John Ch.9
Heals a Man Born Blind ~ Psalm 146:8
Jesus, completely unperturbed by the confrontation of before (in ch.8), is still walking in the temple area.
Ch.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?”
Although it is true that all sickness and disease can be traced back to the sin of Genesis 3:6-7, the inbred notion of this people, written on tablets (hearts) of stone, is that if someone has an infirmity (especially one from birth), it was the result of a sinful ancestral lineage. (This type of thinking may stem from the rabbis’ interpretations of Exodus 20:5; or from any one of a myriad of fables and theories that they were teaching the people). Jesus, with great, jk MERCY, is about to overturn this notion, just as he overturned the money-changers tables in ch.2.
3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.
Jesus is not saying that they didn’t sin, but rather, that it no longer matters who did what and when. (See also Luke 13:1-9)
Because the one who will deal with the sins of every one, of every generation, once and for all, is also the one who will deliver this man from the curse of it. (Galatians 3:13)
What the Lord is about to do now, is a foreshadowing of what he will accomplish later, for all of us, by his death on the cross.
4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.
“Night is coming…” - see ch.13:30 ESV
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (See Ch.1:4-5)
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
{Remembering the story in ch.8:1-12, once again, we see the finger of God move with mercy. Here is a powerful picture:
Genesis 2:7 - From literally the dust of the earth - Jesus is recreating this man’s eyes.
But: Look at Genesis 2:6; and compare with Jesus’s actions in vs.6…
This dust was not dry!}
7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
Siloam (Shiloach) in Hebrew means “to send forth” or “let go”, which signifies the exact purpose of this pool:
Situated at the base of the city, on its southern flank, Siloam was the collecting place for the fresh waters of the Gihon spring, which “gushed forth” from beneath the Temple Mount, to the city of David below.
The Scripture that comes to mind here, is Isaiah ch.12:3 “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation...” Which the Lord himself will ultimately provide, directly from his Throne, through Jesus’s sacrifice on the Cross.
In contrast to the Bethesda Pool in Ch.5, this pool, traditionally, was symbolic of life:
both physical (it was the only source of fresh water within the walls of ancient Jerusalem);
and spiritual (This pool was large: Acting as a giant Mikva, pilgrims would bathe themselves here, before ascending, to worship at the Temple, during the times of the feasts).
During the Feast of Tabernacles, water from this particular pool, would be carried up to the Temple in golden vessels and poured upon the Altar (Again, symbolizing Isaiah 12:3)…
And it is to this place…to these waters…that Jesus sends this man; who comes back seeing!
This paints for us, a deep and lasting impression of the Lord’s Salvation:
Picture these “Living waters of the Word”…gushing forth from the Throne of God…down, through the Way which Jesus will shortly open…to “all who are thirsty” below:
In this beautiful passage of Scripture, we see Jesus bringing about two renewals…or, for want of a better word, two births:
This first is physical: His eyes are restored;
The second is spiritual: His soul is restored (Psalm 23:3)
Remember Jesus words to Nicodemus in ch.3:3-7? This likewise, is a picture of being born again.
“Go and wash…” Jesus gives this man a command - which he immediately obeys. We do not hear him question…nor argue; he appears unflinching as the Lord “anoints his eyes” with mud; which implies to us that - like the Samaritan woman of Ch.4 - this man’s heart is open to God:
In spite of his “hopeless” situation, his is still - in the depths of his heart - hoping…waiting for the Lord. (See Psalm 27:13-14; Psalm 42 & Isaiah 40:27-31)
He can’t see Jesus - but he can hear…and what he hears, he trusts. (Ch.1:1)
This will be further evidenced, through his bold and honest retort to the accusations of the Pharisees, in the next few verses: This man fears the Lord!
A type of Baptism?
…Picture this man - going down into this Mikva…washing himself entirely…and coming up: Seeing!
“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. Isaiah 12:1-3
If ever there was a fulfillment of Scripture, we see it here: He is not only seeing physically: Jesus has literally shown this man Salvation (Yeshua); and because of this - as we will see throughout the remainder of this chapter - he will waste no time in boldly proclaiming to everyone…Look what the Lord has done… “He has become my Salvation!” And we will also see Jesus, place a new definition on “blindness”: and on what it means to truly see!
(For further reading: 2Kings 5:1-15)
Image: Deborahdescendants.com
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.”
Here is the beginning of a mighty testimonial to the glory of God: Ironically, the unbelieving Pharisees in vs.24, will command him “Give glory to God” (in other words - “tell the truth”) - not realizing that this is exactly what he is doing.
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.
This is one of seven miracles that Jesus will perform specifically on the Sabbath: In doing this, Jesus is taking away the man-made laws and traditions of the elders…the power that they hold over the people; and replacing them with the pure and perfect Law of the Lord. (See Mark 2:23-28)
How ironically beautiful that Jesus did this act, so symbolic of Salvation, on the very day that points to his finished work in the Cross: The day the Lord rested from his work - so we also can rest from ours.
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.”
If they are hoping for a logical explanation, this man has none to give: He had faith in Jesus’s instructions - as illogical as they may have sounded.
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.”
Again, compare this man’s testimony to the words of the Samaritan woman “I perceive you are a prophet.” (See Ch.4:19) Neither one is able to recognize who Jesus is yet - but both are ready to receive the “Revelation”. (see also ch.6:14)
18 The Jews 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 Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.)
See Psalm 36:1
23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
At its worst, being “put out of the synagogue”, was to be treated as an outcast - even as a leper. {Ironically, the man’s parents are afraid of being reduced to a position like that of their son.
When we look at the actions - and reactions of these parents, regarding their own son, we have to ask ourselves: What kind of “law” are they operating under? It is certainly not the Law of Love, by which Christ has come. See also Psalm 27:10, Isaiah 49:15}
The Jewish leaders themselves, are deeply afraid - of One like Jesus - who cannot be hidden - upsetting the fragile peace and order, in which they exist within the Roman Empire - and through which, they have managed to create and maintain their own positions of power and wealth.
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.”
Nothing else matters now: Not their laws and traditions…nor being thrown out of the synagogue: What can they do to him, that has not already been done?
But - he has “seen” the Goodness and mercy of God; and as a consequence, is free from his captivity: And - as we will shortly see - this freedom is not only physical, but spiritual!
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. Isaiah 35:5-6
THIS is why Christ has come; to give sight to those who recognize their blindness…to unstop the ears of those who realize that they cannot hear…to set free those who understand that they have, all along, been held in captivity to sin. (See Matthew 5:3)
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?”
The overwhelming joy of his liberation…of his Salvation…his encounter with the Light of the world…has taken away any fear of man that this one born blind may have had. “One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”
Again, we can look back to Chapter 4: the Samaritan woman, and draw a significant comparison: Both she, and this man born blind were ostracized by their families and communities; as a result - both had become - not bitter - but hungry and thirsty for something more; both were ready to receive Jesus, who is the Christ - and had no fear of what society would or could, do to them…because society had already done its worst. They already knew first hand, Jesus’s words of Matthew ch.10:16-39.
And when we read this passage for ourselves, all of a sudden, these exact words begin to ring true!
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Matthew 10:39
He will say something very similar in ch.12:25 of this Gospel.
It seems as though this man’s parents - in trying to hold on to…and to save their own lives - are in great danger of losing eternal life. This is a tragic state of mind and heart, that appears to be widespread throughout the people: So many fear being put out of the synagogue…yet so few seem to fear the Lord. (Matthew 10:28; 22:14)
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.”
Now he (outcast…beggar…stigmatized by sin) is the one teaching them…telling them - about the TRUE nature…the TRUE wisdom…the TRUE goodness of God - which has reached down from Heaven- and touched him! We can almost hear his amazement at these “learned men”: “Why can’t you see who he is..? How can you be so ‘blind’?”
This is truly a powerful and bold testament to whom Jesus Christ is…and coming from a man that - although reduced to begging outside the gates - clearly knew enough about the ways of God to recognize the One sent by God.
His freedom has made him as unbridled as a child…and as bold as a lion.
His blindness in the natural has opened his spiritual eyes…and we can almost hear him echoing the words of Simon in Luke ch2:30 “…my eyes have seen your salvation.” (Compare this to Acts ch.9: Paul’s conversion)
34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.
If he was “born in sin”, he is in very good company: See Psalm 51:5.
These teachers of the Law, so desperately need to be taught: All have sinned and fallen short of God’s perfect standard.
As to being cast out of the synagogue: This is of no relevance to Jesus Christ: He has come for all who would humble themselves; and recognize: They are already cast out - from God’s Presence and his favor. Only once we understand this, will we be ready (like this one born blind) to receive the One who will provide the Sacrifice and make the Way. Jesus will be crucified outside of the city walls, as the ultimate demonstration of this.
35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
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.”
{Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am
he.” - ch.4:26}
38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
“I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you;
therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:5-6
And our minds go back to the Lord’s promise of Jeremiah 29:13-14a -
“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
I will be found by you, declares the Lord..”Sometimes the Lord will remove the temporal things of this world (such as eyesight) so that our eyes may be opened to desire the more incorruptible things of Heaven.
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.”
What is Jesus saying here?
Something along these lines:
And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
These words; spoken by Jesus in Luke 5:31-32; fall into perfect correlation with the statement he is about to make to the Pharisees next:
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; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.
What is Jesus saying here? Simply this:
From 1John 1:8-9
“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Only when we understand that we are in bondage, will we be able to “see” what true freedom looks like.
But: If there is no acknowledgment of sin, there can be no repentance; and without repentance, there will be no forgiveness.
“Lord, open our eyes…that we can see.: our bondage…and your deliverance.”
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