Bible Men - John 9: The Man Born Blind

The Man Born Blind – John 9

The man born blind has an important distinction in the bible.  Unlike Bartimaeus or Nicodemus, or others that we read of, he did not come to the Lord Jesus or cry out for him, but the Lord Jesus came to him, and the man born blind was used by the Lord Jesus in a mighty way.  This healing is only in the book of John, which is the gospel that proclaims the deity of the Lord Jesus.

One day, as Jesus passed by with his disciples, he saw a man blind from his birth, and the question arose from his disciples regarding who caused his blindness? V2 “And his disciples asked him saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?”  An interesting question, for how could one sin in the womb so that he would be born blind?  But Jesus answered them V3-5 "Neither hath 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: the night cometh, when no man can work.  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

The bible says in Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" and all are in darkness, but the Lord Jesus is the light of the world - and we are to come out of darkness and into the light by believing the gospel, and receiving the Lord Jesus as our Saviour. Jesus chose to manifest his power over this man's blindness on the sabbath day, the Jews holy day, showing that he was Lord over the sabbath.

And thus speaking, Jesus V6-7 "…….spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay”  Bartimaeus called out to the Lord Jesus to heal him, and Jesus only spoke the word and Bartimaeus could see.  But in this case the blind man's eyes were covered with clay made by the Lord Jesus and lovingly placed on his eyes.  This was to require an act of obedience from the man.  He was told to "go, wash in the pool of Siloam"  he was to go to a particular place for a particular action. The man born blind went, and washed, and "came seeing".  After this, the man born blind becomes a witness for Jesus.

 

Of course, the neighbours that had seen him blind and begging saw, and wondered if this was in fact the same person that "sat and begged"   V9 “Some said this is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.”  He did not hide the fact that he was the blind man who was now able to see.

The question is asked of him  V10 "How were thine eyes opened"  and the time comes to the man born blind that comes to everyone who has been saved by grace.  The time to confess the Lord Jesus..  The man born blind told the truth, naming the Lord Jesus. V11 "A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight."

V12 “Then said they unto him, Where is he?  He said, I know not”  for after all, he was blind when Jesus sent him to the pool of Siloam to wash, and he had not seen Jesus since his return, and yet he was a witness of what Jesus had done for him.  Are you a witness of what Jesus has done for you?

Next  V15-17 he was taken to the Pharisees and questioned again and this was on the Sabbath day. and again he told them what had been done to him V15 “He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.” .  But the Pharisees, knowing it was the sabbath day that the man was healed, were of two minds.  Some said that V16 "this man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day."  while others said "How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles?" And there was a division   Some believed that the law should be honoured, while some others wondered how Jesus, whom they supposed to be a sinner, could do miracles.

The Pharisees again question the man born blind V17  “They say unto the blind man again, what sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes?  He said, He is a prophet.” At this point the man born blind thought that Jesus was a prophet .  But the Jews, in their unbelief, would not even believe that the man was ever blind, and called the man's parents. V19-20 “And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind?  How then doth he now see.?  His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our so: and that he was born blind:  They acknowledged that this man was their son, and that he had been born blind, but they would not offer anything as to who healed him. V21-22 “But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself. 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.” Sadly, the parents chose to stay in the synagogue, and say only what was necessary regarding their son. They used the excuse thus letting themselves off the hook, as it were. But in doing this, they denied the Lord Jesus.

And so the Pharisees demand that the man born blind V24  "Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner" and as such, require the man born blind to deny the healing power of the Lord Jesus and obey them instead.  This was the time for a great decision, would he tell the truth and confirm the power of Jesus? or would he do as the Pharisees requested of him and deny the Lord Jesus?

With boldness he answered them V25 "Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see”, and we must remember that up to this point, the man had not seen the Lord Jesus, he had only heard his voice and obeyed his command to go and wash.

And when he was asked how he was healed he spoke boldly again V27-28 "I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? Will ye also be his disciples?"  A very difficult question to ask the Pharisees, if they heard the truth that Jesus healed him, would they believe on Him?  And so they were angry at him, and said "Thou art his disciple, but we are Moses' disciples.  We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is." Their eyes were blinded.  John 12:40 “he hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted,…….”

Again the man born blind speaks boldly  V30-33 "Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is. and yet he hath opened mine eyes.  Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.  Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind?  If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.”

In speaking these words, the man confesses his belief that Jesus is of God.  The Pharisees now answer the man in an angry manner V34 “Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.” Now he is out of the synagogue, and away from the law.  And lovingly Jesus goes to him.  This is such a beautiful part of God's holy word.  Let the bible speak:

V35-38 "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?"  He answered and said "Who is he Lord that I might believe on him?"  And Jesus said unto him, "Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee."  And he said, Lord, I believe.  And he worshipped him."

So very beautiful.  He believes and now not only his physical eyes are opened, but his heart is opened  too, and he is saved..   And he worships Jesus, just as we do upon salvation, when we have believed on Jesus and received him by grace through faith.  He is the King of Kings, Lord of Lords

In V39 Jesus explains to the man why he has come into the world:  “For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.”

V40 "Some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, "Are we blind also?"  To which Jesus answered V41 “If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth”  Proverbs 12:15 “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.  Proverbs 21:2 “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.”. 

The name of the man born blind is never given, for that is not important.  It is the miracle that Jesus performed to show forth the glory of God. It is  the man’s obedience in going to the pool of Siloam, his boldness in standing before the Pharisees, and his believing in Jesus and worshipping him that are more important.

Have you believed the gospel and received the Lord Jesus?  If persecution comes, will you be bold to stand for your faith as the man born blind did?

vcg/August 2015