John Chapter 9

As Jesus was walking, He saw a man who couldn’t see well. The disciples asked, “Teacher, what kind of sin caused this man to be blind?” Jesus replied, “The man’s blindness symbolizes God’s power so that he will be seen of My work in Him. When the daytime is approaching, we will do God’s work; when the nighttime is coming, no one will work. I am truly the light of the world.” When He was finished talking, Jesus put mud on the man’s eyes, and He told the man to go to Siloam and wash himself in the pool. The man followed God’s directions by washing his face and he was able to see again. His neighbors had questioned the matter about the man washing his face. Some people said that the man was the one; others said that he just looked like him. But the man said, “I am the man.” The people wondered, “How can you see us now?” The man said that Jesus was putting mud on his face and told him to wash it off in the Pool of Siloam. The people asked the man where Jesus was, and the man didn’t know. 

The people took the man to the Pharisees. On the Sabbath day, Jesus healed the man by having mud on his face. The Pharisees questioned the man about his sight. The man replied that Jesus put mud on his eyes, and when he had washed his face, he finally could see. Some Pharisees were wondering if the man didn’t follow the Sabbath law. Others questioned him performing miracles so that he could see. The Jewish authorities didn’t believe the man and called his parents about being born blind. His parents said that he was their son and he was born blind, but they didn’t know what happened to his blindness. The parents told the authorities to ask him, for he was old enough. For a second time, when the parents came back, they requested a promise that the authorities would tell the truth. The man was repeating his truth that he was blind and now he can see.  They asked the same question the third time, and the man replied that they weren’t listening to his story. They mocked the man and told him that they are Moses’ disciples, and that their fellow didn’t know where he came from. The man told them that God listens to people who respect and do good work for Him, not sinners. Since the beginning of time, nobody had ever talked to anyone performing miracles to a person born blind. They asked the man that he was trying to teach those things to them, but they told him to get out of the synagogue. 

When Jesus heard the matter, he saw the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man replied, “Tell me exactly who he is so that I can believe him.” Jesus answered, “You have approached him already, and he is me who is speaking to you right now.” The man replied, “I believe in You, Lord!” while kneeling down. Jesus declared that He came to the world to judge so that people could see Him and that those people may become blind. Some of the Pharisees questioned Jesus and asked, “Are you saying to us that we are blind as well?” Jesus said that if the Pharisees were blind, then they wouldn’t be guilty; but they claimed that they can see and that they are still guilty.

Our PECS/Picture Exchange Communication System for John Chapter 9

Questions

1. How did Jesus describe the blind man?
2. How did the Pharisees hear about that news?
3. What does “putting faith in the Lord” mean?