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    John 9:1-23
    ​Lesson 187

    Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

    In this lesson:
     
    Another miracle!
     
    Also, "the night cometh."
     
    While chapter eight showed Jesus had the power to forgive sins; chapter nine will show His power over nature.
    Jesus heals the man born blind.
    Study Tip: 
     
    Keep a running list of Bible verses that teach how to be a Christian.

    The Gospel According to St. John

    The King James Bible    ​

    John 9:1-23
    The sixth miracle

    1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

    2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

    3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

    4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

    5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

    6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,

    7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

    8 The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?

    9 Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.

    10 Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened?

    11 He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.

    12 Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.

    13 They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.

    14 And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.

    15 Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.

    16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.

    17 They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.

    18 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight.

    19 And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see?

    20 His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:

    21 But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.

    22 These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.

    23 Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.
    ​Margin notes: 
     
    "Who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?" (9:2) - In Jesus' day, many believed that poverty, disease, a physical handicap, or misfortune was a punishment from God.  Since this man was born blind, people assumed he sinned while in the womb or his parents were being punished for their transgressions. 
     
    ​    "But that the works of God should be made manifest in him." (9:3) - Means, "But instead, so that the power of God could be revealed through him."  Jesus used the healing of the blind man (and all His miracles) to show God's glory John 11:4). 

    "I must work the works of him that sent me." (9:4) - "I must do the tasks of God who sent me." 

    "I am the light of the world." (9:5) - Jesus is the light of the world.  Without Him,  there is darkness.  This message is re-emphasized from John 1:9, 8:12 and 12:35-36.  Jesus will reinforce it again in John 12:46. 

    "He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay." (9:6) - "He (Jesus) rubbed the eyes of the blind man with the clay." 

    "The pool of Siloam." (9:7) - The Pool of Siloam (Hebrew for "sent") was located in the southern section of Jerusalem named Siloam.  Also called the Pool of Siloah (Nehemiah 3:15), King Hezekiah built it to supply Jerusalem with water (2 Kings 20:20; 2 Chronicles 32:30). 

    "And came seeing." (9:7) - "And returned with his sight." 

    "They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind." (9:13) - "They brought the formerly blind man to the Pharisees." 

    "It was the sabbath." (9:14) - It was Saturday, the Jewish holy day when work was forbidden.  The Pharisees even considered healing a blind man on the Sabbath a sin (9:16).
     
    "There was a division among them." (9:16) - When it came to Jesus, the Pharisees were confused and couldn't agree amongst themselves.


                                                  New Living Translation 
     

    John 9:1-23
    Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
     
    1 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth.

    2 "Rabbi," his disciples asked him, "why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents' sins?"
     
    3 "It was not because of his sins or his parents' sins," Jesus answered. "This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.

    4 We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work.

    5 But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world."
     
    6 Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man's eyes.

    7 He told him, "Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam" (Siloam means "sent"). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!
     
    8 His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, "Isn't this the man who used to sit and beg?"

    9 Some said he was, and others said, "No, he just looks like him!"
     
      But the beggar kept saying, "Yes, I am the same one!"
     
    10 They asked, "Who healed you? What happened?"
     
    11 He told them, "The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.' So I went and washed, and now I can see!"
     
    12 "Where is he now?" they asked.
     
      "I don't know," he replied.
     
    13 Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees,

    14 because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him.

    15 The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, "He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!"
     
    16 Some of the Pharisees said, "This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath." Others said, "But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?" So there was a deep division of opinion among them.
     
    17 Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, "What's your opinion about this man who healed you?"
     
      The man replied, "I think he must be a prophet."
     
    18 The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents.

    19 They asked them, "Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?"
     
    20 His parents replied, "We know this is our son and that he was born blind,

    21 but we don't know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself."

    22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue.

    ​23 That's why they said, "He is old enough. Ask him."
    ​This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible.  However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
    Today's question:
     
    1. Can Jesus work at night? (9:4) 




    Forward this lesson to others.
    Answer: (Do you agree?)
     
    1.     The "night" Jesus is referring to are the years between His crucifixion and His second coming.  Jesus had only a short time to "work the works" of God while here on earth, and our Lord wanted to take full advantage of His time (day) here.  In six months, He will be crucified.




    Application thought for the day:
     
    There is physical blindness and spiritual blindness.  One is by choice.  Which one is worse?       
    Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress Books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible."  All were critical in putting these lessons together.
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