2019.02.15 Hopewell @Home ▫ John 9:1-34

Read John 9:1-34

Questions for Littles: Who saw the blind man in John 9:1? What did the disciples ask (John 9:2)? What was Jesus’s answer (John 9:3)? How did Jesus heal him (John 9:6-7, John 9:11)? What day was it (John 9:14)? What do some of the Pharisees decide that Jesus has done wrong (John 9:14-16)? What do others say? Whom do the Jews refuse to believe at first? What do his parents say, and why (John 9:20-23)? What does the whole group seem to have concluded about Jesus by John 9:24? What does the former blind man know? What does he think is marvelous? What do they say about him and do to him, despite Jesus’s testimony about the reason for the man’s blindness?

In the Gospel reading this week, Jesus cures one man’s blindness, and exposes a host of others’.

It’s a sad irony. In the opening verses, Jesus directly testifies that the man being born blind was not because of a particular sin, but only for the glory of God in Jesus’s works. But then, at the end of today’s portion, the Pharisees condemn the man as being “completely born in sins” and put him out of the synagogue.

The Pharisees are blind about this man. And of course, they are blind about Jesus, whom they call a sinner as well. The only ones that they think are good are themselves. Blind again! “Are you teaching us?” they ask. You see the implication: we aren’t sinners; we’re the ones who notice that everyone else is.

I suppose that if there’s a man who was an expert on the plight of those born blind, it would have been this man. After all, he had a vested interest in knowing whether that had ever been healed. But he says, “since the world began, it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind.” It is no wonder that Jesus calls Himself the light of the world.

This was the work that He had come to do: to show that He had brought the salvation of God, and to accomplish the salvation of God. And indeed, there is nothing that could be more appropriate for a Sabbath!

One thing that often goes unnoticed in this passage is Jesus’s statement that there is a time coming when the miraculous sign-works that He is performing will no longer be done. “Night is coming when no one can work.” He is the light of the world, and any sign-works that are done are revelations of Him—that He is from God.

As He says elsewhere: even if they didn’t believe the words, they should still have believed on account of the works!

What do you believe about Jesus? Has He opened your eyes to see your sin, or are you still blind? Has He opened your eyes to see Him, or are you still blind?

Suggested songs: ARP110B “The Lord Has Spoken to My Lord” or TPH268 “Of the Father’s Love Begotten”