This morning we come to one of the most sensational miracles in the Gospels. It begins plainly enough. As Jesus is walking along with his disciples, they happen across a man who’d been blind from birth. They see an opportunity to resolve an age-old theological dispute. John 9:2, “His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
We can imagine this question being asked a hundred different ways. Who sinned that this child was born in poverty? Born with childhood diabetes? Born with childhood cancer? Born with a disability or lifelong condition. The most distressing question parents ask is, “Did we do something wrong, that our child is suffering in some manner? Is God punishing us for our past sins? Is God’s curse upon us?” When one set of parents have healthy child, they might imagine themselves to be righteous, and to have God’s favor. But when another set of parents has an unhealthy child, they feel some judgment is being levied upon them.
Jesus doesn’t skip a beat. In John 9:3a, he says, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned.” Similar questions came before Jesus another time. In Luke 13:1, some people came to Jesus and reported about King Herod’s wickedness. He’d slaughtered some Galileans and mixed their blood into the sacrifices. Do some people suffer human cruelty because they’re under some kind of curse, because they’ve somehow sinned, and are getting their due? In counseling, it’s very common for a person not just to describe some horrible trauma they experienced at the hands of some wicked person. So that not only did something bad happen “to me” but there is also this false shame that says “I am bad, I have some fatal flaw, God abandoned me, God didn’t love me, God has always hated me.” We’re not so good at interpreting suffering are we?
Again, in Luke 13:4 it was also reported to Jesus that a tower in Siloam fell and eighteen people tragically perished. We see all sorts of horrifying calamity every day. That young man who fell to his death from that ride. The passengers of that Chinese jetliner that plunged into the mountain. The victims of the High-Rise collapse in Florida. The people of Ukraine. Do people tragically die because they are somehow more sinful, less righteous, less good, less faithful, less faith-filled? In Luke 13:3 Jesus says, “No, I tell you, that unless you repent you will all perish as well.” In Luke 13:4b-5 Jesus says, “Do you think they [tower victims] were more sinful than all the other people who live in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well.”
You might recall how in the book of Job, Job suffered mightily. His friends speculated wildly, about the reasons for his suffering. In John 9, Jesus doesn’t assign any negative, human, nor divine causation to suffering—so perhaps we ought not either. Instead, Jesus states positively, John 9:3-5, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” Jesus answered. “This came about so that God’s works might be displayed in him. We must do the works of him who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Now we have to take Jesus’ response in context with all of John. Whether it’s a natural disaster that’s occurred, whether it’s violence-cruelty-injustice, whether it’s sickness, disease, or some incapacitation. . . suffering is always an occasion in which God manifests the goodness, greatness of his glory. In Christ, life triumphs over death, love triumphs over hate, peace triumphs over chaos, hope triumphs over despair. And the vital thing that happens in the face of suffering is that each and every one of us (while it’s still day) must do the works of him who sent Jesus. John 9:4 look at it! “We must do the works of him who sent me while its day.”
Now of all the works we’re to do, what is the most important work we’re to do in the face of suffering? Back in John 6:28-29 they asked Jesus what “works” God wanted of them. “28 ‘What can we do to perform the works of God?’ they asked. 29 Jesus replied, ‘This is the work of God—that you believe in the one he has sent.’”
Now a profound thing happens. In John 9:6-7 Bible says, “6 After he said these things he spit on the ground, made some mud from the saliva, and spread the mud on his eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So he left, washed, and came back seeing.”
Now it’s interesting to me that the tower that tragically fell was in Siloam, and the pool this blind man is to wash his eyes is called the Pool of Siloam. It’s interesting that the word “Siloam” means “sent”, and here Jesus is telling them while its day to do the works of God. And what are the works of God? The work of God is to believe in the one God sent—Jesus! In the face of suffering—regardless of it’s genre or categorization—were to look to Jesus and believe in him!
Nicodemus learned that his past mattered very little—you must be born again of water and spirit. Nicodemus you must be washed! You must spiritually understand that just was wind mysterious—you know not where it came or is going… so it is those born of Spirit! When we repent and believe, the whole trajectory of our life begins to change!
I’m sorry to hear what your past has been. But the real tragedy is that your suffering leaves you blind, that you never see Jesus, the light of the world, that you never believe on him for life and life everlasting. The real tragedy in the words of Jesus is if having suffered in this life, you suffer a double death, and die also in your sins and perish.
John 9:7. “So [The Blind Man] left, washed, and came back seeing.” A physical miracle has occurred here. A “Sign” from God the Father. I know our instinct is to read these gospel miracles and imagine that if only we’d believe, God would undo or reverse whatever physical impairment we have. Don’t miss that this story is not just about physical sight but spiritual sight. Physical sight matters for this life, sure. But Spiritual Life matters for all eternity. Because unless we see, unless we recognize Jesus, unless we repent, unless we believe on Jesus a greater calamity awaits—we will all die in our sins. But the lamb of God has been sent to wash us in forgiveness, and set us free of sin’s power by God’s Spirit. And if the son forgives you, and if the spirit frees you, you’re forgiven and free indeed!
As John 9 unfolds, the formerly blind man and many others begin to see Jesus clearly! John 9:8-12, “8 His neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar said, “Isn’t this the one who used to sit begging?” 9 Some said, “He’s the one.” Others were saying, “No, but he looks like him.” He kept saying, “I’m the one.” 10 So they asked, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So when I went and washed I received my sight.” “Where is he?” they asked. “I don’t know,” he said.
John 9:13-18, “They brought the man who used to be blind to the Pharisees. 14 The day that Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Then the Pharisees asked him again how he received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” he told them. “I washed and I can see.”
16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he doesn’t keep the Sabbath.” But others were saying, “How can a sinful man perform such signs?” And there was a division among them. 17 Again they asked the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he opened your eyes?” “He’s a prophet,” he said. 18 The Jews did not believe this about him—that he was blind and received sight—until they summoned the parents of the one who had received his sight.
John 9:19-23, “19 They asked them, “Is this your son, the one you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20 “We know this is our son and that he was born blind,” his parents answered. 21 “But we don’t know how he now sees, and we don’t know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he’s of age. He will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jews, since the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed him as the Messiah, he would be banned from the synagogue. 23 This is why his parents said, “He’s of age; ask him.”
Do you notice first maybe Jesus is just a man… then maybe a prophet… but now maybe he’s the Messiah… the Christ! No one dares drop the M word!
John 9:24-34, 24 So a second time they summoned the man who had been blind and told him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “Whether or not he’s a sinner, I don’t know. One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I can see!” 26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 “I already told you,” he said, “and you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You don’t want to become his disciples too, do you?”
John 9:28-34, “28 They ridiculed him: “You’re that man’s disciple, but we’re Moses’s disciples. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses. But this man—we don’t know where he’s from.” 30 “This is an amazing thing!” the man told them. “You don’t know where he is from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is God-fearing and does his will, he listens to him. 32 Throughout history no one has ever heard of someone opening the eyes of a person born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he wouldn’t be able to do anything.” 34 “You were born entirely in sin,” they replied, “and are you trying to teach us?” Then they threw him out.
And now for the crux of the story. John 9:35-41, “35 Jesus heard that they had thrown the man out, and when he found him, he asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 “Who is he, Sir, that I may believe in him?” he asked. 37 Jesus answered, “You have seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” 38 “I believe, Lord!” he said, and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, in order that those who do not see will see and those who do see will become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things and asked him, “We aren’t blind too, are we?” 41 “If you were blind,” Jesus told them, “you wouldn’t have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.
Do you realize there is only one sin that can truly derail God’s eternal plan for our life. It’s not anything we even have to speculate about. It’s simply this… to see and believe on Jesus is life, life+everlasting. But to not believe in Jesus the light of world… to continue walking in darkness… is to perish and die in your sin.