|
Gospel of John
Chapter IX |
|
King James
Bible Text |
Study Notes
Commentary |
|
1 And as Jesus passed by,
he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
|
Verse 1 Jesus never
misses anything or anyone! He
certainly has you!
|
|
2 And his disciples asked
him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that
he was born blind?
|
Verse 2 The disciples
call Jesus "master." They ask, "Who is ‘to blame’ for this man’s
blindness – the man or his parents?" No one! |
|
3 Jesus answered,
Neither hath this man sinned, nor his
parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. |
Verse 3 Jesus never
"blames!" He tells the disciples that God has a master plan! No
matter how things "look" to you, it’s working perfectly! Relax!
God is all about miracles! Miracles are natural
expressions of Love! |
|
4
I must work the works of him that sent me,
while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
|
Verse 4 Jesus knows this
is all about spiritual blindness! His work is
to heal the sick and raise the dead! No man works in darkness –
Jesus is the Light of the world and it is God’s Light that heals!
Use Jesus! |
|
5
As long as I am in the world, I am the light
of the world. |
Verse 5 You, too, are the
Light of the world! Go ahead – shine your Light!
|
|
6 When he had thus
spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and
he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
|
Verse 6 Spittle is
just spit, or saliva. What a mixture to put on eyes! Jesus can use
anything to heal – even you! Yes, "even greater things will you
do!"
|
|
7 And said unto him,
Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation,
Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
|
Verse 7 A miracle is a
correction! It undoes error, or false thinking (which is what
all sickness is)! Now is the time to look at your own
thinking! Yes, miracles do work because they remove the
error of your false thinking! That’s the miracle!
|
|
8 The neighbours
therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind,
said, Is not this he that sat and begged? |
Verse 8 The blind man’s
neighbors ask if it is the same man who sat by the pool and
begged! "Hey, don’t we know this guy?"
|
9 Some said, This is he:
others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.
|
Verse 9 This is the
"human condition" – always questioning – always doubting! "Is this
really the man who was blind, or is it another man?" The healed
man says, "It’s me!" |
|
10 Therefore said they
unto him, How were thine eyes opened?
|
Verse 10 "How were your
eyes opened? We don’t really believe you are healed!" |
|
11 He answered and said,
A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and
said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I
went and washed, and I received sight.
|
Verse 11 Now is the
moment of truth! The man tells them "Jesus told me what to do, and
I did it!" He trusted Jesus! Do you?
|
|
12 Then said they unto
him, Where is he? He said, I know not. |
Verse 12 The Jews want to
find Jesus! The man tells them, "I don’t know where he is, or who
he is!"
|
|
13 They brought to the
Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.
|
Verse 13 The healed man
is taken to the Pharisees! Here comes the "test!" A
miracle healing doesn’t need proof for it
to work – it just is!
|
|
14 And it was the sabbath
day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. |
Verse 14 It was on the
Sabbath that Jesus healed the blind man! Another "law" broken!
Read on!
|
|
15 Then again the
Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said
unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see. |
Verse 15 The Pharisees
question the man about the way that Jesus had healed him of his
blindness! Not the "usual" medical treatment, is it?!
|
|
16 Therefore said some of
the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the
sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such
miracles? And there was a division among them.
|
Verse 16 Jesus is a
"rule" breaker! To heal on the Sabbath is against the old church
law, and so the healing and the healer are considered sinful! Now
Jesus is a lawbreaker! Sound familiar? He teaches that His
kingdom is not of this world – His real home is Heaven – and so is
yours!
|
|
17 They say unto the
blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened
thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.
|
Verse 17 The blind man
doesn’t have a clue Who Jesus is – he thinks He is just a
prophet of some kind! How little does he know Who Jesus
really is!
|
|
18 But the Jews did not
believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his
sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his
sight. |
Verse 18 The Jews don’t
believe the man! Do you see how you use your questioning and
doubting to avoid accepting the Truth?
|
|
19 And they asked them,
saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth
he now see?
|
Verse 19 The Jews are
asking the blind man’s parents if he is their son, and was he
really born blind? If so, how can he see now? The human mind is so
afraid to trust! What a waste of energy! Wouldn’t it be simpler to
admit the miracle is real? Do you trust in miracles?
|
|
20 His parents answered
them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born
blind: |
Verse 20 The parents of
the man say, "Yes, this is our son! And yes, he was born blind!"
Yes, that is the fact of it!
|
|
21 But by what means he
now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not:
he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself. |
Verse 21 "We don’t know
how he got his sight back or who opened his eyes! Go ask him!"
Healing is all about your personal experience – it happens to
you! Do you want healing? |
|
22 These words spake his
parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed
already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should
be put out of the synagogue. |
Verse 22 The man’s
parents are afraid of the Jews! They already know that to admit
Jesus is the Christ would get them kicked out of the synagogue,
and they would be disgraced!
|
|
23 Therefore said his
parents, He is of age; ask him. |
Verse 23 "Don’t ask us–
ask him!"
|
|
24 Then again called they
the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we
know that this man is a sinner. |
Verse 24 Now they want
him to deny his true experience!
|
|
25 He answered and said,
Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that,
whereas I was blind, now I see.
|
Verse 25 He’s not getting
involved in their politics – he’s just telling it like it is!
|
|
26 Then said they to him
again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes?
|
Verse 26 They keep the
pressure on! Will he crack?
|
|
27 He answered them, I
have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye
hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?
|
Verse 27 He says, "I’ve
already told you what happened and you won’t believe me! If I tell
you again, will you become a disciple of Jesus and believe, like
me?" Now there’s a challenge!
|
28 Then they reviled him,
and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples.
|
Verse 28 Things are
starting to get nasty! The Jews abuse the man with words, putting
him down, saying, "You’re only Jesus’ disciple – we are
Moses’ disciples!" They talk to him like they’re better than he
is! |
29 We know that God spake
unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.
|
Verse 29 They know that
God spoke to Moses, but how do they know? They accepted
what they were told!
Remember, by Moses’ law,
this man’s blindness was punishment for sin, either his own or his
parents’! Jesus says neither the man nor his parents have sinned,
but are allowing the miracle to be witnessed! |
|
30 The man answered and
said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not
from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. |
Verse 30 The man answers,
"How much proof do you want? He opened my eyes – it was a
marvelous happening and I accepted it! Who cares where He comes
from – I don’t!"
|
|
31 Now we know that God
heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and
doeth his will, him he heareth.
|
Verse 31 The healed man
says, "We know God doesn’t hear sinners, so the one who healed me
must be a worshipper of God!"
|
|
32 Since the world began
was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born
blind.
|
Verse 32 "Since the
beginning of time, it has never been heard of that any
man opened the eyes of one born blind!
|
|
33 If this man were not
of God, he could do nothing.
|
Verse 33 "If this ‘man’
were not from God, he could not have healed me!" WOW! True! What a
testimony!
|
|
34 They answered and said
unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach
us? And they cast him out.
|
Verse 34 The Jews say,
"You’re just an ‘ordinary’ man – what right do you have to teach
us?" Then they threw him out!
|
|
35 Jesus heard that they
had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him,
Dost thou believe on the Son of
God? |
Verse 35 Here’s Jesus
asking the healed man if he believes in Jesus as the Son of God!
|
|
36 He answered and said,
Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?
|
Verse 36 The man asks
Jesus, "Who is the Son of God?" He wants Jesus to tell him –
so that he can really be sure! |
|
37 And Jesus said unto
him, Thou hast both seen him, and
it is he that talketh with thee.
|
Verse 37 "Look, man –
it’s me! And you’re talking with me!" answers Jesus! Any doubt left in your
mind? Why not ask Jesus for help to believe in Him? Ask
Him! You’ll find out that you are
not alone! |
|
38 And he said, Lord, I
believe. And he worshipped him.
|
Verse 38 This is where
the real healing takes place – when you believe Jesus!
|
|
39 And Jesus said,
For judgment I am come into this world,
that they which see not might see; and that they which see might
be made blind.
|
Verse 39 Jesus’ judgment
is "You are not guilty!" To think you know what seeing
means is to be blind! (Real seeing is with your heart!)
|
|
40 And some of the
Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto
him, Are we blind also? |
Verse 40 If the Pharisees
are asking that question, then they must already know the answer!
Yes, they are blind, because they do not believe in Jesus! |
|
41 Jesus said unto them,
If ye were blind, ye should have
no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.
|
Verse 41 Jesus doesn’t
mess around! He lays it right on the line! Only in innocence, and
trust in God, do you truly "see!"
|