So that the blind will see (John 9q)

John 9:1-41

Key Verse 39 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

1.                   [1-2] What was the truth that Jesus had hard time to convince the Pharisees in 8:12-59? When the disciples saw a man born blind, what did they ask Jesus? (1-2) Why? (ref. John 5:3; Deut 5:9; Jer 31:29;Mark 10:46-47) Discuss this in view of God’s justice and man’s suffering.

2.                  [3-7] According to Jesus, why was this man born blind?  (3)  Regarding the works of God, discuss when that works are possible (4) and what was Jesus’ role in this. (5) After saying this, what did Jesus do next for the man? (6-7a) Why? (cf. Mark 10:51-52; Luke 18:41-42) How did he come home seeing? (7b) In view what Jesus did for this man born blind, discuss what the work of Him who sent Jesus was (5, 6-7). 

3.                  [8-13] Why were some of his neighbor surprised at him while others doubted his identity? (8-9) In search for the answer, what did they do? (10) What did the blind man testify? (11-12) What did they do next? (13)  Why?

4.                  [14-23] What question did the Pharisee ask the man? (15) Why? (14)  Based on this, what did some of them conclude about Jesus? (16a) Why would others not accept such conclusion?  (16b) In order to pursue for the answer they wanted to hear, what did they do further? (17-21) What was the reason behind this pursuit? (22)

5.                  [24-34] On the third interview, how did the Pharisees interrogate the man? (24) What was the fact that this man could not deny? (11, 14, 20, 25)  What problem did this man note on them? (26-27a) Who did they claim to be and what did they know and what did they not know? (28-29) According to this man, whose work was that healed his blindness and who Jesus was? (30-33)

6.                  [35-41] When Jesus met him again, what did he ask the man? (35) What did he wanted to know now? (36) When he came to see and knew what Jesus did, what did he say and do? (38) What was Jesus’ assessment of the entire event? (39) What does it mean? (40-41)

7.                  Discuss how the work of God was displayed, why it was necessary and what role Jesus came to do in this.