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.” So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 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.” They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 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.” 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. 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.”

The Jews 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 and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 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.” (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.)Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

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

Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.”He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.—John 9:1–41

Introduction

My name is Tom Boyer. I’m married to Emily, and we have two daughters—Magdalene and Eden. We have enjoyed being at Bethlehem, and we are thankful for the community here. I’m honored by the opportunity to preach this morning. Our text this morning is long, but it is a rich story that we get to look at together. 

I love stories—both historical, like John 9, and fiction, like The Chronicles of Narnia. My family’s primary hobby is reading together. We love to read rich stories. We love to see heroes in action. The unexpected plot twists. We love to see villains defeated. And then, we love to re-enact the book in real life—we play out the drama of the story. 

We love to read histories and biographies about great men and women, and then ask, “How can we be more like her.” That’s what good stories do. They force us—whether we do it consciously or not—to ask, “How should I be shaped by this story?” Or “How can I live out this story?” Good stories have the power to change people.

Our passage for this morning is a prime example. Let me make a clarification here. John 9 is a historical narrative. It is a story rooted in actual historical events. So when I say “story,” please know that I don’t mean non-historical. John 9 is a historical retelling. 

John 9 is a simple narrative on its face. So simple, in fact, that the companies that publish the Bible try to sum up the story for us in five or six words. They offer you a heading, like this, “Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind.” That’s not a bad heading, but if you walk away knowing only the heading—that doesn’t mean you get the story. Summary statements are helpful, but when we are concerned with narrative, we are invited into the story. We are invited to feel and even be affected by the story. These details matter! Our passage today invites us to read and reflect.

Our plan for this morning is simple. First, we will look at the flow of the story—we’ll read. And then we’ll take time to consider how this story should shape us—we’ll reflect.

Let’s look now to John 9. John recalls the events in seven basic movements. 

Movement 1

Our story begins with Jesus and his disciples in the presence of a man born blind.

Seeing this man, the disciples ask Jesus this question, “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” The disciples are asking—why is this man blind? Is it because of his parents’ sins or his own sin? The disciples are making a direct jump from sin to blindness—an immediate connection between sin and suffering. They aren’t entirely wrong in doing this. We see sin directly connected to punishment and suffering throughout much of the Bible. In fact, we see this correlation in real life. A thief, who is caught in the act of stealing, suffers in prison directly due to his sin. In that situation, the sin clearly leads to the suffering.

However, the Bible’s view on suffering is much more complicated than that, isn’t it? Often times, it is the person who does the right thing who suffers. We see that throughout the Psalms, and we see that in real life. Often, it is the innocent person who suffers. 

Jesus tells his disciples that this man is blind, not because of sin, but instead he’s blind so that “the work of God might be displayed in him.” God’s work is about to be put on display. Jesus proceeds by inviting his disciples to join him in displaying the work of God. He says in verse 4, “We must work the works of him who sent me.” The sent one, Jesus, is now inviting his disciples to join him in displaying God’s work.

Before Jesus addresses the man born blind, he says “I am the light of the world.” This concept of light brings us back to John chapter 1, where John tells us that this light shines in the darkness. This light cannot be overcome by darkness. And this light was present at the creation of the world. And not only was he there, but John tells us that “all things were made through him.” Our thoughts are brought back to Genesis 1.

After declaring himself to be the Light of the World, Jesus does what at first strikes us as an odd thing. He begins playing in the dirt. He spits and makes mud. And with the mud, he anoints the eyes of the man born blind. 

What’s up with the mud? In creation, it is from the dirt of the ground that God made man. Jesus, the Light of the World, who created all things, is now re-creating. He is healing this man. He is the potter taking his clay, and he is re-forging broken humanity. 

John tells us that Jesus “anointed” this man with the mud. This word anoint is connected with the word Christ—Jesus Christ is christening this man. Or you could say, Jesus the Anointed One, is anointing this man born blind.

After anointing this man, Jesus tells him to go and wash. John gives us a very peculiar detail here: he tells us that the name of this pool that he is to wash in—which is called Siloam— means “Sent.” This is a peculiar detail, why is John telling us this? In John’s gospel, Jesus refers to himself as the “Sent One” 10 times. This idea of sending is prominent. We just read about it in verse 4. Jesus says that he was sent. And now here, we are seeing Jesus, the Sent One, sending out this man. 

Interesting word plays here. This man born blind has lived his life in visual darkness until the Light of the World appeared to him. And Jesus’s act of healing is an act re-creation in this man. And how does he heal, the Christ christens this man with mud. And then, the Sent One sends this man to the pool of sending.

Jesus is indeed healing a man born blind. But John is giving us clues that Jesus is doing more than a mere physical healing. We’ll see this play out in the rest of the narrative. 

Movement 2

After this man’s washing, he comes back seeing—he is healed. This is the moment you’d expect some form of a party! This man who has been blind his entire life has had his sight fully restored. This is truly an occasion to celebrate! Yet, instead of celebration, he’s greeted with skepticism. 

First by his neighbors. His neighbors hardly recognize him upon his arrival. He’s a new man. The neighbors begin asking one another, Is this the man born blind? And they are truly torn! The man’s response is striking. He says, “I am the man.” This “I am” language is significant in John’s gospel. Seven times, Jesus uses this “I am” language. In fact, in verse 5, he just said, “I am the light of the world.” So this man, who has been christened by Christ, and sent by the Sent One, is now speaking like Jesus. When the neighbors ask who healed him, he says, “The man called Jesus.” So he doesn’t fully comprehend who Jesus is, but he is already beginning to sound like Him. 

Jesus is gone. He’s not here to help this man in the midst of the neighbors’ questions. This man is forced to face his neighbors alone. 

Movement 3

But next he is forced to face the Pharisees alone, and they are not as polite as this man’s neighbors.

It’s only here that we learn that all these events are happening on the Sabbath. John elevates the work of Jesus and minimizes the scrupulous laws of the Sabbath—and here the Pharisees do the opposite. For them, this miraculous healing is insignificant. They cannot see beyond the finer points of Sabbath keeping. They are blind to the miracle before their eyes.

The Pharisees ask the man born blind to share his opinions on Jesus: “What do you say about him?” His response is stunning: “He is a prophet.” Why does he say a prophet? I believe this man born blind knows his Old Testament. In 2 Kings 5, the prophet Elisha heals Naaman of leprosy by telling him to go and wash in the Jordan River. The man born blind is connecting the great prophet Elisha with Jesus. Something is happening in this man. Yes, his physical sight has been restored. But is there more? This man’s mind seems to be illuminated by the Light of the World. He knows that, at minimum, Jesus is a prophet.

Movement 4

The Pharisees are beginning to get upset. They are starting to question whether this man was really healed. “Is this some kind of hoax?” Did this guy have a twin brother, and now they are switching places? 

The Pharisees bring in the parents of this man, so that they can now question them. The parents affirm that this man is their son, and that he was born blind. But they are not willing to say any more than that. They aren’t willing to defend the claims of their son. They don’t want to make any statement about Jesus in front of the Pharisees. Why? Because they are afraid that they will be kicked out of the synagogue. Their fear leaves them silent. Because of their fear, they leave their son exposed and without an ally. The parents would rather be accepted and welcome in the synagogue than risk their own expulsion. So they simply say, “ask him.” Friends, let us all be warned by the example of the parents. They acted out of fear. We need to be conscious of the fact that our fear may be causing unknown harm to others. 

Movement 5

This man born blind is starting to become a serious nuisance to the Pharisees. They didn’t hear what they wanted from the parents, so they call the man born blind back to their presence. And now the verbal fists begin to fly. A confrontation between the man born blind and the Pharisees is about to ensue. Throughout the gospels, whom do we generally see in confrontation with the Pharisees? Jesus, right. But here, it is this new man, anointed by the Anointed One, sent by the Sent One, and now he is fighting the fight that Jesus usual fights.

In this scene, you see the blindness of the Pharisees at play here. They immediately, in verse 24, begin to accuse Jesus. They say to the man, “Give glory to God. We know that this man [Jesus] is a sinner.” There is a deep irony at play here. In the minds of the Pharisees, denying Jesus glorifies God. But in reality, in the eyes of God, standing united with Jesus glorifies God. The Pharisees want a denial, but this man is not willing to give it. This man is truly glorifying God in the presence of the blind Pharisees.

We need to see the power play by the Pharisees here. They are coming in to this encounter essentially saying, “Look, we are the experts here. We know that this Jesus character is a sinner.” The man sidesteps their statement perfectly. He says, “Whether he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” This man is not willing to play the games of the Pharisees. He is just pointing the Pharisees to the physical evidence of his eyesight. He’s merely using common sense. But the Pharisees won’t have it!

They begin to cycle through their questions again. And it’s here that we see boldness, courage, and a good bit of sarcasm come out of the mouth of this man born blind. Jesus has restored his sight, and he is now loosening this man’s tongue. He says, in verse 27, “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?”

The Pharisees don’t take kindly to this comment. John tells us that they reviled him. At this point, the Pharisees go completely on the offensive. “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.” If the Pharisees were able to open their eyes and see the light, they would see that Moses wrote of Jesus. In John 5:46–47, Jesus says, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words.” The Pharisees cling to Moses, yet they miss the greater one that Moses was writing about. Whereas this man born blind, he clings to the new and greater Moses.

The man affirms that Jesus is from God, the Pharisees decide they have had enough. The show is over. The questioning is done. The Pharisees cast out the man, saying, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” There is some rich irony here as well.

What do the Pharisees mean when they say, “You were born in utter sin”? They are thinking like the disciples were at the beginning of the chapter. They are assuming that his blind state was a direct product of sin. The Pharisees, the teachers of the law, are misunderstanding the law just like the disciples did. While Jesus correctly reads the Scriptures, the teachers of the Jews are misinterpreting. By making this statement, “You were born in utter sin,” the Pharisees are also incidentally validating the miraculous work of Christ. The Pharisees are admitting that, yes, this man was blind and now he sees.

Movement 6

This man is now a castaway. His neighbors didn’t listen to him. His parents wouldn’t defend him. And now, the leaders of the land have disowned him. This man is alone.

But he’s not alone for long, because Jesus seeks him out and comes to him. Jesus, like the Pharisees, begins to ask this man questions. However, unlike the Pharisees, this is not a fight, this is fellowship.

Jesus says, in verse 35, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He [the man born blind] answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.”

When Jesus healed this man, he did more than give him mere physical sight. He gave him a true spiritual sight. A man who began that day blind and helpless, is now looking in the face of his kind and powerful “Lord.”

Movement 7

Before the chapter ends, the Pharisees come back. They seem to be everywhere! Jesus and the man born blind are having a sweet moment of fellowship, but here are the Pharisees coming to ruin it.

Jesus words to the Pharisees are striking. He says that he came to open the eyes of the blind, and to blind those who proclaim that they see. In other words, he’s saying, “If you admit that you can’t see, I’ll gladly give you sight. But if you foolishly proclaim to see without the help of God, and if your pride blinds you from reality, then you will never see.”

The Pharisees don’t think they need Jesus. They are so confident in themselves. They accuse Jesus: “We know that this man is a sinner.” They accuse the man born blind: “You were born in utter sin.” Both accusations are false, yet their pride will not let them see reality. Their pride will not let them see the Savior in front of them. The Pharisees have essentially gouged out their own eyes. And they are guilty for their folly. While the blind man, who could not see was given sight and spiritual insight. Again, friends, we need to be warned by the actions of the Pharisees. Don’t act of pride! Pride has the power to blind.

Picture of the Gospel

We return to our original questions, “How is this story supposed to work over us?” “What are we to do with John 9?” I propose that this story serves us as a picture of the gospel, as well as a picture of discipleship. 

This story serves as an example for us of the gospel. Every Christian can say along with the man, “I was blind, but now I see.” This man’s story puts the gospel on display. Our spiritual blindness, like this man’s physical blindness, is debilitating. We need to be made new by Jesus Christ in order to see. We need the Light of the World to illuminate our eyes and our minds, or else we will remain blind. We need Jesus to do a miraculous work of recreation on us. The mud. The water. We need to be made new. Jesus is the creator of the world. He is the creator of new Adams. He makes us new. He gives us new sight. He gives us new spiritual insight. He gives us faith. And after that work is performed, we look different—just like the man born blind was unrecognizable before his neighbors—the gospel changes us. 

This story reminds us of the kindness and mercy of Jesus. He notices the blind man, and he initiates the work of recreation. And when the man is left alone—abandoned by his neighbors, parents, and the Pharisees—Jesus again seeks him out. This story is a picture of the good news of Jesus Christ, the one who is remaking us. The Light of the World that has come to shine in dark places. The light that cannot be overcome by darkness. As readers, we can see that we are like this man born blind. We were blind, but because of Jesus’s work in our lives, now we can see.

Picture of Discipleship

This story is also a picture of discipleship. Everyone here at Bethlehem is at a different place in their walk of faith. That’s normal! Think about this man’s growing faith. 

(1) At first when he is talking with his neighbors and is asked, “Who is Jesus,” he calls Jesus simply, “the man called Jesus.”

(2) During his first confrontation with the Pharisees, there is some progress in this man’s faith. When the Pharisees ask, “What do you say about him [Jesus]?” His responds, “He is a prophet.”

(3) At the second confrontation with the Pharisees, this man affirms that Jesus is from God, and the man born blind is willing to be called his disciple.

(4) And then, when Jesus is reunited with this man born blind, the man calls Jesus “Lord.” He affirms that Jesus is the Son of Man. 

From “the man called Jesus,” to “prophet,” all the way to “Lord.” This man’s progress is rapid—more rapid than mine. Likely more rapid than yours. But God is clearly at work in him this entire time. God is helping to foster this man’s faith. When Jesus healed the man’s physical sight, it is clear that he was doing more than just giving the man physical eyes to see. 

One of the most interesting details of John 9 is the absence of Jesus. He’s there in the beginning for the work of recreation, and he’s there in the end. Yet it seems as though he’s absent during the most important times of the narrative. Where is Jesus when the neighbors show up? Where is Jesus when the Pharisees are questioning and accusing the man born blind? I’m sure we’ve all asked those same questions—Where is Jesus in the midst of this struggle? Where is Jesus in the midst of this death? Where is Jesus when I need him most? 

What is surprising is that during these times of hardship for the man born blind, he experiences the most growth. His faith is blossoming during Jesus’s absence. How is that possible? It’s because the man was never alone—God was always in his midst strengthening him. How I can say that? Well, I’m drawing heavily on Jesus’s promise to the disciples in John 15 and 16. This is during the last supper that Jesus and his disciples share together, and Jesus is warning his disciples of hardship and persecution to come. And he says to them, in John 15:26–16:2,

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me form the beginning. I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues …”

Jesus continues warning, but in the midst of his warnings is a promise of help. In the midst of his warnings is a promise of presence. “Yes, you will be persecuted, but you will not be alone. You will be cast out of the synagogue, but I will be with you.”

We see a preview of that here in John 9. The man born blind was never truly without the presence of God. Christians, what a comfort this is to us. In the moments when we feel most deserted and alone, God is not absent! God is with us.

God is helping us to “bear witness” about Jesus. The man born blind is bearing witness about Jesus before the Pharisees. He is shining a light in the midst of the dark synagogue that has rejected Jesus. What an encouragement. Jesus has not left us to fend for ourselves, but he strengthens Christians, even when he seems absent. He sends his people, but he doesn’t send them alone. 

There’s also more to look forward to. Jesus returns at the end of this story, and he judges the wicked Pharisees. Jesus will come again, and he will judge the wicked once more. We yearn for that day.

But it’s not only the judgment that should give us joy in Jesus’s return, but there is a day we can look forward to when our faith becomes sight. The man born blind had not actually seen Jesus until the end of the chapter. Yes, he did hear Jesus’s voice, but it’s not until the end of the chapter that this man’s faith becomes sight. Verse 38 gives me chills: [The man] says, ‘Lord I believe,’ and he worshipped him.” That is a moment we can look forward to. That moment when our faith becomes sight, and we can worship him face to face.

Andrew Peterson, captures these two images well—judgment and sight—in his song, “Remember Me.” 

But I write these words on an April day
And the earth is drinking the early rain
The hills remember green again

And we’ve heard this story all our lives
Still, we feel the pain of the crucified
And the end still comes as a surprise

But before the breath there in the tomb
Before our joy sprang from the womb
You saw a day that’s coming soon

When the Son will stand on the mount again
With an army of angels at His command
And the earth will split like the hull of a seed
Wherever Jesus plants His feet

And up from the earth, the dead will rise
Like spring trees robed in petals of white
Singing the song of the radiant bride

And we will always be, always be, always be with the Lord …

Christians, we look forward to that day when Jesus returns in glory, and we are with our Lord.

John 9 is a picture of discipleship—Jesus saves us, sends us out into the world, grows us, strengthens us, and we, as his disciples, wait for his coming glory. 

As readers, we are meant to let this story shape how we live as disciples who love the gospel. And this story serves as a warning to anyone living in blindness. I encourage you to let John 9 shape you. 

Picture of Light to the World

Before we close, I want to consider one last way this story should affect us. Think back to the beginning of John 9. Jesus reminds his disciples that he is the Light of the World, and he invites his disciples to join him in the work of his ministry—he says, “We must work the work of him who sent me.”

In Isaiah 42:6–7, we see the promise of a light for the nations. The promise of a servant who is to come and, Isaiah adds, “open the eyes that are blind.” That is Jesus—the light. The one who gives sight to the blind. He has come! Now, in Isaiah 60:1–3, something changes. We see the light shining not from the servant, but from God’s people. We are told that, “his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” 

Get that. The Light of the World has come, and he has commissioned his people to be light to the world. The light of Jesus, shines into and out of Jesus’s people for everyone to see. Remember, Jesus anointed the man born blind, and then sent him out, where he ultimately bore witness about Jesus before the Pharisees. He was a light before the Pharisees. He proclaimed the name and the works of Jesus, even in the midst of hardship. 

We have the same commissioning. We, as individuals, are to be light to the world. And collectively, God’s people, the church, we are to be a light to the nations—as well as to our neighbors. Jesus claims a people, and he sends them out to be a light.

As Pastor Steven Lee explained before the sermon, Lord willing, I will be part of a church plant in a little over a year. Why do I want to do that? Because I want to see the light of Jesus spreading among the Twin Cities. I want to see more outposts for Christ shining in different communities that are covered with darkness. 

I am thankful for the North Campus that shines as a light in Mounds View. We need this light to stay strong here. And as Jesus commissions more and more of his people to the nations and the neighborhoods, I am excited to see more and more blind men and women gain sight of Jesus. I am excited to hear more people proclaim, like the man born blind, “Lord, I believe.”