In John 9, Jesus saw a man who had been blind from birth. His disciples asked, “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” But how could he have sinned before he was even born?
Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
Over the years, I have witnessed many miracles. Jesus is still the Healer today. I never want people to look at me – I want them to look to Him. While there are times when sickness can be connected to sin, as the Apostle Paul warns in Corinthians about examining ourselves before taking communion, not every illness has that cause. In this man's case, Jesus made it clear that his blindness was an opportunity for God's glory to be revealed.
Miracles reveal who Jesus is. In the book of Acts, Jesus is described as a Man accredited by God through miracles, signs, and wonders. Every miracle points beyond itself to the One who performs it.
Returning to John 9, Jesus spat on the ground, made mud, placed it on the man's eyes, and told him to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam. As soon as he obeyed, his sight was restored. His neighbours were astonished. “Isn't this the man who used to sit and beg?” they asked. Others questioned him, “How were your eyes opened?”
Remarkably, the man had never actually seen Jesus. He only knew His name and had obeyed His voice. He didn't even know where Jesus had gone. Many people today are blinded by pain, disappointment, or hardship, yet Jesus is still present, reaching out to them even when they cannot yet see Him clearly.
Instead of rejoicing, the religious leaders focused on the fact that the miracle had taken place on the Sabbath. They claimed that because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, He must be a sinner. Their opinions were divided, so they asked the healed man, “What do you say about Him?” He replied simply, “He is a prophet.” Refusing to believe the miracle, some even claimed the man had never been blind.
In 2003, God miraculously healed me of lung cancer. I still have the X-rays showing the cancer. The doctors were amazed and asked how I had been healed. I told them it was the God they did not believe in who had healed me.
The religious leaders then questioned the man's parents. “Is this your son? Was he born blind? How can he now see?” Fearful of being expelled from the synagogue, they avoided answering directly and pointed the authorities back to their son.
Even at this early stage of Jesus’ ministry, the religious leaders had already decided that anyone who confessed Him as the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. But the truth remained unchanged: Jesus is the Messiah.
The healed man gave one of the greatest testimonies in Scripture: “Whether He is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know: I was blind, but now I see.”
Growing bolder, he challenged the religious leaders, “Do you also want to become His disciples?”
They replied, “We are disciples of Moses.” But following religion cannot save us. What we need is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
The man stood firm. “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.”
Healing has always been a significant part of my ministry because it points people to the greatest miracle of all – the forgiveness of sins. On another occasion, Jesus healed a paralysed man by saying, “So that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins... rise, take up your bed and walk.” The man immediately walked, proving that Jesus truly is the Son of God.
Finally, in John 9.35, Jesus found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
He answered, “Who is He, sir, that I may believe in Him?”
Jesus said, “You have now seen Him; in fact, He is the One speaking with you.”
The man responded, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshipped Jesus.
That same question still confronts every one of us today. “Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?”
If your answer is yes, then worship Him, trust Him, and follow Him. If you are still searching, ask Him to reveal Himself to you, just as He revealed Himself to the man who was once blind. Jesus still opens blind eyes, heals broken lives, forgives sins, and transforms all who come to Him in faith.