I have turned the page and found chapter 9 of John's synoptic gospel where a blind man receives sights, and I have to ask have You? For I to was blind and I told the LORD so. This took place back on September 16th of 1966 after repeating the "sinner's prayer" printed out in the back cover of a small Gidgeon Serviceman's Bible. Now for chapter 9 of John's gospel proof of the authority and power of Christ in the man Jesus.
John 9:1-12 "And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, "Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, 'Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.' When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, and said unto him, 'Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.)' He went (made) his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing. The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, "Is not this he that sat and begged?" Some said, "This is he:" others said, "He is like him: but he said, I am he." Therefore said they unto him, "How were thine eyes opened?" He answered and said, "A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight." Then said they unto him, "Where is he?" He said, "I know not." (KJV)
John 9:1-12 "As Jesus passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, 'It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.' Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud and said to him, 'Go, wash in the pool of Siloam' (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?" Some said, "It is he." Others said, "No, but he is like him." He kept saying, "I am the man." So they said to him, "Then how were your eyes opened?" He answered, "The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed and received my sight." They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know." (ESV)
John 9:1-12 "On his way Jesus noticed a man who was born blind. And his followers asked him, "Master, whose sin is responsible for this man's condition; is he punished for his own sins, or perhaps for his parent's sins? Why was he born blind?" Jesus answered emphatically, 'His condition has absolutely nothing to do with any sins committed either by himself or his parents! Neither him nor his parents were guilty of sin, this is an opportunity for GOD's action (in Christ) to be unveiled in him! (Jesus again disarms the Karma-principle that religion hings on!) [1]We together must occupy ourselves to accomplish the work of him who sent me - you must take sides with me! (The best texts read [1]ἡμᾶς, hēmas (Strong's G2248), us, instead of ἐμέ, eme (Strong's G1691), me. We cannot pull in two opposite directions in the same team! Grace and Karma do not go hand in hand!) The [1]repeated presence of my "I-am-ness" in the world is the light of the world! I am the light of the cosmos!' (Look at Colossians 3:4, The word, [1]otan, often translated as "when" is better translated to read "every time." Thus, "Every time Christ is revealed we are being co-revealed in his glory." According to Walter Bauer Lexicon, otan is often used of an action that is repeated. The word, kosmos in the NT refers to the entire human family.) Having said that, He spat on the ground and made clay with the spittle; then he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. (The clay reminds of the Genesis 2 account of mans creation as the earthen vessel that became flesh - after the "fall," flesh represents the blindfold-mode, now to be washed off in the waters of spirit dimension.) And said to him, 'Go was in the pool of Siloam. The Hebrew word meaning outflow. The man went there and washed and returned seeing! (An outflow of waters which reminds of Jesus' urgent announcment at the pool of Siloam on the great day of the feast of tabernacles, 'Rivers of living waters will flow out of your innermost being!') The people in the neighborhood and those who knew him before said, "Is this not the blind beggar?" Some agreed while others doubted but he said, "Yes, I am he!" Then they asked him, "How did it happen that you received your sight?" He answered with, "A man named Jesus made clay and smeared it over my eyes and said to go to Siloam and wash there, so I went there and washed and [1]looked up!" ([1]ἀναβλέπω, anablepō [Strong's G308] means to look up, as in Matthew 14:19 and Mark 16:4) They wanted to know where Jesus was, but the man did not know." (The Mirror)
John 9:13-17 "They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, "He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see." Therefore said some of the Pharisees, "This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day." Others said, "How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles?" And there was a division among them. They say unto the blind man again, "What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet." (KJV)
John 9:13-17 "They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, "He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see." Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" And there was a division among them. So they said again to the blind man, "What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet." (ESV)
John 9:13-17 "Then they took him to the Pharisees, since it was Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. (They knew that the Pharisees would have something to say about their Sabbatical Laws that were disregarded by this man Jesus!) The Pharisees demanded to know exactly how it happened that he received his sight. He said, "He put clay on my eyes and I washed and now I see." The Pharisees were divided in their opinion; some of them immediately said, "This man cannot be closely associated with God at all since he does not honor the Sabbath. While others were in question with, "How can someone who is an obvious sinner according to our law, do such miracles?" They then asked the blind man, "So what do you say about this man who opened your eyes?" He said that he thinks Jesus is a Prophet." (The Mirror)
The rest of this chapter is rich in spiritual things but lacked definitive statements for argument. There is one area where Jesus states just who He is and affirms His Deity. So I may just plow through to this area.
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