Miracles of Jesus Table

9:1 a man blind from birth That the man was born blind makes his healing that much more miraculous. This detail parallels the length of time (38 years) the lame man healed earlier had been disabled (5:5).

9:2 Rabbi See note on 1:38.

who sinned Reflects the belief that congenital disabilities were the result of sin on the part of the individual or his parents.

9:3 the works of God Rather than being the result of sin, hardship and suffering may be part of God’s plan to reveal His power.

9:4 while it is day Jesus’ enigmatic saying invokes the opposition of light and darkness. They must accomplish the mission while the light of the world (John 8:12; 9:5) is still among them.

9:5 I am the light of the world See 8:12 and note.

9:6 he spat Saliva was associated with magical practices in the Graeco-Roman world. Compare Mark 8:23.

9:7 wash Compare Elisha’s healing of Naaman the Syrian in 2 Kgs 5:10–13.

pool of Siloam Part of the water system of the city of David, in the older southeastern part of Jerusalem. Siloam likely had some mythological reputation surrounding it, suggesting that someone could be healed by entering the pool at particular times under certain conditions.

9:8 one who used to sit and beg The man was a fixture in the area. People who are used to seeing him are astonished at his healing; some even deny that it can be the same man.

9:13 Pharisees See note on John 1:24.

9:14 the Sabbath See 5:9 and note; and 5:10 and note.

9:16 there was a division among them The disagreement is based on differing interpretations of Jesus’ act. The healing is either a sin (because it was performed on the Sabbath) or a miraculous sign. The law cautioned people to be wary of teachers who might lead them astray by performing signs and wonders (Deut 13:1–5).

9:17 He is a prophet See John 4:19 and note.

9:18 the Jews Earlier identified as the Pharisees (v. 13).

they summoned the parents To verify the identity of the man and corroborate that he had, in fact, been born blind. It is unlikely their investigation was conducted on the Sabbath.

9:21 he will speak for himself The parents are trying to excuse themselves from further inquiry by disclaiming legal responsibility for their son.

9:22 expelled from the synagogue Tantamount to being excluded from the community. The synagogue was the community gathering place. See note on Mark 1:21.

9:24 Give glory to God Instead of credit to Jesus who, in their estimation, was only a man.

We know that this man is a sinner Because He had broken the Sabbath by healing a man (see John 9:16).

9:28 disciples of Moses The Pharisees took special pride in their study of Torah, the law of Moses (see note on 7:19).

9:31 God does not listen to sinners The man offers the experts in the law his own interpretation. God listens to the righteous, not sinners, so the man who healed him cannot be a sinner.

9:34 You were born completely in sin See note on v. 2. The self-styled experts bristle at the man’s spiritual insight and resort to an appeal to the traditional theology linking his disability with sin.

9:35 the Son of Man See note on 1:51.

9:38 I believe The formerly blind man is the only one to respond appropriately to Jesus. His journey from physical blindness to sight also symbolized his transition from spiritual darkness to finding the light of the world (v. 5).

9:39 those who do not see may see Giving sight to the blind was one of the miraculous signs expected to accompany the coming of the Messiah. See Isa 42:7.

those who see may become blind Compare Isa 6:9–10.

9:41 If you were blind, you would not have sin If the Pharisees were truly without knowledge of God and His requirements, then they would not be accountable for breaking that law (compare Rom 1:18–20; 3:20).