Sunday: Healing the Blind Man — John 9:1-7
Many people in the times of Jesus assumed that sickness and disease was caused by sin. A rabbinic saying from the period said, “There is no death without sin and no suffering without iniquity.” Because they were familiar with this philosophy the disciples want to know whose fault it was that a man had been born blind. Jesus responded that it was no one’s “fault,” but that the man was blind so that God could be glorified. This reference shows that our attempts to determine the source of suffering can be futile, at best. Instead of trying to assign blame, we should look for how God’s love and mercy can be revealed in the circumstance.
Monday: Reaction of the Neighbors — John 9:8-12
The people who had known the blind man had been blind since birth were amazed at the miracle. They knew that this man had truly been blind. They were witnesses to his infirmity. Now they had become witnesses to his transformation. Immediately they wanted to know where the man was, who could have done such a thing. Although the healing revealed Jesus as the Messiah, even the man who was healed didn’t seem to fully understand the significance of what had taken place.
Tuesday: Pharisees Question — John 9:13-17; Luke 13:10-17
By healing the man, Jesus had broken several Sabbath rules. He healed a man who wasn’t in life-threatening danger. He “kneaded” dirt into clay. He “painted” the eyes of the man with the clay, and He instructed the man to walk to Siloam pool, which was more than 1000 yards away. All these actions were violations of the rabbinic laws of the Sabbath. This angered the Pharisees, but Jesus knew that they missed the point that He was Lord of the Sabbath!
Wednesday: Parents Fear Persecution — John 9:18-23
The Pharisees rejected the assertion that Jesus was a prophet and decided to investigate. They called in the parents. The parents verified that their son had been born blind, but they wouldn’t comment on how their son had regained his sight. They told the Pharisees to go ask him themselves. The parents understood that more was being asked of them than just how their son had been healed and they were not willing to jeopardize their status to defend Jesus.
Thursday: Confession of Faith — John 9:24-34
The Pharisees were in a quandary and made the man tell his testimony again. The fact of the miracle indicated that Jesus must be sent from God, since He had the power to heal. Yet, Sabbath laws were broken. The man testified that the miracle never could have happened unless God was behind it. His confession showed that in his heart he had made a faith commitment to Jesus Christ and his words declared that faith.
Friday: Jesus Identifies Himself — John 9:35-38
Jesus sought out the man and presented Him with an invitation to believe on the Son of God. The man immediately responded with faith, “Lord, I believe.” The spiritual growth of the healed man shows the basic progression of a maturing disciple. He moved from simple knowledge of Jesus, to understanding that Jesus’s power must have come from God, to total belief that Jesus was the Son of God.
Saturday: Spiritual Blindness — John 9:39-41
Jesus used this healing of physical blindness to contrast the Pharisees situation of spiritual blindness. Jesus said that His presence brought the light of judgment and in some cases that light brings salvation. But where hearts are hardened, they reject the light.