1. **Verses 1-7: The Healing of the Blind Man**
– Key point: Jesus declares that the man’s blindness was not due to sin but to display God’s works.
– **Connection**: Link this with **Exodus 4:11**, where God tells Moses that He is the one who makes people blind or gives them sight, showing God’s sovereign control over physical and spiritual conditions.
– **Connection**: Compare with **Mark 2:10-12**, where Jesus demonstrates His authority to heal and forgive sins, showing that miracles point to His divine nature.
2. **Verses 8-12: The Man’s Neighbors Question His Healing**
– Key point: The man’s community struggles to believe the miracle, revealing spiritual blindness.
– **Connection**: Relate this to **Luke 4:24**, where Jesus says, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown,” showing how familiar surroundings often hinder faith.
3. **Verses 13-34: The Pharisees Investigate**
– Key point: The Pharisees reject the healing, showing their spiritual blindness and adherence to tradition over truth.
– **Connection**: Compare their response to **Isaiah 6:9-10**, where God says the people will see but not perceive, illustrating the spiritual hardness that prevents them from recognizing Jesus as the Messiah.
4. **Verses 35-41: The Blind Man Believes**
– Key point: The man gradually comes to faith in Jesus, declaring Him as the Son of Man.
– **Connection**: You can tie this to **John 1:12-13**, which speaks of those who receive Jesus and believe in His name becoming children of God, showing the spiritual transformation that accompanies belief.
5. **Overall Theme: Spiritual Blindness and Sight**
– **Connection**: Connect this to **2 Corinthians 4:4-6**, where Paul speaks of the god of this world blinding unbelievers, and how God gives light through the knowledge of Christ.
As you walk through the chapter, these connections can help your congregation see how John 9 fits within the broader biblical narrative of healing, faith, and spiritual insight.
### Answers:
1. B) To display God’s works
2. B) Exodus 4:11
3. B) They were confused and questioned his healing
4. C) Luke 4:24
5. C) They rejected the miracle
6. B) Isaiah 6:9-10
7. C) He acknowledges Jesus as the Son of Man
8. B) Becoming children of God
9. B) The god of this world
10. B) The contrast between spiritual blindness and sight
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### Study Guide: John 9
#### Multiple Choice Questions
1. **What was the reason Jesus gave for the man’s blindness?**
– A) Punishment for sin
– B) To display God’s works
– C) A test of faith
– D) A natural condition
2. **In which Old Testament passage does God affirm His control over sight and blindness?**
– A) Genesis 1:3
– B) Exodus 4:11
– C) Isaiah 53:5
– D) Psalm 146:8
3. **What was the community’s initial reaction to the healed man?**
– A) They rejoiced immediately
– B) They were confused and questioned his healing
– C) They accused him of deceit
– D) They celebrated with him
4. **Which verse indicates that a prophet is often not accepted in his hometown?**
– A) Matthew 10:14
– B) Mark 6:4
– C) Luke 4:24
– D) John 1:11
5. **What was the Pharisees’ response to the miracle of healing?**
– A) They praised Jesus
– B) They sought to understand it further
– C) They rejected the miracle
– D) They accepted the man as healed
6. **Which passage describes spiritual hardening and the inability to perceive truth?**
– A) Matthew 13:15
– B) Isaiah 6:9-10
– C) Romans 1:20
– D) 1 Corinthians 2:14
7. **How does the blind man ultimately respond to Jesus?**
– A) He denies knowing Him
– B) He claims Jesus is a prophet
– C) He acknowledges Jesus as the Son of Man
– D) He asks for more miracles
8. **What transformation is associated with believing in Jesus, according to John 1:12-13?**
– A) Becoming a teacher
– B) Becoming children of God
– C) Gaining physical sight
– D) Receiving wealth
9. **In 2 Corinthians 4:4-6, what does Paul say blinds the minds of unbelievers?**
– A) Their own wisdom
– B) The god of this world
– C) Their culture
– D) Their lack of education
10. **What overarching theme is illustrated through John 9?**
– A) The importance of community
– B) The contrast between spiritual blindness and sight
– C) The role of miracles in the Old Testament
– D) The rejection of Jesus by the Gentiles
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