
Unfinished Week 3
A Self-Righteous Self-Own
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
9 As [Jesus] went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. —John 9:1-12
Man Witnesses to Neighbors
8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”
But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”
10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.
11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
12 “Where is this man?” they asked him. “I don’t know,” he said. —John 9:8-12
The Pharisees Investigate the Healing
13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”
16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”
But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.
17 Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”
The man replied, “He is a prophet.”
—John 9: 13-17
Pharisees Send for Man’s Parents
18 They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. 19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”
20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age (13+) ; he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” —John 9:18-23
Pharisees Interrogate Man Again
24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”
25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”
27 He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”
28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”
30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.
(Argument 1) 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.
(Argument 2a) 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.
(Argument 2b) 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
Syllogism:
- A1: God doesn’t listen to sinners; God listens to the righteous.
- A2a: Jesus performs a miracle so profound it can only be from God.
- A2b: God listens to Jesus.
- Conclusion: Therefore, Jesus must be righteous.
34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out. —John 9:24-34
Spiritual Blindness
35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”
37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. —John 9:35-38
Jesus Addresses Pharisees
39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind (both physical and spiritual) will see and those who see will become blind.”
40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”
41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains. —John 9:39-41
I. Weakness to Wonder
What is often perceived as
God Works for Our Good
26 … the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. —Romans 8:26-28
II. Knowing God
Divine Encounters
To
“Glory of God” Compared
Verse 3
Jesus says,
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
Verse 24
Pharisees:
24 A second time [the Pharisees] summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”
Echo Chambers
1. The
2. People are persuaded more by your

Characteristics of Transcendant Faith
- must be willing to investigate the evidence of signs and wonders before us
- must be willing to trust that God can bring wonder from (perceived) weakness
- must accept the possibility that we don’t know what we don’t know
- must be willing to identify where our own self-righteousness may be blinding us to God’s wonder:
- Ask ourselves:
- How might the glory of God be revealed in someone/something I totally write off because it doesn’t align with my prescribed beliefs and/or notions of truth?
- aligns with following Jesus above all else: (v27)
- v11 - By testifying about how we’ve experienced the wonders of God.
- vv27, 31-33 - by standing up for what we know is true despite consequences (defending Jesus)
- v38 - By believing/trusting and worshipping him
- vv40-41 - By helping others who are blind, see - **to the extent that they are willing to see it