Tyndale Open Study NotesJohn 9

At the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus claimed to be the light of the world (chapters 7–8; see 8:12). Now John tells about Jesus giving light, both physically and spiritually, to a blind man who lived in darkness (see 9:5).

The story ends with a surprising reversal (a complete change) of roles: The man who had been blind was assumed to live in spiritual darkness. Yet he came to see and accept God’s light. The Pharisees could see with their physical eyes. People thought they were spiritually enlightened (well taught and wise). However, they refused to believe. In the end, they were shown to be spiritually blind.

The disciples thought the man was born blind because of sin, either his own sin or his parents'. Jesus corrected this common belief (9:3).

I am the light of the world: See study note on 8:12.

During the New Testament era, saliva was used for medical purposes (see Mark 7:32–35; 8:22–25).

• Siloam, a pool at the south end of Jerusalem, provided water for the Feast of Tabernacles ceremonies.

• which means “Sent”: This phrase contained a double meaning: Jesus, who has been sent by God, told the blind man to wash in the pool called Sent (4:34; 5:23, 37; 7:28; 8:26; 12:44; 14:24).

The blind man recognized Jesus and spoke with confidence about him. Jesus healed the man of his physical problem, and the man gained more spiritual understanding (9:17, 33). He became a disciple of Jesus (9:38; compare 5:11–15).

The Pharisees were experts in interpreting the Jewish law. So the community asked them to explain this miracle (see 1:24). Instead of celebrating the healing, these religious leaders questioned the man because Jesus had performed the miracle on the Sabbath (see 5:16–18).

The man had already identified his healer (9:11, 16). Now he made his own spiritual judgment, calling Jesus a prophet.

The Pharisees wanted to dismiss the miracle. They did not want to accept that Jesus had truly healed the man.

They called the man’s parents and questioned them. They hoped the parents would deny that a real healing had taken place.

His parents confirmed that their son had been born blind, but they hesitated to judge how he could see because they were afraid of the social consequences.

Give glory to God!: Compare Joshua 7:19.

• The Pharisees could not argue against the logic of the miracle (9:24–25, 30–33). So they abandoned reason and cursed him (see 9:34).

• The harsh division between Jesus and the religious leaders was clear. They considered those who followed Jesus to have rejected Moses and Judaism.

The Jewish leaders did not know where Jesus came from. It made sense that the man was amazed. A healing like this had never happened before.

The work of Jesus showed he was from God. Once people knew who he truly was, they should have believed and followed him. However, the Jewish leaders chose to ignore the truth.

Only God could give sight to someone born blind. By healing the man, Jesus gave the Jewish leaders an obvious sign that he was from God and was the Messiah (compare Psalm 146:8; Isaiah 35:5; 42:7).

Discipline such as being thrown out of the synagogue was not uncommon. It brought social isolation that might require the man’s departure from the village. Such serious persecution was precisely what Jesus predicted for his followers (15:18–27; 16:2).

Jesus urged the man who had been blind to understand the miracle and recognize the one who healed him. The man immediately showed faith and honored Jesus in the same way he would honor God (9:38; compare 20:28).

Son of Man: See 1:51; 3:13, 14; 5:27; 6:27, 53, 62; 8:28. The Greek expression translates a Hebrew and Aramaic phrase that means human being. People were often unsure what Jesus meant when he used this title (see 12:34). In Daniel 7:13–14, a human figure receives authority and an eternal kingdom from God. Later Jewish tradition connected this figure with hopes for the Messiah. John uses the title Son of Man to point to Jesus as both an ordinary human being and the Messiah appointed by God.

Are we blind too?: Jesus answered that those who claim to hold all religious truth will discover that they are blind, while those who recognize their spiritual poverty will find true sight. In the story, the blind man and his family frequently confessed that they did not know, while the Pharisees repeatedly stated their confidence and remained guilty because of their religious pride. If they had confessed their ignorance and admitted their spiritual blindness, they would be guiltless. Instead, their conscious and willful rejection of Jesus established their guilt.