|
|
|
- Preaching the Living WORD through
the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4;:2 - |
|
|
GOSPEL OF JOHN Grace Bible Church,
Gillette, Wyoming Pastor Daryl Hilbert 10. Sixth
Sign: Healing of The Blind Man 9:1–41 [13 - (Jn 9:1-41)] a) Contextual
Connection (1) There are
two important notes concerning the context. First, this immediate section (Jn
9:1-41) is connected with Ch. 7 & 8. The timeframe appears to be the same
because vs. 1 begins, “as He passed by.” In addition, the blind man is
instructed to wash off the spittle and clay from his eyes in the pool of
Siloam, the same pool used to draw water during the present Feast of
Tabernacles (Jn 7:2). Finally, Jesus continued to teach the truth that He was
the “Light of the world” as already mentioned in 8:12. The second contextual
connection is with Ch. 10, which is the Good Shepherd Discourse. It is the
incidents in Ch. 9 that lead Jesus to begin His Good Shepherd discourse with,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the
fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.”
(Jn 10:1). (2) The healing of the blind man is the sixth
sign recorded by John to prove that Jesus is the Christ (Jn 20:31). For the
healing of the blind is specifically attributed to the Messiah in the OT. b) Discussion
of Sin and Suffering (1-5) (1) Jesus and
His disciples passed by a man who had congenital blindness (1). His disciples
asked a question that reflected the common Jewish belief that all suffering
was a result of sin. They wanted to know if this man sinned in the womb or if
his parents’ sinned. Though all sickness and suffering is indirectly related
to the penalty of sin imposed upon mankind through Adam (Ro 5:12), not all
sickness and suffering is directly related to sin (cp. 1Co 11:30; Ja
5:14-15). Jesus gave one reason how sickness and suffering can be unrelated
to sin. It was that the works of God might be displayed through Jesus in
healing the blind man (cp. Jn 11:4). As long as Jesus was exercising His
earthly ministry, He would be working the “works of God” until His atonement
on the cross (4). He would be the “Light of the world” (in the context of His
earthly ministry) while He was in the world (5). c) Jesus
Heals the Blind Man (6-7) (1) He
literally became the Light of the world for the blind man. Jesus spat on the
ground, made clay, and applied it to the blind man’s eyes. Then He told the
man to wash in the pool of Siloam, which he did and he received his sight. (2) In the account of Scripture, Jesus normally
healed individuals without material means, but here he had the man
participate, though there was nothing medicinal in the clay. Perhaps Jesus
was requiring faith from a blind man in sensory terms that he could relate
(touch). Perhaps He was causing individuals to recollect Elisha’s healing of Naaman, having him wash in the Jordan to heal him from
leprosy (2Ki 5:10-14). (3) The pool of Siloam was translated “sent”
from the Hebrew word Shelach. The
blind man was “sent” by the “Sent One” and obeyed through faith. d) Reaction
of the People (8-14) (1) The
reaction of the blind man’s neighbors were mixed.
Some barely recognized him, perhaps because he did not appear the same with
seeing eyes. Others believed he was a look-alike (8-9). (2) They wondered how his eyes were opened and
he explained everything Jesus told him to do. He did as Jesus said and he
received his sight (10-11). (3) The crowd wanted to know where Jesus was.
When Jesus could not be found, the crowd brought the man to the Pharisees
(12-13). The crowd appears perplexed what to think about all this, especially
since the Pharisees forbid any activity on the Sabbath (14). e) Dialogue
between Pharisees and the Healed Blind Man (15-34) (1) The
Pharisees began to interrogate the man who had been blind and asked him how
he supposedly received his sight. The man relayed the whole event over to
them (15). (2) Because of their unbelief, some of the
Pharisees jumped to the conclusion that Jesus was “not from God” because He
healed the man on the Sabbath (16). Others questioned that conclusion because
sinners cannot heal. So they did what any well-educated scholar would do,
they asked the man what he thought. Reluctantly, the man said Jesus was a
“prophet” (17). The Jews did not believe that Jesus was a prophet; therefore,
the man must have been a liar. So they interrogated the man’s parents
(18-19). Being intimidated by the Pharisees and afraid they would be accused
of being followers of Christ, the parents of the man cautiously answered the
Pharisees. They told them that this was their son and that he was blind.
However, they did not know he received his sight. They deferred the Pharisees
back to their son (20-23). (3) So the Pharisees questioned the man who had
been blind a second time. They asked to “give glory to God” which could be
taken as “tell the truth” (Kent). The truth they wanted him to admit was that
Jesus was sinner and a Sabbath-breaker (24). The man’s reply was that he did
not know the theological implications of this man’s impeccability, but all he
knew was that once he was blind, but he could see (25). They asked him again
of the how he received his sight and at this point, the man became bolder and
more blunt. He said he already told them but they
would not listen. Sarcastically he questioned their motives by saying do you
also want to become Jesus’ disciples (26-27). At this they became abusive
(revile loidoréō rail) and
said they were disciples of Moses to whom God has spoken. However, Jesus was
insignificant and unknown to them (28-29). The man put it all together for
them in that he was amazed that they have not investigated Jesus and yet He
was performing works and miracles that only the Messiah could, namely healing
the blind (Is 29:18; 35:5; 42:7; 61:1 cf. Mt 11:4, 5; Lk 4:18, 19). If Jesus were not from
God, He could do none of those things (30-33). The response of the Pharisees
silenced the man by saying he was born blind because of sin and he could not
possibly know spiritual truths. Then they excommunicated him from the
synagogue (vs. 34, 35 - “put him out,” ekballō
& exō, with the context of vs.
22 aposunagogos – put away from
synagogue). This man was the first recorded man put out of the synagogue
for allying with Jesus. f) Acceptance
as Messiah (35-38) (1) Jesus
found the man who had been blind and asked if He believed on the Son of Man
(expresses His deity and humanity). (2) The man had never seen the One who healed
Him. As soon as Jesus revealed Himself to the man, He believed on Christ and
worshiped Him (36-38). Now Jesus, as the Light of the world, had given this
man physical light and spiritual light. g) Acknowledgement
of Spiritual Blindness (39-41) (1) Jesus
stated that His coming will inevitably bring about judgment for some even though He was
sent to save the world, not judge it (Jn 3:17). He came to bring spiritual
light to those who recognized they were in darkness. But those who are
self-righteous will be manifested as blind. (2) The Pharisees self-righteously claimed that
they were ones that were not blind. Jesus said they brought judgment on
themselves by their own admission. Because they rejected the Light of the world,
they showed themselves spiritually blind and still in their sins. Applications: 1) Potter uses clay. 2) Power in
simple testimonies. 3) Perception (spiritual) comes through accepting Christ
as the Light of the world. 4) Perception (spiritual) comes through humility
&Christ’s light. |
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
