Below are some preliminary questions to assist in the study of this passage. For a comprehensive study of the passage, download the Study Guide (PDF download).
1. When Jesus left the temple, whom did He see (verse 1 printed below?) What question do the disciples ask about this man and his condition (see verse 2 printed below?)
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. (John 9:1)
His disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man, or his parents, that he should be born blind? (John 9:2)
As Jesus and His disciples left the temple, Jesus took notice of a poor blind beggar, sitting in the street, begging for alms. Apparently he was a well-known figure, for some of the disciples are able to identify him as a man who was born blind (verse 2). When Jesus takes notice of this poor blind beggar, the disciples take the opportunity to ask, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man, or his parents, that he should be born blind?” The disciples seek to attribute the cause of this man’s physical malady to someone’s personal act of sin: either the beggar’s own sin or an act of sin committed by his parents.
2. How does Jesus answer His disciples’ question? See John 9:3 (printed below)
Jesus answered, Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that the works of God might be displayed in him. (John 9:3)
Jesus replies to His disciples’ question by stating, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” That is to say, God ordained that this man should be born blind so that at this particular time “the works (plural) of God” might be displayed in his life. This man becomes the recipient of physical sight as Christ graciously ministers healing to his eyes. Furthermore, this man becomes a living parable of our need to receive spiritual sight and enlightenment from the Lord.
3. Describe the procedure by which Jesus bestowed sight upon this blind beggar. See John 9:6-7 (printed below) What spiritual lesson was Jesus teaching when He performed this miracle in this way?
After having said this, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva; then he anointed the blind man’s eyes with the mud (7) and said to him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which means, Sent). So he went and washed, and came home with his sight. (John 9:6-7)
By means of ministering physical healing to this blind man the Lord Jesus enlightens His disciples and the crowd to an essential spiritual truth. The man was born blind (verses 1-2). This man’s physical condition of blindness serves to illustrate our spiritual condition: by nature we are in a condition of spiritual blindness and darkness, we need to be delivered from the power of darkness (note Acts 26:18). In performing this miracle of granting sight, Jesus smears the man’s eyes with mud and instructs him to wash in the pool of Siloam in order that he may receive his sight—thus this man had to grope his way through the crowd, testifying, “I am blind. My eyes are unclean. I must wash so that I may see!” (verses 6-7) The manner in which Jesus administers the healing is meant to graphically portray the fact that our spiritual blindness and our dwelling in spiritual darkness has a moral cause, namely, our sinfulness and rebellion against God (note Ephesians 4:18). Note that Jesus performs this miracle on the Sabbath day to dramatically convey the message that the observance of religious practices is inadequate to remove spiritual blindness and produce spiritual wholeness; what is required is the cleansing, enlightening, and saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ (verse 14).
4. Trace the development of the blind beggar’s relationship to Jesus as it is described in verses 8-12, 15-17, 24-34, and 35-38 (printed below).
The neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging, asked, Is not this the man who used to sit and beg? (9) Some said, Yes, it is he. Others said, No, but he looks like him. He said, I am that man. (10) Therefore they said to him, How then 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 I received sight. (12) Then they asked him, Where is he? He said, I do not know. (John 9:8-12)
The Pharisees also asked him how he received his sight. And he said to them, He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and now I see. (16) Some of the Pharisees said, This man is not from God, because he does not observe the Sabbath. But others said, How can a man who is a sinner do such signs? So there was division among them. (17) They turned again to the blind man and asked, What do you say about him, since he opened your eyes? The man replied, He is a prophet. (John 9:15-17)
So a second time they summoned 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, I do not know whether or not he is a sinner. One thing I do know: I was blind, but now I can see. (26) Then they asked him, What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes? (27) He answered them, I already told you, but you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples? (28) They reviled him and said, You are his disciple; but we are disciples of Moses. (29) We know that God spoke to Moses; but we do not know from where this man comes. (30) The man replied, This is remarkable! You do not know from where he comes and yet he opened my eyes. (31) We know that God does not listen to sinners; but if anyone worships God and does his will, God listens to him. (32) Since the world began no one has ever heard of anyone opening the eyes of a man born blind. (33) If this man were not from God, he could do nothing. (34) They responded to him by saying, You were totally born in sins, and would you teach us? And they threw him out. (John 9:24-34)
Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he asked, Do you believe in the Son of God? (36) He replied, Who is he, Sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him? (37) Jesus said to him, You have seen him and he is the one who is speaking to you. (38) Then the man said, Lord, I believe. And he worshiped him. (John 9:35-38)
At the time of the miracle, the poor blind beggar was not yet a disciple of Jesus; at this point he did not know who Jesus really was. At first, he merely speaks about “the man called Jesus” (verse 11). When he is interviewed by the Pharisees and asked to give his opinion of Jesus, he declares, “He is a prophet” (verse 17). Still later he correctly draws the conclusion that Jesus must be “a man from God,” or else He could not work such a miracle (verses 31-33). Although he still does not know Jesus’ true identity, he is willing to look to Jesus for enlightenment (note verses 35-37). When this poor blind beggar was enlightened, he responded to the light by worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God (verse 38).
5. Trace the development of the Pharisees’ reaction to this miracle as it is described in verses 13-16, 17-22 and 24-34 (printed below).
They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind (14) Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. (15) The Pharisees also asked him how he received his sight. And he said to them, He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and now I see. (16) Some of the Pharisees said, This man is not from God, because he does not observe the Sabbath. But others said, How can a man who is a sinner do such signs? So there was division among them. (John 9:13-16)
They turned again to the blind man and asked, What do you say about him, since he opened your eyes? The man replied, He is a prophet. (18) Therefore the Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they summoned his parents (19) and asked them, Is this your son, whom you say was born blind? How is it that he now sees? (20) His parents answered, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind. (21) But we do not know how he is now able to see; nor do we know who opened his eyes. He is an adult, ask him; he can speak for himself. (22) His parents said this because they feared the Jews; for the Jews had already decided that if any one should confess Jesus to be the Christ, he should be expelled from the synagogue. (John 9:17-22)
So a second time they summoned 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, I do not know whether or not he is a sinner. One thing I do know: I was blind, but now I can see. (26) Then they asked him, What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes? (27) He answered them, I already told you, but you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples? (28) They reviled him and said, You are his disciple; but we are disciples of Moses. (29) We know that God spoke to Moses; but we do not know from where this man comes. (30) The man replied, This is remarkable! You do not know from where he comes and yet he opened my eyes. (31) We know that God does not listen to sinners; but if anyone worships God and does his will, God listens to him. (32) Since the world began no one has ever heard of anyone opening the eyes of a man born blind. (33) If this man were not from God, he could do nothing. (34) They responded to him by saying, You were totally born in sins, and would you teach us? And they threw him out. (John 9:24-34)
As they interview this poor beggar, the Pharisees do not initially question the fact that he has miraculously received his sight, they are interested in learning how his sight was restored (verses 15-18). Notice that it is only after the beggar identifies Jesus as a prophet that the Pharisees question and seek to deny the fact that a miracle of healing has, indeed, taken place (verses 17-18). The Pharisees now insist upon interviewing the poor beggar’s parents (verses 18-23). Pressure is brought to bear against the parents in an effort to silence them or anyone from professing Jesus to be the Messiah. The Pharisees then proceed to hold a second interview with the beggar himself (verses 24-34). They insist upon having the facts of the case reviewed again—no doubt hoping to find some flaw or inconsistency which would allow them to dismiss this whole disturbing incident and discredit the beggar’s witness concerning Jesus (verse 26). Finding themselves unable to refute the facts, the Pharisees now resort to reviling the witness: subjecting the beggar to verbal abuse by calling him a disciple of Jesus, while they claim for themselves the distinction of being disciples of Moses (verse 28). Finally, “they threw him out;” that is to say, they excommunicated him from the synagogue.
