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JOHN 9
8. The Need of the Blind in Religion
Life’s Sight and Life’s Shepherding
a. Life’s Sight For the Blind in Religion
(1) Born Blind

1. And as He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth.
2. And His disciples asked Him, saying, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?
3. Jesus answered, Neither has this man sinned nor his parents, but he was born so, that the works of God might be manifested in him.

(2) Receiving Sight by the Light
and the Anointing of Life

4. We must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work.
5. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
6. When He had said this, He spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and anointed his eyes with the clay,
7. And He said to him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which is interpreted, Sent). He went therefore and washed and came away seeing.
8. The neighbors then and those who previously saw him as a beggar said, Is not this the one who used to sit and beg?
9. Some said, This is he. Others said, No, but he is like him. He said, I am the one.
10. They said then to him, How then were your eyes opened?
11. He answered, The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes, and said to me, Go to the pool of Siloam and wash. I went therefore and washed, and I received my sight.
12. And they said to him, Where is He? He said, I do not know.
13. They brought him who was once blind to the Pharisees.

(3) Persecuted by Religion

14. Now it was the Sabbath, on which day Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.
15. Again therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he received his sight. And he said to them, He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.
16. Then some of the Pharisees said, This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath. But others said, How can a man who is a sinner do such signs? And there was a division among them.
17. Then they said to the blind man again, What do you say about Him, in that He opened your eyes? And he said, He is a prophet.
18. The Jews then did not believe concerning him that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight
19. And asked them, saying, Is this your son, of whom you say that he was born blind? How then does he now see?
20. Then his parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son and that he was born blind.
21. But how he now sees, we do not know; or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him; he is of age; he will speak for himself.
22. His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed Him to be the Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
23. Because of this his parents said, He is of age; question him.
24. Therefore a second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, Give glory to God; we know that this man is a sinner.
25. Then he answered, Whether or not He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.
26. They said then to him, What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?
27. He answered them, I told you already and you did not hear. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?
28. And they reviled him and said, You are His disciple; but we are disciples of Moses.
29. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where He is from.
30. The man answered and said to them, Why here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes!
31. We know that God does not hear sinners, but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him.
32. Since time began it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of one born blind.
33. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.
34. They answered and said to him, You were wholly born in sins, and you are teaching us? And they cast him out.

(4) Believing into the Son of God

35. Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and He found him and said, Do you believe into the Son of God?
36. He answered and said, And who is He, Lord, that I may believe into Him?
37. Jesus said to him, You have both seen Him, and He is the One speaking with you.
38. And he said, Lord, I believe; and he worshipped Him.

(5) Life’s Judgment
on the Blind Religionists

39. And Jesus said, For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.
40. Some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, We are not blind also, are we?
41. Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would not have sin; but now that you say, We see; your sin remains.