Outline of the Book of Signs John 1:19–12:50
Passage / Sign / Location
2:1–12 / Water to Wine / Galilee
2:13–22 / Temple Clearing / Jerusalem
4:46–54 / Healing a Nobleman’s Son / Galilee
5:1–15 / Healing the Sick Man / Jerusalem
6:1–15 / Feeding the 5,000 / Galilee
9:1–41 / Healing the Blind Man / Jerusalem


Vs. 1–5
• The disciples assumed this man or his parents had sinned and that’s why he was born blind.
• Why did the disciples think this?
o The disciples mistakenly believed that suffering is a direct result of personal sin.
o This doesn’t seem to be true, because if it was, all of us would be dead.
o God is merciful, longsuffering, patient, and kind toward people.

• Another reason the Disciples thought that the blind man or his parents had sinned, resulting in his blindness, is because of what Jesus said to another sick man in John 5:14.

• There’s a difference between natural consequences to our choices and God inflicting sickness and genetic malfunctions.
o The sick man from John 5 seems to have had a sickness that was a result of his sin.
- James 1:13–15
o The man in John 5 was reaping what he had sowed. He was suffering from a consequence to his sin.


Vs. 6–7
• Why didn’t Jesus immediately heal the blind man? Why spit, mud, and the Pool of Siloam?
o Sometimes healing is immediate; sometimes healing is a process.

Vs. 35–41
• The formerly blind man responds to Jesus in belief and worship.
• The Pharisees continue to reject Jesus, even with extraordinary evidence literally staring them in the face.
• In this passage, we see Jesus bring true sight to a blind man, while those who think they truly see, the Pharisees, turned away from the light.
o The Old Testament prophesied that the Messiah would heal the blind.
- Isaiah 29:18, Isaiah 35:5.

Application
Contrast of Two Types of Men:

The Sick Man (John 5)
• Pool of Bethesda
• On the Sabbath
• Jesus takes the initiative to heal
• Is Immediately healed
• Doesn’t know Jesus’ name after he is healed
• Reports Jesus to the Jewish authorities.
• Jesus seeks the man out to talk with him.
• Sickness is a result of his sin.
• Is ungrateful and apathetic to Jesus.

The Blind Man (John 9)
• Pool of Siloam
• On the Sabbath
• Jesus takes the initiative to heal
• His healing isn’t immediate, it’s a process
• Knows Jesus name after he is healed.
• Defends Jesus to the Jewish authorities.
• Jesus seeks the man out to talk with him.
• Blindness is not a result of his sin.
• Is grateful and worships Jesus.

How will you respond to Jesus’ gracious initiative to bring you wholeness, healing, and eternal life?