THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

John: Believing On The Christ, The Son Of God, For Eternal Life

Part XXV: Trusting In Christ For His Discipling Unto Illumination Amid Israel's Darkness

(John 9:1-41)

 

I.                 Introduction

A.    John's Gospel reports that the world in darkness generally was not discipled by Christ in His first advent, but that some in the world who believed on Him were discipled and so illumined by Him, John 1:5, 10-13.

B.     A case of this contrast in discipleship is given in John 9:1-41, and we view it for our insight and edification:

II.              Trusting In Christ For His Discipling Unto Illumination Amid Israel's Darkness, John 9:1-41.

A.    Jesus discipled a physically and spiritually blind man unto illumination amid Israel's darkness, John 9:1-38:

1.      Jesus caused the blind man first to perceive He was a Healer amid Israel's darkness, John 9:1-12:

                             a.         When Jesus and His disciples met a man who was blind from birth, His disciples asked if the afflicted man had sinned in his mother's womb or if his parents had sinned to produce his problem, John 9:1-2.

                            b.         Jesus explained that no specific sin by parents or the man had led to his blindness, but that God had permitted the blindness to occur that the works of God might be manifested in him, John 9:3.

                             c.         Jesus added that He had to work the Father's assigned works while He had opportunity to do so, that He was the Light of the world to illuminate God's truth to men as long as He was in the world, John 9:4-5.

                            d.         Then, as that Light in the world, Jesus went to work to illumine the man amid Israel's darkness: he made a clay poultice from saliva and dust, anointed the man's eyes with it and told him to wash it off in the Pool of Siloam at the southern tip of Jerusalem, John 9:6-7a; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to John 9:7.

                             e.         When he obeyed, the blind man returned seeing to the astonishment of onlookers, John 9:7b-9.  When they asked him to explain how he could see, he said a man named Jesus had healed him, John 9:10-12.

2.      Jesus caused the healed man second to perceive He was a Prophet amid Israel's darkness, John 9:13-17:

                             a.         This healing occurred on the Sabbath in violation of the Pharisees' rules (John 5:9, 16), so some took the man to the Pharisees, and when they asked how he had gained his sight, he told them, John 9:13-15.

                            b.         Some Pharisees critiqued Jesus, claiming that since this occurred on the Sabbath, He was not of God, but when they asked the healed man what he thought of Jesus, he claimed Jesus was a prophet, John 9:16-17.

3.      Jesus caused the healed man third to perceive He was a from God amid Israel's darkness, John 9:18-34:

                             a.         The Pharisees did not believe the man was born blind until they called his parents who confirmed that he was born blind, but that now he could see, John 9:18-21a.  For fear of being excommunicated for calling Jesus "Messiah," the parents asked the Pharisees to let their son speak for himself, John 9:21b-23.

                            b.         The Pharisees again asked the man of his healing, trying to coach him to undermine Jesus, Jn. 9:24-26.

                             c.         The healed man replied he had already told them how Jesus had healed him, and asked "sarcastically" if they were asking him for information to become His disciples, Jn. 9:27. (Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 308)

                            d.         The Pharisees angrily replied that the healed man was Jesus' disciple for his not charging Jesus with sin while they were Moses' disciples, and that they did not know whether Jesus was from God, John 9:28-29.

                             e.         The man replied he was amazed that they did not know where Jesus was from when He had done what no one else since the world began had done -- healing a man born blind, John 9:30-23.  The man then said that if Jesus was not from God, He logically could not heal like this, that Jesus was from God, John 9:33.

                             f.          The Pharisees then charged the man with being born in sin to have been born blind as he had been, and repudiated his teaching of them, so they excommunicated him from the synagogue, John 9:34.

4.      Jesus caused the healed man fourth to perceive He was the Son of God amid Israel's darkness, 9:35-38:

                             a.         Later, Jesus found the healed blind man and asked him if he believed on the Son of God, John 9:35.

                            b.         The man asked Who that was that he might trust in Him, and Jesus said that the One who spoke with him and Whom he had seen was that One, so the man worshipped Jesus as the Son of God, John 9:36-38.

B.     Jesus concluded He had come to give spiritual illumination to the blind as in the healed man's case and to give blindness in hardening to those like the Pharisees who presumed they were spiritually illumined, John 9:39-41.

 

Lesson: Jesus discipled a physically and spiritually blind man to see physically and then spiritually that Jesus was a Healer, then a Prophet, then from God and last the Son of God, all while hardening the Pharisees in their sin.

 

Application: May we (1) trust in Jesus as the Son of God for eternal life, John 20:31.  (2) May we like the healed blind man heed Scripture and common sense to discern truth and light from error and darkness for illumination!