Source: View original Google Doc Converted: 2026-04-22
Preamble: John 8 — “I AM”
John 9 immediately follows the climax of John 8, where Jesus declared:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” — John 8:58
The Pharisees picked up stones to throw at Him. Jesus “hid himself and went out of the temple” (John 8:59) — and immediately, in John 9, encounters the man born blind. The juxtaposition is deliberate: the religious leaders who claimed to see are spiritually blind; the man born blind will receive both physical and spiritual sight.
The Opening Question (John 9:1–3)
“As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.’” — John 9:1–3
The disciples’ question assumes a direct link between sin and suffering — the theology of Job’s comforters. Jesus refuses this framework. The man’s blindness is not punishment; it is an occasion for the glory of God.
“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
The Healing (John 9:6–7)
“Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.” — John 9:6–7
Why mud? Several patristic explanations:
- It echoes Genesis 2:7 — God formed Adam from the dust of the earth. Christ recapitulates the act of creation.
- The man had to go and wash — obedience was required. He could not see what he was being asked to believe.
- “Siloam” means “Sent” — the pool itself points to Christ, the one who was sent.
The Progression of Faith: Four Confessions
The man born blind is one of the most striking examples in the Gospels of progressive faith — each encounter with the authorities drives him to a deeper confession.
Confession 1: “A Man Called Jesus” (v. 11)
“The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” — John 9:11
At this point, Jesus is merely a man to him. He does not yet know who He is.
Confession 2: “He Is a Prophet” (v. 17)
“He said, ‘He is a prophet.’” — John 9:17
Under interrogation by the Pharisees, the man moves forward: not just a man — a prophet. He knows more than before, even though he has not yet seen Jesus a second time.
Confession 3: “Lord, I Believe” (v. 38)
After being cast out of the synagogue, Jesus finds him and asks:
“Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. — John 9:35–38
“He worshiped him” — prosekynēsen — the word used only for worship of God. The man’s journey is complete: from “a man” to “Lord,” from physical sight to spiritual sight.
The Pharisees’ Inversion (v. 40–41)
“Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, “We see,” your guilt remains.’” — John 9:41
The supreme irony of John 9: the man born blind ends seeing (physically and spiritually); the Pharisees who claim to see end blind (spiritually).
The Progression of Faith: A Summary
| Stage | Who? | What He Says About Jesus |
|---|---|---|
| Beginning | The man | ”A man called Jesus” |
| Under interrogation | The man | ”He is a prophet” |
| After expulsion | The man | ”Lord, I believe” — and worships |
| Throughout | The Pharisees | ”We do not know where he comes from” |
The Post-Healing Interrogation
The Pharisees interrogate the man three times and his parents once. The parents are afraid: “He is of age; ask him” (v. 23). They will not risk expulsion from the synagogue.
The man, by contrast, grows bolder with each round:
- Round 1: “I went and washed and received my sight” — simple testimony
- Round 2: “He is a prophet” — a claim
- Round 3: “Do you also want to become his disciples?” — a challenge to the interrogators
“One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” — John 9:25
This is the only unanswerable testimony: personal experience of transformation.
The Blind Man’s Changed Life
He was cast out of the synagogue — the center of Jewish social, religious, and community life. He lost everything. And yet when Jesus found him and revealed Himself, the man worshiped.
The cost of following Christ was total for him. And he paid it.
The Disciples’ Question About Sin
The lesson begins with the disciples’ question about sin and ends with Jesus’ statement about sin to the Pharisees. The bracket is intentional:
- Opening: “Who sinned?” — Wrong question. Suffering is not always punishment.
- Closing: “Your guilt remains” — The real blindness is the refusal to see when the light is standing in front of you.
Reflection Questions
- What is your confession of Jesus today? “A man,” “a prophet,” or “Lord”? Where are you in the progression?
- The man’s testimony was simply: “I was blind, now I see.” What is your one-sentence testimony?
- What have you had to lose in order to follow Christ more faithfully?
- The parents feared expulsion. What fear keeps you from confessing Christ more boldly?