Blind man was healed, Pharisees were blinded.

This topic is from the gospel of John, the entire 9th chapter. It has only one incident, that is, Jesus healed a man who was born blind. He was born blind for the work of God to be manifested in him. Jesus, being the light of the world, manifested the work of God, by healing the blind man. The Pharisees made sure that the miracle was genuine, by calling his parents, and so on. Yet they accused Jesus for healing him on a sabbath day, even though the manifestation was genuine. Jesus told them that they were blind, he meant it spiritually and eternally. If they will not confess it, their sins will remain with them.

Sin causes sickness, but not all sickness is by sin.

Now let us begin with verse 1. "And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him." Our sins also cause sickness, even death, according to scripture. But it is not the only cause for sickness. Even his disciples, when they saw the blind man, they rushed to connect him with sin. It is cruel and ignorance. I am not saying that we do not sin, but if someone is sick, it is not fair and proper to say that it is because of sin. Jesus corrected them saying that it was not because of his sin or the sin of his parents, but it was to manifest the work of God through him. The sickness was the plan of God, but the cause was not sin.

Jesus Christ is the Light, the Light is in the world.

Jesus told them that he is the light of the world. He has said it in many places. When he is gone, the light will be gone, and there will be darkness. "4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Jesus was sent by God the Father to do his work. Jesus is the light, and so, as long as Jesus is in the world, men can work. A time will come that he will not be in the world. When he is gone from the world, it will be darkness, and nobody can work. The question is whether Jesus is in the world now or not. Most Christians will say that now he is in the right hand of God the Father in heaven; and so, he is not in the world. But now he is God, and so, he is in the omnipresent Spirit. He can be in the right hand of the Father and in the world at the same time. Further, God the Father sent him twice to the world. At first, he came to the world in the flesh as a man. Then after his resurrection, he was made Lord and Christ, declared as begotten Son, anointed as God, and was sent back by God the Father to the world again, to turn his people away from their sins. So, the light is in this world now, for the last 2000 and more years. His men are still doing his work. The night will come, but not for another 300 years.

Give God the praise, but condemn the man of God!

Verses 6&7 say that Jesus made clay with his spit, put it on his eyes, asked the blind man to wash it in the pool of Siloam, and the blind man did that and came seeing. It was a miracle by the manifestation of God. "8 The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? 9 Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he. 10 Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened? 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. 12 Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not. 13 They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. 14 And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes." It was confirmed that he was blind and now he sees. It was politics in play. They want to kill Jesus and so they find fault in whatever he does. Their allegation was that he breached the sabbath law by healing a blind man. But the scripture does not say that the manifestation of God in healing must not be done on the sabbath. Anyway, whatever the Pharisees and scribes say, it was considered as law. From verses 15 to 23, the Pharisees cross questioned the blind man who was healed, and his parents. The Jews were involved; they had split opinion; but the hands of the Pharisees were strong since they were in power, in the temple and in religious affairs. The Pharisees ex-communicate anyone if they didn't agree with them. Common Jews were afraid of them, since they don't want to be an outcast. "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." This is a good one. God give signs so that people may accept the man as the one who is approved of God. The Pharisees accepted the sign as genuine, but rejected Jesus.

They say that they were the disciples of Moses.

"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." The man, who was healed had a touch of God, and so he did not care even if they rejected him as an outcast. And, they argued with him in verse 26&27. "28 Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples." If they are the followers of Moses, they could have accepted Jesus. Deuteronomy 18:15&18 speaks about Jesus as a prophet and it was told to Israel to obey him. Despite that, they have rejected Jesus. The religious politics made them hate Jesus so much, that they want to kill him. "29 We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is. 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. 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. 32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. 33 If this man were not of God, he could do nothing." This man who was healed gave a fantastic logical argument. Still, they did not accept anything. Verse 34 says that they casted him out. So, he became an outcast by the Pharisees. But he didn't mind. He was blind and now he sees.

Jesus came twice to save; next he will come to Judge.

In verses 35-37, Jesus introduced himself as the Son of God to the healed man and asked him whether he believe him. "38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. 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." Even though Jesus used the word judgment, he was just telling that the Jews were spiritually blind. But it was not a judicial conviction. In John 12:47, Jesus said that "I came not to judge the world, but to save the world." Here, the word judge refers to final judgment, eternal rewards or condemnation. Jesus came to the world twice, once as a man, and the next as God, and both times he came to save the people, but not to judge. The third time Jesus will come to rapture his body the church, the fourth time to rule in the millennium, and the fifth time he will come to judge the world. The church people do not study the bible, and to them all are second coming. Jesus has come a second time already. In verse 39, the word judgment is a figure of speech. Jesus was telling the Pharisees that they had the eyes to see, but they were spiritually blind. This was a statement, but not a decree of judgment.

Blind man was healed, blindness of Pharisees remains.

"40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also" It was just pun with words. However, Jesus was giving emphasis that there was a spiritual blindness, that they did not see the truth, which will cause them eternal damnation, which will be more serious than physical blindness. "41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth." The Pharisees thought that they knew it all, and so they were proud and arrogant, and so they did not repent and will be eternally damned. We can compare this to our Christian celebrity preachers, who are very proudly confessing that they still sin every day but are saved by the grace of God. This verse will apply to them and to such people. Their sins will remain and will find them at the end.