John Bible Study John 9 Jesus and the Man Born Blind

 

John Bible Study John 9: Jesus and the Man Born Blind  

In John 8:12, Jesus declared, “…I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Now in Chapter 9 that claim is proven by His giving sight to the man born blind.

Read 9:1-3. What did the disciples think might be the reason this man was born blind?
Sin, either he had sinned in preexistence, before he came to earth or his parents had sinned and God had punished them for their sin with a blind baby.

Do we still think like this?
Yes, all the time. Why did God cause the tornado / hurricane /earthquake? Why did God take my loved one? God gave AIDS to the homosexuals. God sent Covid-19 to punish the world.

According to Jesus though, what is one valid reason why God allows suffering, sorrow and pain?
God can use these as opportunities to reveal His mercy, power and glory.

What are some other reasons God allows suffering, pain and loss?
Consequences of sin in the world. Consequences of our own choices and sin. To make us stronger. To chastise and correct.

Warren Wiersbe suggest that since there in no punctuation in the Koine Greek you could read the text this way, “Neither has this man sinned nor his parents. But that the works of God should be made manifest in him, I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day.” - Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 1:324.

When the disciples saw this man, they saw a topic of theological discussion, but what did Jesus see in the blind man?
An opportunity to do good, to help someone who needed help and to do the work of God.

What lesson can I learn about Jesus example?
The catastrophe, the pain, the sorrow of others that I observe may be an open door of service to God. God may then use this service or kindness to manifest Himself to the hurting person through me.  

Why doesn’t Jesus fully reveal Himself to this man?
There was more to be accomplished in this man’s life and in the lesson for the disciples, than just a healing.

Is faith necessary to be healed by God?
No, this man didn’t know anything more than Jesus’ name. Only that a man named Jesus (a common name) made clay anointed his yes and sent him to the pool of Siloam (sent) to wash his eyes and now he sees.

Vss. 13-34 The now seeing man is interrogated several times, by his neighbors and twice by the Pharisees. They Pharisees also question the man’s parents. Why are they so against this miracle?
It took place on the Sabbath Day. Once again, their traditions and laws were more important than the miraculous work of God through the Messiah.  

It was illegal to work on the Sabbath; and by making the clay, applying the clay, and healing the man, Jesus had performed three unlawful “works.” - Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 1:325.

The man is recalled for questioning and is now placed under oath. “Give God the praise” was a form of Jewish swearing in, ie, Give honor to God and tell the truth.

Joshua 7:19 And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.

When the once blind man grows tired of the endless questions, he goes on the offensive. What does he say?

John 9:25 Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.
John 9:27 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?
John 9:30 Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.

Vs. 30-34.  What does the man mean when he says, “God hears not a sinner?”
He is using the Pharisee’s own teaching. He is saying that God does not act on a sinner’s behalf, will not use a sinner to accomplish such miracles.  He is not, however, saying that God can’t hear a sinner pray.

Vs. 34 When the frustrated Pharisees cast out the once blind man, they tell him, “Thou wast altogether born in sins…”  What did they mean?
That his blindness was proof of his sin therefore he was unworthy to tell them anything about God. God had condemned him. (They didn’t care that God had healed him.)

Vss. 35-38 Jesus hears the man has been cast out, probably from the synagogue (John 9:22 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.) definitely from the presence of the Pharisees, He searches and finds him. What was his purpose in finding the man now?
To bring him to salvation by telling him, who He, Jesus, was.

What is the man’s response when Jesus tells him, John 9:37 Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee?
He worships him as the Son of God. He believes.

Vs. 39 –41 Now comes the final lesson, the final answer to the question originally asked by the disciples. Jesus says, vs 39 For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

What did He mean?
His purpose in coming to the earth was that He would be the sole point of judgment. Belief or rejection of Jesus is the only criteria for which mankind will be judged. Not good or bad, not religious or evil but what do you believe about Jesus.

When the Pharisees react to what Jesus said, knowing it was about them, what was Jesus’ answer to their question about being blind?
John 9:41 If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

What did He mean by this paradoxical statement?
They claimed to have sight about who Jesus was and what He was doing. They say the miracles, heard the teaching and yet they rejected Him as Messiah and Lord.
They claimed sight so they were now guilty of rejecting the truth of who Jesus was.

Is the truth of Jesus being the sole focus of judgment, taught elsewhere in John?
Yes, Read John 3:18-21; 12:48; 15:22-25.

In light of what Jesus teaches in these passages, what must be the message we take to a lost world?
It’s belief in Jesus and Jesus only that saves.

It is plainly stated in…

Acts 16:31  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Romans 10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Conclusion:

Three cases of judgment are presented in John 8-9

The adulteress woman
The Pharisees
The Man born blind.

In each case our judgment, that of mankind, our experience and our logic is challenged. We see the woman is guilty yet Christ does not extract the just penalty. In the eyes of society, the Pharisees were guiltless and yet Christ condemns them harshly. The man born blind or his parents must be guilty in order to explain his terrible lot in life and yet Christ ignores that idea and instead heals him in order to show God’s glory.

Considering all these situations my greatest responsibility is not to determine guilt or consequence but to proclaim Jesus as the central point of all judgment and to see opportunities for God’s mercy and grace wherever there is pain, suffering and sin.