The Light of the World Opens the Eyes of the Blind (John 9)
John 9 is still connected to the Feast of Booths thematically. A large chunk of the Gospel of John follows Jewish Festivals, so this is no surprise. So, even though this is months after the Feast Jesus again proclaims Himself to be the Light of the World.
And here we see that the Light of the World opens the eyes of the blind.
This event is, in my opinion, one of the most entertaining passages of Scripture to read and to think through. And it opens with the miracle of a blind man being made to see.
He must have been a well known beggar. They must have seen him over and over because the disciples knew that he had been blind since birth (John 9:2). This began a discourse that is still not uncommon in our day. The people tried to figure out why the blind man was blind.
Most people believed that maladies such as blindness were caused by sin. But how could it be sin if he was born blind? Could it have been his parents, the disciples ask. But Jesus destroys the entire premise.
“Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” (John 9:3 ESV)
He wasn’t born blind due to sin. He was born blind so that God could be glorified in His life in a way that He wouldn’t be otherwise.
And then Jesus said,
“We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:4-5 ESV)
Jesus would not be in the world forever. And as long as He was, there was work to do. He is the Light of the World, a fact Jesus proclaimed around the time of the Light Ceremony at the Feast of Booths a few months ago.
And then Jesus healed the man, in a peculiar way. Jesus spit on the ground, made mud out of it and rubbed it on the man’s eyes (John 9:6). And in a command reminiscent of the healing of Naaman, Jesus told him to go “wash in the pool of Siloam” (John 9:7). The man washed in the pool and was able to see.
We are not sure why Jesus decided to heal by spitting on the ground and making mud out of it. In the over 2,000 years since this has happened a lot of people have made guesses. But there is a fact here that is not ambiguous and it is the pool he was commanded to wash in. The name of the pool means “sent”. And it is the same pool that the water for the water ceremony is drawn from in the mornings of the Feast of Booths.
Everyone noticed that this lifelong blind man had been healed. Remember, if you were unable to work you begged along with other people like you. That’s how people like the blind man survived. And if this man had been blind since birth, he had likely been begging for a long time. This was a lot of time for people to know who he was and what he looked like. It caused a stir as folks asked “is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” (John 9:8 ESV) And an argument ensued as to whether or not this was, in fact, the same man.
And repeatedly he had to tell everyone that it was him. (John 9:9) Remember this, because this man’s frustration with those around him grows throughout the rest of this chapter. This seems to be the first of his annoyances.
I can picture this because we have people that ask for money in Conway, Arkansas. And sometimes it’s the same folks. You know what these people look like because you’ve seen them so regularly. Now imagine a person that has a life altering health issue like blindness. Would you remember that person?
Life was slower then as well. They didn’t drive by people, they walked by them. They probably saw this man as they walked into the Temple for worship. Of course it caused a stir. Of course, people asked questions.
And as people asked him question after question about his new sight the man told them it was Jesus that opened his eyes (John 9:10). They asked where Jesus was and he could not answer.
I assume that Jesus left while the man was still blind. The man never saw Jesus, but knew that it was Jesus who had healed him.
The man has now testified to the miracle that gave him his sight back. And so, the people took him to the Pharisees (John 9:13). And now in the middle of the ordeal, John tells us that Jesus healed this man on the Sabbath. Oh boy, we’ve been through this before (John 9:14). But really, they overlook this for the most part.
So, they began to interrogate the man about his sight. And again, he rehearsed the story. “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” (John 9:15) And here a fight broke out. Some believed Jesus was a sinner because He didn’t keep the Sabbath while others couldn’t understand how a sinner could do such signs (John 9:16).
The two groups could not agree so they asked the man to weigh in. “He is a prophet”, the man said (John 9:17).
Things are getting a bit humorous at this point. The Pharisees begin to wonder if the man was ever really blind so they call in his parents. And they testify that their son was born blind (John 9:20). But they refuse to answer how he now sees. In fact, they say, “he is of age. He wills peak for himself.” (John 9:21) The reason for this answer was not that they didn’t know. The reason for this answer is that they didn’t want to be excommunicated (John 9:22).
And now, the once blind man is brought forth to testify….again (John 9:24). The Pharisees insist that the man Jesus healed call Jesus a sinner. But he doesn’t do that. He said,
“Whether He is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” (John 9:25 ESV)
Remember, all the man knew was that Jesus wiped mud in his eyes and told him to wash it out and now he can see. He knows Jesus healed him.
And the Pharisees…again…ask how it happened.
This is where the man’s irritation is beginning to reach a high point.
“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?”” (John 9:27 ESV)
He must’ve been very irritated at this point. I’ve already told you but you don’t listen. Do you want to hear this story over and over and become His disciples?
What a response? What frustration!
But for me, this is completely understandable. I’d be frustrated too if the folks in charge kept dragging me in to ask me the same questions over and over.
And in turn, the Pharisees got angry and claimed to be disciples of Moses. Oh, they also mocked him for being a disciple of Jesus (John 9:28).
The Pharisees now begin to get into an argument with the man born blind. I want you to consider for a moment that they’ve had repeated arguments with Jesus about who Jesus is. Having not come out on top in any of those discussion, they now begin to fight and argue with the man Jesus healed. And his irritation just keeps growing.
When the Pharisees say that they do not know where Jesus came from, he responds,
“Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes.” (John 9:30 ESV)
You should be laughing out loud at this point. What he says here is akin to, “I thought I was the blind one, but you are the people that can’t see.” And he continues,
“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. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”” (John 9:31-33 ESV)
The Pharisees incredulous response is laughable. They are the ones that drug him into this controversy. They are the ones that decided to pick a fight with this man that’s only been able to see for a short time. But they responded with the most hate filled response they could muster.
“You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out?” (John 9:34 ESV)
Remember back to the beginning of this chapter. The disciples were trying to figure out who sinned to make him blind. And the Pharisees cruelly mock his former blindness, call it a judgment from God, and cast him out into the street.
Jesus heard what had happened. In compassion, He sought out the man that had been born blind, healed, faced the mob, and testified to the miracle of Jesus and claimed Jesus was a prophet. Jesus sought out the man that was cast out of the Temple and asked, “do you believe in the Son of Man” (John 9:35)
The Son of Man, as we’ve discussed in previous sermons is not just a statement about Jesus being human. It is much more than that. The Son of Man is from Daniel 7. He receives eternal dominion. He is the One who was to come. And Jesus looks at the blind man, who can now see Him and asks “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”.
The man looks at Jesus and asks who the Son of Man is, so that he can believe. And Jesus says, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” (John 9:37 ESV) He saw Jesus and believed. Then he worshipped the Lord.
Jesus is the Light of the World
When I was in New Testament class my professor introduced me to something interesting and eye opening with regard to interpreting the gospels. It is the concept of enacted parables.
An enacted parable are also found in the Old Testament, this is true. But I learned about them in New Testament class in seminary. An enacted parable is an action that really happened that is meant to teach something. This miracle is an enacted parable. Jesus healed a person to teach that He is the Light of the World and what that means.
This is why Jesus announced that He was the Light of the World before opening the blind man’s eyes. This would illustrate to the disciples and others exactly what that means. And it stands for us today as a testament to what we mean when we say that Jesus is the Light of the World.
And the Light would not remain in the world for long. He came into the world when God the Son was born of the Virgin Mary. We celebrate the Light coming into the world every Christmas. He lived on Earth, performed many miracles including this one, taught the Word of God, and then died on the cross as the punishment for sin. Three days later, He rose from the grave. The Light wasn’t on Earth for very long. But He was here and while He was here, He had work to do.
According to the Book of Ephesians we were: without hope and without God in the world; dead in our trespasses and sins; and children of wrath. Look around and you see the truth of that everywhere. Look at yourself, and your life apart from Christ and it becomes evident.
It has been said that the most easily provable doctrine of Scripture is that of original sin. And it’s because we can see it everywhere and we can see it in us.
We don’t have to teach our children how to misbehave. As parents you know that. You’re going to spend a lot of time teaching them to behave as they ought.
You have cravings and impulses that you shouldn’t have. Those didn’t have to be trained into you. But they do have to be beaten out of you.
You didn’t have to be taught to rebel against God. You did that quite naturally. But you did have to have the supernatural work of God in your life to desire righteousness.
Our country’s Constitution was written in a way that takes this into account and so is successful. Our Founders wrote the Constitution with a system of checks and balances because people are sinners and corrupt. They argued that if men were angels this would not be necessary, but because they most certainly are not they must be checked.
We know this. We know that we are a fallen race that lives in darkness. And the Light has come, Jesus Christ. God the Son entered the world and brought Light into the darkness. That light entered this lost and dying world and preached the truth, healed people, performed many miracles, and testified to the salvation that He would bring. The Light has come and has brought salvation for sinners.
The Light of the World Brings Salvation (John 9:35-38)
When Jesus came to the man after his being thrown out of the Temple, it was out of compassion for him. This man had been harassed, mocked, and cast out of the Temple. And Jesus approached the man with the good news. “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” (John 9:35)
God the Son took on human flesh and dwelt among us. He lived a perfect life and died on the cross as the punishment for sin. And rose from the grave three days later. He is the long promised, long-awaited Son of Man from Daniel 7. And He has offered up Himself for the salvation of sinners.
The Light has come and accomplished redemption for lost sinners. The Light has come and delivered salvation for those lost in sin.
The world is filled with blind people, groping in the darkness.
Look around, they are everywhere. Just like this man, who had no hope lest the Savior show up and change everything. That is what we were. We were like sheep that had gone astray. We were wandering in the wilderness with no hope and without God in the world. But Christ came and brought salvation.
Turn to Him, the Light of the World. Trust in Him, the Savior.
And so we proclaim the glorious grace of Jesus Christ.
We tell our children.
We tell our family.
We tell our neighbors.
We speak of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ far and wide, for the Light of the World has come and He has brought salvation.
The Light of the World Brings Judgment
The first judgment Jesus brought was not out and out judgment that will one day take place. It was judgment brought simply by His being here. He was the light and by His presence, revealed to everyone what was darkness. It’s a judgment that we see even today.
Look around and the mere presence of Jesus reveals what is bleak and dark. It reveals a lost world that doesn’t know which end is up.
Look around and you’ll see women that don’t know what to prioritize in life and so they’re unhappy. You’ll see men that can’t figure out how to spend their energies and so they’re unhappy. You’ll see parents that don’t know what to prioritize when raising their children, so they’re miserable. You’ll see people that don’t understand what it means to walk in the Light, so they’re unhappy. But that doesn’t mean that they will walk into the Light, nor does it mean that they understand their pitiful plight.
Sometimes the blind know that they’re blind. Other times the blind think that they can see.
Illustration: I still remember the first time I put a pair of glasses on. I spent the next few hours just looking at things. Going in, I didn’t think that I needed glasses. Coming out, I realized that I had needed them for a long time.
Lost and dead in their sins, it is often the case that the blind don’t know that they are blind. God must work in a person for them to understand that they are blind. But those who know they are blind, come to the Savior and are healed. If they think they can see, then they will not come to the Savior and find healing. Because they claim to be able to see, their guilt remains (John 9:41).
I used to watch Ray Comfort’s evangelism some. I even took students through the Way of the Master evangelism course. And this is one of the strongest parts of that evangelism method. It’s Law to the proud and grace to the humble. And this is the reason for it.
If you think you can see…if you think you’re well… then you will not seek the Savior. Christ is only judgment to you at that point.
When a person is broken and knows they are in need of a Savior, then they will trust in Christ and receive that salvation.
Imagine two people go to the doctor. One knows they are sick and the other does not. One person has been on some fad diet that has promised complete health at the end of it and they’ve bought into this completely. That person believes their self to be well. They think they can see better than anyone.
The person that knows that they are sick will accept the diagnosis from the doctor. The person that whole heartedly believes they are well will not. And their hard hearted “seeing” will cause illness and possibly even death to fall upon them.
Because they said that they see better than the doctor did, they are really blind.
And we see this often today. How often do people, when confronted with the realization of their sinfulness and coming judgment just sluff it all off? How often do people look into the Law of God and say, “I’m good enough. I’m smart enough. And doggone it, people like me.” Rather than seeing the truth that they fall short and have earned God’s judgment.
Because they believe they can see, they are blind.
Conclusion
God the Son took on human flesh and dwelt among us. The Light has come. And He has accomplished salvation.
If you are here today and see your need for the Savior, then come to Him. Trust in Him. If you are blind and know you are blind, then there is hope for you. Cast yourself upon Christ and you will find salvation for your soul.
If you are here today and think that you are well, then you are in the same boat as the Pharisees. You are lost and judged a sinner before God. Because you think you are well and think you don’t need Christ, you stand judged and condemned before God.
Your only hope is in Jesus Christ.