John 9:1-41
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was.
Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”
But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”
10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.
11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
12 “Where is this man?” they asked him.
“I don’t know,” he said.
13 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 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”
16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”
But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.
17 Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”
The man replied, “He is a prophet.”
18 They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. 19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”
20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”
25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”
27 He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”
28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”
30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.
35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”
37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”
41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
Matthew 16:13
Who do You Say the Son of Man Is?
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
Trying to explain who Jesus is, is like trying to answer the question that Jesus asks of us, "Who do you say that the Son of Man is?"...The now seeing blind man had trouble explaining who Jesus is and his parents did not try...Explaining Him and how complex He is, is very difficult...
In the last section of Jesus healing a blind man, He tells the Pharisees that they are sinners and their guilt remains...The conversation goes like this...Jesus heard that they had thrown the once blind man out (whom He had just healed), and when Jesus found him, He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”...“Who is He, Sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in Him.”...Jesus said, “You have now seen Him; in fact, He is the One speaking with you.”...Then the man said, “LORD, I believe,” and he worshiped Him...Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”...Some Pharisees who were with Him heard him say this and asked, “What?...Are we blind too?”...Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains."...
But in the middle of Jesus healing the blind man, the Pharisees are trying to figure out what happened...They do not believe in Him and His miracles...The Pharisees believe He is a sinner...The Pharisees were investigating this miracle of how this blind man could now see...A second time the Pharisees summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this Man is a sinner.”...The once blind man replied, “Whether He is a sinner or not, I don’t know...One thing I do know...I was blind but now I see!”...
Then they asked him, “What did He do to you?...How did he open your eyes?”...He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen...Why do you want to hear it again?...Do you want to become His disciples too?”...Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple!...We are disciples of Moses!...We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where He comes from.”...The man answered, “Now that is remarkable!...You don’t know where He comes from, yet He opened my eyes...We know that God does not listen to sinners...He listens to the Godly Person who does His Will...Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind...If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.”...To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!”.. And they threw him out...
It was unexplainable to the Pharisees, and it was unexplainable to the blind man...Jesus is truly unexplainable at what He can do...Whether Jesus was a sinner or not, the blind man did not know...But one very, very important thing the blind man did know now...He was blind but now He could see...The healed blind man believed in the Son of Man...The Pharisees did not...
And that makes all the difference in one's life...The belief in Jesus...