Primary Text: John 9:1-41
Memory Verse: Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:3-5
Introduction:
Jesus performed miracles in order to meet men’s needs. Those miracles were the vehicle He used to get the attention of the people so that He could deliver His message and convey to them spiritual truth. His miracles were His credentials to prove that He was indeed the Messiah.
The healing of the blind man was just such a Messianic miracle. In it we see the demonstration of the power and authority I granted to Jesus by His Father. Jesus made it clear that the man was blind, not because he had sinned nor his parents, but that God might be glorified. In creating the miracle, Jesus showed the manifestation of God’s power in Him and that His duty was to do the work of God, who sent Him.
Jesus also used this miracle to teach the truth about spiritual blindness. Jesus had healed a man born blind. To the Pharisees’ knowledge, this had never happened before. Yet, even in the face of mounting evidence, they refused to acknowledge the facts.
Jesus was the Light of the world. The only people who could not see the light were those who were blind and those who refused to look. The Pharisees had good physical vision, but they were spiritually blinded. Their pride, self-righteousness, traditions, and false interpretations of the Word of God had blinded them to the truth of who Jesus was. The only thing they could see was the change in the blind man. They couldn’t deny that he had been healed. Yet, when they examined the evidence, they were unable to see clearly.
The blind man, however, saw clearly—both in the physical sense and in the spiritual. He realized that this man was surely the Son of God. He found more help for his condition in his fellowship with Jesus than he ever had from the religious leaders. Even though it came at a great price (excommunication), he made a choice and declared his faith in Jesus, the Christ.
Studying the Word
Lesson Study
- Why did the disciples ask Jesus whose fault it was that the man was blind? John 9:1-2.
- What reason did Jesus give as to why the man was blind? John 9:3.
- What is John trying to emphasize about Jesus’s purpose on earth? John 9:4-5 1:4; 12:35.
- What division did the Pharisees face that has been faced by others concerning Jesus’s identity? John 9:16-17; Matthew 16:15-16; 22:41-43.
- What human failing did the parents show in not defending Jesus? John 9:20-22; Proverbs 29:25; Jeremiah 1:8.
- Why is it important to be able to confess our faith? John 9:30-32; Luke 12:8; 1 John 2:23.
- What did the blind man’s healing miracle testify to? John 9:33; 6:69.
- What spiritual condition keeps us from seeing our sinful nature? Ephesians 4:18; 1 John 2:11; Micah 4:12.