The Blind Man’s Testimony (John 9:13–25)

Devotional

Day 1: Clay on Sabbath Eyes

The Pharisees fixate on Jesus’ method of healing – mixing clay with saliva on the Sabbath – while ignoring the miracle itself. Their obsession with technical Sabbath violations blinds them to God’s mercy in their midst. Rules become weapons to discredit Christ’s authority rather than pathways to worship. This mirrors how religious systems often prioritize control over compassion. The miracle confronts all who reduce faith to compliance. [00:41]

“He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” (John 9:15, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you prioritized religious routines over recognizing God’s unexpected work? What “clay-making” moments in your life might actually be divine interruptions?

Day 2: One Thing I Know

The healed man refuses philosophical debates about Jesus’ identity, clinging instead to his visceral experience: “I was blind, now I see.” His testimony remains anchored in personal transformation rather than theological arguments. This raw confession disarms the Pharisees’ intellectual traps, proving that lived encounters with Christ transcend doctrinal disputes. [03:12]

“He answered, ‘Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.’” (John 9:25, ESV)

Reflection: What irreversible change has Christ wrought in you that no argument can negate? How might sharing this concrete experience impact others more than abstract debates?

Day 3: Parents Who Feared Shadows

The man’s parents verify his lifelong blindness but evade naming Jesus as healer, fearing synagogue expulsion. Their caution reveals how trauma and social pressure can mute gratitude. Though their son’s healing should have sparked jubilant testimony, self-preservation silences their praise. This mirrors modern compromises where comfort stifles confession. [10:55]

“His parents answered, ‘We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age.’” (John 9:20-23, ESV)

Reflection: What God-given blessings do you downplay to avoid conflict? When has fear of consequences quieted your witness to Christ’s work?

Day 4: Division Over the Dirt

The Pharisees splinter into factions – some denounce Jesus as Sabbath-breaker, others wonder if sinners could perform such signs. Their conflict exposes how miracles unsettle tidy theological systems. The clay becomes a litmus test, dividing those seeking control from those open to mystery. God’s work often fractures human certainty to make room for faith. [07:24]

“Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for 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.” (John 9:16, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you seen genuine encounters with Christ create tension in religious communities? How do you respond when God’s work disrupts your doctrinal expectations?

Day 5: Testimony Is Not the Gospel

The healed man’s “I was blind, now I see” witnesses to Christ’s power but doesn’t yet explain His atoning work. Testimonies of changed lives point to the gospel but aren’t the gospel itself. Personal stories warm hearts, but the cross and resurrection remain the core message. Like the Magi’s star, our experiences should direct others to Christ’s finished work. [19:58]

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: How does your personal story of transformation serve as a signpost rather than the destination? When have you been tempted to make your experiences equal to Christ’s redemptive work?

Sermon Summary

John records a miracle that ought to have brought praise to God, yet the healing of a man born blind becomes an occasion for unbelief to show its true colors. The Sabbath controversy exposes the Pharisees’ fatal mistake: they measure the work of the Lord of the Sabbath by their own technical case law. The clay becomes their evidence of sin, because kneading was forbidden by their traditions, while the mercy of giving sight to a man born blind scarcely moves them at all. The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath, and it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.

The division among the Pharisees reveals that Christ’s miracles are divine attestations. The signs in John’s Gospel authenticate agents of revelation, and the question, “How can a man who is a sinner do such things?” is a sound question. The man who received sight draws the proper initial conclusion: Jesus is a prophet. The miracle does not yet bring him to a full confession that Jesus is the Son of God or the Messiah, but it rightly tells him that God is with this man.

John also exposes the fearful silence of the parents. Their son’s healing should have sent them crawling over glass to thank the One who gave him sight. Instead, fear of being put out of the synagogue causes them to verify the bare fact of his blindness while refusing to speak of the One who healed him. The threat of hostile authority can make grateful people hand the mask to somebody else. The courage of confession is costly, but the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.

The man born blind stands in sharp contrast to both the Pharisees and his parents. His answer is modest, plain, and unshakable: “Whether He is a sinner or not, I do not know. One thing I know: though I was blind, now I see.” His testimony bears witness to the redemptive work of Christ. His words declare what Christ has done for him, even though he cannot yet give a full theological account of Christ’s person and work.

The distinction between testimony and gospel must be kept clear. Personal testimony is valuable, and Christians ought to be able to say how and why they became Christians. Yet testimony is not the gospel, because the gospel is not about what happened to any individual. The gospel is the proclamation of who Jesus is, what Jesus did, and how sinners receive the benefits of His work by faith alone. Evangelism takes place when the evangel, the good news of Christ Himself, is announced.

##

Key Takeaways

1. Mercy outweighs man-made technicalities The Sabbath controversy shows how religious precision can become spiritual blindness. The Pharisees can analyze clay, saliva, and prohibited labor while missing a work of staggering mercy standing in front of them. God’s law never authorizes indifference to human need, and Christ’s lordship corrects every tradition that obscures His compassion. [05:43]
2. Christ’s signs demand a verdict The healing of a man born blind is not religious theater or a vague encouragement. The miracle functions as divine attestation, pointing to Christ as the One sent from God. A sign this great presses every observer beyond neutrality and toward a judgment about Jesus Himself. [07:24]
3. Fear can silence deserved gratitude The parents know their son, know his lifelong blindness, and know that he now sees. Yet fear of exclusion from the synagogue keeps them from honoring the One who healed him. The pressure of hostile people often reveals whether confession of Christ rests on conviction or convenience. [12:43]
4. Testimony points beyond personal experience The blind man’s witness is real and powerful because it tells the truth about Christ’s work in his life. Yet personal experience cannot replace the objective announcement of Christ’s person and saving work. Testimony may open a door, but the gospel must bring the hearer face to face with Jesus. [18:25]
5. The gospel is about Christ The gospel is not the story of a changed life, however remarkable that life may be. The gospel announces who Christ is, what Christ accomplished, and how faith receives His benefits. Evangelism becomes faithful only when Christ, rather than the evangelist’s experience, remains at the center.

## [19:09]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:41] - The Man Before the Pharisees
[04:02] - Clay, Sabbath, and Human Tradition
[06:38] - Can a Sinner Do These Signs?
[08:00] - The Man Confesses Jesus as Prophet
[08:53] - Investigating the Miracle
[10:55] - The Parents’ Fearful Silence
[13:34] - Put Out of the Synagogue
[14:18] - Though I Was Blind, Now I See
[15:14] - Witnessing and the Magi
[16:47] - Testimony Is Not the Gospel
[19:09] - The Gospel Proclaims Christ

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

John 9:1–41

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.
And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.
We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud
and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?”
Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.”
So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?”
He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.”
They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”
They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. [00:22]
Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. [00:31]
So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” [00:41]
Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for 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. [00:47]
So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.” [01:14]
The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight,
until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight
and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”
His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. [01:34]
But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” [01:44]
(His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.) [01:59]
Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” [02:11]
So for the 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.” [02:20]
He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” [02:33]
They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”
He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?”
And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.
We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.”
The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes.
We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.
Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind.
If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.
Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”
Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.”
He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”
Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.”

Observation questions

What detail about the timing of Jesus’ healing becomes central to the Pharisees’ investigation, and what part of Jesus’ method especially troubles them? [04:39]
What are the two different conclusions voiced among the Pharisees in verse 16, and what question creates division among them? [07:08]
What facts are the parents willing to confirm, and what questions do they refuse to answer before the Jewish authorities? [10:32]
How does the formerly blind man describe his own knowledge of Jesus in verse 26, and what single fact does he refuse to deny? [14:18]

Interpretation questions

Why does the Pharisees’ concern over kneading clay reveal that religious traditions can distract people from the mercy and goodness of God? [05:43]
Why is the question, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” a reasonable response to the healing of a man born blind? What does the sign indicate about Jesus? [07:24]
The parents had strong evidence that Jesus had changed their son’s life, yet they avoided speaking about Him. How does fear of being excluded from the synagogue help explain their silence? [13:52]
Why is the man’s statement, “Though I was blind, now I see,” a true and valuable testimony, while still not being the whole gospel message? [19:24]

Application questions

The Pharisees could carefully analyze clay and Sabbath rules while showing little joy over a man receiving sight. Where might concern for procedures, preferences, or being correct keep a person from seeing a real need for mercy right in front of them? [06:05]
Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath, and it is lawful to do good. Is there a practical need in a neighbor’s, family member’s, or church member’s life that you have noticed but not acted upon? What might faithful mercy look like this week? [06:12]
The parents feared the cost of confessing Christ before hostile people. In what settings do you feel pressure to keep quiet about Christ—at work, with family, among friends, or online? What would a wise and courageous confession look like there? [12:43]
The formerly blind man spoke plainly about what he knew Christ had done for him. How would you answer if someone asked, “What difference has Jesus made in your life?” What part of your story can you share honestly and simply? [14:40]
Personal testimony can open a door, but the gospel centers on Jesus Himself. When you share your faith, do you tend to focus more on your experience or on Christ’s person and work? How could you more clearly explain who Jesus is, what He has done, and how sinners receive His benefits by faith alone? [19:35]
The man’s understanding of Jesus grew from calling Him “a prophet” to worshiping Him as Lord. Where do you need to keep growing in knowing Christ more fully rather than stopping with a partial understanding of Him?

Sermon Clips

There’s no promise by God that God will use my story as His power unto salvation. The gospel is not about me. It’s not about the man born blind. It’s not about the Magi. The gospel is about Him. The gospel is the proclamation of the person and work of Christ. [00:19:09]

Your personal testimony is not evangelism. Your personal testimony is pre-evangelism, sort of a warm-up for evangelism; and it may or may not be significant or meaningful to the person to whom you’re relating it. There are lots of folks who can relate to my story because they say, “Yeah, I know what he’s talking about because I used to live like that too,” and so on. But not everybody relates to my story. But the gospel is not what happened to RC Sproul. [00:18:35]

When God works in our lives and gives us blessings that we could not possibly describe, and the heat is turned on, we want to hand the mask to somebody else. I pray that each of us, in that hour of decision, when we’re called upon to profess our faith in Christ before hostile people that we will have the integrity and the courage to do it. Remember that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. But even in apostolic days, one no less than the apostle Peter, caved in in his first encounter with the authorities that were hostile to his confession of faith. [00:12:43]

I don’t even know the guy. I don’t know if He’s a sinner. All I know is this: Once I was blind, and now I see. That’s it. I can only tell you what I know, and that’s what I know. [00:14:28]

Now I think it’s very important that people are able to articulate to other people how and why they became a Christian. We all should have a testimony, and we should be willing to speak it at the drop of a hat. But don’t ever confuse your personal testimony with the gospel. [00:18:14]

“Well I was witnessing the other day,” meaning, “I was sharing the gospel with people.” Ladies and gentlemen, evangelism and witnessing biblically are not synonymous. Anytime I call attention or try to make manifest the person and work of Christ, that is giving testimony. That is bearing witness to Christ, but bearing witness to Christ and preaching the gospel are not the same thing. [00:16:55]

So there was a division, and so again they come to the blind man, and they ask his opinion of the matter, and they ask it this way: “What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?” And his response was simple. “He’s a prophet.” He didn’t say, “He’s the Son of God.” He didn’t say, “He’s the Messiah.” He hadn’t come to that full realization yet, but like the woman of Sychar, his initial conclusion was, “No man can do these things unless God were with him, unless he were a prophet.” And sot he man born blind said, “I think He’s a prophet.” They didn’t want to hear that. [00:08:14]

“We know you’re a teacher sent from God or you wouldn’t be able to do these things.” And so that group, who understood that principle, are speaking against the other Pharisees, and they’re saying, “Wait a minute! If this man is a sinner, He wouldn’t be able to do these things,” because they understood the purpose of divine attestation that went with miracles. [00:07:44]

and they accused Jesus of breaking the Sabbath, and if breaking the Sabbath, then obviously He would be a sinner, and if a sinner He could not have been sent from God. So their conclusion we read in verse sixteen, “This man is not from God because He does not keep the Sabbath. He failed the test of Sabbath-keeping; therefore He must be an imposter.” [00:06:38]

That’s why I warn you about being careful about these claims that you see on television and about all these guys who are healing everybody. And when you see them healing somebody that was born blind, I want to know about it – somebody who’s been blind for thirty years and goes to the chapel and has somebody lay hands on him and gets healed. If you see someone doing that, you can come to the conclusion legitimately that you’re in the presence of a real, live prophet. [00:09:33]

Now ladies and gentlemen, what this man does is bears witness to Christ. He gives testimony to the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Let me tell you what He doesn’t do. He doesn’t preach the gospel. [00:14:51]

The parents said these things, John tells us, because they were afraid of the Jews. For the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed He was Christ, he would be put out of the Synagogue. Therefore the parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” [00:13:52]

And so the parents are not that different from ourselves. But how ungrateful they are that they duck the question. They say, “He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.” [00:13:34]

And so they go to the parents, and listen to this: They asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How, then, does he now see?” So the parents answered and said, “Well we know that this is our son, and we know that he was born blind – no doubt about that – but by what means he’s now able to see, or who it was who opened his eyes – beats us.” Can you believe this? [00:10:32]

They agree that Jesus was the one who did it, and they obviously acknowledged that the man can see, but now they want to inquire as to the method that Jesus used – the how of the miracle. And the man responded simply, “He had put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” [00:04:17]

Ask a question about this sermon

Ligonier Ministries This sermon · AI assistant

Why did the Pharisees condemn Jesus’ Sabbath healing?

How does personal testimony differ from gospel evangelism?

Why did Jesus’ miracle create division among Pharisees?

The Blind Man’s Testimony (John 9:13–25) — A Sermon by R.C. Sproul