“Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.” (John 9:41 NKJV)
No other miracles performed by the Lord Jesus generated so many controversies, debates, or arguments as the giving of sight to the man who was blind from birth.
It all began with Jesus’ disciples asking, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2 NKJV).
Their religious belief or mindset was that the man’s defect was God’s severe punishment for the terrible sins of his parents, or perhaps the appalling sin God knew the man would commit in the future.
But the disciples were greatly surprised by the Lord’s answer that “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.” (John 9:3 NKJV).
That was contrary to the popular religious belief or philosophy of those days!
There is no doubt that this man, who was born blind, and his parents were sinners like the rest of the people, and sickness can be linked with sin (Rom. 3:23, John 5:14, Deut. 28:21-22).
However, in this case, Jesus said their sins had not caused this blindness.
What was responsible for the man’s blindness from birth?
Sin, in general!
“This man was not born blind because of one person’s sins but because sin, in general, had corrupted the perfect balance God had created in nature. Therefore, some maladies happen, not as a direct result of an individual’s sins, but as an indirect result of sin in general” (Andrew Wommack’s Commentary).
Moreover, Jesus did not imply by His reply to His disciples’ question that God made this man blind so that He could heal him at a particular time and be glorified. Unfortunately, this is the belief of many religious people today.
The Good and Loving God would not do such wickedness to be glorified!
Jesus wanted His disciples to know that no matter the cause of this man’s blindness, it was God’s work to heal him. No matter the cause of your infirmity or sickness today, it is God’s work and delight to heal you (1 John 3:8, Matt. 8:17, 1 Pet. 2:24).
Immediately after the miraculous healing of the man who was born blind, all the people who had known him before were amazed, saying, “Is not this he who sat and begged?” Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.” He said, “I am he.” (John 9:8-9 NKJV).
Afterward, they brought the man to the Pharisees, asking him how he had received his sight. The man’s testimony sparked further controversy.
John reports, “Therefore, some of the Pharisees said, ‘This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.” (John 9:16 NKJV).
As was their custom, the Pharisees were displeased that Jesus had performed the miracle on the Sabbath. They were blind to the sign’s spiritual significance and implications.
According to John, all the miracles the Lord Jesus performed were simply signs pointing to something far greater than the actual miracles. Giving sight to this man who was blind from birth was another sign intended to unveil Jesus and His mission to the Jews.
What did Jesus intend to show or say to the Jews then and to us today through this sign?
Let us carefully examine them!
First, Jesus wanted the Jews and all men today to know that we were spiritually blind from birth.
As it was in this man’s case, our spiritual blindness was not caused by our sin but by the original sin, the sin of Adam. Our spiritual blindness was the direct result of our alienation from the life of God from the womb (Eph. 4:17-19).
Our spiritual blindness is responsible for our constant straying from the right path to the way that leads to death and destruction. The Bible often calls us “the lost sheep of God.”
The Scripture states, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isa. 53:6 NKJV).
Anyone who fails to admit that he is a sinner by nature is still spiritually blind. Similarly, anyone who fails to acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and the only Savior God sent to save us from our sins, is indeed spiritually blind.
That is why the Pharisees asked Jesus, “Are we blind also?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.” (John 9:40-41 NKJV).
Although the Pharisees, like all men, were born sinners, they would not admit it. Their self-righteousness utterly blinded them to their sinful nature.
They were so spiritually blind that despite all the signs Jesus wrought before them to prove that He was their Messiah, they rejected Him and called Him “a sinner, a blasphemer, and Beelzebub” (Matt. 10:25).
They said to the man Jesus gave his sight, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.” (John 9:24 NKJV). “We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.” (John 9:29 NKJV).
They were indeed a bunch of spiritually blind men!
Like the Pharisees, anyone who thinks he can earn, merit, or deserve God’s love, acceptance, salvation, favor, or blessings by observing or keeping some religious laws, rules, regulations, or rites is spiritually blind and ignorant.
Beloved, the Mosaic Law was given to open your eyes to your utter depravity, bankruptcy, or sinfulness so that you may cry out to God, saying, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom. 7:24 NKJV).
The Mosaic Law was intended to expose your inherent but hidden weaknesses, deficiencies, or inadequacies so that you may humbly turn to and wholly trust the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:19).
Paul reveals, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (Gal. 3:24 KJV).
Regrettably, after the Lord Jesus Christ came as the Savior into the world, many religious people today, like the Pharisees of old, are still religiously observing and keeping the Old Testament laws as a means of obtaining God’s love, acceptance, salvation, favor, or blessings.
These are spiritually blind people today!
Anyone who is still seeking, striving, or struggling to please, impress, or compel God, or to earn, deserve, or merit God’s love, acceptance, salvation, favor, or blessings by his good or religious works, performance, adherence to some religious rules, or by his self-righteousness is spiritually blind and ignorant.
Beloved, God’s blessings are only available in and through Christ Jesus. It is faith in Christ that pleases God. Salvation and all its attendant blessings are available to you today purely by grace through faith alone in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:20-22, 5:1-2, Eph. 2:8-9).
What are the other spiritual significances of this miraculous sign?
Find out in the following piece!
Prayer:
I acknowledge today that I was born spiritually blind, but I receive Jesus Christ, the true Light, and I begin to see and walk in His Light, in Jesus’ name. Amen.