November 16, 2016

SEEING IS BELIEVING

John 9

Aaron Rose
Wednesday's Devo

November 16, 2016

Wednesday's Devo

November 16, 2016

Central Truth

We must recognize our blindness to be given sight.

Key Verse | John 9:25

He answered, "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)

John 9

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

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. 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.” 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.

The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” 10 So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “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.” 12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. 17 So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”

18 The Jews 1 9:18 Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, in that time; also verse 22 did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19 and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21 But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” 22 (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus 2 9:22 Greek him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.) 23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 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?” 28 And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 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. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 3 9:35 Some manuscripts the Son of God 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; 4 9:41 Greek you would not have sin but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

Footnotes

[1] 9:18 Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, in that time; also verse 22
[2] 9:22 Greek him
[3] 9:35 Some manuscripts the Son of God
[4] 9:41 Greek you would not have sin

Dive Deeper | John 9

John 9 is about seeing and is illustrated with three different perspectives: the sight of the blind man, the blindness of seeing men, and the vision of Christ who both illuminates and blinds.

The blind man unflinchingly obeys Christ from his first encounter. He has mud rubbed in his eyes and goes to wash it off in a specific area as instructed without question or complaint. I like to think this is because of his understanding of his circumstances. After the blind man's physical healing, his spiritual sight grows from knowing that it was Jesus who healed him (verse 11), to claiming that Jesus is a prophet (verse 17), to testifying about Christ (verses 30-34), to worshiping Him (verse 38).

In contrast, the Pharisees start John 9 after seeing Jesus claiming to be God in John 8. But they miss the miracle in John 9 and focus on the mud (verses 14 and 16—kneading mud on the Sabbath is against their law). Their spiritual blindness overtakes them as they blaspheme (verse 24), cast out the only one who can see (verse 34), and refuse to recognize their own blindness (verses 40-41). The more Jesus reveals to the Pharisees, the less they see.

John 9 starts and ends with Jesus' vision. After claiming to be God and avoiding being stoned in John 8, Jesus sees an opportunity. Jesus shows His disciples how to see pain and disability more clearly. Although sin is often the cause of pain (Gen 3:14-19, Rom 8:20-22), relating specific sin to specific pain is not how we should think. Often, we will not understand the cause (Job 9:4-12), but we can trust the purpose (Romans 8:28). Not only must we rethink our own pain, disabilities, and circumstances, but we must also see others' disabilities in the light of God's sovereignty. Our disabled brothers and sisters are central to God's plan.  

Jesus not only sought out the blind man from the start (verse 1) and healed him (verses 6-7), but also He sought him again after the formerly blind man was thrown out (verse 35) and finished opening his spiritual eyes (verses 35-38).

Jesus sought to open the eyes of a blind man and to show His disciples why they should see more clearly. The blind man saw, and the seeing men were blind.

Discussion Questions

1. How do I view the disabled? Do I see God's work and plan in them? Why?

2. When was the blind man who was formerly blind completely healed?

3. Could it be that God allowed a man to be born blind for your encouragement today? How does this cause you to see differently?

4. Do you focus on the mud rather than the miracle? Why?