John 9:39, commentary and pictures

Christ came for judgment in that his coming divides all people by their response to the light he brings, giving both physical and spiritual sight while revealing character, determining destiny, and leaving those who reject him in deeper darkness. Those who admit they do not see and recognize their need of him receive spiritual sight, light and life through faith. Those who claim to see yet refuse the evidence, resist his message and choose darkness are made and left spiritually blind, their sin remaining and further evidence only hardening their unbelief, prejudice and opposition. The words were spoken to those with the most favorable opportunity through the Scriptures, the prophets and Christ himself, who prided themselves on knowledge and discernment yet willfully closed their eyes and chose darkness, for their blindness came not from lack of truth, while ignorance from want of capacity to learn or want of opportunity leaves comparatively little guilt. All the opportunities enjoyed and all the boasted wisdom, ability and knowledge will only increase the condemnation of willful rejecters in the day of final judgment.

Judgment by Response to Light

For judgment Christ came into this world to divide people by their response to light, revealing character and fixing destiny. Those who confess their need and receive truth gain spiritual sight, while those who profess to see yet reject the light are made blind to heaven's light. The healing of the blind man displays His mission to bestow both physical and spiritual sight, and that same revelation of truth leaves those who reject Him in deeper darkness, guilty and condemned. Self-exaltation and refusal to be taught make this spiritual blindness more serious than physical blindness, for people who set aside God's word for human ideas mistake a false light of their own for truth.

Those who admit they do not see are comparatively free from guilt when their ignorance comes from want of capacity to learn or want of opportunity for instruction. When such needy ones recognize their lack, look to Christ in faith, and stand ready to receive light, they may receive understanding, sight, light and life. Their openness stands opposite to those who enjoyed the most favorable opportunity to understand the Scriptures through prophets and through Christ Himself, prided themselves on knowledge and discernment, yet willfully closed their eyes and stubbornly refused instruction. The same readiness to receive is required when truth is revealed about God's law, as when one knows the claim of the fourth commandment; truth must be accepted when revealed, for no one can be saved while knowingly disregarding it.

Those who claim to see yet refuse evidence about Christ, resist His message, and choose darkness are made and left spiritually blind. To say we see while rejecting clear truth leaves sin remaining and accountability in place, as shown when disregard for sacred truth joined with confidence in one's own talents exemplifies self-deception. Such self-blinding leaves people unable to discern truth and inclined to accept falsehood, mistaking human ideas for light. Further evidence of His power does not cure them but only hardens unbelief, prejudice and opposition, for Satan's influence keeps those who choose darkness from receiving the light they have already been given through clear testimony.

Roots of Willful Blindness

The words were addressed to the Pharisees, and to the Jewish people as a whole, who enjoyed the most favorable opportunity to understand through the Scriptures, the prophets, and Christ himself in their midst. They prided themselves on knowledge and discernment, yet willfully closed their eyes to the light and stubbornly refused to receive instruction. Their blindness did not come from lack of truth, for clear light had been given, but from choosing darkness, and Satan's influence held them from receiving it. By contrast, those who are truly blind or ignorant through want of capacity to learn or want of opportunity for instruction are comparatively free from guilt in opposing Christ.

Those who have been in any measure blinded by the enemy and have not fully recovered from his snare are in peril when they choose darkness rather than light, for they blind their own eyes and cannot discern light from heaven. They accept falsehood, set aside God's word for human ideas, and mistake their own ideas and the words man speaks for light and truth. The evidences God has given become to them no evidence, after light is rejected. What they then originate and call light is only sparks of their own kindling by which they direct their steps, and that erroneous experience colors their thoughts, their decisions, their propositions, and their counsels.

Such willful blindness transgresses God's law and teaches others to break it, by refusing to open the eyes lest they see, closing them and saying they cannot see. Even when claiming sanctification, those who do this are still sinners and strengthen other sinners in sin. Their blindness is as hopeless as that of the Jews who would not recognize Christ as their Redeemer.

Final Separation and Warning

Christ came for judgment that will culminate in the final day, when every opportunity enjoyed and all boasted wisdom, ability and knowledge will only increase condemnation for those who willfully rejected light despite the most favorable means to understand truth. Ignorance through want of capacity to learn or want of opportunity for instruction leaves one comparatively free from guilt, but guilt rests heavily where knowledge and discernment were claimed while eyes were willfully closed and instruction stubbornly refused. The judgment gives sight to those who know they do not see, and makes blind those who claim they see, so refused light becomes the measure of final accountability.

At the time of the loud cry of the third angel the same judgment separates those who discern light from heaven from those who have blinded their eyes by choosing darkness rather than light. Those in any measure blinded by the enemy and not fully recovered from Satan's snare are in peril because they cannot discern heavenly light and will accept falsehood, with erroneous experience coloring their thoughts, decisions, propositions and counsels until the evidences God has given are no evidence to them. Having rejected light they originate theories they call light but which are only sparks of their own kindling by which they direct their steps, rejecting the words the Lord sent while receiving words man speaks as light and truth.

Those who claim spiritual sight yet are blind to their true condition cannot serve as laborers together with God, for Christ's coming exposes this self-misjudgment and leaves the deluded unfit for His work unless converted and transformed. The danger is greatest when the blind become leaders of the blind, for both leaders and followers remain deluded and many are led astray. Those who recognize their blindness may receive sight, while those who misinterpret their own spiritual state are exposed as blind. For those in positions of responsibility who hear the plan of salvation yet lack personal experience of faith in Christ, the need is conversion and opened eyes rather than controversy, that they may receive sight and life by looking to Him in faith.

The same contrast governs the Sabbath and personal self-deception, for one who knows the claim of the fourth commandment but knowingly disregards God's law remains accountable for sin and cannot be saved while refusing revealed truth, which must be accepted when revealed. Those who recognize need and are ready to receive light may see, while those who claim to see yet reject clear truth become spiritually blind. To claim to see, as explained by John 9:40-41, leaves sin remaining, exemplified by disregard for sacred truth joined with confidence in one's own talents.