notes

Main point summary

Jesus revealed the works of God by giving sight to a man who was blind from birth.

Bracket

editing

NT

John 9:1-12

nkjv

mine

Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.

John concluded chapter 8 with a disagreement between the Jewish leaders. They rejected Jesus as the Messiah and thereby remained in darkness. They picked up stones to through them at Him, by which they revealed their origin of heart and rejection of the true light. Jesus withdrew and saw a blind-born man as He passed by the way.

And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents,

The disciples noticed Jesus' compassionate look and asked whether this man or his parents had sinned ,

that he was born blind?”

that resulted in the man being born blind.

actionresult

Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,

Jesus answered the question with two negatives. 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' [The Lord addresses the connection of suffering and sin also in Luke 13:2. The jews interconnected sin and suffering very closely. In contrast, the Lord seemed to keep them separate on occasions like the event at hand. Suffering was a 'by-product' of the fall (Romas 8:18-25). He explains how God's glory can be revealed through and in suffering. Not all suffering has its root in sin, cf. Job.]

but that the works of God should be revealed in him.

and continued explaining with a positive ' but that the works of God should be revealed in this blind man.'

negativepositive

I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Then Jesus elaborated on 'the works of God'. [When He was 12 years He said that 'I must be in my Father's house' and 20 years later] He stated that He 'must work the works' that God the Father send Him to do while He was present on earth. [Jesus depended on the Father for everything. He did not, nor could He pursue any dreams apart from the Father (John 5:19)] There is an urgency because everyone has only one brief life and a short time frame to do the works of God. [Jesus knew that His stay on earth would not last long, but it would be busy with God's work. Better a short active life while doing God's work than a long mediocre godless life (John 7:33). One who goes about the works of God seizes opportunities to do good to everyone, and especially to fellow believers (Galatians 6:10).] Then Jesus stated to be 'the light of the world' for as long as He was present on earth. [Jesus defines in John 12:35 what it means to walk in the darkness, namely, having no purpose or not knowing where to go. Darkness set in for the disciples at Jesus' crucifixion. The opposite is walking in the light which means having purpose and knowing where to go. Someone walking in the light has eternal hope and purpose; He has Jesus Christ. That person casts off all empty and purposeless work and puts on the promises of the Lord, which are purpose, hope, and life (Romans 13:12).]

ideaexplanation

questionanswer

When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent).

Then Jesus revealed the works of God in the blind man by giving him sight and demonstrating how He was the light of the world. [ The Lord could have given sight with a word, but He chose a process.] So He used the ground and His human saliva to form clay and applied it to the eyes of the blind man. Next, He sent Him to wash in the pool of Siloam, which is called 'Sent' [John emphasizes multiple times in the gospel that Jesus was sent by the Father. Jesus sent the blind man because the Father sent Him to do that].

So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

The blind man trusted Jesus, 'went and washed and came back seeing. [The born-blind received eye-sight and spiritual sight for trusting Jesus, in contrast to the Jewish leaders who rejected Jesus and remained spiritually blind.]

Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?”

When those who knew that the man had been previously blind, they were confused and asked if this was truly the man that sat and begged.

Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.” He said, “I am he. ”

Some confirmed that it was the man, others said that he was like that man, but the man himself said that it was him.

inference

Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”

Then the people asked how his eyes were opened,

He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’

and he told them what had happened.

So I went and washed, and I received sight.”

Then they said to him, “Where is He?”

Then they asked were Jesus was,

He said, “I do not know.”

but the man knew not where he was.

progression

actionmanner

discourse

Study Notes

9:1 John concluded chapter 8 with a disagreement between the Jewish leaders and Jesus. They rejected Jesus as the Messiah and thereby remained in darkness. They picked up stones to through at Him, by which they revealed their origin of heart and rejection of the true light. Jesus withdrew and saw a blind-born man as He passed by the way. 9:2a The disciples noticed Jesus' compassionate look and asked whether this man or his parents had sinned , 9:2b that resulted in the man being born blind. 9:3a Jesus answered the question with two negatives. 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' [The Lord addresses the connection of suffering and sin also in Luke 13:2. The jews interconnected sin and suffering very closely. In contrast, the Lord seemed to keep them separate on occasions like the event at hand. Suffering, in general, was a 'by-product' of the fall ( Romans 8:18-25 ). He explains how God's glory can be revealed through and in suffering.] 9:3b and continued explaining with a positive ' but that the works of God should be revealed in this blind man.' 9:4-5 Then Jesus elaborated on 'the works of God'. [When He was 12 years He said that 'I must be in my Father's house' and 20 years later] He stated that He must work the works that God the Father send Him to do while He was present on earth. [Jesus depended on the Father for everything. He did not, nor could He pursue any dreams apart from the Father (John 5:19)] There is an urgency to live because everyone has only one brief life and a short time frame to do the works of God. [Jesus knew that His stay on earth would not last long, but it would be busy with God's work. Better a short active life while doing God's work than a long mediocre godless life (John 7:33). One who goes about the works of God seizes opportunities to do good to everyone, and especially to fellow believers (Galatians 6:10).] Then Jesus stated to be 'the light of the world' for as long as He was present on earth. [Jesus defines in John 12:35 what it means to walk in the darkness, namely, having no purpose or not knowing where to go. Darkness set in for the disciples at Jesus' crucifixion. The opposite is walking in the light which means having purpose and knowing where to go. Someone walking in the light has eternal hope and purpose; He has Jesus Christ. That person casts off all empty and purposeless work and puts on the promises of the Lord, which are the source of purpose, hope, and life (Romans 13:12).] 9:6-7a Then Jesus revealed the works of God in the blind man by giving him sight and demonstrating how He was the light of the world. [ The Lord could have given sight with a word, but He chose a process.] So He used the ground and His human saliva to form clay and applied it to the eyes of the blind man. Next, He sent Him to wash in the pool of Siloam, which is called 'Sent' [John emphasizes multiple times in the gospel that Jesus was sent by the Father. Jesus sent the blind man because the Father sent Him to do that]. 9:7b The blind man trusted Jesus, 'went and washed and came back seeing. [The born-blind received eye-sight and spiritual sight for trusting Jesus, in contrast to the Jewish leaders who rejected Jesus and remained spiritually blind.] 9:8 When those who knew that the man had been previously blind, were confused and asked if this was truly the man that sat and begged. 9:9 Some confirmed that it was the man, others said that he was like that man, but the man himself said that it was him. 9:10 Then the people asked how his eyes were opened, 9:11a and he told them what had happened. 9:11b 9:12a Then they asked were Jesus was, 9:12b but the man knew not where he was.

Phrase

John 9:1-12

Jesus revealed the works of God

Jesus revealed God's works by giving sight to a born-blind man and proofed to be the ultimate meaning of life

Now as Jesus passed by,

Temporal

He saw a man

who was blind

from birth.

And His disciples asked Him, saying,

“Rabbi, who sinned, this man

Content

or his parents,

that he was born blind?”

Result

Jesus answered,

“Neither this man

Negative #1

nor his parents sinned,

Negative #2

but that the works ... should be revealed

of God

Plenary

in him.

Locative

I must work the works

Agency

of Him

Possessive

who sent Me

while it is day;

the night is coming

Ground

when no one can work.

As long as I am

in the world,

I am the light

Comparison

of the world.”

Destination

God's works revealed by giving sight to a born-blind man

The sign and conversations

When He had said these things, He spat

on the ground

and made clay

with the saliva;

Accompaniment

and He anointed the eyes

of the blind man

with the clay.

And He said to him, “Go,

wash

in the pool

of Siloam”

(which is translated, Sent).

So he went

and washed,

and came back

Manner

Therefore the neighbors ... said,

and those

who previously had seen

that he was blind

“Is not this he

who sat

and begged?”

Some said,

Answer #1

“This is he.”

Others said,

Answer #2

“He is like him.”

He said,

Answer #3

“I am he.”

Therefore they said

to him,

“How were your eyes opened?”

He answered and said,

Answer

“A Man called Jesus made clay

and anointed my eyes

and said to me, ‘Go

to the pool

of Siloam

and wash.’

So I went

and washed,

and I received sight.”

Then they said to him,

“Where is He?”

He said,

“I do not know.”

phrasing