Jesus Anoints the Blind Man's Eyes with Clayby Josiah-R
9:1John 9:1
And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
This verse belongs with John 8:12-59 and the rest of John 9 in the account of Jesus as the Light of Life. It takes place as Jesus left the temple and passed through the multitude and onward while escaping those enraged by His declaration of His existence before Abraham and seeking to stone Him, and in that passing He saw a man blind from youth and healed him. As He passed through their very midst, He veiled Himself so that His pursuers should not see Him.
The verse shows Jesus seeing and noticing a man who had been blind from his birth as He passed by, illustrating that Christ sees people in affliction and recognizes their possibilities and need for mercy. The disciples' question about whether the man or his parents had sinned reflects the mistaken belief that affliction proves personal guilt, a belief also shown when suffering people were blamed for their afflictions as the result of their sins and of divine judgment, which added to their suffering. Jesus rejects that blame and explains that the man's condition would become an occasion for God's works to be shown.
With compassion Jesus restored the man's sight by His own healing power, not by the clay or the pool, and the restoration was convincing evidence of His divine mission showing that His work came from God. Because the healing was performed on the Sabbath, it became the subject of dispute. The healed man testified plainly to what had been done for him, while jealousy, prejudice and unbelief led his opponents to reject the evidence, accuse Jesus and try to silence the man, and by refusing spiritual light they became more blind.
The man did not know who Jesus was when he was helped, and only after Jesus revealed Himself as the Son of God did the man recognize Him and worship Him. The man represents the lost sinner whom the Shepherd seeks to save, showing that as the eternal One Jesus recognized and valued him and seeks to save with compassion people whom the self-righteous treat with sneers, hatred and contempt, in contrast between such contempt and Christ's mercy toward those in need.
This verse belongs with John 8:12-59 and the rest of John 9 in the account of Jesus as the Light of Life. It takes place as Jesus left the temple and passed through the multitude and onward while escaping those enraged by His declaration of His existence before Abraham and seeking to stone Him, and in that passing He saw a man blind from youth and healed him. As He passed through their very midst, He veiled Himself so that His pursuers should not see Him.
The verse shows Jesus seeing and noticing a man who had been blind from his birth as He passed by, illustrating that Christ sees people in affliction and recognizes their possibilities and need for mercy. The disciples' question about whether the man or his parents had sinned reflects the mistaken belief that affliction proves personal guilt, a belief also shown when suffering people were blamed for their afflictions as the result of their sins and of divine judgment, which added to their suffering. Jesus rejects that blame and explains that the man's condition would become an occasion for God's works to be shown.
With compassion Jesus restored the man's sight by His own healing power, not by the clay or the pool, and the restoration was convincing evidence of His divine mission showing that His work came from God. Because the healing was performed on the Sabbath, it became the subject of dispute. The healed man testified plainly to what had been done for him, while jealousy, prejudice and unbelief led his opponents to reject the evidence, accuse Jesus and try to silence the man, and by refusing spiritual light they became more blind.
The man did not know who Jesus was when he was helped, and only after Jesus revealed Himself as the Son of God did the man recognize Him and worship Him. The man represents the lost sinner whom the Shepherd seeks to save, showing that as the eternal One Jesus recognized and valued him and seeks to save with compassion people whom the self-righteous treat with sneers, hatred and contempt, in contrast between such contempt and Christ's mercy toward those in need.