Verse by Verse

¹⁸ But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight.

¹⁹ And they asked them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”

²⁰ His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

²¹ but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.”

²² His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.

²³ Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

The man’s parents pointed out that their son was of age (v. 21) so they wouldn’t be held responsible for him. They were afraid of being thrown out of the synagogue, a fear their son no longer had.

who ye say was born blind (v. 19) — as though they had been lying his entire life.

The man might have expected his parents to be happy he had been healed, or at least back up his story, but out of fear, they did neither.

The Greek expression for “be put out of the synagogue” states an action similar to excommunication. The expression is uniquely Johannine (used here and in 12:42; 16:2). According to Jewish regulations, there were two kinds of excommunication: one that would last for thirty days until the offender was reconciled, and one that was a permanent “ban” accompanied by a curse. In a tight-knit community, it was a terrible judgment to be removed from the synagogue, the very center of Jewish life. Many Jews in John’s day had been “de-synagogued” because they confessed Jesus to be the Christ. An ancient document called the Cairo Genizah (c. A.D. 80-90) contains a curse against the Nazarenes, banning them from participating in the synagogue. Perhaps John included this story for particular encouragement to those Christians who were experiencing such treatment. — Comfort, page 159.

¹³ They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees.

¹⁴ Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.

¹⁵ Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”

¹⁶ Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.

¹⁷ They said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”

By example (v. 14), Jesus showed that works of necessity and mercy were allowed on the Sabbath.

In their arrogance (v. 16), the Pharisees believed Jesus could not be from God because He broke laws they had created.

All divisions are not necessarily bad, neither is unity always good (v. 16).

They couldn’t deny that a miracle had occurred (v. 17)

The healed man still hadn’t seen Jesus. He knew the Pharisees hated Jesus, but stood strong in his growing faith.

⁶ When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.

⁷ And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

⁸ Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?”

⁹ Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.” He said, “I am he.”

¹⁰ Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”

¹¹ He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.”

¹² Then they said to him, “Where is He?” He said, “I do not know.”

Christ healed the man unasked.

Twice before, Jesus used spit:

And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue (Mark 7:33).

So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything (Mark 8:23)

Here, perhaps, the spit was a reminder that He’d formed man of the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7). The miracle proved He was the creator.

Go wash (v. 7) — a test of faith. The man’s faith was blind faith — he could hear but could not see Jesus.

Of the recorded miracles, more blind (five) are healed than any other healing. This was proof He was the promised King.

In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness (Isaiah 29:18).

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped (Isaiah 35:5).

To open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house (Isaiah 42:7).

The man didn’t mention (v. 11) that Christ spit because he didn’t see it. Support (not that it’s needed) of the truthfulness of the account.

Physically, the man gained sight instantly. Spiritually, sight came gradually. In verse 11, he refers to Christ as the “man called Jesus.” In verse 17, it was “Prophet.” In verses 32-33, he said He “came from God.” In verses 35-39, “He was the Son of Man.”

¹ Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.

² And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

³ Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.

⁴ I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.

⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

How did the disciples know the man was born blind? (v. 2). Probably because he’d been sitting there every day for years. They thought his blindness was a punishment. But children are not punished for their parents’ sins (Ezekiel 18:2-4).

works of God (v. 3) in this case — sight and belief (John 6:29). God permits sin and death to show His glory here and in John 11:4. For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion” (Romans 9:15).

The man’s blindness was not inflicted by God, but God allowed nature (corrupted by sin) to run its course.

neither this man nor his parents sinned (v.3) — Of course they sinned, but what Jesus was saying is that their sin was not the reason for his blindness. It was caused by the sin-corrupted world, not specific sins.

day (v. 4) — while Christ was on earth

night (v. 4) — until He returns. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light (Romans 13:12).

The Light (v. 5) not only reveals guilt in every person, but it also gives knowledge of the grace of God.

⁵⁶ Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”

⁵⁷ Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”

⁵⁸ Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

⁵⁹ Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

and he saw it (v. 56) — Abraham knew his seed would include the Messiah. The Jews were not like Abraham. They didn’t rejoice in His day.

have You seen Abraham (v. 57) — That’s not what Jesus said. They twisted His words — either deliberately or because they didn’t understand.

I AM (v. 58) = Jehovah, the self-existing One (Exodus 3:6). The Jews understood exactly what “I AM” meant — that Jesus said He is Jehovah.

hid (v. 59) — not cowering in a corner, but a miraculous disappearance. When they did finally lay hands on Him (to take Him to the cross), it was by His choice because His time had come.

⁵² Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’

⁵³ Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?”

⁵⁴ Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.

⁵⁵ Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.

death (back in verse 51) refers to eternal death (in the Greek), but the Jews were referring to physical death. And they forgot about Elijah, conveniently.

They could imagine nobody greater than Abraham (v. 53) except God.

Jesus’ identity was centered on His relationship with the Father (v. 54). Without that, His glory would be nothing.

To “honor” is to do or speak that of a person which shall not only manifest our own esteem for him, but shall lead others to esteem him too. The Father’s esteem for the Son is evidenced by His love and admiration for Him, as well as His desire to make Him the loved and admired of others. God honored Him at His birth, by sending angels to herald Him as Christ the Lord. He honored Him during the days of His infancy, by directing the wise men from the east to come and worship the young King. He honored Him at His baptism, by proclaiming Him His beloved Son. He honored Him in death, by not surrendering His body to see corruption. He honored Him at His ascension, when He exalted Him to His own right hand. He will honor Him in the final judgment, when every knee shall be made to bow before Him and every tongue confess that He is Lord. And throughout eternity He shall be honored by a redeemed people who shall esteem Him the Fairest among ten thousand to their souls. Infinitely worthy is the Lamb to receive honor and glory. — Pink, page 54.

⁴⁸ Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”

⁴⁹ Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.

⁵⁰ And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.

⁵¹ Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”

Jesus said their Father was the devil. They responded with blasphemy (v. 48). Unable to answer Him, they resort to name-calling.

To call a Jew a Samaritan (v. 48) was slander. It was calling him an outcast, a wicked apostate. They said this in response to Jesus’ statement that Abraham wasn’t their father.

To call Jesus a demon was a sin that couldn’t be forgiven (Matthew 12:24; Mark 3:22). They said this in response to Jesus’ statement that the devil was their father — they said He was a demon because He was lying (they claimed).

If Jesus sought His own glory (v. 50), their accusations would have hit the mark, but He sought only the Father’s glory so their words were an insult to God. And the Father will judge those who dishonor the Son — and His judgment is death (not physical death, but eternal, spiritual death).

one who seeks (v.50) — the Father seeks glory for the Son. Jesus wasn’t concerned with their opinion of Him. The One who judges would take care of them.

⁴⁵ “But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.

⁴⁶ Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?

⁴⁷ He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”

Throughout this entire last part of Chapter 8, Jesus speaks of His sinlessness and His deity.

None of them could point to any sin in Jesus (v. 46), including lying, but they still wouldn’t believe Him.

why do you not believe Me? (v. 46) Jesus answers His own question — they were not of God.

Jesus was God, so His truth was beyond anything they’d heard before — therefore, because He told them the truth, instead of what they’d expected to hear, they didn’t believe Him.

The natural man cannot understand the things of God because he is without spiritual discernment.

Men prefer lies to the truth.

Psalm 58:3 — The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.

Psalm 62:4 — They only consult to cast him down from his high position; they delight in lies; they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly.  Selah.

Isaiah 28:15 — Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we are in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood we have hidden ourselves.”

2 Timothy 3:7 — Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

2 Timothy 4:4 — And they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

⁴¹ You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father — God.”

⁴² Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.

⁴³ Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.

⁴⁴ You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

not born of fornication (v. 41) — a dig at Christ’s birth. Jesus responds that He was born of God. They might also have been referring to Jesus’ statement about the bondslave in verse 35, referring to Ishmael. They were claiming to be descendants of Sarah, not the concubine.

If God had been their Father (v. 42), they would have loved God’s Son. It is impossible to love God and not love the Son. Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him (1 John 5:1).

Why do you not understand my speech? (v. 43) If the Word is incomprehensible to me, then I am a stranger to God.

listen to My word (v. 43) = believe

from the beginning (v. 44) — Satan has always been determined to bring sin and death. Satan corrupted humanity with a lie (Genesis 3:4-5), and this caused death (Romans 5:12).

³⁷ “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you.

³⁸ I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.”

³⁹ They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.

⁴⁰ But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this.

no place (v. 37) = no entrance

Father — spiritual model

your father (v. 38) — Satan. You are of your father the devil (John 8:44).

They couldn’t be Abraham’s children (v. 39) because they did not believe Jesus. Abraham believed God (Romans 4:11; Romans 9:7)

They were Abraham’s physical descendants, but not his children by faith.