Background Passage: John 1:1-41

Focal Teaching Passage: John 1:7

Jesus and the Disciples Encounter the Man Born Blind (9:1-5)

The sign recorded here by John occurred in Jerusalem near the “Pool of Siloam” (v.7) in the southern section of the city. John indicates that Jesus and His men were apparently on their way to the temple on the Sabbath (v.14) and happened to notice “a man blind from birth.” What distinguished this individual from other blind men was that they somehow knew his blindness was congenital. While instances of blindness were very common in the orient, this is the only example of Jesus healing such blindness from birth (note Mark 10:46-52 where Jesus cured another blind person).

The question posed to Jesus by the disciples—“Rabbi, who sinned? —reveals that the situation presented a theological problem for the disciples. They wanted to know one thing, whose sin caused the man’s tragic condition—“this man or his parents?” (v.2). The disciples were like many at this time who believed that behind every form of physical suffering or distress there was a specific sin involved as the direct cause. It followed, then, that this man’s parents must have sinned and caused the blindness, or the man actually sinned while still in the womb (something many Rabbis taught as a distinct possibility!). Yet, notice how Jesus’ reply rules out either of the two options—“Neither this man nor his parents sinned” (v.3). The purpose for the blindness was in order that “the work of God might be displayed in his life.” In other words, the man’s blindness had occurred as a means to the glorification of God. Thus, this man’s present physical suffering had something to do with the secret plans and purposes of God that ultimately serve His sovereign intentions.

In verse 4 Jesus proclaimed to His disciples that while it is “day,” the work of the Father must be accomplished—“we must do the work of him who sent me.” By means of this seemingly accidental encounter with the blind man, the redemptive work of the Kingdom of God was being done. Yet, God’s work must be engaged in expeditiously since the nighttime is coming “when no one can work.” The categories of night and day, often employed in a metaphorical sense in John’s Gospel, bring the urgency of Christ’s mission to the forefront. This indicates that there is a specified time in which to accomplish God’s will. Following this “window of opportunity” the night will come and the time for working will end.

In verse 5, Christ makes the staggering claim that “I am the light of the world.” This provides a glimpse into the true significance of their encounter with the blind man. Note that this theme is repeated several times in this Gospel: 1:4; 8:12; 12:46. The point is that this man’s physical blindness represented a far greater blindness, inflicting not just one man but all of humanity as well. It is the blindness of the soul that characterizes all men and women apart from the saving grace of God (2 Cor. 4:4). Therefore, what Jesus was about to do for this man would display, in some glorious and mysterious way, what He can do for all those who believe in Him. In other words, Christ’s claim to be the light of the world will be powerfully verified by the miracle soon to come.

For purposes of application, several points may be highlighted:

It is very easy to get hung up in peripheral theological issues and miss an opportunity for ministry. Correct theology at every point on the spectrum is not the whole picture. We are called to serve the Kingdom of God – to share our faith – and to refuse to be paralyzed by secondary or non-essential theological issues.

Secondly, Jesus sees people and the world in a profoundly different light than we do. When we learn to walk with Him and are more fully conformed to His image, we will be more sensitive to the opportunities God provides for us ministry, service, and evangelism.

Thirdly, this passage teaches us that some of God’s greatest and most glorious works are done in the most desperate of human situations. Human desperation sets the stage for the unveiling of God’s awesome grace and power.

Additionally, we see in this passage that not all sicknesses are caused directly by personal sin. That is, while all suffering is ultimately related to the reality of mankind’s fall into sin against God, not every instance of suffering is directly traceable to a specific sin.

Finally, we observe that the ministry of Jesus is to be that of his followers. His “works” are to be our works. Jesus, sent by the Father, commissions us to the same task as lights to the world—a task that must be engaged in with urgency and care.

The Healing of the Blind Man (vv.6-7)

At this point, Jesus proceeded to miraculously cure the blind man by making clay to apply to his eyes—“he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes” (v.6). This unusual action should be understood in light of the common belief held among Jews that saliva was efficacious for eye trouble. However, such medical intervention, which involved the making of clay, was interpreted as a violation of the Sabbath restriction against kneading dough. Nevertheless, Christ smeared the mixture on the man’s eyes and commanded him to “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (meaning “sent”), a water source located in the southwest corner of Jerusalem (compare this to the healings described in Mark 7:32-33 and 8:22-23 where Jesus also employed saliva). Apparently, this specific command was given in order to test the man’s faith—a common component of the New Testament miracle stories.

Verse 7 notes that the man followed the orders of Jesus and journeyed to the pool where he “washed.” Miraculously, the man “came home seeing.” It seems, then, that the connection between the healing and the journey to the pool is that it displayed the man’s simple faith in the Word of Jesus. Yet, as D. A. Carson reminds us, the power for the healing “came not from the obedience, nor from a pool called ‘Sent,’ but from the ‘sent one’ himself” [365].

From this section, two key points of application are noted:

Salvation, the blessing of eternal life, is not caused by: 1) moral perfection, 2) keeping the Law, 3) theological precision. Salvation, therefore, must come from above and outside of a man. It is the gift of God granted to those who believe on the name of Christ.

Live changing encounters with Christ are characterized by faith and obedience. Those who meet Christ in a saving encounter will give evidence of their new life by means of trust, repentance, and humble obedience to His commands.