Bible Study series: John 9:35-41. Jesus uses the opening the blind eye to teach about spiritual blindness.
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Let’s begin.
Scripture: John 9:35-41
35 Jesus heard that they threw him out, and when he had found him, said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 In reply he said, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “Not only do you see him, the one who is conversing with you is the one.” 38 He said, “I believe, Lord.” And he worshipped him. 39 Then Jesus told him, “I have come into this world for judgment, with the result that those not seeing may see; and those seeing may become blind.” 40 Those of the Pharisees who were nearby heard these things and said to him, “We also are not blind, are we?” 41 Jesus told them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see’; your sin remains.” (John 9:35-41)
Comments:
35:
It seems that Jesus went looking for him, as implied in the verb “found.” Jesus spells it out for him. He is the Son of Man, and does the former blind man believe in him?
“Son of Man”: It both means the powerful, divine Son of Man (Dan. 7:13-14) and the human son of man—Ezekiel himself—in the book of Ezekiel (numerous references). Jesus was and still is in heaven both divine and human. It can also be translated as Son of Humanity.
4. Titles of Jesus: The Son of Man
In John’s Gospel the Son of Man refers to judgment, which the Father has committed to his Son (John 5:27) (Bruce, comments on vv. 35-38). However, Mounce points out that the Son of Man is a revelation of God’s glory (comment on v. 35). Borchert: The use of the title Son of Man “… is to be linked with the overwhelming use in John of the Son of Man theme as the incarnate revelation of God who gave his life for the world (cf. John 3:13–14; 5:53; 6:27; 12:23; 13:31; cf. also Matt 9:6)” (comment on v. 35).
“believe in”: As I noted under 8:24, faith or believing is more than just intellectual assent. It has to be directed towards someone, in this case, Jesus. It encompasses your entire being and devotion.
Word Study on Faith and Faithfulness
Jesus is about to tell some of the Pharisees that they will die in their sins, if they cannot come around to admit their needs.
36:
The former blind many wants to know who the Son of Man is, so that he can believe in him. He uses the word kurios (pronounced koo-ree-ohss), which can be translated simply as “sir.” Here this translation fits, but things are about to be elevated in v. 38.
Asking this question demonstrates that this man is perceptive—more perceptive than the religious establishment in the previous pericope. His eyes now see and his heart also sees. He is ready to receive.
37:
Jesus says it clearly. The one who is conversing or speaking with or talking with the former blind man is that one.
Recall these verses in Jesus’s conversation with the woman at the well:
25 The woman said to him, I know that the Messiah is coming (who is called Christ.) When he comes, he will proclaim everything to us.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one speaking to you.” (John 4:25-26)
Jesus is willing to reveal himself just enough for people to have saving faith, at this stage in his ministry. Soon he will fill them with his Spirit (Acts 2:1-4).
38:
The man’s faith shot upwards. He says the title kurios again (see v. 36), but now it is right to translate it as “Lord.” He genuinely believes and worships him. The verb is correctly translated as “worship” and not just “pay homage” or “show reverential respect.”
The former blind man goes from “a man called Jesus” (v. 11) to a prophet (v. 17), (man from God (v. 33), back to “sir” (v. 36) (the former blind man was not sure) to Lord (v. 38).
Mounce believes that the ex-blind man actually knelt before Jesus in a true act of worship (comment on v. 38).
39:
Jesus had said that God did send the Son into the world to condemn / judge it (John 3:17). And in 12:47 where he says that he did not come to judge the world but to save it. So what is Jesus saying now? The world will judge itself by Jesus speaking indirectly and in symbols and metaphors. That’s how he will separate the perceptive from the dull, the true followers from the religious traditionalists. Bruce: “Jesus is not saying here that he comes to execute judgment; rather, his presence and activity in the world themselves constitute judgment as they compel men and women to declare themselves for or against hi, as they range from one side to another. Those who range themselves against him are ‘judged already’ (John 3:18)” (comments on vv. 39-41). Judgment here just means the division in v. 16.
“world”: see v. 5, for more comments.
Now Jesus reveals that his mission is to enable the blind (those not seeing) to see, and those who see become blind. So we have a role switch. The former blind man now sees spiritual things, and the ones who claim to see things clearly, particularly through the law of Moses, now are blind to the Son of Man, the Messiah, standing right in front of them. The blind man believes, but the religious establishment remain in their sin.
40:
So some of the Pharisees who were “with him” (literally), but it should probably be translated as “nearby him” as in approximation of distance. But who knows? Maybe these particular Pharisees kind of believed in him and kind of did not. So maybe it should be translated expansively as “who were distant allies of his” or “standoffish allies of his.”
Their question: it is arrogant or humble? Do they really want to know? The wording in Greek expects a negative reply. “No, you are not blind.” But in the next verse, Jesus leaves the question hanging. He does not answer it directly, except to say that it all depends on them. If they see and confess their need, they are close to recovering their sight. If they do not see and confess their need, they will remain blind.
41:
As I just noted in the previous verse, Jesus leaves the answer to their question hanging. The answer depends on them.
Before we (again) look at irony, let’s first examine the promise that they would not have “sin.” Does this mean their sin nature is eradicated and they have achieved moral perfection? No, it does not. It is simply another way of saying that they are no longer part of the dark world where Jesus was sent (v. 39). It means they have been transferred from it to him, by simple (not simplistic) faith. In this verse sin = darkness and unbelief’ sin = the kosmos (the world). Mounce is right that their refusal to come to saving faith adds up to an eternal sin (Mark 3:29) and the sin that leads to death (1 John 5:16) (comment on v. 41).
Now let’s look at irony.
Irony means people believe that they know something, but in reality they do not know as much as they thought they did. Comical example: Col. Klink, in the 1960’s and 1970’s sitcom Hogan’s Heroes, boasted all the time that there had never been a successful escape from his Stalag, but the prisoners had tunnels going all over the place and left and came almost at will. He thought he knew more than he actually did.
Biblical example: Job and his friends thought they knew more about God and his ways than they actually did. God had to show up and instruct them that they did not know as much as they had thought.
These Pharisees were largely ignorant—they were confident in their ignorance. Ignorance + arrogance = irony of the worst kind. Ignorance + arrogance + political power = lethal irony.
John the Gospel writer is reshaping this truth found in the Synoptic Gospels, but most clearly in Matthew:
10 Then his disciples approached and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 In reply he said to them, “Because it is granted to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted, 12 for whoever has, it shall be given to him, even overflowing. But whoever does not have, even what he ‘has’ shall be taken from him. 13 For this reason I speak to them in parables, because even though they ‘see,’ they do not see, and even though they ‘hear,’ they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Then this prophecy of Isaiah shall be fulfilled about them, saying:
You shall ‘hear’ with the act of ‘hearing,’ and you shall not understand,
And even though you ‘see’ carefully, you shall ‘see’ and not perceive.
15 For the heart of this people has become dull,
And the ears have become hard of hearing,
And their eyes have shut,
In case they might hear with their ears,
And with their hearts they might understand and might turn
And I would heal them. [Is. 6:9-10]
16 But your eyes are blessed because they see, and your ears are blessed because they hear. (Matt. 13:10-16)
As I noted in v. 40, the answer to their own question depends on the Pharisees. Jesus said:
“The healthy have no need for a doctor; however, the sick do. … For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matt. 9:12-13)
If these Pharisees in this context were to see and confess their need and sickness, they would truly see. If they do not see and confess their need and sickness, their sin (= life in the dark world) will remain. They will not experience being born again (John 3:3).
In contrast, the former blind man’s physical eyes see, but more importantly, his spiritual eyes are “blessed” because they truly see (Matt. 13:16). He worships the Son of Man. He is not afraid to get thrown out of the synagogue.
I like Borchert here: “Blindness is here to be interpreted on two levels (9:39). On the one hand, the Pharisees who had by physical standards been able to see were by spiritual standards revealed to be blind. On the other hand, the former blind man who had come to see physically in fact also became the model of spiritual perception” (comment on vv. 36-41).
One last point: faith in Christ came after a miraculous sign. The man got his healing, and then he believed. Sometimes miracles precede conversion.
GrowApp for John 9:35-41
1. When did you truly see Jesus with your eyes of faith? Tell your story.
2. Do you have any spiritual or moral blind spots? If so, how do you close the gaps How then do you see things more clearly?
RELATED
14. Similarities among John’s Gospel and the Synoptic Gospels
12. Eyewitness Testimony in John’s Gospel
4. Church Fathers and John’s Gospel
3. Archaeology and John’s Gospel
SOURCES
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