John 9
1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. 4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, 7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
The Doctrine of Sin: This passage teaches (v.3) that birth defects, tragedies, health problems, etc., are not necessarily due to someone’s sin (i.e. parent’s or the person’s). They sure can be, though. Be careful not to be too quick to judge someone’s health problem as being secondary to some sin in their life. The problem may actually have happened in order for God to receive glory (remember Job?…). It must have been the common teaching by the Jews that birth defects were due to someone’s sins.
The Doctrine of Christ: Jesus was all about doing the work that His Father sent Him to do. Jesus was well aware of the time line; and, He didn’t have much time left. Jesus was the light of the world while He was in the world, but then we became the light of the world; of course, it was the Holy Spirit working in us to be that light, not we ourselves alone.
The Doctrine of Healing: I believe that Jesus spit and made clay and annointed this man’s eyes in order to bring more drama, more visualization, more understanding to the fact that He was indeed healing this man. I do not believe that there was any special healing power in the clay nor in the pool of Siloam. Jesus wanted to see if this blind man had faith enough to trust His words. Sometimes Jesus’ healings required some obedience on the person being healed; i.e. following of some instructions.
8 The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? 9 Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he. 10 Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened? 11 He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight. 12 Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not. 13 They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. 14 And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. 15 Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see. 16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them. 17 They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet. 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 that had received his sight. 19 And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth 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 by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself. 22 These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.
The Doctrine of Faith: Some of the general townsfolk didn’t believe that this man was him who was born blind…
why (v.9)? There were huge implications with believing this; it would mean that this ‘man’ Jesus healed a blind person… which was never done prior to this; and thus would give great authenticity to this ‘man’ being ‘from God’; and they would then need to follow this ‘man of God’. They didn’t want to believe it because of the implications. Though, some may have just lacked ‘faith’ that God could actually do such a miracle. It is very hard for people to have faith that ‘in the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth’. It’s just too ‘unbelievable for them.
This healed man (v.11) apparently didn’t know much about Jesus; thus, this blind man was healed by Jesus but did not yet have faith that Jesus was indeed the Son of God, Messiah, the Saviour of the world; he thought that He was a prophet. Saving faith is not always necessary in order to have been healed by God in that first century A.D..
Some of the Pharisees were possibly believing that Jesus was indeed sent from God, and who He said He was. What apparently convinced some of the Pharisees that Jesus was of God was the amazing miracles that He was performing (v.16).
Some Christians will not be bold and pointed about who Jesus is and what He has done, because they are scared of what those that hear them might do to them (as was the case here in v.22).
24 Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner. 25 He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. 26 Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes? 27 He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples? 28 Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples. 29 We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is. 30 The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. 31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. 32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. 33 If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. 34 They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
The Doctrine of Christ: These wicked Pharisees called Jesus a ‘sinner’! This healed man didn’t know whether Jesus was a sinner or not; however, it appears to me that he was just answering vaguely here to not be thrown out of the synagogue, but actually was thinking that Jesus was of God, and thus, not a sinner. The healed man obviously was promoting Jesus (see v.30) for He had just healed him.
The Doctrine of Miracles: Jesus performed a miracle that had never been done before: healing one that was born blind. The verifiable, factual miracles that Jesus performed basically supported that He was indeed ‘of God’, otherwise He could do nothing…i.e. no miracle (v.33).
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? 36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? 37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. 38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. 39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. 40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? 41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.
The Doctrine of Evangelism: Here, Jesus healed a man, and then soon after that went and found him and led him to the Lord (i.e. Jesus). Jesus practiced ‘follow-up’ on ‘soulwinning prospects’.
When someone gets truly saved, they should right away ‘worship’ the Lord.
The Doctrine of Christ: Jesus blatantly proclaims to this healed blind man that He is indeed the Son of God!
The Doctrine of Faith: There are many ‘religious’ people who think that they understand well (see) spiritual things (the Bible) but actually have very little understanding (are blind). In order to be one who is getting close to putting their faith in Jesus Christ, you need to realize that you haven’t understood spiritual things well (blind) and desperately need someone to show them the truth (allow them to see).