John 9 – Penuel Baptist Chapel, Roch

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John 9

This wonderful, dramatic account reminds us that the gospel of Jesus Christ calls us to a new life. Here is a man born blind, who, as a result of Jesus’ intervention, can now see. He is repeatedly referred to as the man who was born blind. The point is made, he is no longer blind – there is a radical transformation.

As we read this passage, we see that all is not well for this man as a result of what Jesus has done in his life. We can see a problem, difficulties. The two themes of Christ’s blessing and the challenge of living in the light of that, is a major theme in this chapter.

At the heart of the Christian gospel is the invitation for you and me to say, ‘Jesus is Lord.’ Against the backdrop of the New Testament, of the Roman Empire, there was huge pressure for people to say that Caesar was lord, to acknowledge him as the name above all names. The Christian gospel calls us not to acknowledge men but to acknowledge Christ, who is both God and Man. The phrase, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ is the reminder that we have come to Him in faith. We no longer live our lives serving Caesar, we say, ‘Jesus is Lord’.

In John’s gospel we see a lot of hostility towards Jesus (John 7:1, 19, 25). Chapter 8 ends with an assassination attempt. In Chapter 7 we see an attempt to physically arrest Jesus. Twice we’re told He is under official surveillance. In John’s gospel there is growing hostility towards Jesus. There is also increasing opposition to His teaching (7:15). List of all, we are told in chapters 7 and chapters 8 people say He is demon-possessed, that He is not the Christ.

Why was there such hostility towards Jesus, the friend of sinners? The great reason is His clear claim to be the Messiah. The religious authorities reject this. There is a long war against Jesus. When Paul writes to the Corinthians, in chapter 1 he reminds people, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18). He goes on to say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” (1 Corinthians 1:19). The message of the gospel does that – it challenges, destroys the preconceptions that we have as human beings, about the world, life, ourselves, God. The gospel comes as an intrusion into that. Just as Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah is a massive intrusion into the established Jewish thinking of His day.

As we come to this chapter, we see Jesus responding to the need in this man’s life in a remarkable way. We see that this story is in four parts:

The healing by Jesus
The response of the neighbours
Interrogation by the Pharisees
The follow-up by our Lord and Saviour of this man.

It is a very moving account.

The healing by Jesus (v1-7)
This man has only ever known blindness. The disciples, when they see him, ask a curious question, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (v.2). The assumption is he is blind because someone has sinned. But Jesus’ response tells them, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.” (v3.). Jesus then heals him. It is rather dramatic. The blind man is a new man. He is transformed, suddenly and wonderfully.

The reaction of the neighbours (v8-12).
We see a very human response. They struggled to make sense of it. A conversation goes on. People ask, “How were your eyes opened?” (v.10). How is it that they saw him shuffling down the road that morning, blind, bow he sees?

Interrogation by the Pharisees.
This leads to the interrogation by the Pharisees. It’s unpleasant. The evidence appears compelling (v.15). But then we see the healing is denied. The Pharisees were divided amongst themselves. A consensus happens – they refused to accept Jesus of Nazareth had power to do these things. (v.16). They thought there must be another explanation (v18) and thought the man had not been blind and received his sight.

They then called for his parents. Maybe they had rejected him after birth (v.20). The parents do not rejoice that they a son has now received his sight; they just want to get away from the Pharisees. They were afraid of the religious authorities (v.22). The man is not only interrogated by the Pharisees and surrounded by the confusion of his neighbours, he is effectively rejected by his parents and finds himself in a very bleak situation.

When you pull these reactions together you see a pattern of what we often see from people when we seek to bring the news of Christ to them. When we seek to share the gospel, people may be confused. We may experience hostility from some. We may even experience rejection from some.

The fourth movement in this account is most wonderful and glorious. Jesus has been present at the beginning of the chapter. He heals the man then seems to disappear. It’s all about the man, his neighbours, the Pharisees and his parents. That’s the bulk of this chapter – until we read in verse 35 that the man had been thrown out of the synagogue. Being thrown out of the synagogue was a really serious thing, effectively becoming an outcast in the whole community. You are regarded as being unrighteous, a pariah. People would not have wanted to have had anything to do with you at all. You were little better than a leper. This man could see, but now he is incredibly lonely and facing the full rejection of the whole community.

Against that backdrop we read, “Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” (John 9:35). The phrase, ‘The Son of Man’ is an important one. It’s a phrase that has it roots in the Old Testament, particularly in the book of Daniel. One of the visions that Daniel sees is of Christ, the second person of the Godhead, in all His glory and He is referred to as looking like a son of man. When Jesus uses that phrase, He is using it in a theological way to speak of Himself as being the Messiah.

“Do you believe in the Son of Man?” What could make all the rejection that this man had gone through, worth it? The man expresses his ignorance (v.36). Jesus draws attention to Himself (v.37). The man came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (v.38).

What difference should this passage make to you and me? We see the centrality of Jesus. He is central to the blind man, to the neighbours, to the Pharisees, to us. When God is at work, Christ is always central. The Son was sent to do the will of the Father. In all the works of God that go on in the world, Jesus Christ is always at the centre. It is He who answers the disciples’ question about blindness. It is He who calls Himself the Light of the World (v.4). It reminds us that as long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who was sent. Jesus Christ is the centre of the purposes of God, who sent Him into the world with the fullness of the Spirit. It is Jesus who is the centre of everything.

In the church, in all that we do and in all that we seek to do, particularly in our relationship with the unbelieving world around us, we need to make sure that Jesus Christ is the centre of everything. Not just the centre in our praying and in the acknowledgement of the need of God’s blessing upon what we do, but to be the centre of all that we do. When we have opportunities to speak to people about our faith, we need to make sure they hear of Jesus Christ – why He came and what He’s done. We need to point people to Jesus Christ, the one who transforms life.

As well as the centrality of Jesus, we see the power of Jesus. If we would see life and growth in the church, if we would see change and impact into the communities around us, it will be because the focus is on Jesus – for that is where the power is. The power is the power of the Holy Spirit whose great passion is to glorify the Son

The healing of the blind man is utterly supernatural. This reminds us of the radical nature of Biblical Christianity. Paul says the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but power. “For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.” (1 Corinthians 4:20). That power is seen in bringing people out of the wisdom of this world to faith in Jesus Christ.

The message we have is proclaim Jesus Christ, who has been raised from the dead. It is ultimately a message of power. Coming to an awareness of the reality of sin is not natural. We need the power of God to do that. What can convince neighbours, friends, you, that you’re a Sinner? The power of God. The church is confident is always in the Holy Spirit. How can we imagine the community of Roch being saved? Humanly speaking, it can’t. But the church rests on the power of God, the power of the Holy Spirit, the power of the gospel. This is why we need a big vision. We must never be comfortable with the way things are.

We see power most clearly in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Christian’s life, having come to see and know Christ, is to be lived for the glory of God. “Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.” (v.3). To many, this statement is offensive to modern thinking. Why? Jesus is saying, ‘This man was born blind that one day the glory of god might be seen in his life.’ This is seen through his healing. It is being seen now as we recount these words 2,000 years later.

Our lives are to be lived for the glory of God. What is the glory of God? The glory of God is God being God – God doing what only God can do. God acting in ways that only He can act. This is to be seen in your life and in my life as Christians. This is why we are called to live now according to the word of God. We are to live lives which show the fruit of the Spirit. We are to live sacrificially, loving our enemies. We live following Jesus Christ, being more and more like Jesus Christ.

This passage ends on a most wonderful moment. The man who was being rejected by his parents, the religious leaders and confused neighbours, ends with the compassion of Christ. With almost total rejection, Jesus finds him and, in His hum humanity, Jesus didn’t know where he was. He looked for him and went to him in love and compassion. The question, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ Jesus is asking, ‘Was it all worth it?’

The answer is ultimately new life in Jesus Christ. He saw. His understanding was opened. Jesus tells him He is the Son of Man, the Messiah, Christ, and to worship Him, trust Him and come to Him.

Whatever might be the consequences for us living for Christ in this world, of acknowledging His centrality, His uniqueness, wherever His power may take us, He is always compassionate towards His people.

Ian Jones-May18 John 9

This chapter is a continuation of chapter 8. In the last verses of chapter 8 Jesus was about to be stoned. Here, in chapter 9, at the temple gates sat a blind man begging. As Jesus made His way out of the temple He saw this man. If we were escaping for our lives, would we have stopped to help this man?

Jesus ‘saw.’ It wasn’t just a casual glance but an intent look at this individual. However, the disciples saw him merely as an object of their curiosity. Back then, blindness was looked upon as a penalty of sin. They asked, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:1). It was a mystery to them. Was it this man’s fault or the fault of his parents?

Friends, how do we see people’s lives around us? Do we notice them or are we in such a hurry, we don’t notice? How easy is it to pass them by or judge them, lifting ourselves above them? Jesus noticed all those around Him who were suffering – so should we notice those who suffer and be concerned for others who suffer. We need to spend time with them.

Jesus answers the disciples’ question saying, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the work of God should be revealed in him.” (John 9:3). It was God’s will that this man be born blind and that when Jesus came by He would heal Him and God’s work would be revealed. We have all been created by God in a particular way for His glory and honour.

This is a very important passage. It takes up a whole chapter in John’s gospel. Now is the time for us to work for Christ, to serve Him. Now is the appointed time. Jesus is the light of the world. He saw the world in darkness; only He could bring light into people’s lives. The blind beggar had a miserable life – he could only do very little. But Jesus changed all that, He changed his life. Jesus came to give sight to the blind and heal the broken-hearted.

Why did the Lord heal the blind man in this way? It is very unusual. Very often Jesus just spoke the word or touched the person to heal them. But this time He spat on the ground and made mud out of His saliva and put it on the blind man’s eyelids. He then told the man to wash in the pool of Siloam (John (9:7). Christ did this for a reason. He did this to reveal spiritual truth. Why the mud? It could be to reveal that the healing came from Christ Himself. Mud – sin has blinded us from spiritual truth. The mud / mess had to be removed from the blind man’s face for him to see. It required obedience from the man to wash in the pool of Siloam.

Here we have a wonderful picture of salvation. Those who are spiritually blind do not see themselves as blind. We see this in the Pharisees’ reaction (John 9:40). That’s the problem with spiritual blindness, it is deceptive. The man is the ideal example of one born blind, not knowing Jesus. Having had mud applied to his eyes, he was told to wash. When he heard the word of God he could have argued and asked why he had to go to the pool and wash his face. He could have objected and gone home to wash. Yet he went in obedience.

If we’re to be cleansed from our sin, we must go to the Lord Jesus Christ, to the cross. The blood that was shed for us cleanses our sin.

John translates the pool of Siloam as meaning ‘sent.’ (John 9:7). He takes us back to the days of Jerusalem, to the days of Hezekiah when a tunnel was dug to bring fresh water into the city. This pool received water sent from the outside. Jesus is the one ‘sent’ from God, who is able to wash away our sin.

As the passage goes on, the man becomes closes to the Lord Jesus Christ until he enters full salvation, whereas the Pharisees become increasingly hardened to the Lord Jesus Christ. This happens today – people either draw nearer to the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ as it is spoken or become more hardened.

When the man returned home after washing in the pool of Siloam his neighbours questioned whether or not this was the same person. Some said no, it just looked like him. He made it clear it was him and tells them how he received his sight. He makes it very clear what has taken place. There’s a difference in his life. Jesus made a difference. Yet they find it difficult to understand, it is so unusual, something like this just didn’t happen.

The man was extremely joyful, yet the others cannot enter into it, it is beyond their understanding. When someone is converted there is a complete change of lifestyle – others cannot understand it. The neighbours take him to the Pharisees, the religious leaders. Then we have a kind of trial taking place. We would hope they would have an open mind, find and acknowledge the truth that has taken place. However, they don’t want to give glory to God.

The Pharisees are biased because of their unbelief. They forget the man and what’s been done because it was done on the Sabbath, claiming, “This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” (John 9:16). Others argued He must be from God because the blind man could now see. There was division among them. So they ask the man himself, who explains what Jesus has done. But they don’t want to listen to his testimony so they then ask his parents. They are afraid of the Pharisees, of being cast out of the synagogue, so they respond by saying ask their son because he is of age and can be questioned. As this discussion moves on it moves back to the man. The Pharisees try to put words in his mouth (v.24).

The man’s answer to the questioning is amazing. Right at the start, when his neighbours asked him how he received his sight, he said Jesus had done this. When the Pharisees asked him, he spoke of Jesus as – ‘a prophet.’ (v.17). His understanding of Jesus is increasing. When they say to him again, his answer is, “One thing I do know: that I was blind, now I see.” (John 9:25). They then get into an argument.

We see this man growing in boldness, arguing his case – Jesus is from God. It ends with him being thrown out of the temple, on his own. But he is not on his own for the Lord Jesus came and found him. Jesus asks, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” (John 9:35). He asks who He is. He now wants to believe in Him. Jesus replies, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking to you.” (John 9:37). His response, “Lord, I believe! And he worshipped Him.” (John 9:38). The man who was once blind now has full recognition of Jesus, his Lord. We see the process of him drawing closer and closer to the Lord Jesus Christ. We are all seeking to come closer and closer to the Lord Jesus Christ, to tell others about Him, to argue against others who want to put Him down. The Pharisees were on a road further and further away from the Lord.

What path are we on? If it is on the path of the man who received his sight, we will eventually spend all eternity with Christ. Might this passage challenge us and may we rejoice, saying, “One thing I do know: that I was blind, now I see.” (John 9:25).

Tag: John 9

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