OBJECTIVE:

• John 9:31-41

EXPLORE:

(These are different commentary notes that can be used to explain the context to our students. Feel free to use your own.)

Context / Background / History

Journey of Jesus 

• Start -> 
  • Mt. of Olives 
  • Teaching at the local Temple 
  • Teaches at the Temple Treasury 
  • Jesus kicked out of the Temple Treasury
  • Starts walking along a footpath 
  • Encounters a man born blind 
  • Sends the Blind man to the “Pool of Siloam” 
  • Blind Man washes at the pool and returns seeing 
  • Man who was once blind is taken to the Pharisees by those who knew him 
  • The Pharisees questioned the man healed of his blindness 
  • The religious leaders then question the healed man's mother and father 
  • The Pharisees question the healed man a second time 
  • Pharisees then throw the man out of the synagogue 
  • Jesus hears what happens and finds the man He healed shortly after 
  • This is where the passage we are going to be reading today picks up…

Recognition Leads to Confession 

• The healed man recognized his need for the Son of Man! 
• “The designation Son of Man means, for Jesus, both that he is human as we are, a son of Adam, and that he is the coming Messiah, who has been given authority by the Most High and reigns over his kingdom through his weakness, seen most clearly at the cross.” (Gospel Coalition, Fred Zaspel)

Recognition Leads to Heartfelt Worship 

• The man recognized that he was not just blind physically but he was blind spiritually (John 9:38)
• The beggar admitted his need, and he received both physical and spiritual sight. No one is so blind as he who will not see, the one who thinks he has “all truth” and there is nothing more for him to learn (John 9:28, 34). - Warren W. Wiersbe, ,)>span class="Apple-converted-space"> 
• The Pharisees didn’t recognize they were blind despite their physical ability to see (John 9:39)

STUDENT RESOURCES: 

• Gospel Coalition “Son of Man” Article - https://www.thegospelcoalition...
• Bible Project Video “The Son of Man” - Why Jesus Called Himself the Son of Man
• Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 327.

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS: 

Scripture (S)

• Read it together!
• What details stood out to you in this passage that you may have not noticed before?
• What context provided stood out to you as well?

Observation (O)

• What do you think is spiritual blindness? 
• Why do you think the Pharisees think they weren’t blind when Jesus claimed that they were?

Application (A)

• What areas can you ask Jesus to help heal you of any spiritual blindness? 
• What steps can you take to remove any barriers that have been preventing you from seeing Jesus clearly? 

Prayer (P)

• Pray to God that He helps you see Jesus clearly for who He is!
• Ask God to reveal parts of your heart you need to surrender to Him.