, and it is He that talketh with thee” John 9.37

by David McAllister, Ireland

BLINDNESS AND SEEING – VIEWED LITERALLY
A Demonstration of Who He Is
A Depiction of What He Does

BLINDNESS AND SEEING – VIEWED SPIRITUALLY
His Humanity – v.11
His Authority – v.17
His Purity – vv.31-33
His Deity – v.38

BLINDNESS AND SEEING – VIEWED JUDGMENTALLY
The Healed Man – “that they which see not might see”
The Pharisees – “that they which see might be made blind”

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INTRODUCTION

The contrast between light and darkness is often presented in John’s Gospel. Almost at the very beginning we read concerning our Lord Jesus Christ that “in Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not” 1.4,5. This theme continues to verse 9 of the Prologue. Then in 3.19-21 the theme is taken up again: “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil …” In one of His glorious seven “I am” sayings, the Lord Jesus said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” 8.12. He also said, “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in darkness” 12.46.

Another contrast in John’s Gospel is that between day and night, which, of course, is closely related to that above, because day and night are the spheres characterised by light and darkness respectively. The Lord said, “I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” 9.4. On another occasion He

said, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him” 11.9,10. He also gave this solemn warning to His hearers: “Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light” 12.35,36.

A further contrast is brought before us in this Gospel: between people who are blind and those who are able to see. Clearly this is also closely connected to the previous contrasts, for a blind person is in constant darkness, and only a person with eyesight can see the light. However, whereas in the previous contrast the failure to see is due to an external condition (the night), in this case it is due to an internal condition (blindness).

All three contrasts occur right across the world, and the frequent mentions of them in John’s Gospel are understandable to readers in every part of the planet. However, John’s purpose in writing is to impart spiritual teaching, and the mentions of these contrasts in his Gospel are for a spiritual purpose: light and darkness, day and night, blindness and sight are illustrative of spiritual truths. In John chapter 9 the spiritual significance of the last of these three contrasts is explained.

In that chapter John brings before us this contrast (between blindness and seeing) in a most graphic way, for not only does he write of the links between the literal and the spiritual, but a real blind man is actually healed of his condition, and he who is physically healed receives not only physical sight, but comes to see in the spiritual sense, believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. In parallel with that, and in contrast, people who are exposed to the truth concerning Him, but who are not willing to accept their need to receive spiritual sight, and refuse the offer of it, are judged and declared to be in a state of blindness.

We will consider the subject from three standpoints: literally, spiritually and judgmentally. They will be taken in that order, not least because that is the order in which they come in John chapter 9.

BLINDNESS AND SEEING – VIEWED LITERALLY

Right at the beginning of this chapter, we see that the man was “blind” v.1, but after his contact with the Lord Jesus he “came seeing” v.7. So the first change is a physical one: from a state of blindness to one of sight. As with all the Lord’s healing miracles, it was motivated by pity towards the afflicted person. Yet, it is interesting that, while the other three Gospel writers all frequently mention the Lord having “compassion” or “pity” or “mercy” on the person being healed, John never uses any of these words in connection with His miracles. That is not to suggest that He did not have compassion in those cases, but it is consistent with John’s treatment of those miracles: he uses a different word for “miracle” than that used in the other three Gospels. The ‘Synoptic’ writers use the word dunamis, ‘power’, which is frequently translated “mighty work”, for example Matt.11.20; Mk.6.14; Lk.10.13; whereas John uses semeion, ‘sign’, seventeen times, right from “This beginning of miracles [semeion] did Jesus in Cana of Galilee” 2.11, all the way through to “And many other signs [semeion] truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples” 20.30. In using this word, John is emphasising not so much the power of the miracles, but more their purpose. They were done not only to release people from difficult situations, but also to point to spiritual realities. The sign described in John chapter 9 is no exception. We will consider two great spiritual truths concerning the Lord Jesus Christ from this event. This sign was:

A Demonstration of Who He Is

When the disciples saw the blind man, they asked the Lord, “Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?” v.2. This question reveals several problems in their minds, all of which are instructive to us. First, on seeing a man in this pitiable condition, they assumed that there must be an explanation, which could be given to them and would be understood by them. Second, they took it for granted that his condition must be due to sin. While it is of course true that sickness and disability are consequences of sin in the world, that was not what they were referring to: they were thinking that there must have been some specific sin. Third, their question was not totally without basis in Scripture, for the descendants of those who do wrong can suffer as a consequence: the example of all Achan’s family is a case in point, Joshua chapter 7. However, the disciples were drawing conclusions for which Scripture did not give them grounds. Fourth, they suggested that the blind man could have been punished for sin he had committed before birth. Some rabbis taught that such a thing was possible, and the disciples’ question showed that they were not immune from failure to discern between what the Scripture says and the theories of men.

There are salutary lessons for us from these things. We must not assume that difficulties in a person’s life have an explanation that is accessible to us and understandable by us. God is not under obligation to satisfy our curiosity. Nor should we fall into the trap of assuming that sad circumstances that people undergo, such as illness, or financial difficulties, or family problems, or death, are due to sin in the life of those individuals, or of those close to them. To entertain such thoughts is not only cruel, but it is also to set ourselves up as self-appointed judges of others, and to put ourselves in the position of God, Who alone has the right to pass judgement in these matters. Furthermore, we must take care not to misuse Scripture, such as by taking Bible statements and stories out of their context and applying them in inappropriate circumstances and ways. Finally, we need discernment: if we believe something, it must be because it is taught in God’s Word, and not material we have imbibed from an external source. Practical examples of these would include teachings found in many commentaries, or on websites, or in sermon recordings. Whatever we read or hear, we must test by the Scriptures of truth.

The Lord soon corrected the disciples’ misunderstandings: “Jesus answered, ‘Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’” vv.3-5. There was a reason why this man was born blind, but it was altogether different from the disciples’ idea. It was not because of the sinful works of men, but to manifest the good works of God. It was not to punish the man, but to bless him, and thus to make manifest to everyone the greatness of God and His Son.

While this story is unique, there is an important principle that we should note. Evidently this blind man was no youngster, as his parents testified: “he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself” v.21. For all his life up to that point he had been in this state of blindness. Just as the disciples had no idea as to why this was so, neither did he, and nor could he have. He did not know that God had a purpose in his blindness: that it would be the means of God’s great works being manifested to many, not only to those then present, but to the many more who have read his story in the centuries that have followed. So, when we find ourselves in trying circumstances, let us remember that we may not know what the reason is, but it should help us to keep in mind that God has His purposes unseen to us, but which He will work out for His glory and for the blessing of people. He has not promised to make blind Christians see, or that He heals every believer with a terminal disease. Yet we have all known Godly believers who have suffered terribly, who have not been given any reasons as to why it is taking place, yet who have trusted Him through it all, and through their testimony God has been glorified, many believers have been strengthened, and unbelievers brought to trust in the Saviour Whom they love and Who has sustained them through their deep trials. We salute all such, and we give glory to the God Who has made manifest His works in them.

It is easy to write such things, but only those who have known such circumstances can do so with weight. So it would be good to quote a poem by one who did experience many sorrows and trials in his life. His title for the poem is appropriate both to the experiences described and to the subject of this chapter:

“Light Shining out of Darkness”

 

God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants His footsteps in the sea

And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines

Of never-failing skill,

He treasures up His bright designs

And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy and shall break

In blessings on your head.

 

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,

But trust Him for His grace;

Behind a frowning providence

He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding every hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,

But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,

And scan His work in vain;

God is His own interpreter,

And He will make it plain.

        (William Cowper)

Returning to the passage, we must consider something of what is involved in the Lord Jesus working the works of Him Who sent Him, v.4. Quotations by Him in John’s Gospel with regard to doing His Father’s works are numerous. Here is a sample:

These quotations, with others, establish very clearly that all the works the Lord did, and not least the ‘seven signs’ of John’s Gospel, show beyond all doubt that He is God’s Son, Who was sent by God, and that the works He did were not only given Him by God, but were the very works of God Himself, which the Father and the Son were carrying out together in perfect unity. And what was true of all those works was certainly true of the healing of the blind man: it was an unmistakable manifestation of the character and the power of God and His Son, with the purpose that people would believe in Him.

A Depiction of What He Does

As well as showing that the Lord Jesus is the Son sent by the Father to do His works, this story is a depiction, or illustration of how a sinner comes into the blessing of salvation. To use it in this way is legitimate, for not only is it evident as we read down this chapter that the physical illustrates the spiritual, but the Saviour applies other signs in John’s Gospel similarly. For example, He draws on His feeding of the five thousand, 6.5-14, to make this blessed statement: “My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world … I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst” 6.32-35.

Indeed, probably most of us have heard John chapter 9 preached in the Gospel much more often than we have heard it ministered. And who could count how many people in the past two thousand years have heard the message of salvation illustrated from this lovely story, and received the salvation of God!

There are many approaches from which this story can be used to preach the Gospel, of which the following fourfold outline is but one:

The Condition of the Man

He was “blind”, which was a very serious condition, and he was so “from birth” v.1. This illustrates the fact that every one of us is a sinner, and that we have been so all our lives. If it were not for the Lord Jesus coming to him and healing him, he was destined to remain so. No-one born blind had ever been healed before, v.32. Reference is made in the chapter to his parents, vv.18-23; his neighbours, vv.8-12; and religious leaders, vv.13- 16, all of whom had things to say after he was healed, but none of them had been able to cure him. He could not cure himself and no-one else could cure him: family or friends or men of religion. His condition was hopeless, and it is so for the sinner. We cannot save ourselves, whatever efforts we may make, and no other mortal can save us, and if left in that state we are destined to die in our sins and never to be in heaven, where all is light, but instead to be in eternal darkness, in the lake of fire.

The Cure for the Man

We read that “Jesus passed by” and He “saw” him, v.1. That was the only hope for this man, and it is the only hope for sinful humankind that the Lord Jesus not only sees and knows our need, but that He has come to rescue us. Three steps in the healing of the man are described. First, the Lord took the initiative; He did the work: “He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay” v.6. Second, He gave a clear command to the man: “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” v.7. Third, the man obeyed, doing exactly as the Lord had told him to do: “He went his way therefore, and washed” v.7. Thus he was healed: He “came seeing” v.7.

Not only did the Lord Jesus come to where we were, but He did the work to save us, a work that only He could do, when He suffered and died for us on the cross: “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” Rom.5.8. He has risen again and returned to heaven. But just as the blind man had to obey the Lord’s command if He was to be healed, sinners must heed God, Who “now commandeth all men everywhere to repent” Acts 17.30. So Paul spoke of his “testifying … repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” Acts 20.21, and he wrote: “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” 2Cor.5.20,21. And it is those who “repent … and believe the gospel” Mk.1.15, who are saved.

The Confession of the Man

That there was a total change in the man was evident, so much so that some of the neighbours even wondered if they were seeing the same person, vv.8,9! And where true conversion has taken place there will be a change in the person, which can be observed by those around. When summoned to account for the change that had taken place in him, the man was asked what had happened to him, which he answered accurately, vv.11,15. His interrogators went further, asking him his opinions of the One Who had healed him, eventually trying to force him into denouncing Him as a sinner, v.24. The man was being harassed by some of the best theological minds in the land, who doubtless felt that he was no match for their reasonings. However, his response was magnificent: “Whether He be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see” v.25. These religious men could argue all they liked, and try to bully him with their supposed knowledge, but they could not take away from him the reality that he had been blind, but could now see. And God gave him the wisdom to answer his opponents, as He still does for believers who are put in similar situations.

Today the new Christian (and old ones too) are still confronted by those who claim to be wiser and more knowledgeable than they, and who try to undermine their faith in the One Who has saved them, but they cannot deny the reality of a change that has been brought about by the grace of God. Indeed, we love to sing the words of one of the most famous hymns ever written, which thus applies the words of the erstwhile blind man: “whereas I was blind, now I see” v.25:

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found;

Was blind, but now I see.

        (John Newton)

The Cost to the Man

Having failed in their objective, the opponents of the Lord resorted to ad hominem attacks on the man, reviling him, v.28, and saying, “Thou wast altogether born in sins” v.34. They went further and “cast him out” v.34. Doubtless this refers to being cast out of the synagogue, which was what his parents had feared, v.22, and meant being ostracised from the community. This was a high price to pay, and many today have paid dearly for their faith in Christ. Some have been disowned and put out of home by their families, or rejected by former friends, or deprived of their livelihoods. Others have paid the ultimate price, and laid down their lives.

Doubtless this was a painful experience for the man. Yet there were two things of greater weight: he could now see, and, soon after he was cast out, the Lord Jesus Himself appeared to him and revealed to him Who He is, to which the man responded with faith and worship, vv.35-38. And it is still so: however strong the opposition is, the believer knows that He is saved, and enjoys the presence and support of the One Who has said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” Heb.13.5.

BLINDNESS AND SEEING – VIEWED SPIRITUALLY

Although the healing of this man illustrates the salvation of an individual, the moment of his healing was not the moment of his salvation: the former is recorded in v.7; the latter does not take place until v.38. So, having seen the picture, we shall consider the reality to which it points.

It is, therefore, worth noting that acknowledgement of the Lord, and appreciation of His benefits, are not proofs of salvation. This man was grateful for what the Lord had done for him, and was prepared to defend Him when He was being slandered, but he did not yet know Him as his Saviour. Today, we are glad of the few in public life who acknowledge God and who seem sympathetic to Christian things, but we must not assume that such people are true believers. We also meet people who claim to be believers, but who when asked how they were saved can only speak of how they were in difficulty, asked the Lord to help, and their problem was solved. While the goodness of God ought to lead people to repentance, Rom.2.4, gratitude for Divine help received does not amount to conversion to God.

It is instructive to consider four statements by the man, which indicate his developing understanding of Who the Lord Jesus Christ is. With the benefit of the full revelation given to us in the Scriptures, we can understand these statements even more deeply than he did when he was making them.

His Humanity – v.11

“A man that is called Jesus …”

From the point of view of the man who had been born blind, this was likely not a particularly significant statement. That he had been healed by “a man” was evident, and he called Him Jesus because he had heard that was His name. At that time the name Jesus did not have the uniqueness that it holds for us now. It is the New Testament equivalent of Joshua, and probably it was a popular name. We even read of “Jesus, which is called Justus … of the circumcision” Col.4.11.

However, from our perspective, how we rejoice in those glorious words: “a man that is called Jesus”! That takes us back to the first chapter of the New Testament, and the angel’s words: “Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins” Matt.1.20,21. We stand in wonder at the words of John, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” Jn.1.14, and those of Paul, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh” 1Tim.3.16. And, having voluntarily partaken of humanity, He will never relinquish it: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” 1Tim.2.5,6. His name, Jesus, ‘Jehovah the Saviour’, is so precious to us, speaking of the One Who went to Calvary and died, not just for the nation of Israel, but for a world of guilty sinners.

There is no name so sweet on earth,

No name so sweet in heaven,

The name before His wondrous birth

To Christ the Saviour given.

We love to sing around the King,

And hail Him blessed Jesus;

For there’s no word ear ever heard

So dear, so sweet as Jesus.

        (George W. Bethune)

His Authority – v.17

“He is a prophet.”

From the man’s viewpoint, this was an advance on his previous statement. In the Old Testament there were prophets who did miracles, which authenticated the messages they preached. For example, when Elijah raised the widow’s son, she recognised this as proof of his prophetic ministry: “Elijah said, ‘See, thy son liveth.’ And the woman said to Elijah, ‘Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth’” 1Kgs.17.23,24. That Elijah could do the works of God showed that he spoke the words of God. The blind man made the same deduction regarding the Lord Jesus.

We agree with the man, but in a much deeper sense than he knew, for the Lord Jesus Christ is not just “a prophet”, but the unique Prophet of Whom Moses spoke: “The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him ye shall hearken … And the Lord said unto me … ‘I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put My words in His mouth; and He shall speak unto them all that I shall command Him’” Deut.18.15,17,18. Peter’s message, when the lame man was healed at the Temple, affirms that Prophet to be the Lord Jesus Christ, Acts 3.20-26. Earlier in John, some had said, “Of a truth this is the Prophet” 7.40. We now know that to be true. And, like the Old Testament prophets, but in a much greater way, the signs that He performed bore testimony to His prophetic office.

His Purity – vv.31-33

“God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth His will, him He heareth … If this man were not of God, He could do nothing.”

The Lord healed the man on the sabbath day, v.14. The Pharisees considered this to be work, so they said, “This man is not of God, because He keepeth not the sabbath day” v.16. Hence their demand of the healed man: “Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner” v.24. They could not deny the reality of the healing, and they would have ceased harassing him if he had been prepared to give the glory to God, and deny any to the “man that is called Jesus”. If he had expressed agreement with them that Jesus was “not of God” and was “a sinner”, they would have left matters there.

In response, the man takes up these two points: in v.31, he answers the allegation that Jesus was “a sinner” v.24, while in v.33 he deals with the statement “This man is not of God” v.16. His points are lucid and unanswerable: this miracle is unprecedented in the history of the world, v.32, and these Pharisees are prepared to allow that it was done by God, yet at the same time they affirm that the Person God used to do the miracle is “not of God” and “a sinner”. Yet the people God uses to do His work are those who worship God and do His will, v.31, and if this were not true of this Man Jesus then He “could do nothing” as far as God’s work is concerned, v.33. The healed man is convinced that Jesus is characterised by piety: He is “of God”, “a worshipper of God” and “doeth His will”.

As before, while we say our “Amen” to the man’s view of the Lord, we are thankful that we know it in a deeper sense. His statement that the Lord was not “a sinner” was meant in the sense that He was not characterised by a sinful life; at this point in his experience the man would not have known that the Lord is totally without sin, and incapable of sinning, which we know to be true. The three statements from Peter, Paul and John, all referring to the Lord’s work for sin on the cross, yet all distancing Him personally from sin, are often quoted, but they are none the less precious for that:

We also know that not only was the Lord Jesus “a worshipper of God”, but He is God, Who is worthy of worship, as this man was soon to discover, v.38. We know too that not only did He do “His will”, but He is the only one ever to have done it fully. Earlier in John, we read that He said, “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work” 4.34. And so He did, perfectly.

His Deity – v.38

“Lord, I believe.”

On finding him after he had been cast out, the Lord asked him, “Dost thou believe on the Son of God?”¹ To his response, “Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him?”, the Lord gave this wonderful reply: “Thou hast both seen Him, and it is He that talketh with thee.” How we rejoice in these words: “And he said, ‘Lord, I believe.’ And he worshipped Him” vv.35-38! Everything was now in place. This man was looking into the face of the One Who had healed him: the “man that is called Jesus”; the “prophet”; the Man Who is “of God”; Who not only is not “a sinner”, but “a worshipper of God” and a doer of “His will”. But He is much more than all that: He is God. Immediately he believed in Him, not only believing the facts about Him, but putting his trust in Him. Thus, the one who had received physical sight received spiritual sight, becoming a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

¹ As the Newberry footnote states, some manuscripts have “Son of man” instead of “Son of God” in v.35. I certainly prefer the Authorised Version reading, but even if it was “Son of man”, that would not alter the point being made here, because that is also a Divine title.

In both his statements the man calls Jesus “Lord”: “Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him? v.36, and “Lord, I believe” v.38. In both cases he uses the word kurios, yet surely he does so in a deeper sense in the second case than in the first. Likely in v.36 he was expressing respect, even reverence, but not necessarily acknowledging Him as “Lord” in a unique way. But in v.38 he was saying much more: the One He was addressing and worshipping is God Himself, Who is Lord of all.

All of us who are saved thank God for that never-to-be-forgotten day when we trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour. The conversion of this man was unique in its circumstances, and yet it includes what happens in every true case. We all come to know about the Lord Jesus in different ways. Some, brought up in the gospel, cannot remember a time when they did not know about Who He is and the work He did; others grew up in religious systems where His name was used but His saving work was never taught; others were born into idolatry; while for others atheism was the only belief held in their home. Yet, every genuine believer learned of Him, and they all came to a time when they acknowledged Him as Saviour and Lord, trusted in Him alone, and were gloriously saved.

And, of course, we know more about the basis of His Saviourhood than the blind man did at that time, for he was saved before Calvary, whereas we look back to it, and we are eternally thankful to God for the work His Son did there, and for our salvation. We long and pray too for others to come into this great blessing, and we seek to follow the example of Paul, who wrote: “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” 2Cor.4.3-6.

Oh, can I e’er forget the joy

Of that blest meeting place?

That gift Divine sent from on high –

God’s saving, wondrous grace!

Still at the cross I love to be

Its glories ne’er grow dim.

My Lord, my Life, my all I see

As gazing upon Him.

At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light,

And the burden of my heart rolled away.

It was there by faith I received my sight,

And now I am happy all the day.

        (Albert Midlane)

BLINDNESS AND SEEING – VIEWED JUDGMENTALLY

It would be pleasant to finish our meditation with the worship of this newly-converted man, but there is a further, contrasting matter to consider with regard to blindness and seeing, in the final three verses of the chapter: “And Jesus said, ‘For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.’ And some of the Pharisees which were with Him heard these words, and said unto Him, ‘Are we blind also?’ Jesus said unto them, ‘If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, ‘‘We see;’’ therefore your sin remaineth.’” vv.39-41.

So here we have another change involving blindness and seeing, but it is different from the previous two, for in both those cases the change was from blindness to seeing, whereas here it is in the opposite direction: those “which see” are “made blind”. Firstly, He says that He came “that they which see not might see”. While this is true in both the physical and the spiritual senses, the context shows that He is speaking of the latter, for the following phrase (“that they which see might be made blind”) is paralleled with it, and it was certainly not part of His mission to the world to remove people’s physical sight. And the response of the Pharisees (“Are we blind also?”) shows that the subject was not physical sight and blindness: He was not implying that they were physically blind.

Yet what He was describing was not a straight reversal of what we have considered in the previous section, for in that case going from blindness to sight involved the salvation of the man, whereas those who were “made blind” never had believed in Him; they never were saved. In this case, the issue at stake is how men respond to the revelation of the Lord Jesus. People in the world are ignorant of His Person and work, but when confronted with the truth concerning Him, how do they respond? The answer is that they do so in contrasting ways, with opposite results, as the healed man and the Pharisees show:

The Healed Man – “that they which see not might see”

This man did not know Who the Lord Jesus is. He was in ignorance, in darkness. Twice when asked about Him, he honestly admitted, “I know not” vv.12,25. And even at the end, when the Lord finally came to him, he still did not know, and acknowledged it by asking, “Who is He Lord?” v.36. However, right through the chapter we see his positive response to the light, to which the Lord responded by giving further light, resulting in his salvation.

The Pharisees – “that they which see might be made blind”

Unlike the blind man, whom we do not meet until John chapter 9, the Pharisees already knew a lot about the Lord Jesus, and had already shown themselves to be strongly antagonistic to Him, which is seen very markedly in chapter 8. They received further light concerning Him in chapter 9, but they persisted in their rejection of Him. The twofold “I know not” of the blind man concerning Christ stands in contrast to their twofold “We know” statements regarding Him: “We know that this man is a sinner” v.24, and “We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence He is” v.29. The first statement was totally untrue, and the second expressed their rank unbelief, for already He had made it abundantly clear to them that He had been sent by God, Who is His Father, for example, Jn.5.30,36,37; 6.39,44,57; 8.16,18,29,42. Nothing could be clearer than the last of these references, which apparently had been spoken earlier that same day: “I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of Myself, but He sent Me” Jn.8.42. Their categorical statement, “This man is not of God” v.16, betraying confidence that they knew for sure who this Man was, and their refusal to believe in Him, are of an altogether different order to the question of the blind man, who was genuinely seeking, and who really wanted to believe in Him: “Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him?” v.36.

So the Lord said, “For judgment I am come into the world …” v.39. This does not contradict Jn.3.17: “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.” His purpose in coming was indeed not to condemn, but to save. However, the Lord immediately goes on to say, “He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” Jn.3.18,19. While His purpose in coming was to save men, receiving salvation was dependent upon believing in Him, and those, such as these Pharisees, who did not do so, choosing rather to remain in darkness, would surely come into judgment and condemnation.

So, in one sense, these Pharisees really were “they which see” v.39. They claimed to believe the Scriptures. When God’s Son appeared in this world, He showed unequivocally that He was the One of Whom those Scriptures spoke. It would have been impossible to see a clearer demonstration of Who He is, and why He came, and they, of all people, should have recognised Him and received Him. Yet, in another sense, they did not see: their boast, “We see” v.41, was a false one. By quoting the words “We see” concerning them, the Lord was summarising their “We know” statements in this chapter: with all the authority they possessed, they presumed to pass judgment on the Person of the Lord Jesus, condemning Him as “not of God” and “a sinner”. How wrong they were!

When the Lord said, “If ye were blind, ye should have had no sin” v.41, He was not stating that they would have been sinless. “All have sinned” Rom.3.23, was as true of them as of anyone else. The context is knowledge and ignorance. If they “were blind”, that is, if they had not known the Scriptures, and if God’s revelation in Christ had never appeared to them, they would not have been guilty of the sin of rejecting Him. But they saw the evidence and wilfully refused it. “Therefore”, said He, “your sin remaineth” v.41.

The later words of the Lord to His disciples are the best commentary on these closing verses of John chapter 9: “If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin … If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both Me and My Father” Jn.15.22,24. His description of His works as “the works which none other man did” casts our minds back to the testimony of the blind man: it was unheard of for anyone to open the eyes of one born blind, Jn.9.32. The Pharisees had seen His unique works and heard His words, but had rejected Him. This was a grievous sin, for which they would be judged.

That judgment was that they would “be made blind”. What did that involve at this stage in the Lord’s ministry? It does not necessarily mean that He was carrying out a punishment on them at that point. Rather, He was making a statement as to the reality that His coming into the world inevitably resulted in a division between those who believe and those who do not, and their unbelief was really a self-chosen condemnation, akin to the expression in Jn.3.18 that “he that believeth not is condemned already”. There is no doubt that later on in the Gospel John goes further, stating that the unbelief of the hearers was a sentence passed on them due to their refusal to believe, Jn.12.35-41, but that is not stated here in chapter 9. And it is also undoubtedly the case that, due to rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ, the nation was subjected to judicial blindness: “blindness in part is happened to Israel” Rom.11.25. The actions of the leaders in John chapter 9 are part of that process, and can be used as an illustration of it, but are certainly not its culmination. It is best to be careful and not go beyond what is written here at the end of John chapter 9. Hence, rather than regarding the Lord’s words as an irrevocable sentence on the Pharisees, we can view them as a warning to them, to which they ought to have given heed, and responded to the glorious light to which they had the privilege of being exposed.

The Lord Jesus, “the Light of the world” v.5, is not present bodily in the world today, but the record of Him in the Scriptures is here, and it is our responsibility to “shine as lights in the world” Phil.2.15. As we present the Lord Jesus Christ to those still blinded by sin and Satan, we pray that they will respond and believe in Him. And we must also warn those who refuse Him of the serious consequences of their rejection. It is a sad thing to be in the blindness of sin, never having heard the name of Christ; but it is an even sadder thing to have heard the gospel concerning Him and to deliberately reject Him, willingly choosing blindness, now and for eternity. To anyone still in the darkness of sin reading these words, we plead with you to trust in the Son of God, the Light of the world², Jesus Christ, and to come into the blessed reality of the same salvation received by that blind man so long ago.

The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin;

The Light of the world is Jesus;

Like sunshine at noonday

His glory shone in,

The Light of the world is Jesus.

 

Ye dwellers in darkness with sin-blinded eyes,

The Light of the world is Jesus;

Go, wash, at His bidding, and light will arise;

The Light of the world is Jesus.

Come to the Light, ’tis shining for thee;

Sweetly the Light has dawned upon me.

Once I was blind, but now I can see;

The Light of the world is Jesus.

        (Philip P. Bliss)