That the Works of God Might be Displayed

John 9:1-41 (NASB) from the daily reading in the Oe Year Bible (link on links page)

Healing the Man Born Blind

9 As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. ² And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” ³ Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” ⁶ When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes, ⁷ and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and washed, and came back seeing. ⁸ Therefore the neighbors, and those who previously saw him as a beggar, were saying, “Is not this the one who used to sit and beg?” ⁹ Others were saying, “This is he,” still others were saying, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the one.” ¹⁰ So they were saying to him, “How then were your eyes opened?” ¹¹ He answered, “The man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash’; so I went away and washed, and I received sight.” ¹² They said to him, “Where is He?” He *said, “I do not know.”

Controversy over the Man

¹³ They *brought to the Pharisees the man who was formerly blind. ¹⁴ Now it was a Sabbath on the day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. ¹⁵ Then the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received his sight. And he said to them, “He applied clay to my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” ¹⁶ Therefore some of the Pharisees were saying, “This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others were saying, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And there was a division among them. ¹⁷ So they *said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?” And he said, “He is a prophet.”

¹⁸ The Jews then did not believe it of him, that he had been blind and had received sight, until they called the parents of the very one who had received his sight, ¹⁹ and questioned them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? Then how does 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 how he now sees, we do not know; or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself.” ²² His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed Him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. ²³ For this reason his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

²⁴ So a second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, “Give glory to God; we know that this man is a sinner.” ²⁵ He then answered, “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” ²⁶ So they said to him, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?” ²⁷ He answered them, “I told you already and you did not listen; why do you want to hear it again? You do not want to become His disciples too, do you?” ²⁸ They reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. ²⁹ We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where He is from.” ³⁰ The man answered and said to them, “Well, here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes. ³¹ We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him. ³² Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. ³³ If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.” ³⁴ They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?” So they put him out.

Jesus Affirms His Deity

³⁵ Jesus heard that they had put him out, and finding him, He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” ³⁶ He answered, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” ³⁷ Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.” ³⁸ And he said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped Him. ³⁹ And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” ⁴⁰ Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” ⁴¹ Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.

The first question we see in today's text is a question that is still asked in some form very often today. The disciples asked Jesus:   "who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?”     Often both believers and doubters wil question why God allows suffering in the world, why an innocent child is stricken with a disease or disability. It's a question that there is no simple answer for. Certainly I can't explain all the sufferng that happens in the world. This much though I do know. Just as Jesus said of this man that was born blind,      “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents",     what we see in these circumstances is not a result of or  punishment for individual sin. We do live in a fallen world. Ever since the original sin of Adam and Eve in the garden the  we and all of creation live with the brokeness of evil and disease. God's plan, Jesus mission in coming to the earth is for the purpose of redeeming and restoring all that was lost. Jesus said on the cross "It is finished". In Christ, God see these circumstances and conditions as restored. Whatever anyone experiences here on earth is merely a twinkling in the scheme of eternity. 

In today's text, Jesus says of this man's circumstance,   it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.    God wants to reveal Himself to and through the circumstances and situations in our lives.     Romans 8:28-29 says:

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 

God doesn't cause all the bad things that happen to us or others in this world. Some things are the result of the fallen world in which we live. Other things may happen to an individual at the hands of another. This is not God causing it. God allows things as He did from the beginning because He created us with a free will. Each person has the ability to make choices that affect both themselves and others either for good or for bad. God doesn't cause all things, but as the Romans scripture says, He will cause all things to work together for  good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. We see the evidence of this when we see the extra measure of God's grace and capacity to love revealed in the life and love of a special needs child. The smile and joy in the life of one who it would seem should be unhappy and discontent is evidence of God's grace to them. The scripture says that God uses these things to conform us to the image of His Son.  In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul speaks of a time when he asked God to take a physical handicap from him. God's response to Paul was:

 “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”  Paul then says: Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.    When we rely on God's sufficient grace we become more like Jesus and the power of Christ dwells in us. 

In today's text though Jesus said that this circumstance was so that,  the works of God might be displayed in him.  This blind man's condition and His healing were not only for his own personal experience, salvation and restoration, but also as a testimony of the works of God. Just as in today's text, when miraculous things happen today, many people doubt the hand of God was involved. They try to discredit it the authenticity of what happened or rationalize and explain it some other way than by the miraculous hand of God. We are each responsible for our response to the revelation of Christ and His miraculous works.  

In the end of today's text Jesus completes the work of salvation and restoration of the man born blind.     Jesus heard that they had put him out, and finding him, He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” ³⁶ He answered, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” ³⁷ Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.” ³⁸ And he said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped Him.   Jesus reveals Himself to the man as not only his healer but also as his savior. The man who's physical eyes were opened by Jesus also has a revelation of Christ his savior. His spiritual eyes are opened and he worships Jesus Christ, his Lord and Savior.  

The text ends with Jesus final encounter with and words the Pharisees.        “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” ⁴⁰ Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” ⁴¹ Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.

Again, each person is responsible for the revelation of Christ that they have received. Jesus let's the Pharisees know that their spiritual blindness is a much more serious condition than this man's previous physical blindness. When we are given a revelation of who Christ is and we choose to close our eyes to the truth sin remains. We should not judge others who are living in sin. We don't know the extent of the revelation of Christ they have received. If they are spiritually blind to their sin they are not yet accountable. But for all who say we see, yet fail to turn to Christ sin remains.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ, precious Holy Spirit, Thank You that Your grace God is sufficient for every need I have and every trial I face. Thank You for using the circumstances of my life to draw me to You through Your sufficient grace. Thank You that as I allow You to work in my life You continue to increase my revelation of who You are and who I am in You. Thank You Lord.  Today I join with the man born blind and say: one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see. I believe. I choose this day to worship You. I pray that my life too might be used as an example  that through what You have done in me  the works of God might be displayed.     Amen