John 8 tells us that Jesus Christ is the Light of the World and John 9 continues this same trajectory. Right after Christ speaks to the Jewish leaders telling them that He is the Light of the World, He walks past a man who has been blind from birth. His disciples ask Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?”

(Aside – Let us not forget that our sin has physical consequences including illness and death. Looking at the NT we remember Ananias and Sapphira and 1 Corinthians 11:30. Not all illness is due to sin but we cannot forget that there can be a connection.)

Back to the point…Jesus said this is not because of sin but so that “the works of God might be displayed in him.” The blind man is being used for the glory of God. Don’t let this pass you by without thinking about what is being said. The man was born blind for the very purpose that God’s glory might be displayed through the man. This gives us a new perspective on how we look at situations in our life whether it is an illness or struggle. We often want to only focus on life in terms of how it effects us. We throw our hands up and say “why me?” We rarely say, “I know I have this struggle, may it be used for Your glory.” This man was born blind so that God’s glory would be displayed as he is healed. Jesus says to the disciples that I am the Light that will be on display while I am on the earth so that people may see and believe. May we not think about ourselves as much as we do and focus on CHRIST – the LIGHT OF THE WORLD!

But the story reveals more truth to us! Look how Christ heals the man. Christ spits on the ground and makes mud. He then places the mud on the eyes of the blind man (anoints his eyes) and tells him to “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.” We are told what Siloam means, SENT. He goes to the pool of SENT and comes back seeing! Don’t forget as you are reading John 9 that Siloam means SENT.

The people who did not witness the miracle begin to murmur. They ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is he.” Other said, “No but he is like him.” The healed blind man said, “I am the man.” Take a moment here…In the midst of people not believing the true identity of the blind man, he is saying “I am the man.” He had to be thinking (my own words following) “how can you crazy people not see I am the same man and I am telling you I am the man. Why would I lie about being blind?” Then the once blind man tells them the story! “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, “Go to Siloam and wash.” So I went and received my sight.” 

Think about how this story points us to Christ. Remember, that is the reason the man was born blind. First, it shows that Christ has the power to bring sight to the blind. Not only physical sight but spiritual sight. Christ has the power to open the eyes of those who are spiritually blind. Those who cannot see He gives eyes to see Him for the glorious Lord and Savior that He is. Put another way, He brings people from death to life. Also, it shows the plight of Jesus. The people did not believe that the man who could see was the same man who was blind. They did not believe him even when he clearly told them the truth. For the first time ever, the once blind mind was looking at them eye to eye. The Jewish leaders even made his parents appear before them and witness that this man was their son who was born blind. They did not want to see. This is what happened to Christ. He told people who He was, especially the Jewish leaders, and they refused to believe. They wanted proof, and the reality is the proof was standing right there in front of them. 

Now…Christ sent the blind man to the pool of Siloam/SENT. Look at what the man has done. He is being sent to share this miracle with others. He has been sent to show the people that the blind receive sight. He has been sent to witness the power of God. He has been sent to share God’s glory as He shows the world that Christ is the Son of God. Listen to what man says when asked over and over again what happened to him. “One thing I do know, that I was blind, now I see!” His life reflected the glory of God as he was sent to the world to show them the power of God. He fulfilled His purpose – displaying the glory of God!“One thing I do know, that I was blind, now I see!

We to are called to display the glory of God! Hallelujah! Because Christ came and dwelt among us, we can shout, “One thing I do know, that I was blind, now I see!”