People's New Testament And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 9:1 The Man Born Blind
SUMMARY OF JOHN 9: Are Physical Misfortunes Judgments?. Sometimes for the Glory of God. The Blind Man Healed. The Pharisees Examine Him. They Excommunicate Him for Honoring Christ. He Confesseth Christ. He saw a man who was blind from his birth. Like most such unfortunates in the East, he was a beggar (Joh 9:8). And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 9:2 Master, who did sin? Many of our misfortunes and physical ills are brought on us either by our own sins, or are inherited from parents and caused by their sins. The disciples ask if the blindness is a judgment, and who caused it? They were, perhaps, not aware that he was blind from birth.
Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. 9:3 Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents. Jesus does not affirm that they were sinless, but that their sins were not the cause of the calamity. We are not justified in asserting that the sufferer is a sinner. Job, Christ, Paul, and the whole army of martyrs disprove it.
But that the works of God should be made manifest in him. By his miraculous cure the work of God shall be made manifest. It is the work of God to believe on Christ (Joh 6:29), and the blindness of this man was the occasion of faith being produced, not only in him, but others. Thus Christ shows a nobler use of suffering. The Father chasteneth every son whom he loveth (Heb 12:6). I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. 9:4 The night cometh, when no man can work. The works of God are to be made manifest in the blind man; Christ must work those works while the short day of life lasteth. His night of death was near. Nor is ours far off.
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 9:5 I am the light of the world. He opens the blind eyes of both the body and the soul. We see morally, because he has given us light.
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,
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. 9:7 Go, wash in the pool of Siloam. It was Christ's rule to require an act of faith. Hence, instead of bidding him to see, he sent him to Siloam to wash the clay from his eyes. Siloam is a rock-hewn basin fifty-three feet long, eighteen wide, and nineteen deep, fed by a spring. It is named in Isa 8:6 Ne 3:15, and can still be seen in Jerusalem.
The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?
Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.
Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened?
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.
Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.
They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. 9:13 They brought to the Pharisees him. It was a notable event that demanded investigation. Hence they brought him to religious men of great influence.
And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. 9:14 It was the sabbath. Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. We have found in the case of the miracle at the pool of Bethesda how they were angered by his apparent violation of the day.
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.
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. 9:16 This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath. The Pharisees questioned the man, learned that his eyes had been smeared with spittle, and then declared that Jesus had broken the Sabbath. Even this was a violation, not of the law, but of their tradition. See PNT Mt 15:2.
They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet. 9:17 He said, He is a prophet. A little while before he had said that a man called Jesus (Joh 9:11) healed him; now he declares that he is a prophet; a little later he is prepared to receive him as the Son of God (Joh 9:38). His convictions constantly deepened.
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.
And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see?
His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:
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.
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. 9:22 Because they feared the Jews. The rulers. They knew that it was agreed to excommunicate any one who confessed Christ. Hence they said, He was born blind, he now sees, you must ask him how he was cured. He is of age. To be cast out of the synagogue was an awful punishment to a Jew. It put him on a level with the heathen.
Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.
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. 9:24 We know that this man is a sinner. Because he healed on the Sabbath.
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.
Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes?
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?
Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples.
We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.
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. 9:30-33 Why herein is a marvellous thing. It was also a marvellous thing that one who was a blind beggar a few hours before should now expound theology to the very men that sat in Moses' seat (Mt 23:2) and show a better knowledge of the spirit of the Scriptures than the great ecclesiastics. Without the power of God no man could open the eyes of one born blind.
Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. 9:30-33 Why herein is a marvellous thing. It was also a marvellous thing that one who was a blind beggar a few hours before should now expound theology to the very men that sat in Moses' seat (Mt 23:2) and show a better knowledge of the spirit of the Scriptures than the great ecclesiastics. Without the power of God no man could open the eyes of one born blind.
Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. 9:30-33 Why herein is a marvellous thing. It was also a marvellous thing that one who was a blind beggar a few hours before should now expound theology to the very men that sat in Moses' seat (Mt 23:2) and show a better knowledge of the spirit of the Scriptures than the great ecclesiastics. Without the power of God no man could open the eyes of one born blind.
If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. 9:30-33 Why herein is a marvellous thing. It was also a marvellous thing that one who was a blind beggar a few hours before should now expound theology to the very men that sat in Moses' seat (Mt 23:2) and show a better knowledge of the spirit of the Scriptures than the great ecclesiastics. Without the power of God no man could open the eyes of one born blind.
They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out. 9:34 They cast him out. If they could not answer his arguments they could excommunicate him. This they did. Observe that this miracle was officially investigated by the enemies of Christ, and they were compelled to admit it. The judicial investigation showed that he was born blind, that he was cured, and that Jesus gave him sight.
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? 9:35-38 Dost thou believe on the Son of God? Jesus sought the poor excommunicated man, revealed himself to him and was confessed. The man had lost the world, but found Christ. Observe that he believes with the heart, confesses with the mouth, and shows his faith by his homage.
He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? 9:35-38 Dost thou believe on the Son of God? Jesus sought the poor excommunicated man, revealed himself to him and was confessed. The man had lost the world, but found Christ. Observe that he believes with the heart, confesses with the mouth, and shows his faith by his homage.
And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. 9:35-38 Dost thou believe on the Son of God? Jesus sought the poor excommunicated man, revealed himself to him and was confessed. The man had lost the world, but found Christ. Observe that he believes with the heart, confesses with the mouth, and shows his faith by his homage.
And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. 9:35-38 Dost thou believe on the Son of God? Jesus sought the poor excommunicated man, revealed himself to him and was confessed. The man had lost the world, but found Christ. Observe that he believes with the heart, confesses with the mouth, and shows his faith by his homage.
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. 9:39 For judgment I am come into this world. The coming of Christ, the Light, reveals human hearts. Publicans and sinners were made to see, while Jews and Pharisees, who claimed to be enlightened, were left in darkness, because they closed their eyes. Those blinded are those who would not see.
And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? 9:40,41 Are we blind also? The Pharisees ask this. They were not blind by necessity. They could see if they would. Hence they were responsible. Had they been without opportunity they would have no moral responsibility, but as they had opportunity to see and claimed to see, their sin remaineth.
Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth. 9:40,41 Are we blind also? The Pharisees ask this. They were not blind by necessity. They could see if they would. Hence they were responsible. Had they been without opportunity they would have no moral responsibility, but as they had opportunity to see and claimed to see, their sin remaineth. The People's New Testament by B.W. Johnson [1891] Bible Hub |
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