And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
Jesus had taught that He came as the light of the world to give sight to those who know they do not see, while those who claim to see would become blind, and the Pharisees with Him asked if He meant they were blind also. The blindness in question is spiritual and far more serious than physical blindness, for they had every opportunity to know the Scriptures and abundant evidence of His divine character, yet they willfully closed their eyes to the light, refused instruction and chose darkness lest they should recognize Him as Redeemer. Those who cannot see through no fault of their own would be comparatively free from guilt, but those who boast that they see while rejecting the light they have received remain in sin and will face greater condemnation for their opportunities and knowledge. The exchange warns that religious leaders and others may be blind while confident they can see, and in that self-deceived condition they resist truth when it is presented and mislead others as the blind leading the blind unless they are converted and made new.
Setting and Willful Blindness
The question, "Are we blind also?" comes right after Jesus declares Himself the light of the world who leads men out of darkness, and announces that He has come so that those who do not see may see while those who see may be made blind. The blindness in view is not physical but spiritual and moral, a condition far more serious than the bodily blindness Jesus had just healed. The Pharisees who asked it were not blind for want of mental capacity to learn or for want of opportunity to be taught.
They enjoyed the most favorable opportunity to obtain an understanding of the Scriptures, had before them abundant evidence of Christ's divine character and power, and prided themselves on their scriptural knowledge, spiritual insight, knowledge and discernment. Their blindness was willful, for truth had reached them yet they closed their eyes to the light, stubbornly refused to receive instruction, rejected the truth and chose darkness, with Satan blinding them to it. As fresh evidence of Jesus' power was given their unbelief and prejudice only deepened and their darkness tightened, because they would not open their eyes lest they should see and be compelled to recognize Christ as Redeemer.
Their very asking shows they felt His words about sight and blindness might expose them. Yet they still believed they could see, claimed spiritual sight, and did not discern their true condition as those who knew not the Scriptures nor the power of God.
Guilt for Rejecting Light
Ignorance that comes from no lack of capacity to learn and no lack of opportunity for instruction leaves a person comparatively free from guilt, but the blindness in John 9:40 was not of that kind. The men who asked, Are we blind also, had the most favorable opportunity to obtain an understanding of the Scriptures and prided themselves on their knowledge, discernment, and spiritual insight, yet they willfully closed their eyes to the light and stubbornly refused to receive instruction. They knew neither the Scriptures nor the power of God, and because they said, We see, their sin remained and they stood responsible for their blindness. Those who cannot see the truth through no fault of their own are not guilty for that ignorance, while those who claim to see while refusing the truth remain in sin.
Rejecting light once received brings responsibility for sin and leaves one accountable and under condemnation, whereas lack of light would not carry the same guilt. Truth had reached them, but they rejected it and chose darkness, with Satan blinding them to the truth. Their pride in knowledge and refusal to be taught made them more guilty, and all the opportunities, wisdom, ability, and knowledge of which they boasted will only increase their condemnation in the day of final judgment. The same accountability rests on one who has received warnings and sacred truth but treats them as worthless while trusting in personal abilities.
Having received light and claiming to know the truth does not remove accountability when the light is rejected. Claiming salvation while knowingly disregarding God's commandments does not remove that responsibility. Refusing the Sabbath after seeing its claim in Scripture illustrates this principle, comparable to the rejection of Christ by those who had light but chose darkness.
Warning to Self-Deceived Leaders
John 9:40 warns that people may be spiritually blind while believing themselves able to see, unable to discern their true condition. Those in this state misinterpret their own spiritual condition and are in great danger. Those who cannot recognize their blindness may resist the truth even when it is presented to them. Religious leaders who have eyes and ears can still fail to see or understand because they lack personal experience of believing in Christ as Saviour, and they need God's converting power to open their eyes and make their hearts new.
Those who are thus deceived mislead others, with the blind leading the blind. The Pharisees' question about whether they too were blind illustrates how those who claim to see can be spiritually blind and fail to recognize their true condition while leading others astray. Such deluded leaders and their followers must be converted and transformed. Unless both are converted and transformed, they cannot be laborers together with God.
The same willful, hopeless blindness is found in those who make warfare against God's law by transgressing it and teaching others to transgress it. The Jews closed their eyes and would not recognize Christ as Redeemer, refusing to open their eyes lest they should see, while saying they could not see, and that refusal characterizes law-breakers still. Even if such transgressors claim sanctification they are not godlike but are sinners sustaining the hands of other sinners. The exchange in which those who claim to see remain accountable for their sin applies to a person who had received warnings and sacred truth but treated them as worthless while trusting in her own abilities.
Jesus had taught that He came as the light of the world to give sight to those who know they do not see, while those who claim to see would become blind, and the Pharisees with Him asked if He meant they were blind also. The blindness in question is spiritual and far more serious than physical blindness, for they had every opportunity to know the Scriptures and abundant evidence of His divine character, yet they willfully closed their eyes to the light, refused instruction and chose darkness lest they should recognize Him as Redeemer. Those who cannot see through no fault of their own would be comparatively free from guilt, but those who boast that they see while rejecting the light they have received remain in sin and will face greater condemnation for their opportunities and knowledge. The exchange warns that religious leaders and others may be blind while confident they can see, and in that self-deceived condition they resist truth when it is presented and mislead others as the blind leading the blind unless they are converted and made new.
Setting and Willful Blindness
The question, "Are we blind also?" comes right after Jesus declares Himself the light of the world who leads men out of darkness, and announces that He has come so that those who do not see may see while those who see may be made blind. The blindness in view is not physical but spiritual and moral, a condition far more serious than the bodily blindness Jesus had just healed. The Pharisees who asked it were not blind for want of mental capacity to learn or for want of opportunity to be taught.
They enjoyed the most favorable opportunity to obtain an understanding of the Scriptures, had before them abundant evidence of Christ's divine character and power, and prided themselves on their scriptural knowledge, spiritual insight, knowledge and discernment. Their blindness was willful, for truth had reached them yet they closed their eyes to the light, stubbornly refused to receive instruction, rejected the truth and chose darkness, with Satan blinding them to it. As fresh evidence of Jesus' power was given their unbelief and prejudice only deepened and their darkness tightened, because they would not open their eyes lest they should see and be compelled to recognize Christ as Redeemer.
Their very asking shows they felt His words about sight and blindness might expose them. Yet they still believed they could see, claimed spiritual sight, and did not discern their true condition as those who knew not the Scriptures nor the power of God.
Guilt for Rejecting Light
Ignorance that comes from no lack of capacity to learn and no lack of opportunity for instruction leaves a person comparatively free from guilt, but the blindness in John 9:40 was not of that kind. The men who asked, Are we blind also, had the most favorable opportunity to obtain an understanding of the Scriptures and prided themselves on their knowledge, discernment, and spiritual insight, yet they willfully closed their eyes to the light and stubbornly refused to receive instruction. They knew neither the Scriptures nor the power of God, and because they said, We see, their sin remained and they stood responsible for their blindness. Those who cannot see the truth through no fault of their own are not guilty for that ignorance, while those who claim to see while refusing the truth remain in sin.
Rejecting light once received brings responsibility for sin and leaves one accountable and under condemnation, whereas lack of light would not carry the same guilt. Truth had reached them, but they rejected it and chose darkness, with Satan blinding them to the truth. Their pride in knowledge and refusal to be taught made them more guilty, and all the opportunities, wisdom, ability, and knowledge of which they boasted will only increase their condemnation in the day of final judgment. The same accountability rests on one who has received warnings and sacred truth but treats them as worthless while trusting in personal abilities.
Having received light and claiming to know the truth does not remove accountability when the light is rejected. Claiming salvation while knowingly disregarding God's commandments does not remove that responsibility. Refusing the Sabbath after seeing its claim in Scripture illustrates this principle, comparable to the rejection of Christ by those who had light but chose darkness.
Warning to Self-Deceived Leaders
John 9:40 warns that people may be spiritually blind while believing themselves able to see, unable to discern their true condition. Those in this state misinterpret their own spiritual condition and are in great danger. Those who cannot recognize their blindness may resist the truth even when it is presented to them. Religious leaders who have eyes and ears can still fail to see or understand because they lack personal experience of believing in Christ as Saviour, and they need God's converting power to open their eyes and make their hearts new.
Those who are thus deceived mislead others, with the blind leading the blind. The Pharisees' question about whether they too were blind illustrates how those who claim to see can be spiritually blind and fail to recognize their true condition while leading others astray. Such deluded leaders and their followers must be converted and transformed. Unless both are converted and transformed, they cannot be laborers together with God.
The same willful, hopeless blindness is found in those who make warfare against God's law by transgressing it and teaching others to transgress it. The Jews closed their eyes and would not recognize Christ as Redeemer, refusing to open their eyes lest they should see, while saying they could not see, and that refusal characterizes law-breakers still. Even if such transgressors claim sanctification they are not godlike but are sinners sustaining the hands of other sinners. The exchange in which those who claim to see remain accountable for their sin applies to a person who had received warnings and sacred truth but treated them as worthless while trusting in her own abilities.