Bible ReadingJohn 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.”
[02:36] [06:01] [06:07]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.
[08:48]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.”
[12:39]They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 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.” 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. 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.”
[15:12]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. His parents said, “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. He will speak for himself.” They 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.
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.” He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” They continued to question him, but he answered, “If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
[17:10]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.”
[19:28] [20:20]John 20:31 But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
[26:44]John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
[06:07]Observation questions- What question did the disciples ask when they saw the man born blind, and how did Jesus redirect their focus from blame to the works of God? [02:36]
- What did Jesus do before the blind man received sight, and what specific instruction did the man obey?
- How did the neighbors respond to the man after he was healed, and what does his repeated statement, “I am the man,” show about their confusion? [12:39]
- What changes can be seen in the man’s description of Jesus—from “the man called Jesus,” to “a prophet,” to “from God,” and finally “Lord”? [18:05]
Interpretation questions- Jesus does not give the disciples a simple explanation for the man’s suffering. What does His answer teach about the danger of quickly blaming someone for pain or hardship? [03:00]
- Jesus calls Himself the Light of the World. How do shame, pride, unforgiveness, sin, and spiritual blindness keep a person from seeing Jesus clearly? [08:05]
- The blind man obeyed Jesus’ instruction before he could see the outcome. What might it mean for a believer to obey God when the method, timing, or reason is not yet clear? [10:17]
- The Pharisees focused on the Sabbath issue while Jesus restored a man in need. How can concern for rules, appearances, or being right distract a person from compassion and restoration? [15:48]
Application questions- Is there a painful situation in life where the first response has been to ask, “Who is to blame?” How might it change the response to ask where God may be working or what He may want to reveal? [05:13]
- What kind of darkness is most tempting to keep hidden right now—shame, pride, unforgiveness, sin, fear, or something else? What would it look like to bring that area honestly into the light of Jesus? [08:24]
- Is there a clear next step of obedience that has been delayed because it feels uncomfortable, confusing, or different from what was expected—such as forgiveness, confession, reconciliation, serving, or letting go of something? What makes that step difficult? [11:12]
- Have familiar people ever struggled to accept a change Jesus has made in someone’s life—or in one’s own life? How can a person stay faithful without needing everyone’s approval? [13:44]
- When pressure, criticism, or rejection comes because of faith in Jesus, what can help a believer give a simple and honest testimony like, “Though I was blind, now I see”? [18:35]
- Jesus found the man after he had been cast out. When have rejection or disappointment made someone feel alone, and how does this passage show Jesus’ care for those pushed aside? [20:39]
- What worries, stresses, or distractions have been piled in front of the eyes lately? What practical habit this week could help the group remember that Jesus is still present and faithful? [27:47]
