John
Chapter 9
Overview
In Jerusalem, Jesus meets a man who has been blind since birth. His followers assume that such suffering must be punishment for someone’s sin, but Jesus redirects the question toward what God can do. The healing happens on the Sabbath, the Jewish weekly day of rest, and that turns joy into an investigation by the Pharisees, influential religious teachers known for careful interpretation of religious law. Neighbors, parents, and authorities all face the same stubborn fact from different angles. As the man gains courage, the experts grow less willing to see. “Son of Man” is Jesus’ title for the human figure appointed by God.
1As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind since birth.
2His followers asked him, “Teacher, who did wrong before God—this man or his parents—so that he was born blind?”
3Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents did wrong in a way that caused his blindness. Instead, this happened so that God’s work could be revealed in him.
4Jesus continued, “While it is still day, we must do the work of the one who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.
5As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6After saying this, Jesus spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he spread the mud over the man’s eyes
7and told him, “Go wash in the pool of Siloam.” The name Siloam means “Sent.” So the man went and washed, and he returned able to see.
8His neighbors and those who had previously seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?”
9Some said, “Yes, this is the man.” Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But the man kept saying, “I am the one.”
10So they asked him, “How did you gain your sight?”
11He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it over my eyes, and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
12They asked him, “Where is that man?” He replied, “I don’t know.”
13They brought the man who had once been blind to the Pharisees.
14Now it was on the Sabbath, the Jewish day of rest, that Jesus had made the mud and given the man sight.
15The Pharisees also asked him how he had gained his sight. He told them, “He put mud on my eyes. I washed, and now I can see.”
16Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he does not observe the Sabbath.” Others said, “How could someone who disobeys God perform miraculous signs like these?” So they were divided.
17They asked the man again, “What do you say about the one who gave you sight?” He answered, “He is a prophet, a messenger from God.”
18The Jewish authorities did not believe that the man had been blind and had gained his sight, so they called in his parents.
19They asked them, “Is this your son, the one you say was born blind? How can he see now?”
20His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.
21But we do not know how he can see now or who gave him sight. Ask him. He is old enough to answer for himself.”
22His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities. Those authorities had already agreed that anyone who openly acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, God’s promised ruler, would be expelled from the synagogue community.
23That was why his parents said, “He is old enough. Ask him.”
24The authorities called the man who had been blind a second time and told him, “Tell the truth before God. We know that this man disobeys God.”
25He answered, “Whether he disobeys God, I don’t know. I know one thing: I was blind, and now I can see.”
26They asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he give you sight?”
27He answered, “I already told you, but you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You don’t want to become his followers too, do you?”
28They insulted him and said, “You are that man’s follower! We are followers of Moses.
29We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this man comes from.”
30The man replied, “Now that is astonishing! You do not know where he comes from, yet he gave me sight.
31We know that God does not listen to people who do wrong. But he does listen to anyone who honors him and does what he wants.
32Never since the world began has anyone heard of someone giving sight to a person born blind.
33If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
34They replied, “You were born sinful through and through, and you are trying to teach us?” Then they threw him out.
35Jesus heard that they had thrown the man out. When he found him, Jesus asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
36The man answered, “Who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I can believe in him.”
37Jesus told him, “You have seen him. In fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
38The man said, “I believe, Lord,” and he bowed down and worshiped Jesus.
39Jesus said, “I came into this world to bring judgment, so that those who cannot see may see, and those who think they see clearly may become blind.”
40Some Pharisees who were with him heard this and asked, “Surely you are not saying that we are blind too?”
41Jesus told them, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty. But now you say, ‘We see clearly,’ so your guilt remains.”