The Blind Man Who Saw God

The Blind Man Who Saw God

What would it take for you to miss a miracle happening right in front of you? Apparently, for some people, all it takes is the wrong day of the week.

Esther Richards took us through John chapters 9 and 10, where we meet a man who's been blind from birth—and the religious leaders who somehow manage to miss the point entirely. What unfolds is a masterclass in how to witness well, a stunning revelation of who Jesus really is, and a challenge that still hits home today: are we paying attention to what God is doing, or are we too distracted to notice?

Missing the Miracle

The story opens with Jesus healing a man who's been blind since birth. He does it in a rather unusual way—spitting on the ground, making mud, rubbing it on the man's eyes, and sending him to wash in the pool of Siloam. The man goes, washes, and comes back seeing.

You'd think everyone would be celebrating. Instead, the Pharisees launch an investigation.

Their problem? Jesus did this on the Sabbath—the Jewish holy day when work was forbidden. And apparently, healing someone counts as work. So rather than marvelling at the fact that a man born blind can now see, they're arguing about whether Jesus broke the rules.

Esther put it bluntly: "The Pharisees got so caught up in the law and all the technicalities and tick the boxes and getting the days right that they miss Jesus."

The challenge is stark: Don't get caught up. Don't get distracted by religion, by ticking boxes, by trying to get everything right. And miss who Jesus really is.

How to Be a Witness

Meanwhile, the man who was healed becomes an accidental theologian. The Pharisees interrogate him. They question his parents. They try to trap him into saying something incriminating about Jesus.

His response is beautifully simple: "Whether he is a sinner, I do not know. One thing I do know: though I was blind, now I see."

He doesn't claim to have all the answers. He doesn't try to out-argue the religious experts. He just shares what he knows and what he's experienced.

Esther connected this to what it means to be a witness. She pointed to Acts 4:20: "For we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard." That's it. That's all it takes to be a witness—speaking of what you've seen and heard.

The man in the story didn't take a long time researching, making sure he had all the answers and all the technical words perfectly worked out. He just said what he knew and what he'd experienced. And that's what we're called to do as well.

"You Have Seen Him"

Eventually, the religious leaders cast the man out of the synagogue. Jesus hears about it and goes to find him. What happens next is the heart of the story.

Jesus asks: "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"

The man replies: "And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?"

Jesus answers: "You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you."

The man's response? "Lord, I believe." And he worshipped him.

Esther highlighted the significance of Jesus' words: "You have seen him. It is he who is speaking to you." Jesus is basically saying: it's me. I'm here. You can see me, you can hear me.

The whole of the Bible is Jesus revealing himself and his nature. And that invitation extends to all of us: we have seen him. He is the one speaking to us. The question is whether we're paying attention.

The Good Shepherd

In John 10, Jesus shifts from healing to teaching, using the image of a shepherd and his sheep. It's familiar territory for many of us, but Esther drew out something profound.

Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. But then he adds something crucial: "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to take it up again."

Jesus was not forced to die. He was not made to do it. He wasn't bribed into it. He chose to die for you. It was always his choice. It was always in his control.

That's a staggering thought. When you consider everything Jesus went through—the pain, the abuse, the abandonment—he knew exactly what was coming. And he still chose it. He chose you.

Individual and Flock

Esther made one more connection between these two chapters that's worth sitting with.

In chapter 9, Jesus heals and reveals himself to one man—an individual with a specific need. In chapter 10, he's talking about his devotion to the whole flock.

Jesus knows and loves us all as a group. But he also knows and loves you as a distinct individual.

As Jesus says: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand."

Conversation Street

Why did the Pharisees miss it?

It's tempting to think we'd never be so blind. But the truth is, we all have our biases. We all have lenses through which we view God and the world. The Pharisees were so stuck on their religious rules that they couldn't see the miracle in front of them. The question for us is: what's our equivalent? What assumptions do we carry that might cause us to miss what God's doing?

Are we paying attention?

We live in a distracted age. We're always on our devices, half somewhere else, multitasking our way through life. The challenge from this passage is massive: how much do we pay attention in our day-to-day lives? Jesus wasn't always working in the synagogue or the temple. He was healing a blind man sitting on the pavement. God doesn't confine himself to church or dedicated "spiritual" times. He's at work in the ordinary spaces of life—the school run, the workplace, the kitchen. Are we making space for him there?

What does it mean that Jesus chose to die?

When you think about how Jesus had a choice—go through all that pain and abuse, or not—and he knew exactly what was coming, yet still chose to do it... it's beyond comprehension. That kind of love and sacrifice is mind-blowing. He didn't do it because he had to. He did it because he wanted to. He wanted you.

Your Next Step This Week

1. Practice being a witness — You don't need all the answers. Just share what you've seen and experienced. "One thing I know: though I was blind, now I see" is enough.

2. Check your assumptions — Ask yourself honestly: where might my view of how God works be too narrow? Am I missing something he's doing because it doesn't fit my expectations?

3. Pay attention — Put your phone down. Be present. Look for where God might be at work in the ordinary moments of your day, not just the "religious" ones.

4. Sit with the shepherd — Take a few minutes to read John 10:10-18. Let the reality sink in that Jesus chose to lay down his life for you. He wasn't forced. He wanted to.

5. Remember you're known — Jesus knows you as an individual, not just as part of the flock. He calls his sheep by name. You're not a number to him.

He's Always Revealing Himself

Esther left us with this: Jesus is constantly revealing himself to us in the Bible, and our only response can be to hear, to listen, to believe, and to follow him—to fall down in worship.

Pay attention. Don't get caught up by other things. Know that you are loved. And be a witness to everything he is doing for you.

Because the blind man's story isn't just history. It's an invitation. Jesus is still speaking. He's still revealing himself. The question is whether we have eyes to see and ears to hear.