Sight-Seeing John 9:1-41
Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 4 must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; 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.” 6 When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the lay. 7 And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing. 8 Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?”
9 Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.” He said, “I am he.”
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.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.” 12 Then they said to him, “Where is He?” He said, “I do not know.”
The Pharisees Excommunicate the Healed Man
13 They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. 14 Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I 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 signs?” And there was a division among them. 17 They said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him because He opened your 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 who had received his sight. 19 And they asked them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then 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 by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” 24 So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.” 25 He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.” 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?” 28 Then they reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples. 29 We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.” 30 The man answered and said to them, “Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! 31 Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. 32 Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. 33 If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.” 34 They answered and said to him, “You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?” And they cast him out.
True Vision and True Blindness
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” 36 He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” 37 And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.” 38 Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him.
39 And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.” 40 Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.
Introduction
Jesus was still in Jerusalem. He was at the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles John 7:2, 10. So He would be teaching in the Temple in the daytime and going to the Mount of Olives for the night. In John Chapter 8, the woman caught in adultery was not condemned by the Light of the world. So it was at the Temple Mount area that Jesus passed by a blind man and opened up a beautiful chapter for the blind man on His encounter with Jesus.
Big Idea
We may not be physically blind but the eyes of our hearts may be blind to God and the things of God. (See John 9:39)
3 Questions in Sightseeing
1. Are you desperate enough to see?
Jesus spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the lay. And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing. Imagine the blind man hearing the spitting. Imagine him having to walk to the pool of Siloam. It was about 400 metres from Temple Mount to the pool of Siloam. Speaking of the pool of Siloam, I thought it is interesting that its name meant Sent. In John 7 and *, Jesus repeatedly made mention of Him being “Sent” - My Father who Sent Me.
Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, “You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. John 7:28
And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. John 8:16
I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him. John 8:26
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. John 8:42
So the blind man followed Jesus’ instructions and he came back seeing. If you’re desperate enough, you don’t care what method Jesus uses, you just want a miracle! God uses different ways of accomplishing His purposes. Do you dictate miracles on your terms, on your timing? Heal on a sabbath? Mud with saliva? How desperate are you to see?
2. What do you see in a person made new in Jesus?
The blind man’s neighbours did not recognize him. In fact, they were blind to him, he had been sitting and begging for years till Jesus SAW him. Jesus healed him and he could stand and look them in the eye. His parents disowned him. They are more concerned with synagogue/church membership than with the miracle their son had received. They feared the religious leaders and rejected their son. Not everyone will rejoice with us when Jesus touched us. Not everyone sees you as a new person and they may still judge your past. How does this make you feel? How then should we treat one another in this regard? The religious leaders cast him out and shamed him. Not everyone believes Jesus saves. Religiosity is more concerned with the letter of the law than the Spirit of the law. They excommunicated the man but Jesus found him (John 9:35). Jesus SEES the blind man. Jesus SEEKS him out.
3. Are we sight-seeing but spiritually blind?
What can blind us? Traditions, ignorance, personal preference, lack of compassion, fear of men, legalism etc. The blind man received both physical and spiritual sight. He worshiped HIM, Sent by God. He had a fresh revelation of Jesus.
Lord, open the eyes of my heart, that I may see and know You in a personal way.
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