John 9 is an account of the miracle Jesus worked when He gave sight to a man who had been blind from birth. The account shows the unwillingness of the parents to acknowledge Jesus as the source of healing for their son; the rejection of Jesus by the rulers who were presented with unquestionable proof the miracle was genuine; and, the sublime, childlike faith produced in the man given sight by Jesus. At the conclusion of this account is recorded these words: “For judgement came I into this world, that they that see not may see; and they that see may become blind” (John 9:39).
When Jesus said, “For judgment came I into the world that they which see not may see” it was of spiritual blindness and sight of which Jesus spoke. This would include those who had never heard of Jesus, but hearing of Him, believed what they heard. Also included would be those, such as in this incident, who saw the miracles Jesus worked and realized that God approved of Jesus who worked those miracles.
How wise the blind man had become through the knowledge he received through the miracle of sight. In his encounter with Jewish teachers who asked his opinion of Jesus, he responded unhesitatingly, “He is a prophet” (John 9:17). When the rulers resumed questioning him after establishing from his parents he had indeed been born blind, they were unwilling to acknowledge God approved of Jesus despite His miracles worked through God. They charged the blind man, “Give glory to God. We know this man is a sinner” (John 9:24). The blind man was not so easily subdued. He said, “Whether he is a sinner, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see” (John 9:25).
The accusation of the rulers that Jesus was a sinner and a blasphemer was because “he broke the Sabbath” and claimed to have been sent by God, that He was God’s Son. Had Jesus not been sent by God, they might have had a point, but if He was the Son of God, their point was invalid. It was. As to their charge that He broke the Sabbath, Jesus had shown that charge also was false. He showed their hypocrisy by asking whether any of them would leave a sheep that had fallen into a pit until the Sabbath was past before they pulled it out. He asked them which of them would leave an ox or donkey all day long on the Sabbath without untying him and leading him to be watered. He, and they, all knew what they would do. Jesus reminded them that they circumcised their sons on the eighth day after his birth, even if were the Sabbath and that priests worked every Sabbath in temple service. Jesus showed clearly that the law of mercy overruled the law of the Sabbath.
The questioners of this blind man had not learned they were no equal to this blind man. They said, “We know God spoke through Moses, but as far as this man, we know not whence he is” (John 9:29). The blind man’s response outraged them. He said, “Why herein is the marvel that ye know not whence he is. Yet he opened mine eyes,” then He added, “If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” The blind man “saw” the truth about Jesus. He had not yet acknowledged that Jesus was the Son of God, because that truth had not been revealed to him. When it was, he confessed his faith in the Son of God (John 9:35-38).
Jesus came also that those “who see, may become blind” (John 9:39). These rulers claimed to see. They looked with scorn upon those who had not the “knowledge” they had. When “untaught” officers explained they had not arrested Jesus because “Never man so spake” (John 7:46), they scornfully retorted, “Are ye also led astray? Have any of the rulers believed on him or the Pharisees?” (John 7:47). When Nicodemus timidly inquired of them, “Doth our law judge a man except it first hear from himself and know what he doeth?” (John 7:51), the rulers responded, “Art thou of Galilee? Search and see that out of Galilee ariseth no prophet” (John 7:52).
Finally, when the blind man responded, “If this man were not from God, he could do nothing” (John 9:33) that was too much for them. They sarcastically replied, “Thou was altogether born in sin and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out” (John 9:34). Later, when they found Jesus in the temple, they asked, “How long dost thou hold us in suspense? If thou art the Christ, tell us plainly” (John 10:24). Jesus told them, “I told you, and ye believe not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, these bear witness of me” (John 10:25). The poor, blind ignorant man could perceive that if Jesus were not from God, he would have never received sight. Even Nicodemus (one of their own) acknowledged to Jesus, “We know thou art a teacher come from God for no man can do the signs which thou doest save God be with him” (John 3:1-2). Many of the common people saw the miracles Jesus worked, and believed God sent Him. But not these rulers.
These Pharisees and rulers had heard Jesus say, “For judgment I came into the world so that those who see not may see, and those who see, may become blind,” and they asked Jesus, “Are we also blind?” Jesus’ response to them was: “If ye were blind, ye would have no sin; but now ye say, we see, your sin remaineth” (John 9:40-41). “There is none so blind as he who will not see.”
Jim McDonald