MIRACLES – John 9 Jesus Heals Man Born Blind
Introduce – Angela Kohl – Harrisonburg Campus…
How many of you are currently asking “WHY?” to something you are facing in life?
If you have kids – you likely deal with answering “why” often.
Some at my house lately –
Why can’t I have a treat right before bed?
Why do I have to go to bed now?
Why can’t we do it now?
Why are bubby and sissy on summer break and I’m not?
I’ve even asked… Why can’t I eat cookies and they …
Why did God create stink bugs? (In case you are wondering – I tell my kids, those likely came after the fall?)
Or it may come from a more tender space?
Why is my child struggle with this challenge?
Why is his business successful and I am struggling to make ends meet?
Why hasn’t God healed me?
Why is my marriage in such a mess?
Why will this difficult season not just end?
Why? Why? Why?
“Why” is ultimately necessary, important question for us to navigate life.
But I would also ask you has the “why” ever blocked your view, blinded you, or kept you stuck?
As we continue the series on the MIRACLES of Jesus and look at the story of healing the man born blind–
I am going challenge us to ask a different question. “What …What can God do?
As we dive into John 9: Let’s shift our view from WHY to WHAT in Christ?
Let’s breakdown and talk through this powerful story!
As he 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?”
Right off the bat, we see this chapter starting off with a WHY. Why is he blind – Jewish beliefs says it is sin. Sin of the parents or sin of the man even bf birth.
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.”
Jesus does not address the WHY here – He simply sees an opportunity to reveal His glory. A platform to reveal to those around Him and to us – His power. (Now of course, sin in our lives can result in illness and hardship but that is not the truth in this story)
6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.
Jesus sees a need. A blind beggar.
He has just reminded them of His purpose on Earth – to be the light of the world. We have just heard that he will bring light and He spits on the ground and makes mud and then puts it on the mans eyes.
Now, I have to tell you 2 things came to mind when I first read vs 6
- I hated being “spit-washed” as a kid. I can still see my mom lick her thumb – with what seemed like force and come at me ready for a fight! I made a solemn vow – I would never do that to my kids… and I must admit I have not survived parenting without breaking out the spit wash! So now my kids are also scarred!
- And 2, Jesus will go through spit and mud to me us. He has surely met me in the dirt. This is not in any commentary you will find – but just a reminder for my heart.
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.
This is often an instruction of Jesus in scripture … GO. Take the first step and then see “What God can do in His power”
Jesus also uses the opportunity of the Feast of Tabernacles. The city would have been packed and the blind man had to make his way through the crowd with mud still caked on his eyes to get to the pool of Siloam. He went eagerly and as he did He displayed the grace of God as he went.
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.
Lets take a step back and take note that the man did not see Jesus but He obeyed and did as He said. Nothing held him back in light of hope.
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.” I love this about our Lord, he can’t be limited and he can and will use anything to accomplish His mission of love. Let me repeat that… Our Lord, he can’t be limited and he can and will use anything to accomplish His mission of love.
16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” Jesus healed on the Sabbath because needs know no calendar. It’s important to know Jesus did not break the law, he used this opportunity to show the religious leaders that their interpretation of the law put policy before people. He acted out against their hypocrisy.
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.”
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; 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.”
Can we say, the WHY had them stuck. The Pharisees tried to muddy the story bc they wanted to disprove that Jesus was the Messiah. Throughout their investigation they prove over and over their spiritual blindness.
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?”
I Love this!! So much! The truest miracle begins – Though he had not yet seen Jesus, his heart had chosen Jesus. He is proclaiming I see and I want more of this! This grace. This truth. This Hope. This Jesus.
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.”
Blind, afraid, stuck!
30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
Exactly, What can God do? The Impossible.
34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.
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.
Praise Jesus!!! Jesus met Him again in His need.
39 Jesus said,[a] “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind 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.
What we have the privilege of witnessing here as this story wraps up, is truly the greatest MIRACLE of all.
The eyes of his heart are open.
This is exactly how I met Jesus – in my need. He met me there and then beyond the momentary need my greatest need was met – I received a Savior.
The same is true of the blind beggar, Jesus saw him and EVEN before He could see Jesus – He trusted Him. That’s simply Faith.
He let Him meet Him where He was and when He said GO – the man obeyed. At that point His Journey of Faith began!!
And then against culture, religion, family. He says I don’t want to miss whats in front of me – the power, hope, and love of Jesus. The healing the man experienced was Gods grace on display. Pointing each of us to an even greater grace that Jesus has to offer.
The healing of the man born blind is proof of who Jesus is, but it is also a picture of our salvation. -Forgotten Jesus
Let us not miss this – the man could see for the first time in his life and in a matter of what seems like minutes – the scales on the eyes of his heart also fell away.
He was about to embark on the journey of a lifetime – he had been given true vision.
My hope is that all of us in this room can say, “ I once was blind, but now I see”
I would beg of you if you have not let Jesus restore your spiritual sight – Don’t leave this place without inviting Him in. Let Him make you the MIRACLE on July 13, 2025. If there …
Now, if I am completely honest, I would love for this message to end right there. (some of you might be wishing the same thing!) Let’s celebrate the victory and go home!
But I know, that as much as this scripture brings the greatest truth of all time – it leaves some of us back at the WHY.
You may be saying, Angela, I believe in His power. He’s my Lord this morning. I am His – but WHY hasn’t He touched me with mud and removed the cancer, the illness, healed the broken relationship, why is my child still wayward, WHY?
First, don’t stop approaching his throne of grace, believing and knowing – proclaiming His power.
I fully believe, and we as Nazarenes, believe He is a MIRACLE WORKING LORD.
But the lingering “WHY” of sometimes His answer is NO or WAIT – I don’t fully know. But I do know He is sovereign, and He works for our good. He loves you deeper than anyone and wants the truest miracle – you in relationship with our Lord and Savior.
What I can share with you, is that regardless of what I have faced, His grace has been sufficient for me. He is in our details and even in the mist of a broken-down, sin-filled, hurting world – His grace is sufficient for me, for you.
As I prepared for this message, the Lord reminded me that I have developed a habit in prayer that feels a bit embarrassing to admit. It usually goes something like this…
Lord, we need you in this area, please draw us closer to you – AND… Lord, if we don’t have to go through “something painful” to get there, that would be great. And then often reluctantly, I add, your will be done.
Here’s what I know in my heart this morning (though its not always what I request) that I grow closer to Jesus in my need and pain. It’s been true of me – all of my life. It is the way I have stayed dependent on Him. And I wouldn’t change a thing. Nothing I have face would be worth the exchange of truly knowing Him. In those places that is where I received TRUE HEALING. He is at work and with great purpose – HIM.
And while He is at work, He never left me, and I discovered His grace is sufficient for me. As we close, let’s take a quick look at our friend Paul, In 2 Corinthians 12 – we find Paul had cried out 3x to remove the thorn from His flesh and the Lord responded
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Lord, help us to believe and know that even in the waiting you are at work. As we, seek and see “what all God can do” we experience Miracles all along the way.
Who needs to continue to seek a miracle this morning, who needs to trust for His miracle strength in the waiting and trusting.