John 9:24-38 Bible Teaching

The Man Born Blind

John 9.34
May 4th 2014
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Overview of John Chapter 9

The Man Born Blind is one of the most profound stories in the New Testament, especially in illustrating the relationship between God and man. Before examining the main text, let's quickly review the first 22 verses. Jesus was fleeing from religious leaders who sought to kill Him for claiming, "Before Abraham was, I am." As Jesus was escaping through the crowded temple grounds, He encountered a man who had been born blind. We discussed how this blind man represents all people who are born into this world, blind to the light of the world.

Upon seeing the blind man, Jesus was asked by His disciples if the man or his parents had sinned to cause his blindness. We discussed the reason for their inquiry, which can be re-watched at www.campus.com by clicking on the YouTube button. Without any request, Jesus made clay using His saliva and applied it to the man's eyes. It is likely the man's blindness was due to an internal dysfunction, so the mud was more symbolic. Up to this point, we've seen how God initiates interaction and how we are given a chance to respond.

Interpretations of Spiritual Healing

In Christianity, there are theories on "who does what" in the healing or redemption of man—illustrated by Jesus healing the blind man. One theory posits that man is spiritually dead and cannot seek God. Hence, God must first reach out to fallen humanity for salvation. Contrary to this view, often associated with five-point Calvinism, another theory suggests that man has enough "light" to seek God, making man responsible for this engagement. The LDS view aligns with this, stating that people are inherently children of God and capable of choosing God by the age of accountability.

Biblical Evidence of God's First Move

Scripture suggests that without God reaching out first with His grace-filled gifts, a spiritually blind humanity would not initiate a relationship with Him. The world, filled with His gifts such as His influence in nature, our hearts, His commandments, His Son, His written word, and the love of others, enables us to respond to Him. If humankind were born into a void without these gifts, due to spiritual depravity, they would not reach out to God. In this sense, Calvin's views on depravity seem fitting. God always initiates; otherwise, salvation would hinge entirely on our choosing God due to our own goodness and holiness, instead of God choosing us first.

It's akin to God hosting a grand party, sending everyone invitations. Accepting His invitation doesn't reflect our contribution to the party—it's His initiative.

The Choice to Embrace Light or Darkness

In the story of the man born blind, we see a clear illustration of the choices we all face. Jesus applied the mud to the man's eyes and directed him to wash in the pool of Siloam. This act represents God's unmerited gift, yet it was still up to the man—still blind at that point—to follow through. The choice to remain in darkness or step into the light is one every person must make. Jesus clarifies why some people remain blind: “They love the darkness more than the light.”

Imagine Jesus walking through the temple, seeing the man born blind, and making mud to apply to his eyes. The response from the man begging in blindness is telling: “What the hell are you doing, sir!” to which Jesus replies, “I am applying mud to your eyes so you can be healed.” Despite the initial resistance, the narrative conveys that readiness to receive the light is vital.

The Willingness to Transform

From this interaction, we gather that God's timing is perfect, choosing the right time and person for His works. The narrative signifies that the man was ready and willing to be healed, indicating that people who embrace the light do so because they seek truth and clarity. Conversely, some remain in the dark because they prefer it over the brightness of truth.

The same principle applies throughout our lives as believers. We retain darkness in our lives because we love it more than light—regardless of being believers or not. Just because believers have recognized Him and His identity does not imply they are always ready to relinquish all darkness for light. The flesh can be strong.

The Decision to Respond

Nevertheless, God's reach requires our response. The story goes on to explain how once the man was healed, the neighbors presented him to the Pharisees. Despite questioning, disbelief, and pressure from his parents, who feared being cast out from the synagogue, the man remained steadfast. Parents deferred the matter back to their son, telling the leaders to discuss the experience with him directly.

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.

A Marvellous Revelation

They 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.

Confrontation with Miraculous Evidence

Okay, back to 24:

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.” This is really, truly a fascinating passage. First of all, after having checked with his parents, they could not deny the man had been blind from birth. Now they were faced with the fact that he could now see. The religious rulers were in a predicament. A miracle had occurred and it appears to have occurred at the hands of a man who they either saw as a sinner or knew He was not but sought to destroy Him anyway (there’s debate on this point – you decide).

But first some history to the phrase, “Give God the glory.” It appears that by this time the line had become an oath (of which the Jews were accustomed to making). In the Old Testament book of Joshua (chapter 7) we can about a man named Achan who got enticed to steal and hid the booty in a tent. Finally, when confronted by Joshua, Joshua said to him, “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.” As the Old Covenant story goes Achan fessed up and was summarily taken out and killed. If by some chance the man born blind was aware of this historical pretext I would imagine it didn’t make him entirely comfortable. But we’ll get to his response in a minute.

It is also interesting (ironic) that, in the face of this proven miracle they are telling the man to “give God the glory” but that the man who performed the miracle was “a sinner.” How could they say that Jesus was a sinner . . . that they knew He was a sinner. Remember He had, from their perspective, illegally broken the Sabbath, so they felt the title of sinner was appropriate and deserved.

The Healed Man's Response

So what does the healed man say? (verse 25)

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. We remember that the man had just said that he believed Jesus was a prophet. We remember that at this point he did not know whether he was a sinner or not but in all probability he could see through the Pharisees charges. I mean, after a life in darkness he could see! What kind of sinful man could the healer be?

I mean, if He was a sinner and He was able to give me sight, what’s the big deal about His sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace. to you?” he seems to be asking. On the other hand I think the man could “see” the workings of these men going on, and knew, that while they might have a charge of some sort against him, it had to be trumped up somehow. In the early stages of God working in our lives we too might find ourselves responding in the same manner as this man when people question the direction of our faith.

I remember when I told my family that I had been born-again my younger brother told me it was Satan that gave me the experience. Not being able to nail the whole situation down they came back to him saying:

26 What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes? Like any good attorneys they repeatedly asked the man how the Lord had healed him and in my opinion it was to produce some sort of contradiction in his story.

The Man's Firm Answer

But the man has been equipped . . . by God . . . for this confrontation and his response is one of my favorite in scripture. (In verse 27 he says)

27 “I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also

Standing Up to Religious Authority

I mean, forget about it! Just hours before this man was sitting there begging for life’s provision. And now he’s standing before a group of the most powerful religious men on earth (who apparently did nothing to help his plight when blind) and he boldly, fearlessly comes right into their kitchen.

“Tell us again h,h,h,h,how you were healed?”
“I have told you already,” he says,”and you did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?”
(beat)

I mean try and imagine how this man has been prepared for this moment in time—a life on the street as a blind beggar at a period of time when life is ROUGH. Right along with farmers and their reliance on God for rain I can’t imagine any people group more reliant on God than the blind. And after all these years of living in the dark Jesus walks by, stops, touches him, and tells him to go and wash—and he comes back seeing!

Fearlessness and Faithfulness

What a fearless life this man is now equipped to live—fearless and faithful to the living God. So faithful, so fearless he was able to take these religious rulers queries and throw them right back into their washed faces. Well, his response was not received all too well (as you might imagine) (verse 28).

28 Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples.

Because the man re-directed the question back to them they assumed that he was now once of his disciples. It’s ironic because the man didn’t even know who Jesus was at this point but it goes to show how irrational and petty and dogmatic people can become when they have taken a side. Angered they reviled him, and said he was one of his disciples, inferring that because they were the disciples of Moses (who gave them the Law) he was the disciple of a lawless one, one who was a Sabbath-breaker.

In other words it’s as if they are saying, “We acknowledge the authority of the law of Moses and as a follower of this man, you are the disciple of a Sabbath breaker.

29 We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.

Of course Moses had given them the law, in this they were correct. But when the King James reads, “But as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is,” there is a better reading available. All the oldest mss say is “this.” Not as for this fellow, just this. So really they were saying: “We know that God spake to Moses, “THIS” (like an old tshirt) “This we know not where He came from.” In other words they were contemptuous of him in their speech. (verse 30)

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.

The way the King James puts it is misleading. What the man actually does is throw down some more sarcasm on the men, and says (instead of)

“Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.”

But . . .
“Isn’t this amazing! Really amazing! You don’t even know where he comes from and He has opened my eyes!”

Divine Irony

They must have been incensed at this point as this, this beggar apparently had no respect or fear for their piety and position. And he continues (verse 31) saying

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.

What the man is saying is when it comes to doing miracles, or calling down the power of God from on high, in their tradition, God didn’t grant miracles to the sinful. Traditionally, he responded to holy men, men like Moses and Isaiah and Daniel and Joseph—not sinful men. So the man is essentially saying,

“In our history we know that God typically has not responded to sinful men when he has worked a miracle.”

“But,” he adds, “it seems to me, when I look at how God has worked miracles, he does them through men who worship Him, and do His will—these are the types of men God hears (or to whom he responds).”

You say that the man who healed me is a sinner, but when it comes to miracles I don’t recall God doing them through sinful, godless, willful disobedient to the

John 9:32-34: A Testimony of Courage and Faith

Since the world began (!) was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. Look at the logic of this man. Look at the bravery and the retort! We don’t know of any training but he is standing before the greatest legal and law-bound minds of the day and really what he is telling them is:

You wonder about the identity of the man who healed me and you say He is a sinner. You also claim that you are followers of Moses but Moses (nor any of the prophets after have ever given sight to a man born blind!) And he then provides them with a summary that is in exact opposition of what they have ordered, saying:

Opposition and Rejection

33 If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.

And now we come to yet another fact about choosing to follow the light – it ends in NOT the acceptance of the powers that be, but in the rejection. Powers – whether principalities of darkness, or in high places, or in high political office, or religious empires – depend on people remaining in the dark. I’m sorry, I know this sounds very 1894ish but it is proven time and time again. Once someone, like our man born-blind has their eyes opened, and begin to question, and challenge, and resist – the hammer falls.

Because He did it with such boldness, they came back and strongly,

34 They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.

You who was actually cursed by God at birth, you who was born in sin because of the acts of your parents (or yourself, they believe) was all together (fully and completely born in sins – so much so you were born blind) and now you teach us! How dare you! And the end result? They cast Him out.

Most scholars believe this is not speaking of physically removing him from their presence (which it could have included) but they cast him out from the synagogue – excommunicated him. Out of the synagogue. Out of an ability to buy and sell. Out of the companionship and community of which he had been a part.

A courageous soul. A man of deep integrity, a man, having received such a gift from God refused to play along with anything that thrived in darkness. That permitted obfuscation. That smacked of man. He had had an invitation from God – a blessing, God’s grace fall upon his blighted life. And he was not about to recant because some suits demanded it.

The Light and Resistance

What a message . . . And quite applicable in our day and age because it doesn’t really matter what area we are talking about, when we have been gifted with vision, insight, and the light comes on, there will be those who resist what we have come to discover. It’s just too threatening to them. To disconcerting. And you’ll find yourself cast out.

Let’s wrap today up with a few extra verses – 35-38 – because they play a tremendous role in the whole story. Yes, the man had been cast out. He had sought the light, was blessed and refused to turn on the source that healed Him. And yet he remained unaware of who the man was.

You see, the man born blind gaining his sight was not a picture for being saved. It’s symbolic of how God is working on all people to first see so they can then choose to believe on His Son. What the man experienced is typified when God spirit whispers to unbelievers that He is in the stars. It’s there when Christian’s share the truth with those who have yet to receive the Lord. It’s present every time someone willingly allows themselves to turn from lives in the dark and pursues the light.

So pervasive is the blindness in this world that scripture instructs believers to pray that others may have eyes to see, and ears to hear. Back when our oldest daughter was blinded by the world I cannot tell you how many people would write or tell me face to face that she would see and hear. This was their prayer. We can share and deliver all manner of information – which may help to enlighten blind eyes, but in the end the opening of the eyes has to come BEFORE a person can come to know the identity of Christ.

Blind men cannot receive that which they do not.

Encounter with Jesus

So Jesus first healed his sight, introduced Him to the light, and gave Him the ability to first discern truth from error. Once equipped, the man made choices to continue to pursue the light – and paid dearly for it, losing his community completely. Look at what happens next – another act of unsolicited grace. Ready?

(Verse 35 says that when) “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?” Again, the cycle of God reaching and man choosing to receive is once again presented – this time unto salvation. We see that the man has suffered for stepping forward and speaking truth, and yet at this point he was still unaware of Jesus' true identity. We also see that when Jesus heard that the man was suffering, Jesus came to Him, and the man was now ready to make the ultimate choice – one of life eternal. So Jesus asks the man, “Do you believe on the Son of God?”

36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?

Remember, the man had not yet even laid eyes on Jesus at this point. He was told to go and was and gaining his sight at this point Jesus was gone. So the Lord, hearing of the man who was suffering for his cause and didn’t even know it, searched him out, and upon finding Him asks if the man believes on “the Son of God.” If I am not mistaken, Jesus only refers to himself as the Son of God three times in all of the Gospels and this is one of them. The whole story of the man born blind shows a desire on the man's part to hear God and I think Jesus knew he was one upon whom he could use the title. The man responds, saying, “Who is He Lord,” (which does not mean Lord (as in God) but more like Sir”) Who is He Sir, that I may believe?

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.

Insight into Faith

Did you see what happened there, my friends. The man was given sight – physical sight. But it was the miracle wrought, the goodness of God – that allowed the man to really see. You see, while he had been healed physically, he was, out of deep gratitude, able and desiring to really see eternal things. By and through the miracle, the man’s heart was prepped and made right. And so Jesus walks up apparently out of nowhere and asks this man a question. He does NOT tell the man he is the one who healed Him physically. He does not give Him a big schpeel. He simply asks the man if He believes on the Son of God? And the man replies who is He that I may believe?”

Spiritual Vision

All Jesus says is, “Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.” The Greek word for physically see is blepo. When Jesus says, thou hast seen him,” it is not blepo but ho-rah-o, which means perceived, understood, mentally and physically. The man was born of the Spirit, for flesh and blood did not reveal it to him . . . even though for the first time in his life he was able to physically see. And upon this spiritual conversion, upon discerning the Son of God, what was the man’s response? The response all have when they genuinely perceive the presence of God by the spirit –

“He said Lord, “I believe. And he worshipped Him.” And the Lord, as God, received it and forbade him not.

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