John 9, Sharing your story

• Background:
• Timeframe: Constable suggests between feast of Tabernacles (mid-Sept) and Feast of Dedication (mid-Dec)
• This is the six of John's seven selected signs. Constable argues that this shows Jesus' power of misfortune

John 9:1-12 (NIV) 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 work of God might be displayed in his life. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the work 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 Having said 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 demanded.

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.

• There are other cases in the gospels of blind receiving their sight, why is this case so important?
• This is the first case of a man born blind receiving their sight

• Messianic Miracles (An official understanding -- also agrees with Fruchtenbaum)
1. The first Messianic miracle was the healing of a leper. . . . Mk.1:40-45 records Jesus’ first description of a healing miracle. Leprosy affected everything they were considered unclean and it was associated with sin. One could not come in contact with people who were afflicted they needed to stand down wind and if a leper were coming near they needed to cry out unclean. When Jesus came, he knelt and asked if he is willing, which of course he was… there was no healing of a Jewish leper- from the time of Moses and the completing of the Mosaic law no leper had been healed in Israel. This would include Mariam who was healed of leprosy  (Num 12:10-) before the the Mosaic Law was completed and Naaman who was not a Jew (2 Kings 5:1-; Mt.8:2-4; Lk.5:12-16; Mk.1:40-45).  The Scripture makes it clear that only God can heal a leper. Jesus healed the lepers.
2. Healing and casting out a dumb demon- This miracle only the messiah could perform. The Pharisees recognized this as a messianic miracle, this is why they asked could this be the son of David. At the time their were exorcisms performed within Judaism. For this to be accomplished the exorcist needed to communicate with the demon and then force him to tell them his name (as Jesus did with the demoniac). However in this case where someone was affected by the demon to become dumb this exorcism could not take place because there could be no communication made. According to the Rabbis only the messiah could cast out a demon like this.
3. The healing of a blind man Jn.9:1-32 Jesus broke the tradition of the elders (Mishnaic law) which prohibited the healing of the blind by his putting mud and water in the blind mans eyes which was to the Pharisee's unclean. Only the messiah could heal someone that was blind from birth.
• The first messianic miracle the Pharisees investigate Jesus. The 2nd they end up rejecting His claims of Messiahship. The 3rd they reject the individuals who affirm He is the Messiah. (Pasted from <http://www.letusreason.org/Juda5.htm> )

• The disciple's question reflects a very common understanding of the opinion of that day, and of today. We tend to view bad things in a cause and effect relationship. If something bad happens to you then the reason is because you sinned. In this case, the sinner would be the parents, since the child could not have sinned.
• It is not clear why the disciples thought the man had sinned. R.A. Knox relates that the Greek could be understood as "Did this man sin? or did his parents commit some sin with the result that he was born blind?"
• It is possible, based on Knox's rendering of the Greek that they did not know he was born blind. But if his parents had sinned then he was probably born blind, would be the reason
• Of course, sin is the reason for suffering and evil in the world, but it does not always have a cause and effect relationship. That is essentially the argument of Job

• Also, how do the disciples view the person's blindness, what is their attitude?
• They see it as an opportunity for a theological discussion
• They want to put a "reason" down for the man's problem (everything has to have a reason)

• How does Jesus view the man's blindness?
• He takes a positive view
• He sees it as an opportunity to display God's grace

• How do you view Jesus' discussion of day and night?
• Day refers to Jesus' time on earth and the opportunity to do the work of God
• Night is coming and no one will be able to work (interesting because the verse would seem to suggest that Jesus' miracles will soon end)
• The apostles actually do very few miracles
• The miracles decrease as we move farther along in Acts

• Why does Jesus spit on the ground and put mud on the blind man's eyes?
• The mud was unclean in Jewish eyes, but Jesus uses it to clean the eyes
• We are created out of the dust of the earth
• Both the process of spitting and the application of mud would have involved senses for which the blind man was acutely able to experience

• There is some significance to Siloam
• The name means "sent" and Jesus sends him to there. In obedience he receives his sight
• Edersheim references those waters with the Feast of Tabernacles and believes it symbolizes new life by the Spirit

• The man does not know a whole lot but he does seem to know some facts, what are they?
• The person was called Jesus
• He made some mud and put it on my eyes
• He told me to go to Siloam and wash my eyes

• The "where is the man" could because of the healing on the Sabbath, and a desire to report him to the Sanhedrin

John 9:13-23 (NIV) 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 do such miraculous signs?" So they were divided.

17 Finally 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 The Jews 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 Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. 23 That was why his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."

• The Pharisees actually are required to investigate this miracle, why? Because it is a Messianic miracle
• They have an immediate answer because they have already investigate Jesus. So their primary reason for rejecting Christ is based on what?
• An interpretation of the Sabbath rules

• Actually, two arguments are going on
• One argues a priori, beginning with the law and working forward to Jesus' action
• Second is a posteriori, beginning with the facts and working backwards to Jesus' action
• The Pharisees actually do have the better argument, since miracles do not prove the miracle-worker was from God. But the Pharisees argument is based on a false presumption or false basis, that is, that healing on the Sabbath was breaking the law

• Why are the parents brought in?
• The Pharisees are not convinced that he was actually born blind. At this point, they only have hearsay on his condition. Technically, even a person born blind would not know that fact since it could have happened when he was very young
• We don't know the age of the man, but apparently he is past 13 based on his parent's testimony

• Apparently, some synagogues were persecuting individuals who believed Jesus was the Messiah

John 9:24-41 (NIV) A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. "Give glory to God," 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 man 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.

• What is interesting about this second court hearing starts?
• The judges immediately taint everything with their view that Jesus is a sinner

• What do we see in the man's response?
• He is not afraid of the religious leaders
• He does not back down from his previous statements
• He replies sarcastically showing his lack of fear

• Previously, they knew where Jesus had come from and has chastised Nicodemus on that very point. Now they are not sure, why?
• Maybe they heard that Jesus was born in Bethlehem

• Technically, the formerly blind man's argument is insufficient to make the point, but it can't be ignored. On the other hand (Sanhedrin point of view), the only evidence of Jesus sin is with respect to their interpretation of the Sabbath, which Jesus has already answered. What was Jesus' argument?
• You circumcise a child on the Sabbath because the law requires it
• Why can't you do good on the Sabbath, doesn't the law actually require it??

• In this last rejection of the third Messianic miracle, the religious leaders reject the persons who affirm Christ's Messiah-ship
• From Jesus point of view, there is imagery in the story that is missed, what is his point?
• Those born blind (in sin) are now seeing
• Those who think they can see (the religious) are blind

• APPLICATION: We can learn a lot about the man born blind in his response and witness. He did not know a lot of theology. But he got under the skin of the intellectuals because he shared what he had seen and heard. We don't need to know all the answers, we just need to share what we have seen God do in our lives