John 9:20 Study Bible: His parents answered them, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

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His parents answered, "We know he is our son, and we know he was born blind.

His parents answered
This phrase introduces the response of the parents of the man born blind, who had been healed by Jesus. The Greek word for "parents" is "γονεῖς" (goneis), which emphasizes their role as the biological and legal guardians of the man. In the context of first-century Jewish society, parents held significant authority and responsibility over their children, even into adulthood. Their answer is crucial because it reflects the social and religious pressures they faced, particularly from the Pharisees who were investigating the miracle.

We know
The phrase "we know" indicates certainty and personal knowledge. The Greek word "οἴδαμεν" (oidamen) suggests an awareness that is both intellectual and experiential. The parents are asserting their firsthand knowledge of their son's identity, which is indisputable. This certainty is important in the narrative, as it contrasts with the skepticism and disbelief of the religious leaders.

that this is our son
Here, the parents affirm the identity of the man who was healed. The Greek word for "son" is "υἱός" (huios), which not only denotes a biological relationship but also carries connotations of lineage and heritage. In Jewish culture, one's identity and social standing were closely tied to family and ancestry. By confirming that the healed man is indeed their son, the parents provide undeniable evidence of the miracle's authenticity.

and that he was born blind
This statement underscores the miraculous nature of the healing. The Greek word for "blind" is "τυφλός" (typhlos), which describes a condition of physical blindness. The fact that the man was "born" blind, as indicated by the Greek word "γεννηθείς" (gennetheis), highlights the severity and permanence of his condition prior to the miracle. In the Jewish understanding, congenital blindness was often seen as a sign of divine judgment or sin, making the healing even more significant as a demonstration of Jesus' divine authority and compassion.

Persons / Places / Events

1. The Blind Man
A man who was born blind and healed by Jesus, serving as a testament to Jesus' divine power and authority.

2. The Parents
The parents of the man born blind, who are questioned by the Pharisees about their son's healing.

3. The Pharisees
Religious leaders who are skeptical of Jesus and seek to discredit His miracles.

4. Jesus
The central figure of the Gospel, who performs the miracle of healing the blind man, demonstrating His divine nature.

5. Jerusalem
The city where this event takes place, a significant location for many of Jesus' teachings and miracles.

Teaching Points

Faith and Acknowledgment
The parents acknowledge their son and his condition, but their fear of the Pharisees prevents them from fully acknowledging Jesus' role. We must be bold in acknowledging Christ's work in our lives.

Fear of Man vs. Fear of God
The parents' fear of the Pharisees highlights the struggle between fearing human authority and revering God. We are called to prioritize our reverence for God over the fear of human judgment.

The Role of Testimony
The parents' testimony about their son's condition is crucial. Our personal testimonies can be powerful tools for witnessing to others about God's work in our lives.

Spiritual Blindness
The physical healing of the blind man symbolizes the spiritual sight that Jesus offers. We should seek to have our spiritual eyes opened to understand and follow God's truth.

Courage in Witnessing
Despite the pressure from authorities, the truth about Jesus' miracles cannot be denied. We should have the courage to stand firm in our faith and witness to the truth of Christ's power.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does the response of the blind man's parents reflect the tension between societal pressures and personal faith? How can we apply this to our own lives when facing similar pressures?

2. In what ways does the healing of the blind man fulfill Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah? How does this strengthen our understanding of Jesus' identity?

3. How can we ensure that our fear of God surpasses our fear of human authority, especially when it comes to sharing our faith?

4. What role does personal testimony play in witnessing to others about Christ? How can we effectively share our own testimonies?

5. How can we identify and overcome areas of spiritual blindness in our own lives to better follow Jesus' teachings?

Connections to Other Scriptures

John 9:1-41
The broader context of the healing of the blind man, illustrating the miracle and the subsequent investigation by the Pharisees.

Isaiah 35:5
Prophecy about the Messiah opening the eyes of the blind, which Jesus fulfills in this miracle.

Psalm 146:8
A declaration of God's power to give sight to the blind, aligning with Jesus' actions.

John 3:2
Nicodemus acknowledges that Jesus' miracles are evidence of God being with Him, similar to the healing of the blind man.

Acts 4:13-14
The apostles' boldness and the undeniable evidence of a miracle, paralleling the undeniable healing of the blind man.

Sermons

Characteristics of Blindness	M. G. Pearse.	John 9:1-25
Characteristics of the Miracle	Bp. Ryle.	John 9:1-25
Christ and the Blind Man	De Witt S. Clark.	John 9:1-25
Christ and the Blind Man	Boston Homilies	John 9:1-25
Christ's Sight of Sinners	C. H. Spurgeon.	John 9:1-25
Congenital Blindness	L. W. Bacon, D. D.	John 9:1-25
General Remarks on the Miracle	W. H. Van Doren, D. D.	John 9:1-25
Instances of Blindness		John 9:1-25
Jesus and the Blind Man	S. S. Times	John 9:1-25
Jesus and the Blind Man	Sermons by the Monday Club	John 9:1-25
Miracle Authenticated	J. J. Van Oosterzee, D. D.	John 9:1-25
Opening the Eyes of One Blind from His Birth		John 9:1-25
Spiritual Blindness		John 9:1-25
The Compassion of Christ	J. Trapp.	John 9:1-25
The Healing of the Man Born Blind	W. Kirkman.	John 9:1-25
The History of the Man Who was Born Blind	J. P. Lange, D. D.	John 9:1-25
The Light of the World	Christian Age	John 9:1-25
The Opening of the Eyes of a Man Born Blind	W. M. Taylor.	John 9:1-25
The Saviour and the Sufferer	J. L. Hurlbut.	John 9:1-25
Types of Character in Relation to Christ	D. Thomas D. D.	John 9:1-25
The Passage of a Soul from Darkness into Light	J.R. Thomson	John 9:1-41
Accountability	The Study	John 9:19-23
Agnosticism	J. Parker, D. D.	John 9:19-23
Cowardly Testimony is Despicable	J. Trapp.	John 9:19-23
Speak for Christ	E. Foster.	John 9:19-23
Speak for Yourself. a Challenge	C. H. Spurgeon.	John 9:19-23
The Testimony of the Man's Parents	T. Whitelaw, D. D.	John 9:19-23
Types of Character in Relation to Christ's Work	D. Thomas, D. D.	John 9:19-23

People

Jesus, Disciples

Places

Jerusalem, Siloam

Topics

Birth, Blind, Born, Parents, Replied

Dictionary of Bible Themes

John 9:1-34

7505 Jews, the

John 9:1-41

8442 good works

John 9:13-34

2369 Christ, responses to

Library

June 13 Evening
Dost thou believe on the Son of God?--JOHN 9:35. Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? The brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person.--The blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.--I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

February 9 Evening
The night cometh when no man can work.--JOHN 9:4. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, . . . they . . . rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.--There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.--Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.--The dead praise not the Lord, neither any …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

August 24 Evening
I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day.--JOHN 9:4. The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.--He that watereth shall be watered. My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest: behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

One Metaphor and Two Meanings
'I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work.'--JOHN ix. 4. 'The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.'--ROMANS xiii. 12. The contrast between these two sayings will strike you at once. Using the same metaphors, they apply them in exactly opposite directions. In the one, life is the day, and the state beyond death the night; in the other, life is the night, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Sixth Miracle in John's Gospel --The Blind Made to See, and the Seeing Made Blind
'When Jesus 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, 7. And said unto him, Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent). He went his way, therefore, and washed, and came seeing.'--JOHN ix. 6, 7. The proportionate length at which this miracle and its accompanying effects are recorded, indicates very clearly the Evangelist's idea of their relative importance. Two verses are given to the story …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

What Think Ye of Christ?
Matthew 22:42 -- "What think ye of Christ?" When it pleased the eternal Son of God to tabernacle among us, and preach the glad tidings of salvation to a fallen world, different opinions were entertained by different parties concerning him. As to his person, some said he was Moses; others that he was Elias, Jeremias, or one of the ancient prophets; few acknowledged him to be what he really was, God blessed for evermore. And as to his doctrine, though the common people, being free from prejudice, were …
George Whitefield—Selected Sermons of George Whitefield

The Brevity of Life.
"I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day: the night cometh."--ST. JOHN ix. 4. There are few things more commonly disregarded by us in our early years than the brevity of our life through all its successive stages, and the fleeting nature of its opportunities. In childhood we are almost entirely unconscious of both these characteristics of life. Indeed, it would hardly be natural if it were otherwise. That reflective habit which dwells upon them is the result of our experience, …
John Percival—Sermons at Rugby

On the Words of the Gospel, John ix. 4 and 31, "We must Work the Works of Him that Sent Me," Etc. Against the Arians. And
1. The Lord Jesus, as we heard when the Holy Gospel was being read, opened the eyes of a man who was born blind. Brethren, if we consider our hereditary punishment, the whole world is blind. And therefore came Christ the Enlightener, because the devil had been the Blinder. He made all men to be born blind, who seduced the first man. Let them run to the Enlightener, let them run, believe, receive the clay made of the spittle. The Word is as it were the spittle, the Flesh is the earth. Let them wash …
Saint Augustine—sermons on selected lessons of the new testament

On the Same Lesson of the Gospel, John ix. , on the Giving Sight to the Man that was Born Blind.
1. We have heard the lesson of the Holy Gospel which we are in the habit of hearing; but it is a good thing to be reminded: good to refresh the memory from the lethargy of forgetfulness. And in fact this very old lesson has given us as much pleasure as if it were new. Christ gave sight to one blind from his birth; why do we marvel? Christ is the Saviour; by an act of mercy He made up that which He had not given in the womb. Now when He gave that man no eyes, it was no mistake of His surely; but a …
Saint Augustine—sermons on selected lessons of the new testament

A Pressed Man Yielding to Christ
"Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on he Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him."--John 9:35-38. D LAST Sabbath morning,[9]* I spoke to you concerning one who was impressed into the King's service. That was Simon, the Cyrenian, who was compelled to bear …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 46: 1900

Contention Over the Man Born Blind.
(Jerusalem.) ^D John IX. 1-41. [Some look upon the events in this and the next section as occurring at the Feast of Tabernacles in October, others think they occurred at the Feast of Dedication in December, deriving their point of time from John x. 22.] ^d 1 And as he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. [The man probably sought to waken compassion by repeatedly stating this fact to passers-by.] 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Rabbi, who sinned, this man, or his parents, that he should …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Healing of the Man Born Blind.
After the scene in the Temple described in the last chapter, and Christ's consequent withdrawal from His enemies, we can scarcely suppose any other great event to have taken place on that day within or near the precincts of the Sanctuary. And yet, from the close connection of the narratives, we are led to infer that no long interval of time can have elapsed before the healing of the man born blind. [4116] Probably it happened the day after the events just recorded. We know that it was a Sabbath, …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Doctrine of Christ.
2 John 9-11. "WHOSOEVER transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed. For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds" (2 John 9-11). What then is the doctrine of Christ? It is the revealed truth concerning the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, that He is the Son …
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory

The Opened Eyes
Gerhard Ter Steegen John ix. 37 "Where is a God?" doth weary Reason say-- "I see but starlit skies." "Where is the sun?" So calleth at noonday The man with sightless eyes. Thou, little child, from thee God is not far; Look inwards, not above: Thou needest not to roam from star to star, For God is Love. …
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen, Suso, and Others

The Man Born Blind and Joseph of Arimathea
There were two extraordinary men living in the city of Jerusalem when Christ was on earth. One of them has come down through history nameless--we do not know who he was; the name of the other is given. One was not only a beggar, but blind from his birth; the other was one of the rich men of Jerusalem. Yet in the Gospel of John, there is more space given to this blind beggar than to any other character. The reason why so much has been recorded of this man is because he took his stand for Jesus Christ. …
Dwight L. Moody—Men of the Bible

Whether a Man Can Merit Perseverance
Whether a Man can Merit Perseverance We proceed to the ninth article thus: 1. It seems that a man can merit perseverance. For a man in grace can merit what he obtains through petition, and men obtain perseverance through petition, since otherwise perseverance would be asked of God in vain by the petition of the Lord's prayer, as Augustine says (2 De Bono Persev.). [47] It follows that perseverance can be merited by a man in grace. 2. Again, to be unable to sin is more than not to sin. Now to be unable …
Aquinas—Nature and Grace

Sight Given to the Blind.
"And as He passed by, He saw a man blind from his birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, Rabbi, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he should be born blind? Jesus answered, Neither did this man sin, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. We must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day; the night cometh, when no man can work. When 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 …
Marcus Dods—The Expositor's Bible: The Gospel of St. John, Vol. I

Use to be Made of the Doctrine of Providence.
Sections. 1. Summary of the doctrine of Divine Providence. 1. It embraces the future and the past. 2. It works by means, without means, and against means. 3. Mankind, and particularly the Church, the object of special care. 4. The mode of administration usually secret, but always just. This last point more fully considered. 2. The profane denial that the world is governed by the secret counsel of God, refuted by passages of Scripture. Salutary counsel. 3. This doctrine, as to the secret counsel of …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

Jesus and the Blind Man.
This miracle is reported only by John, a fact that is not strange when we remember that he alone gives a report of the ministry in Judea in which it occurred. The time cannot be certainly determined. Some have supposed that it occurred on the same day, only a few moments after Christ had escaped from the attempt to stone him; others regard it improbable that he should have stopped at such a moment to perform a miracle. All that is certain is that it was on the Sabbath day; a fact that intensified …
B.W. Johnson—The New Testament Commentary Vol. III: John

Triumph. L. M.
Go, labor on, while it is day; The world's dark night is hastening on; Speed, speed thy work,--cast sloth away! It is not thus that souls are won. 2 Men die in darkness at your side, Without a hope to cheer the tomb; Take up the torch and wave it wide-- The torch that lights time's thickest gloom. 3 Toil on, faint not;--keep watch and pray! Be wise the erring soul to win; Go forth into the world's highway; Compel the wanderer to come in. 4 Go, labor on; your hands are weak; Your knees are faint, …
Edmund S. Lorenz—The Otterbein Hymnal

Letter Lxviii. To Castrutius.
Castrutius, a blind man of Pannonia, had set out for Bethlehem to visit Jerome. However, on reaching Cissa (whether that in Thrace or that on the Adriatic is uncertain) he was induced by his friends to turn back. Jerome writes to thank him for his intention and to console him for his inability to carry it out. He then tries to comfort him in his blindness (1) by referring to Christ's words concerning the man born blind (Joh. ix. 3) and (2) by telling him the story of Antony and Didymus. The date …
St. Jerome—The Principal Works of St. Jerome

Mr. John Bunyan's Dying Sayings.
OF SIN. Sin is the great block and bar to our happiness, the procurer of all miseries to man, both here and hereafter: take away sin and nothing can hurt us: for death, temporal, spiritual, and eternal, is the wages of it. Sin, and man for sin, is the object of the wrath of God. How dreadful, therefore, must his case be who continues in sin! For who can bear or grapple with the wrath of God? No sin against God can be little, because it is against the great God of heaven and earth; but if the sinner …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The Struggler;
CONTAINING THE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER IN WHICH MR. BUNYAN'S BOOKS WERE PUBLISHED, AND THE NUMBER OF EDITIONS THEY PASSED THROUGH DURING HIS LIFE. THIRTY REASONS WHY CHRISTIAN PEOPLE SHOULD PROMOTE THEIR CIRCULATION, AND THE STRUGGLER FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THESE LABOURS.--PUBLISHED IN 1691. BY CHARLES DOE, ONE OF MR. BUNYAN'S PERSONAL FRIENDS. A CATALOGUE-TABLE OF MR. BUNYAN'S BOOKS. AND THEIR SUCCESSION IN PUBLISHING, MOST ACCORDING TO HIS OWN RECKONING. Note.--Those that are in Italic letter are …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The Transfiguration: an Emergency Measure. Matthew 16:28-17:1-8. Mark 9:1-8. Luke 9:27-36.
God in Sore Straits: the darkest hour save one, fugitive, John 7:1. ban, John 9:22, 34. pushing, Matthew 15:1. Mark 7:1.--the danger zone, "withdrew," Matthew 4:12. 12:15. 14:13. 15:21. Tabernacles, John 7:32. 8:59.--Galileans desert, John 6:60-66.--the inner circle infected, John 6:67-71.--God needs men. Fire and anvil for Leaders: mental strength--seasoned leadership--Simon and Peter. An Irresistible Plan: alone with the twelve--the changed plan, Matthew 16:18-21.--Peter's stupid boldness, …
S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks about Jesus

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