The Gospel of John Sabbath School Study Week 6

The Gospel of John

Sabbath School Study Week 6

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

          As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

·         Do we still think that sickness or conditions that leave us not as God originally designed, are a result of sin?  

·         What did Jesus mean when he said it happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him?

·         How have you experienced the works of God being displayed because of  difficulties in your life.

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

¹⁰ “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

¹¹ He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

¹² “Where is this man?” they asked him.

“I don’t know,” he said.

·         At first people didn’t even believe he was the same man.  How easy would it have been to just let everyone think He was someone else.  Someone without the shame of being someone born blind, yet he freely acknowledged that he was the man.  Do we ever try to hide who we are, perhaps the things that are less than socially acceptable sin? 

·         Are we willing to admit who we were, or what we struggle with?

·         How does this story support what Jesus said?  (“…so the works of God might be displayed in him.)

·         Here this man had this amazing experience with Jesus and then all of a sudden he is no where to be found.   Have you ever experienced victory to then feel like Jesus disappeared all together? 

Spiritual Blindness

³⁵ Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” ³⁶ “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”  ³⁷ Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” ³⁸ Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

³⁹ Jesus said,^[a] “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” ⁴⁰ Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”  ⁴¹ Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

·         What does this passage say to you?