John 9:35-41 - The Blind Will See - December 21st, 2025

John 9:35–41 shows how the Light steps into a dark world and reveals what has been true all along. Light doesn’t rearrange furniture; it exposes reality. Jesus finds the man the Pharisees cast out and asks the most decisive question: Do you believe in the Son of Man? The man’s sight moves from physical to spiritual—first seeing a man, then a prophet, then Lord—and he worships. That progression displays what salvation is: God seeks us, opens our eyes, and draws worship out of our hearts. At the same time, the same light hardens the proud. The Pharisees deny, then threaten, then excommunicate, and finally double down in blindness. As Simeon foresaw, Jesus is appointed for the rise and fall of many.

Darkness persists for many reasons: our love for sin, the devil’s blinding work, and at times God’s judicial hardening. Into that, the Old Testament promised a light that would give sight to the blind and bring freedom to prisoners. Jesus fulfills those promises—not as a mere moral example but as the very Light of the world. To reject his peace is to choose judgment; to embrace his mercy is to step into life. These are not contradictions but two sides of one reality.

I shared my own story of realizing I was not a Christian by association or sentiment. The night the Lord revealed my sin was beautifully terrible: terrible because I finally saw what I had done to God; beautiful because the weight lifted as Christ forgave me. That grace does not license sin; it liberates us from it. Worship becomes the reflex of a heart made alive—through song, prayer, Scripture, serving, generosity, and persevering in suffering. We worship when we forgive, when we open our Bibles before we seek opinions, when we show up to serve.

Pride is lethal to sight. The seed of every sin lives in every human heart, and the moment we think we’re above it, we are already leaning over the cliff. Dependence, not self-confidence, keeps us. Jesus told Laodicea they were poor, blind, and naked while they felt rich and sufficient. The way to see is to admit blindness. That’s why Christmas is precious: a world of former blind people now see because the Light has come, and he still seeks, saves, and gathers worshipers.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Light reveals, it doesn’t rearrange. The presence of Jesus does not create our guilt or righteousness; it exposes what already is. Illumination is mercy because you cannot turn from what you refuse to see. Let the Light tell the truth about your heart, even when it disrupts your comfort. Truth always precedes freedom. [10:15]
• 2. Jesus seeks the cast-out first. Grace takes the initiative. When the man was excommunicated, Jesus went and found him—divine pursuit meets human helplessness. You are not saved by your sight; you are given sight by a Savior who comes near. Assurance grows where you know he moved first. [21:59]
• 3. Admit blindness to gain sight. The only doorway into life is confession, not competence. Those who insist “we see” remain under guilt; those who confess their need find the cure. Humility is not psychological self-loathing; it’s reality-based trust in the Physician who heals what we cannot. [46:54]
• 4. Worship is the believer’s reflex. When eyes are opened, worship follows—not merely on Sundays, and not only in singing. Worship is the whole-life response to the worth of Christ: words, tears, service, generosity, forgiveness, perseverance. If sight has come, worship will find a way. [29:50]
• 5. Beware the seeds of sin. Every heart carries the capacity for ruin; pride waters what it denies. Holy fear is not anxiety—it is alert dependence on God and accountability with people. Trade self-reliance for kneeling reliance, and you disarm temptations before they ripen. [40:22]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [10:15] - Light reveals what already is
• [12:16] - The many sources of darkness
• [14:18] - Hope arrives; Light breaks in
• [17:12] - Promises fulfilled: Jesus the Light
• [20:13] - Confessing Christ costs: cast out
• [21:59] - Jesus seeks the outcast to save
• [24:46] - My conversion: beautifully terrible mercy
• [29:50] - What worship really looks like
• [36:24] - Saving mission and real judgment
• [39:30] - Seeds of every sin in us
• [43:48] - Laodicea exposed: poor, blind, naked
• [46:54] - Admitting blindness brings forgiveness
• [47:53] - Christmas: former blind now see
• [70:30] - Worship through generosity and mission

1. In John 9:35–38, what question does Jesus ask the healed man, and how does the man’s understanding of Jesus progress until he worships? ([17:12])
2. In John 9:39–41, who are the two groups Jesus contrasts, and what happens to each group?
3. According to the light analogy, what does turning on the light do, and how does that picture help explain Jesus’ coming into the world? ([10:15])
4. What sequence of actions did the Pharisees take toward Jesus and the healed man in this chapter (deny, threaten, excommunicate, harden)? ([20:13])

1. Why does Jesus’ light both give sight and expose blindness at the same time? How do these two outcomes fit together rather than contradict each other? ([36:24])
2. What does the shift from “sir” to “Lord” to worship show about the nature of saving faith? How does divine initiative shape that journey? ([21:59])
3. In John 9:41, how can claiming “we see” keep guilt in place? How does the Laodicean example (rich in their own eyes, but poor and blind) illustrate this? ([43:48])
4. If worship is the reflex of opened eyes, why isn’t worship limited to music? What kinds of responses fit a life of worship? ([29:50])

1. Light reveals before it heals. Where is God disrupting your comfort and telling the truth about your heart right now? What one step will you take this week to bring that area into the open (Scripture, confession, or accountability)? ([10:15])
2. Jesus seeks the cast-out first. Who near you feels cast out—at home, work, school, or church—and what concrete step will you take to move toward them this week? ([21:59])
3. The way to see is to admit blindness. In what area have you been insisting “I see” while avoiding repentance? What will confession and a first act of obedience look like for you? ([46:54])
4. Open the Bible before opinions. Where do you usually go first for advice? What change will you make this week to let God’s Word lead before texts, posts, or AI? ([31:48])
5. Worship is a whole-life response. Which expression needs attention this month: singing, prayer, Scripture, forgiveness, serving, generosity, or perseverance in trial? Name one and plan a simple next step (who, when, how). ([29:50])
6. Beware the seeds of sin. Where are you most vulnerable right now? What guardrails and accountability will you put in place this week to walk in dependence, not self-confidence? ([40:22])
7. Two sides of one reality. If rejecting Jesus’ peace brings judgment, what would embracing his mercy look like in one specific relationship or habit this week? Be concrete. ([36:24])
8. Generosity and mission are worship. What is one practical way you can worship through giving or serving in the next two weeks, and who will you invite to do it with you? ([01:10:30])