Why follow Jesus: To be healed of blindness from birth
Lesson: Not only is man unable to hear God because of his descent from Satan (Jn 8:43-47), he is also born spiritually blind, or even struck with blindness (Jn 9:39-41). Healing requires the words of Christ (possibly symbolized here by his saliva, cf Deut 8:3) triggering an act of new creation (mud, cf Gen 2:7) and washing (pool of Siloam, cf Eph 5:25-26).
Read: John 9
1) What could have led the disciples to ask about the sin of this blind man and his parents?
- Compare Jn 8:12 and 9:34. What led them to suspect a direct connection between sin and his blindness? [They reasoned that if you are born blind, it must be someone’s fault, because God is not unjust to punish anybody with such a curse who does not deserve it]
- Jesus proclaimed: “I am the light, whoever follows me will not walk in darkness” (Jn 8:12). However, this blind man was evidently deprived of light. Why did it seem logical to ask whether this man was punished for his own choice to not follow Christ or rather for a sin of his parents?
2) How sinful was this man according to Jesus?
- How did Jesus explain why this man was born blind?
- Read Isa 42:6-7. How does this contrast with the theology “God helps those who help themselves”, or that God spares those from judgement who do not sin more than average?
- What difference does it make what you believe about that? How does it influence what you think of Jesus?
3) Given John’s style to start each chapter with an event that illustrates his subsequent point, do you think this healing and how it was accomplished signifies anything specific? What could that be? Jn 9:39-41
- Why did Jesus choose a blind man and not just any other illness to reveal God’s work?
- If the blindness of this man symbolizes our spiritual blindness, what can we learn from the fact that Jesus revealed God’s work by choosing a man who was born blind , v3?
- What is showcased about the works of God by this sign of healing?*
- Could mud, saliva and the pool of Siloam carry special meaning – why or why not?
- cf Gen 2:7 1st creation (mud from the ground) –> new creation;
- Eph 5:25-26 through cleansing by water of Siloam (a type for Messiah)
4) What was the immediate effect of the healing upon the healed man himself?
- v18: Was he taken seriously? Why not?
- vv21-23: Was he supported or encouraged by his parents?
- v34: Was he insulted?
- vv34-35: Did he find a good church?
- vv35-38: Given all the losses that he suffered, why did this man still consider his healing worth the trouble? cf Phil 3:7-12
- What were they so upset about, and why, v34; 39-41?
- because the healed man witnessed for Jesus? v11
- because their traditions were violated? v16
- because of the very fact of the healing? v18
- What reactions did this “new creation” evoke in the blind who was healed? What did he comprehend right away, v11? v29-33?
- Does this mean that he all of a sudden knew everything about Jesus, vv12.25?
- vv16-34: Did he persevere even in conflicts that awaited him as a new Christian? cf Mt 10:34-39 Why so? v28
6) Personal, and application
- What do you like most about this story in Jn 9?
- When you yourself became a Christian, how was your own experience similar or different from this one?
- How can you avoid to be struck with self-inflicted spiritual blindness that God will not cure, v39-41?
- How does your church community support new converts who suddenly face rejection by family or former friends?
- Can you commit to a practical step how you will contribute to improve such community efforts?
* If our (spiritual) blindness is inborn and cannot be avoided or cured by moral self improvement, it cannot possibly depend on our own merit or lack thereof whether God cures us of it.
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