Teaching Summary: From Darkness to Light
Jesus heals a man born blind in John 9:1–7, and the story invites us to reconsider how we interpret suffering, struggle, and spiritual darkness. John tells us that the signs of Jesus are written to grow our belief so that we may take hold of the life God has for us. Before we even enter the story, we are invited to ask a personal question: Where in my life am I struggling to notice what God is doing?
When Jesus and his disciples encounter the blind man, the disciples ask, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Their question reflects common assumptions in the ancient world. Blindness was not viewed merely as a medical condition. It shaped every aspect of a person’s existence. A person born blind would have faced severe economic limitations, often reduced to begging for survival. Socially, blindness carried stigma and exclusion. Religiously, many believed physical disability signaled divine judgment or spiritual disorder. Even within the faith community, disability could limit participation and status.
Beyond its physical reality, blindness also carried symbolic meaning. The Hebrew prophets frequently used blindness as a metaphor for spiritual ignorance and the inability to perceive God’s truth. In this sense, the man’s condition becomes a picture of the human condition.
Most of us would choose sight as the sense we least want to lose. Yet Scripture teaches that apart from Christ, we are spiritually blind. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:4 that “the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ.” Humanity lives in a world marked by darkness, and there is a real spiritual battle over our ability to see the glory of Christ. Left to ourselves, we do not naturally perceive the light.
The disciples see the man’s condition and assume the work of sin or the enemy. Jesus responds differently: “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” Jesus redirects their attention from blame to divine purpose. Where they see punishment, Jesus sees the possibility of God’s glory being revealed.
This shift echoes the story of Joseph in Genesis. Joseph’s brothers intended harm when they sold him into slavery, yet years later Joseph could say, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” What appears tragic or unjust can become the very means through which God brings life and salvation.
Often we become so focused on pain, injustice, or loss that we fail to notice what God is doing. We see only darkness. Yet the gospel invites us to look again. Our wounds, disappointments, and struggles do not have the final word. God is at work, even in places where hope seems distant.
Jesus then performs the miracle in a surprising way. He spits on the ground, makes mud, places it on the man’s eyes, and tells him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. This act echoes Genesis 2, where God forms humanity from the dust of the ground and breathes life into it. In kneading dust and applying it to blind eyes, Jesus acts as the Creator at work again. He is not merely restoring sight; he is giving a sign of new creation life.
The instruction to wash in the Pool of Siloam also carries meaning. The pool was used for ritual purification before entering the Temple. Washing there symbolized cleansing and restored access to worship. For this man, washing did more than remove mud. It marked him as clean. It restored his access to worship. It declared that he belonged.
When the man returns seeing, the miracle signifies more than supernatural power. It reveals compassion, restoration, and the arrival of God’s kingdom. A man who lived in darkness is brought into light, dignity, and community.
This story invites us to examine our own lives. Where do we feel in the dark? Where does blame, unforgiveness, or the need to control keep us from seeing what God is doing? As long as we cling to these, we remain in darkness. But when we release blame, extend forgiveness, and entrust ourselves to God, we begin to participate in the healing work of Christ.
Jesus restores what sin and darkness have distorted. He brings us into the light. He places us in a family. The god of this age seeks to keep the world in darkness, but the light has come. The one who opened the eyes of a man born blind is still opening eyes today. And when he opens ours, our lives become a witness, so that others may see the light of the glory of Christ.
