Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now I am found, WAS BLIND, BUT NOW I SEE. In December of 1772 John Newton started to write the song that is so well known, Amazing Grace. I am not aware of every verse that inspired John Newton to write this song, but I do suspect that John 9 could have been used. If it wasn’t, it is still a very fitting line for the chapter we are studying today. Here are some points.

The Light of Jesus - In chapter 8:12 while they were still celebrating the feast of booths, Jesus made a statement. He said “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Theologian DA Carson believes that John 9 thematically goes together with that statement. The writer John is making an emphasis on Jesus being the light of the world by showing us this miracle that Jesus did. There is no one else in life that experiences physical darkness more than someone who is blind. Someone who is blind does not have the ability to see the light. The people in this chapter thought that it was because of sin that he was blind, either he or his parents had sinned which caused his blindness. But that is very faulty thinking, just because we live in a fallen world does not mean that every sickness is because of sin. We can get sick because of sin, but sin is not always the reason the sickness comes. Instead, what this chapter presents to us is that he was born blind so that God’s works might be displayed. How is God’s work displayed? It is displayed through the person of Christ by showing that he was sent from God and has the ability to heal and restore. The light of Jesus was displayed in this instance by letting a blind man see the light of his creation. This showed that Jesus was no ordinary man, this miracle solidified the fact that he was the Son of God, sent by God. Jesus was shining the light of his power so all could see that he indeed had the power to bring light and life! This was a miracle that no one could deny actually happened.

The Reason Behind the Miracle - One thing we need to keep in mind is that the miracles Jesus performed are never the main point. Miracles are a means to an end that show something much deeper that is happening. Jesus did not merely just want to restore sight to someone who was blind, Jesus wanted people to see that just how he is able to open the eyes of a physically blind person, he is able to open the eyes of those who are dead in their sins. The main point of this passage is found in verses 35-39 where he is telling the blind man he just healed that he came to the world so that those who cannot see may be able to see. Jesus came into the world so that he would be able to open the eyes of sinners like you and me to be able to believe and experience the light of the world who comes to bring everlasting life to us. This light comes to shine in a dark place where sin is hidden, and he shined the light and exposed our sin. But as he exposes our sin, he provides a way for us to be forgiven. When our sin is exposed by the light, we can run to Christ knowing that he has the ability to cast our sins as far as the east is from the west. Jesus did not just want to heal the blind man, he wanted to rescue his soul from everlasting torture. Jesus is the light of the world that comes to take away our sin and to move us from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light.