The Works of God. John 9:1-41 The Lord Jesus Christ was always "about His Father's business" wherever He was found. His eyes were always open to display the grace of God and His interest in the needs of people. Even though a blind beggar had never seen any evidence of God in creation through his sightless eyes, God saw him through Jesus' eyes. "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." He seemed ordinary, yet the evidence was there that He was sent for a specific purpose. The disciples knew He could sense what was needed in any situation, and they understood what Jesus meant when He spoke.
It is difficult for a natural person to understand how humanity and deity could be united in one Person. As the Christ, the One sent from God, His mission was from the Father who sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. He alone was the chosen One; no one else could seek and save the lost. He would gather the lost sheep scattered by the enemy of souls. The Son of God who came was not like other men; He was unique because He was both holy God and perfect Man at the same time and in one Person.
God “was found in fashion as a man.” He was also the Son of Man who came to seek the lost, sunk in sin’s darkness so deep they were without hope and without God in the world. He came to bring repentant sinners to the safety only He could give and sustain. As the Lord of life and glory, the eternal King in His offices; in His essence, He is the Son of God. In the past and the future, He is the eternal Word who was made flesh and dwelt among us. To us who believe, He is our Lord and Savior whom we love, and we know the man Jesus is truly the Son of God.
It wasn't the sins of the blind man or his parents that caused his blindness, although many then and now believe that life's difficulties and sickness result from specific sinful acts. Sin and its consequences lead to death, but this man's blindness was due to the sin principle inherent in our humanity, not necessarily a particular action he may have committed. Seizing the opportunity, the Lord Jesus revealed the works of God through this healing, as a sign of His deity. He granted physical and spiritual sight to the man who was born blind.
The Lord Jesus Christ knew that Father sent Him with a special work to do that no one else could do. His mind and heart must have been words like these: “The day is here now, I came for this hour, this blind man cannot see. I am in the world; for the needy people like this blind man have I come. I am here to bless all and for some who need what men cannot do; my work and purpose must be done to demonstrate God’s power and grace. I am the light of the world. The darkness is ending; it is fading fast, and soon it is going away. This man who has never been able to see heard the word of God from Me now and sees the light of the day.”
Throughout human life, innocent people may suffer. But when God, in His grace, allows us to hear the Gospel and understand who Jesus is and what He has done for us, we choose to follow Him. The motivation for following Him is not for convenience or comfort but out of love and devotion. Good behavior in a person's life is not always rewarded, and bad behavior is not always punished. Jesus used this sightless man to testify that the Creator who made the world is able to use the original material He formed, when mixed with His spittle, to bring blessing — once again, providing a sign of His divine power. Jesus saw the man and met his need.
When God works, people's reactions vary. Sometimes, we're surprised at how people respond to a blessing from God that our limited experience cannot explain. Strangely, neighbors who have known the blind man all his life were not only surprised by his healing but also skeptical about the whole event. His response to them was simple and direct, mentioning "A man that is called Jesus..." and sharing his straightforward faith. "I went and washed, and I received sight." Little faith brought great blessings. Unsatisfied, those neighbors, in unbelief, brought the now-seeing man to the Pharisees. Once again, he plainly told those prejudiced, unbelieving, and hostile Pharisees what had happened. Even the Pharisees were divided in their opinions. Despite the clear evidence of God's work in people's lives, many willfully reject the Savior because of man's natural opposition to the holiness and power of the One, who is far greater than any man.
The day of visitation is here and now. Do not wait for more light because, in the brightness of the day, the plight of men appears stark, dark, and fearful. We don't know if the souls waiting for relief that brings hope are lost. What we do know is that a work is here—close by, to be done by those willing to try the impossible, at least for men, but not for Him who knows the best.
For Him, no obstacle is too great, no task so daunting that He cannot dispel the problems that fill the life of anyone seeking to do God’s will. However, the night is coming just as surely as the day arrives, and in that darkness, fear invades the hearts and souls of every person whose daytime was filled with frivolous pursuits. When night falls, no work is accomplished. The time has passed for making changes that can be blessed by God, from whom we now receive all true blessings, especially to those who believe. Without the light, the darkness that darkens the land overwhelms the fearful, leaving no doubt that the hand of God, which brought such blessings in the past, has been removed, and man is left on his own.
The Pharisees' jealousy led to an investigation and condemnation because of the good being done on the Sabbath day. Their list of do's and don'ts included their belief that making a small mixture of dirt and water to create clay broke the Sabbath laws. When there is jealousy, malice, and guilt, bitterness towards what is good often follows. Additionally, there is reviling against both the one who does good and those who benefit from the good that is done.
The Confession of what one knows “I am” of personality, v.9 “I went” of obedience, v.11 “I received” of blessing, v.12 “I know not” of ignorance, v.12 “I washed” of cleansing, v.15 “I know” of experience, v. 25 “I see” of sight, v.25 “I have told you” of emphasis, v.27 “I might” of desire, v.36 “I believe” of faith, v.38
I am the one who was born blind. This isn't someone else; I am the man who begged here every day. Yes, I was truly born blind. You would have seen me here begging in the past, but now I can see. A man told me to wash away the clay he had put on my eyes, and I went and washed it, and now I can see. I did what He told me to do, the One who made the clay. He told me to wash, so I washed at the pool, and the darkness disappeared.
I received sight. I had never seen a light or the sunlight so bright, nor had I seen the faces of those who talked to me. Now I have sight, and everything seems so right—except for those of you who have come to complain. I do not know who the Man is that did this because I did not see Him, but I am sure of this: both of my eyes were blind, and the Man of God who found me performed the cure. I washed, and now I can see. I can’t answer all your questions, but to answer your main question, He told me to wash, and I did as He said. The results speak for themselves. I do understand what has happened to me. Why is it such a problem for you to see? It’s simple; it’s exactly as I stated— I was blind, but now I see.
I was blind in the past; I did what He asked; I washed, and He gave me my sight. I should know what has happened; it is I who have passed from darkness into clear, true light. I see; it’s not dark anymore; from now on, I will mark this day as a red-letter day. I started out blind and depressed in my mind, but now, by God’s grace, I can see. I told you the truth; I got it straight from His mouth; I washed just as He instructed. Now, believe it or not, that’s your choice, but as for me, I am ever so glad.
I didn’t know who He was at first; I just appreciated all He did. I know now, without question, that Jesus is the great Son of God. I believe in Him now; at His feet, I do bow; He is truly the Savior of men. I worship Him here and will say everywhere, ‘He’s my Lord, for me He was sent.’ He said, ‘I am come into this world, that they which see not might see.’”
Another reaction to this sign came from the parents of the now-seeing, healed man. They knew he was their son who was born blind, but neither of them knew what had happened. They were also afraid of ex-communication from the synagogue. History does repeat itself at times. It is not uncommon for a person who accepts Christ as Savior and Lord to no longer be welcome in some religious groups. The light that shines into darkness makes those who dwell in darkness uncomfortable, afraid, and angry. The healed man, however, quickly grew in faith, progressing from recognizing Jesus as a man to seeing Him as a Man with power, then as a Man (Lord) to be respected, and finally as the Son of God to be worshipped, which he did.
Because of a single act of blessing, many people were affected that day. The work of God tends to polarize some individuals in their mindset, and it enlightens others about things they had never known before. Spiritual light can give life to a person, and that same light, when rejected, brings greater darkness than before. "If that light in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness." When the blind man who was given sight was expelled from the synagogue, it did not hinder his growth in faith. In a way, he excommunicated the religion from himself rather than the other way around. A person brought into fellowship with God is what the Lord Jesus Christ came to accomplish. "Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God."
There will always be those who refuse to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior because they value their current religion more than eternal life now and forever. No matter what is taught from the scriptures, most people's spiritual eyesight will remain blind and dark. However, God sees and knows those who will respond to His grace, and so we must keep sharing the truth as the Lord did to find the few who will enter the narrow gate to the way that leads to life.