happen later.
The Pharisees Investigate the Healing
13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15 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.” 16 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.
The Pharisees joined into the interrogation of the man. They brought up a familiar theme. How could a man heal another on the Sabbath? Their view of the Sabbath was so distorted that they didn't think God would work on the Sabbath, much less a man. They Pharisees inquired as to how the man was healed. He gave them the simple method for his healing, "I washed and now I see." Jesus' miracles were not complicated and the proof was right in front of them.
Jesus was always performing signs to show spiritual truth. A person often says when they are born-again, "I was blind but now I can see!" Another thing which is scriptures says, "People who are spiritually blind cannot see Jesus and come to faith in him." The devil and our own sinful nature prevent us from seeing who Jesus is. If people can see they will see Jesus is the light of the world and the Messiah.
Of course, they call Jesus a sinner, because they falsely claim he violated the Sabbath. In other passages Jesus taught the true purpose for the Sabbath when he says, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man made for the Sabbath."
17 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.” 18 They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. 19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?” 20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 21 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.” 22 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. 23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
The man then testified that Jesus is indeed a prophet. Prophets did miracles in the Old Testament. They were no grasping for straws, so they called in the parents. Remember some thought it was the parents' sin who caused a child's sickness or disease.
Can you imagine being a parent and someone attributing your sin to your son's blindness? It is preposterous!
The parents reply to the interrogation and say simply, "They only thing we know is that he has been blind all of his life and now he can see!"
No one can deny the change in your life you have received from Jesus. When you are born-again, your life changes. And people could say, "All we know is that he used to act like this and now he is a completely different person." This is why important for you to keep following Jesus, which will transform your life. This will give evidence to the spiritual miracle did and is doing in your life.
The parents had fears, because they already knew that the Pharisees those who were persecuting those that admitted Jesus was the Messiah. So the parents told the Pharisees to ask their son. After all, he was an adult. He could speak for himself.
24 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.” 25 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!” 26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 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?”
The Pharisees continue their idiotic inquiry of the man's healing. They knew if they acknowledged they would to admit to Jesus' power, which would only further verify who he claimed to be. Now they took the tact of claiming the Jesus was a sinner. I love the man's simple reply,
"Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know is that I was blind but now I see."
Our testimony does not need to be complicated. It relies on one thing, the miracle Jesus has done in our lives. You don't have to argue with people. All you need to say is, "I know one thing, my life has completely changed. If you knew me, you would see the difference Jesus has given me!"
I love the man's boldness. The Pharisees repeat the question again about how was he healed. The man is almost frustrated and asks them why they need to hear his testimony again. Then he basically says, "Why don't you go investigate Jesus on your own."
We can't convince anyone to become a Christian. All we can do is point them to Jesus. Only Jesus can heal a human heart.
A person will never become a Christian unless they truly seek Jesus. If they go in looking to prove him wrong, they will do it every time. They are only showing that they are spiritually blind like the Pharisees. Men prefer darkness over light. John 3:19
28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.
The Pharisees have run out of arguments. They must now try to insult the man and assassinate his character. They claim to be sons of Moses as their defense. Once again the blind man confronts them in their ignorance. They should have known who Jesus was by the sign he had just done if they were truly sons of Moses. These were the deeds the Messiah, which Moses prophesied about. A sinner could not do these things.
It is only if a man was born of God could he do the things only a man from God could do. The miracles were proof that Jesus came from God and was in fact God. It was why Jesus did these "signs" in the first place. The signs pointed to the Father and validated His testimony that He came from God and was God.
The Pharisees were once again were left angry and resentful. The man's simple logic and his obvious healing had defeated every argument they had. They threw the man out of the temple.
When people are proved wrong they revert to anger. As a Christian this anger may be directed at you. Why? Because you are convicting people that they too need Christ.
Spiritual Blindness
35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” 37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” 38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said,[a] “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” 40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” 41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
Jesus sought out the man to show him the true purpose of why he had healed him. The man did not know Jesus was the "Son of Man". The term Son of Man was Jesus' favorite way to refer to himself. The man came to faith and said the most important words any man or woman can say, "Lord, I believe!"
The man then shows the immediate response to someone who comes to faith. He worships Jesus!
People say why do I need to go to church? This is usually someone who is lazy. One of the reasons we go is we need to worship the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Someone will then say, "I can worship God alone at my house or outside in nature!"
This is true but why would you not want to worship with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Worshipping with other believers is powerful and it shows that we are the church and all have been transformed by believing in Jesus!
Ironically the Pharisees ask rhetorically, "What? Are we blind too?" The man answers wisely, "If would admit you are blind you would not be guilty, but because you claim you and see your guilt remains."
It is only as we admit we are spiritually blind we can come to believe in Jesus, who is the light of the world!
Can you say, "I was blind but know I see?"
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