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Come and See

5. The Light of the World

Message Outline

John 9:1–41 (NIV)

¹ As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

⁶ After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ⁷ “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

⁸ His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” ⁹ Some claimed that he was.

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

¹⁰ “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

¹¹ He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

¹² “Where is this man?” they asked him.

“I don’t know,” he said.

¹³ They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. ¹⁴ Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. ¹⁵ Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”

¹⁶ Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”

But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.

¹⁷ Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”

The man replied, “He is a prophet.”

¹⁸ They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. ¹⁹ “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”

²⁰ “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. ²¹ But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” ²² His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. ²³ That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

²⁴ A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”

²⁵ He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

²⁶ Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

²⁷ He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”

²⁸ Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! ²⁹ We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”

³⁰ The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. ³¹ We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. ³² Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. ³³ If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

³⁴ To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.

³⁵ Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

³⁶ “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”

³⁷ Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”

³⁸ Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

³⁹ Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

⁴⁰ Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”

⁴¹ Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

1. Seeing.

As [Jesus] went along, he saw a man blind from birth.

“Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?”

“What? Are we blind too?”

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:4–6 (NIV)

2. Touching and healing.

After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva

Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 (NIV)

3. Growing in truth.

“He is a prophet.”

“Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

“You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”

“Lord, I believe”

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth.) Ephesians 5:8–9 (NIV)

Dear Lord, three things I pray, to see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, follow thee more nearly, day by day. – Godspell (1971) based on prayer by Richard of Chichester (13^th Century)

“The man healed by Jesus demonstrates exactly the kind of exemplary courage and faith in confessing Jesus that others in the Gospel, including the man’s parents, lack. Since the man’s parents are willing to make him an orphan, he will need a family and a place to belong. Jesus’ subsequent act of seeking and finding the man embodies his promise to his followers that he will not leave them as orphans. In his ministry, Jesus gathers together those who have been cast out or scattered by others and makes of them one flock.” - John: A Commentary, Marianne Meye Thompson

Small Group Questions

As needed, refer to the Order of Worship and Resources at solanabeach.church for sermon video, message outline, and small group questions print version.

CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER

Before beginning your time in John and the message, consider going around and sharing answers to the following prompt: Are you a morning person or night person?

CONNECT WITH GOD (Use one of the below practices or choose one from a previous week.)

Centering Prayer: a simple practice that helps you become more attentive to God’s activity in your life. We quiet our minds, cease striving and make room for God’s deep work in us.
Take a moment to breathe, slow down and be attentive.
Choose a sacred focus for your prayer time: a name for God or simply “Lord, I am Yours.” Or imagine Jesus’ loving look or Jesus calming the sea. Or focus on your breath.
Using your sacred focus, quiet your mind. When your mind wanders, return to your sacred focus, trusting that the Holy Spirit is at work in you.
After the allotted time, thank the Holy Spirit for working in you.

CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER

Together: Read John 9:1-41

Before digging into the scripture and message more, pray together. Ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate and enlighten, and to speak to each one of you through the passage.
Listen to “Amazing Grace” together. Hone in on the words from Scripture, “I once was blind but now I see.”
Alone: Reflect/journal on the following prompts:
How have you experienced hunger in your life?
How do Jesus’ words in this passage speak to you?
As a whole group: Around the circle, share your personal reflections and questions about the passage. Encourage one another to engage curiosity, confusion, or bigger questions.

CONNECT WITH SCRIPTURE

If needed, read the passage again. Then select the best questions or customize the questions for your group.

Review the main points from the sermon outline.
Which points of the message resonated most with you? Why?
Where do you see yourself in this passage?
Why do you think Jesus makes mud to heal the blind man?
Read Genesis 2:7 and reflect together on any parallels between Genesis 2 and John 9.
How was this blind man likely treated in society? Why does that matter to the story?
Why do you think the man believes while the Pharisees remain unbelieving?
What parallels, similarities, and differences do you see between the context of the passage and our context today?
What are you still wrestling with?

ENGAGE AND EXPLORE

Together: explore the quote below, in connection with John 9.

PRAYER

Again this week: include the following prayers for the world in your time of closing prayer.

For your church in every place, that we may worship and serve you faithfully…