John 9 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

John 9

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

9:1 As 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 was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.

8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” 10 So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” 12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. 17 So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”

18 The Jews¹ did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19 and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21 But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” 22 (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus² to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.) 23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

24 So for the 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 answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” 28 And they reviled him, saying, “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 comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”³ 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt;⁴ but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

Footnotes

[1] 9:18 Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, in that time; also verse 22
[2] 9:22 Greek him
[3] 9:35 Some manuscripts the Son of God
[4] 9:41 Greek you would not have sin

Commentary

v1: The only reference in the Bible to a man born blind. The Lord knew the man's condition.

v2-3: The disciples' misunderstanding or prejudice had to be dealt with; they thought that illness came about as a direct result of a specific sin. 1 Cor 11.30 and James 5.15 indicate that this is possible, although it is clearly not always the case.

We note that Jesus Christ performed "the work of God," see 5.36; 10.24.

v4: Christ's urgency; there will come a day with no opportunity to repent and believe, and no opportunity to serve God on earth.

v5: Although night is coming, the light of Christ cannot be extinguished.

v6-7: Christ used unusual, even despised means, see 1 Cor 1.27-28. He uses men who are anointed by Him, esp. the church, the clay of the earth, anointed by Christ. We see that the clay was washed away, enabling the man to see Jesus; we are not indispensable.

The sign to the man was accompanied by a command, he was sent to wash, without which he could not have returned seeing.

The simple act of healing indicates Christ's compassion. We see the same in v35-38, when Jesus re-connected with the man, after he had been cast out of the synagogue.

John Berridge (Minister at Everton, Bedfordshire) comments on his conversion to Christ; 'How amazed he must have been when his eyes were first opened! How he would look and stare about him; everything was new to him, and would fill him with wonder. So is it when the eye is spiritually opened, so it was with me.' (The Gospel Pedlar, page 23)

v8-10: The man's neighbours were slow to recognise him.

v11: The man's simple testimony of what the Lord had done for him. He didn't have all the answers, but he could speak of what he knew, see v15,17,25.

v12-15: The man's neighbours brought him to the Pharisees, an indication of the wonder of the miracle. This was truly remarkable, v30. His testimony before the Pharisees was simple and clear.

v16: "Such miraculous signs," for people were amazed that Jesus had done things that no one else could do. The Pharisees' spiritual blindness is all the more evident. They failed to see the uniqueness of Jesus.

v17-19: The Pharisees, and others, wandered aimlessly, trying to argue away this wonderful work.

v20-21: Facts are stubborn things; no one could really deny what had happened. The challenge is to believe, not to dispute or deny what has happened. The parents should have rejoiced that their son had been healed, yet they were gripped by fear.

v22-23: The opposition to Christ came from the religious people. Any who confessed Him was to be put out of the synagogue. The people feared the leaders.

We see that religious people are often those who oppose the gospel.

v24-27: The man was subject to a second round of questioning. He only spoke what he knew.

v28-29: The leaders insulted him, since he spoke well of "this fellow" Jesus.

v30-33: The man's clear testimony, showing delight at what Christ had done for him, and some frustration that others could not see it.

We must not deny any marvellous work of God; God does bless other Christians, even if they hold different views to us. We need to be generous to others, and willing to learn God's truth.

v34: The Jews' reaction was to cast him out of the synagogue. They argued that he was already "steeped in sin" at birth, contrast v2.

v35-38: Jesus found the man, for He does not forsake those who trust in Him. He led the man on in his faith and understanding. What mattered now is that he believed in Christ, and obeyed Him.

v39-41: Challenge to unbelieving religious leaders. Jesus rebuked their hypocrisy, and their failure to grasp spiritual realities.