THE LATER JUDEAN MINISTRY
-Jesus Heals A Blind Man, Contention With the Jewish Leaders
-John 9:1-41
-vs 1-5 - Jesus encounters a man born blind.
-Upon seeing a man who had been born blind, the disciples assumed that his blindness was
punishment for sin committed by the man or by his parents.
-It is true that sickness, pain and suffering are consequences of sin. However, the
consequences are not necessarily the results of personal sin. Within the complexities of a
world infected with widespread sin, people may face consequences brought about by the sins
of others.
-Jesus indicated that the man’s blindness was not due to a specific sin committed by this man or
by his parents. Instead, it was part of God’s providential plan for the revealing of Jesus through
miraculous works.
-This would not necessarily mean that God caused this man to be blind but that God,
knowing this man would be blind, utilized these circumstances within the design of His plan.
-Jesus knew that His death upon the cross was drawing nearer. Therefore, He continued in the
works of the Father while He had the opportunity to do so here on the earth. There would be a
time (when night cometh) when He would return to the Father in heaven and would therefore no
longer perform these miraculous deeds. However, even though Jesus is now in heaven at the
right hand of the Father, His light continues to be seen through the scriptures.
-vs 6-12 - The man is healed and the people are amazed..
-Jesus “…spat on the ground, mixed dirt with the spittle, so as to make paste, or clay, and
anointed the eyes of the blind man with it…The smaller and more insignificant the means used,
the greater was the display of the power of God. Why use means at all when he could speak the
word and it would be done? To show that God works through means and will bestow his favors
when the means he orders are used or the conditions complied with. The conditions are often
tests of faith. There is nothing in them that reason would show fitted to produce the results, so
must be accepted and used in faith. The use of them showed faith in God. The result showed
the power of God” (Lipscomb, pg 141).
-Following Jesus’ instructions, the man went and washed in the pool of Siloam. Upon doing so,
he was healed.
-When the people saw that this man could see, they were shocked. Understandably, they had a
hard time believing he was the man who had been born blind.
-Of course, when the man identified himself, the people immediately wanted to know what had
happened. In response, the healed man simply told the people what Jesus did and what Jesus
said.
-Notice how he referred to Jesus - “a man called Jesus.” He didn’t seem to have much
familiarity with Jesus but we’ll see that his faith grew in the face of opposition.
-vs 13-34 - Investigation / Interrogation by the Jewish Leaders
-We see that the healed man was brought to the Pharisees. “They were the most learned and
pretentious, and so the blind man was brought by the executive command to them for further
explanation of the occurrence” (Lipscomb, pg 143). “That such a full-dress meeting of the
Sanhedrin occurred was a testimony of the priority which the religious leaders gave to the
problem of Jesus’ growing power and influence among the people; and such an astounding
miracle wrought under their very noses and supported by irrefutable evidence would have
topped any agenda they might have had” (Coffman, pg 238).
-Once again, looking beyond the glorious nature of the miracle performed, the Jewish leaders
found fault due to the fact that the deed was performed on the Sabbath. In their minds, Jesus
had sinned.
-The Pharisees asked how the healed man had received his sight. As he had communicated to his
neighbors, the healed man rehearsed the facts to the facts to the Pharisees.
-Verse 16 indicates that there was a division amongst the Jewish leaders regarding Jesus.
“The cause for division is apparent. One party laid stress upon the Jewish tradition and
judged Jesus a sinner because he had violated them. The other party laid stress upon the
sign or miracle and argued that one who could do such things could not be a violator of
God’s law” (McGarvey/Pendleton, pg 464).
-They then asked the healed man’s opinion of Jesus. Notice that he then identified Jesus as a
prophet.
-Displeased with the man’s response, the Jewish leaders sought to dismiss the miracle and
summonsed his parents.
-When they asked the parents for an explanation, the parents simply stated that the healed
man was indeed their son but that they didn’t know how it was that he came to see. They
told the Jewish leaders that they ought to ask their son.
-“They clearly believed the statement of their son, but spoke evasively to avoid trouble”
(Lipscomb, pg 145).
-“Excommunication was the dreaded penalty by which the unscrupulous leaders enforced
their will upon the people…To be cut off from all social, religious and even business
communication with the whole nation was a severe and dreaded penalty, and far more
than enough to strike terror and apprehension into the hearts of simple people like the
parents of the man born blind” (Coffman, pg 241).
-So, the focus of the Jewish leaders now turned back to the healed man. They demanded that he
praise (glorify) God. “This expression seems to be a form of administering an oath…It is
equivalent to an adjuration in the presence of God to acknowledge the truth; as the truth would
be giving God praise…” (Barnes). (See Josh 7:19.)
-“But, while they solemnly put him to his oath, they endeavoured to put their own words in
his mouth, namely, he is a sinner-a pretender to the prophetic character, and a transgressor of
the law of God:-assert this, or you will not please us” (Clarke).
-The healed man wasn’t interested in debating with the Jewish leaders so he simply restated the
fact that he was born blind but was made to see.
-When the Jewish leaders asked what Jesus did, the healed man responded more boldly.
-He said, “I told you already, and you did not listen; why do you want to hear it again?”
(John 9:27, NASB). It seems that he clearly recognized their lack of interest in the true facts
and ironically asked, “You do not want to become His disciples too, do you?” (NASB)
-Notice the implication: This healed man was now labeling himself as a disciple of Christ.
-“…[O]ne can only marvel at the impact these words must have had upon that religious
court” (Coffman, pg 242).
-They then reviled the healed man. Recognizing that he recognized himself as a disciple of
Christ, they labeled themselves as Moses’ disciples.
-Interestingly, they highly esteemed Moses and considered themselves his disciples. Yet,
Jesus had previously told them that if they believed Moses they would have believed Him
because Moses wrote of Him. (See John 5:45-47.)
-Yet, they still claimed that they didn’t know where Jesus came from. They simply refused
to even consider the idea that He had been sent from heaven.
-The healed man saw their sad disposition and referred to their denial of Christ as a “marvelous
thing” (KJV); “amazing thing” (NASB); “remarkable” (NIV).
-This man, although born blind, seemed to have a knowledge of the Old Testament scriptures.
-He indicated that God does not hear the prayers of sinners. This certainly seems to be in
accordance with several Old Testament passages (Isa 59:2, Prov 15:29, Isa 1:15, etc.).
-[Special Note: Some, to support the idea that God doesn’t hear the prayers of sinners, refer
to this verse (John 9:31). However, we cannot establish this idea as truth based upon this
man’s words. We must remember that he was an uninspired individual. Therefore, his
words are not authoritative. Other passages, such as those listed previously along with
others, would need to be used instead.]
-This man understood that there had never been a record of a man born blind at birth being
healed.
-Clearly, the evidence revealed Jesus’ origin and identity.
-Once again, we see the inconsistencies and contradictions in the words of the Jewish leaders.
-“Far from defeating the blind man, they had only aroused him to a vigorous and skillful
advocacy of his growing faith in Christ” (Coffman, pg 245).
-Therefore, they detested the idea that he might actually be trying to teach them.
-In the end, evidence and wisdom were cast aside - and so was this healed man. He was cast out.
-“The attempt to disprove the miracle was an utter failure and the court sought to discredit it
by excommunicating the chief witness” (Lipscomb, pg 148).
-vs 35-41 - Jesus goes to the healed man.
-Jesus, knowing the healed man had been cast out, found him and asked if he believed on the Son of God.
-The healed man was willing but didn’t fully understand.
-Jesus then plainly revealed Himself to the healed man as the Son of God.
-Upon hearing these words, the healed man believed and worshipped Jesus.
-Jesus then indicated that He came for judgment - so that those who couldn’t see would be able
to see - those that saw would be made blind.
-“The life course of Jesus attributed the needy and repelled the self-satisfied, and was,
therefore, a continuous judgment. Those conscious of their deficiencies and ready to ask for
light received it (versed 36-38), while those satisfied with their own opinion became daily
more blinded by their bigotry” (McGarvey/Pendleton, pg 467).
-Some of the Pharisees, hearing these words asked if they were blind.
-If the Pharisees would admit their blind arrogance and hypocrisy, they could escape it.
However, since they claimed to be spiritually enlightened (able to see) they were blinded to
their own sinfulness.
-They were responsible for their blindness and would be held accountable to it.