In the Life of Christ
“They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.” —John 9:13, NIV
I would like to think that if someone in our community received his sight after a lifetime of blindness, our first response would be joy. We would want to hear his story, meet the One who healed him, and celebrate what had happened. Yet John 9 reminds me that a remarkable work of mercy can provoke resistance when it challenges settled assumptions. A man stands before his neighbors with newly opened eyes, but the conversation soon becomes an interrogation. Some religious leaders are so troubled by when the healing happened that they struggle to receive what it reveals about Jesus.
The setting matters. Jesus has made mud, applied it to the man’s eyes, and sent him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. John explains that Siloam means “Sent,” a fitting detail in a Gospel that repeatedly presents Jesus as the One sent by the Father. The man returns seeing, and his neighbors hardly know what to make of him. Someone whose presence they associated with begging now stands before them with a future they had never imagined. Then John introduces the point of controversy: Jesus performed this healing on the Sabbath.
God’s Sabbath command was good. The conflict concerned the interpretation of that command and, ultimately, the identity of Jesus. John even records disagreement among the Pharisees: some condemned Jesus, while others wondered how a sinner could perform such signs (John 9:16). We should hear that distinction rather than treating every leader as identical. Still, opposition hardened. As David Guzik observes in his commentary on John 9, “They said this despite the evidence, not because of it.” Their conclusion about Jesus was becoming a barrier to considering His work honestly.
We can become so committed to defending our understanding that we stop allowing Scripture to examine it. That possibility brings this passage uncomfortably close to home. After many years around Christian teaching, I must remain willing to ask whether a familiar practice serves the Lord’s purposes or merely protects my comfort. Faithful discernment matters; every spiritual claim deserves examination. But discernment requires humility, attention to evidence, and submission to God’s Word. It becomes distorted when we decide beforehand what God must be allowed to do.
Alistair Begg describes the movement of John’s Gospel this way: “the evidence provides a basis for belief.” In his sermon “Why Don’t You Ask Him?”, he directs attention to the signs that reveal Jesus as the Son of God. The healing calls for a response to Jesus Himself. Admiring an extraordinary event while refusing to consider who performed it would leave the deepest question unanswered.
Meanwhile, the healed man’s understanding grows. He first identifies Jesus as the man who healed him, then calls Him a prophet, and later reasons that His work demonstrates that He comes from God. Under pressure, he refuses to surrender what he knows: “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” (John 9:25, NIV). His testimony is honest about its limits. He cannot answer every theological question, but he can tell the truth about Jesus’ mercy. You do not need to understand everything before you can speak faithfully about what Christ has done.
The most tender moment comes after the confrontation. The leaders throw him out, and Jesus finds him. The Lord who opened his eyes now leads him into fuller faith. When Jesus identifies Himself, the man responds, “Lord, I believe,” and worships Him (John 9:38, NIV). The Greek verb translated “believe,” pisteuō, expresses the trust Jesus calls for here. The story moves beyond receiving a gift into recognizing and trusting the Giver.
Perhaps today I need to listen more carefully to someone whose growing faith looks less polished than I expect. Perhaps I need to celebrate repentance instead of continuing to define someone by yesterday’s failures. John 9:13–41 warns against spiritual pride while inviting us into humble faith in Jesus, the Light of the World. His mercy opens our eyes, challenges our assumptions, and draws us into worship. Let us ask Him for hearts willing to receive His truth—and eyes ready to notice His grace.
If you would like to explore passages like this with others, consider starting a small Bible study group. Email me for encouragement and support as you begin studying God’s Word together.
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