John 9
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CHAPTER 9
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind (9:1-12)
1 Jesus healed many blind people, but this was the only recorded time He healed a man blind from birth. Jesus could heal any illness, even longstanding illnesses that ordinary doctors can’t cure (see Mark 5:25-29; John 5:5-9).
2 The Jews, and Jesus’ disciples also, thought that an illness such as blindness was a punishment for some sin. But how could a man born blind have sinned before he was even born? Therefore, the disciples thought that his parents must have been the ones who had sinned. In the Old Testament, it is written that God punishes children for the sins of their parents up to the third and fourth generations76 (Exodus 20:5).
3 But Jesus told His disciples that both ideas were wrong. The man’s blindness had happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. Very of ten God allows trials and catastrophes to come upon men, because at those times He has an opportunity to show men His power and His glory (see John 11:4; Romans 8:28 and comments). If this man had not been blind, he might not have had the chance to know Christ and to believe in Him.
When trouble comes to another person, let us never think to ourselves, “He must have sinned.” In the first place, we all have sinned and deserve punishment. Secondly, we cannot know why trouble comes to a particular person at a particular time. It is not our place to know. Only God knows. But from this verse we can understand that sin is not the only reason why trouble comes on people (see Luke 13:2-5; Acts 28:4 and comments).
4 After Jesus had answered His disciples’ question, He said to them, “While it is day—that is, while there is opportunity—we must do the work of him (God) who sent me.” This man was born blind so that God’s work might be displayed. Therefore, God’s work on that occasion was to restore sight to the blind man.
There is an urgency about God’s work. Opportunities come and then quickly go. The opportunity to do a good work for God may come today, but not tomorrow. A good work delayed is of ten a good work never done.
Night is coming, when no one can work. Here “night” means bodily death. Bodily death comes to every man. Then we shall no longer be able to work. We shall be judged according to what we did while we were alive, while it was day (2 Corinthians 5:10). Therefore, let us never put of f what God has given us to do.
5 See John 1:4; 8:12 and comments.
6-7 Jesus used different methods to cure people (see Mark 8:22-25). Usually he only spoke a word and people were healed.
The name of the pool of Siloam means “Sent.” That is appropriate, because Jesus Himself was sent from God.
8-12 The healing of the blind man aroused much discussion and amazement among his neighbors. When they asked him how he had been healed, he said, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes” (verse 11). In the blind man’s mind, Jesus was only a man, perhaps a very skillful doctor. He didn’t even know where He lived.
The Pharisees Investigate the Healing (9:13-34)
13-15 The blind man’s neighbors brought him to a group of Pharisees. It is possible that these Pharisees were a committee from the Jewish Sanhedrin appointed to investigate the healing of the blind man, which had taken place on the Sabbath (see verse 16 and comment).
16 The Pharisees were divided among themselves about Christ (see John 7:43 and comment). Some said that because He did not obey the Sabbath law, He could not be from God. Others said that only a man from God could do such a miracle77 (see verses 31-33). But the party in favor of Jesus must have been small, because they are not mentioned again.
The charge that Jesus did not obey the Sabbath law was false. True, He didn’t obey it according to the traditions of the Jewish leaders. But He did obey it according to the command of God (see Mark 3:1-5; Luke 13:10-17; John 5:8-10 and comments).
17 Since the Pharisees couldn’t agree among themselves, they asked the blind man himself what he thought. He ought to have some idea, because he was the one who was healed.
“He is a prophet,” the man said. The blind man had no doubt now. Jesus must be more than just a man (verse 11). He was a prophet. A prophet was the highest thing the man could think of.
18-19 The Pharisees did not want to accept the blind man’s opinion. They were trying to prove that Jesus was a sinner, a lawbreaker. So they decided that this blind man was lying, and that he had never been blind at all! To prove this, they called the blind man’s parents. The Pharisees hoped that his parents would testify that their son had not been born blind.
20-21 The parents, however, said that he had indeed been born blind. But they didn’t want to say anything about how he had been healed. They weren’t there when it happened. Let the Pharisees ask their son directly.
22-23 The parents were afraid to say anything good about Jesus. They knew that all those who were calling Jesus the Messiah were being expelled from the Jewish synagogues. They were losing their rights as Jews. The parents feared that if they acknowledged that Jesus had healed their son, they themselves might be expelled from their synagogue (see Luke 6:22; John 12:42).
A question arises here: Why did the Pharisees oppose Jesus and His followers so much? Why did they refuse to believe that He was the Messiah? There are two main reasons. First, Jesus’ teaching opposed the teaching of the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders. They followed the Jewish law outwardly; but Jesus said the law must be followed inwardly from the heart. Jesus showed that the Jewish leaders were hypocrites, and this made them angry (see Matthew 23:1-32).
The second main reason the Jewish leaders opposed Jesus was that Jesus had not come in the way the Jews expected their Messiah to come. Jesus came humbly. He taught that His followers must endure persecution in this world. The Jewish leaders thought that the Messiah would come as a victorious king. They didn’t want anyone like Jesus to be their Messiah!
24 After they talked with the blind man’s parents, the Pharisees called the man a second time. They couldn’t let the matter drop. “Give glory to God,” they said to him. This can have two meanings. First, it can mean: “Give glory to God by telling the truth” (Joshua 7:19). Second, it can mean: “Give the glory for this healing to God, not to Christ.” Both these meanings are possible.
The Pharisees tried to persuade the blind man that Jesus should get no credit for his healing. “We know this man (Jesus) is a sinner,” they said.
25 The blind man didn’t care what the Pharisees thought. He didn’t care if Christ was a sinner or not. That wasn’t his concern. He only knew one thing, and all the Pharisees put together weren’t going to change his mind. “One thing I know. I was blind but now I see.”
This is the testimony of every true Christian: “Once I was spiritually blind, but now I see. Once I was dead in sin, but now I am alive in Christ. Once I was in bondage, but now I am free.” The Christian has no doubt. He has experienced these things for himself.
26 The Pharisees repeated the same question to the man. They hoped that by mistake he might contradict something he had said before. Then they could accuse him of lying.
27 When the Pharisees kept asking the same questions, the blind man became irritated. He said to them: “Why do you ask the same thing again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” He knew they didn’t; he was only mocking them.
Notice that the blind man said “too.” That meant that he now considered himself a disciple of Jesus.
28-29 Then the Pharisees scoffed at the blind man. They said that they were disciples of the great Moses. They obeyed the law which God had given to Moses. God Himself spoke to Moses many times.
But as for this fellow called Jesus, who was He? “We don’t even know where he comes from.” The Pharisees thought that by saying this they could show that Jesus was a “nobody,” that He could not be the Messiah. But, in fact, they were showing the opposite. Everyone believed that when the Messiah came, no one would know where He came from (see John 7:27 and comment). Thus the Pharisees were unwittingly giving evidence that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.
30 The blind man was amazed at the spiritual blindness of the Pharisees. They should have known where Jesus was from. Any man who could heal in this way had to be from God (verse 33). How could the Pharisees not know that?
31 The blind man agreed that God did not listen to the prayers of sinners—that is, those who continue in sin and do not repent (Psalm 66:18; Proverbs 15:29). He listens only to the godly man who does his will. In saying this, the blind man spoke the truth.
32 This is the very reason that Jesus had to be a godly man, not a sinner. In order for Jesus to have healed the blind man, God must have been listening to Jesus. And God had obviously answered Jesus’ prayer. In all of the Old Testament, in all of history, there had never been an instance of the opening of the eyes of a person born blind. No “sinner” could have done such a miracle.
33 Therefore, Jesus had to have come from God. Otherwise, He could have done nothing.
34 The Pharisees became even more angry, because this uneducated blind beggar was lecturing them! They insulted him, saying, “You were steeped in sin at birth.” That is, “You were born in sin. Your blindness was caused by sin in the beginning.” It was nothing to them that he was no longer blind! Then they expelled him from the synagogue.
Spiritual Blindness (9:35-41)
35-36 Jesus heard that the Pharisees had expelled the blind man from the synagogue, so He went to find him. The blind man had not yet seen Jesus with his own eyes. But perhaps he recognized Jesus’ voice. He was ready to believe, but he was not yet sure exactly who he was supposed to believe in. Jesus asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”78 And the man replied, “Who is he?”
37 “I am he,” said Jesus (see John 4:26). Those who seek to know who Jesus is of ten find Him nearer at hand than they imagined!
38 Now the blind man fully realized who Jesus was. First he had thought He was a man (verse 11). Then he had thought He was a prophet (verse 17). Now he knew that Jesus was more than a prophet; He was the Son of God, the Messiah, the Christ. The man’s faith was complete. “Lord, I believe” (see John 20:28).
39 Then Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world.” Judgment was not Jesus’ main reason for coming (see John 3:17; 12:47 and comments). However, when Jesus came to save men, He also brought judgment with Him at the same time. Jesus brings both salvation and judgment: whoever believes in Him receives salvation; whoever does not believe is condemned and receives judgment (see John 3:18 and comment).
When Jesus comes, He brings our sins into the light, His light. Our inner thoughts and motives are revealed. In His light, all men stand condemned. Only through faith in Him can our condemnation be removed (see Romans 8:1 and comment).
Jesus came so that the blind will see. Here Jesus is talking mainly about those who are spiritually blind. Like the blind man of this story, who was blind from birth, all men are spiritually blind from birth. Jesus came that all men might have the chance to receive spiritual sight.
At the same time, He came so that those who see will become blind (see Mark 4:10-12 and comment). Jesus’ meaning is this: He came so that those, like the Pharisees, who claim to have spiritual sight will be shown to be spiritually blind. The Pharisees by their words and actions proved themselves to be blind. Those who receive Jesus receive spiritual sight. Those who reject Jesus remain spiritually blind.
40 The Pharisees who were listening asked, “Are you saying that we are blind?” They did not think they were blind. They considered themselves the guides and leaders of the people.
41 Jesus answered, “No, I am not saying you are completely blind. if you were completely blind, you would have an excuse for your sin (John 15:22). You would not be guilty of sin. But you claim you can see. And indeed you do have some spiritual sight. You have enough spiritual knowledge to have believed in me, but instead you refused to believe. Therefore, your guilt remains.”
The Pharisees had a little spiritual knowledge, but they boasted that they had much. They were proud. Those who think they don’t have anything to learn will learn nothing. The Pharisees knew that the Messiah would come; but when Jesus came and stood before them, they didn’t recognize Him. To recognize Jesus, the first thing we must do is to acknowledge our own spiritual weakness and blindness (see Matthew 5:3 and comment). Only then will Jesus give us full spiritual sight.