"The Man Born Blind” Series

“A Blind Man Born Again”

John 9:8-41

A great Christian was once asked the ques-tion, “How do you know you have been saved?” He answered, “I was there when it happened.” The most radical change that can come upon anyone is the change created by the new birth. When a person comes to Christ the Bible says all things become new (2 Cor 5:17). They pass from death to life, from darkness to light, from hell to heaven. That experience is called salvation. It happens to different people in different ways. The Apostle Paul was struck to the ground by a blinding light (Acts 9). Lydia was converted in a quiet riverside prayer meeting (Act 16). It can happen in a thousand different ways the important thing is that you know that it has happened.

On the morning recorded in John chapter nine a blind man arose unaware that his world was about to change because he was about to meet Jesus. In John chapter eight Jesus said that he was the “light of the world” and in John chapter nine Jesus proves it. As Jesus and His disciples leave the city of Jerusalem after the Feast of the Tabernacles – they came across a man blind from birth. The disciples turned to Jesus and in verse two asked the “why” question that we all are tempted to ask from time to time. “Why has this happened?” In this case what is the reason for this man’s blindness, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” The disciples displaying the beliefs of that day were sure that one of two reasons accounted for this man’s blindness, either this man had sinned or his parent had. It would seem to us that the fact that this man’s blindness began at birth would have excluded from consideration that it was this man’s sin that had caused his blindness.

In verse seven Jesus commands this man to “go and wash” yet we should note that in spite of the fact that this man had never requested a cure, he did as Jesus told him to do. “So, he went and washed, and came back seeing.” He was no longer blind but he was not yet saved. In verse eight we begin to seen the various reactions to the healing of the blind man.

First, Reactions to the Healing. (9:8-34)

• The Neighbors (vv.8-12)

First, we see the reaction of the man’s neighbors and friends when they discover that he is no longer blind. They were interested in the “HOW” of the Healing. In verse eight the blind man’s neighbors are amazed at his healing, “Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?" (9) Some said, "This is he." Others said, "He is like him." He said, "I am he." (10) Therefore, they said to him, "How were your eyes opened?" (11) He answered and said, "A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, "Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So, I went and washed, and I received sight." (12) Then they said to him, "Where is He?" He said, "I do not know. (13) “They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. "

The locals who were use to seeing this man sit and beg for a living were astonished that he obviously could now see and they asked him how this had happened. He told them about “a man called Jesus” and how he had cured him. The neighbors are divided about whether this is the former blind man with some saying “Yes, it is him” and others saying “No it just looks like him.” In order to settle the question the people take the man to the Pharisees.

• The Pharisees (vv.14-17)

Unlike the Neighbors of the man who were interested in the “how” of the healing the Pharisees are primarily interested in the “WHEN” of the Healing!

According to Jewish law when someone was cured of a disease they were to have the cure certified by the local religious authority, but the man is brought before the Pharisees not to the priest or any official body. But the neighbors now take the man to the Pharisees, whom the common people esteemed as experts, that they might examine him. This immediately posed the Pharisees with a problem, how could they certify this man as being cured and continue to reject the one who had cured him.

Ultimately the blind man in brought to the religious leaders in verse fourteen, “Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. (15) Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see." (16) Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath." Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" And there was a division among them. (17) They said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet."