John 9:1-41, The Healing of a Man Born Blind

Bible Study with Dr. Thomas Constable

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Podcast Summary: John 9:1–41 - The Healing of a Man Born Blind

Title: Seeing the Light: The Healing of the Blind Man

Episode Description:
In John 9:1-41, Jesus performs a miraculous healing on a man who has been blind from birth. This powerful act not only restores the man’s physical sight but also opens the eyes of many to the spiritual truth that Jesus is the Light of the World. Join us as we explore the profound lessons embedded in this miracle, the spiritual blindness of those who question it, and the transformative power of encountering Jesus.

Episode Notes

1. The Disciples’ Question: The Cause of the Man’s Blindness (Verses 1-5)

• The Encounter: As Jesus and His disciples pass by a man who has been blind since birth, His disciples ask, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
• Theological Question: The disciples are operating under the assumption that suffering is always a result of personal sin or the sin of one’s parents. This reflects a common belief in Jewish thought at the time.
• Jesus’ Answer: Jesus rejects this understanding, saying neither the man nor his parents sinned to cause his blindness. Instead, Jesus points to a higher purpose: “but that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
• The Spiritual Insight: Jesus asserts that He is the Light of the World and that His works will bring glory to God. The man’s blindness is an opportunity for Jesus to reveal His divine power.

2. The Healing: Jesus’ Action (Verses 6-12)

• The Miracle: Jesus makes a paste from the earth and His saliva, applies it to the blind man’s eyes, and instructs him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. The man obeys and returns seeing.
• The Reaction: The people who knew the man as a beggar are astonished, questioning if this is truly the same man. His neighbors and those who had seen him begging are skeptical, asking how his sight was restored.
• The Testimony: The man responds, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” His simple testimony points directly to Jesus as the source of his healing.

3. The Pharisees’ Investigation: Conflict Over the Healing (Verses 13-17)

• The Man is Brought to the Pharisees: The man is brought to the Pharisees for examination, as the healing occurred on the Sabbath.
• The Pharisees’ Division: The Pharisees are divided in their response. Some question how a man who is a sinner (since He healed on the Sabbath) could perform such a miracle, while others wonder how a sinner could do such signs.
• The Man’s Testimony: The man confidently affirms that Jesus is a prophet, acknowledging the miraculous nature of his healing, but leaving open the question of who Jesus truly is.

4. The Continued Investigation: The Parents’ Testimony (Verses 18-23)

• The Pharisees Question the Parents: The Pharisees, not satisfied with the man’s testimony, call in his parents to confirm his identity. They confirm that he is their son and that he was born blind, but they avoid answering the question of how he was healed, fearing the repercussions of publicly endorsing Jesus.
• The Fear of Excommunication: The parents’ fear of being expelled from the synagogue (a serious social and spiritual consequence) leads them to defer to their son, who is now of age and can speak for himself.

5. The Man’s Bold Confession: Jesus as the Source of Healing (Verses 24-34)

• The Pharisees’ Confrontation: The Pharisees continue to question the man, insisting that Jesus is a sinner because He h