John Chapter 9 - Commentary

1-41 Jesus Heals the Blind Man

[5] The Word is the Light (hologram)

The meaning of the Word, is the Light, which is the Truth, which is the Way.

Hologram comes from the words “holos” meaning complete and “gram” meaning message.

Holograms are made with coherent light and capture the three dimensional nature of an object in two dimensions. The Word of God captures the nature if its subject too.

Coherent light is light of the same wavelength and frequency, perfect unity and harmony.

The holograph contains the entire image in each part of the copy.

The image can only be faithfully reproduced by the original light that made it.

[6] Making the clay

This was an intentional affront to the legalists because it constituted work on a sabbath. Making of the clay symbolizes God creating Adam from the dust of the earth. It required faith of the blind man to go find the pool and wash. Imagine his point of view (pardon the pun). A stranger touches you and puts mud in your eyes and says go wash them, after overhearing this stranger say He was the light of the world.

[11] The blind man states the facts to his neighbors.

¹¹He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.”

[17] The blind man begins to see…

¹³They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. ¹⁴Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. ¹⁵Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” ¹⁶Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” ¹⁷They said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”

[25] Now the blind man begins to understand the blindness of the Pharisees

²⁴So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.” ²⁵He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.” ²⁶Then they said to him again, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?” ²⁷He answered them, “I told you already, and you did not listen….

[30] The blind man now shows he has more vision than the religious leaders who never helped him, never paid him any attention or gave him any kindness. Now the man truly “sees”, and proceeds to teach the religious leaders.

³⁰The man answered and said to them, “Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! ³¹Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. ³²Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. ³³If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.”

[34] The truth hurts, but Jesus heals….

³⁴They answered and said to him, “You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?” And they cast him out. ³⁵Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” ³⁶He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” ³⁷And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.” ³⁸Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him.

Notice Jesus accepts worship. This is by definition blasphemy and a sin if He is not God.

Notice Jesus “finds” the man, helping him. While the Pharisees cast the man out of a dead ceremonial religion, the very glory that filled Solomon’s temple comes aside to the man. Rejection by the world hurts, but he who testifies in the name of Jesus will not be shamed.

[39] And Jesus pronounces the judgment coming against those who remain willfully blind…

³⁹And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.” ⁴⁰Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?” ⁴¹Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.


Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.