[2026. 4. 12.] Jesus Who Came as the Light | John 9:1–12

[2026. 4. 12.] Jesus Who Came as the Light | John 9:1–12

Sermon by Rev. Jinkook (Danny) Sohn (Hope of Heaven Baptist Chuch) 

 

2026. 4. 12. 주일예배 설교- 요한복음 강해 27
본문: 요한복음 9:1-12
제목: 빛으로 오신 예수님

설교자: 손진국 목사 (하늘소망교회)

 

 

When understanding the Gospel of John, the important question is what John is trying to reveal through this Gospel. What is the theme? It is to reveal who Jesus is—His identity. As I mentioned when we began preaching through the Gospel of John, this Gospel contains seven signs and seven declarations, the Ego Eimi (“I am”). What do these reveal? They reveal the identity of Jesus.

Along with the seven signs and seven Ego Eimi statements, another background element that appears is the feasts. When we understand which feast each sign or Ego Eimi is connected to, we can understand its meaning more clearly.

There are three feasts mentioned in the Gospel of John: Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Feast of Dedication. Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles are two of Israel’s three major feasts (+ Pentecost), and the Feast of Dedication does not appear in the Old Testament but appears in John 10.

What is the feast that forms the background of today’s passage? It is the Feast of Tabernacles. In the entire New Testament, the Feast of Tabernacles is mentioned only once. [John 7:2] But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near Not only the events of chapter 7, but chapters 7–9 record one continuous event that took place during the Feast of Tabernacles.

The Feast of Tabernacles lasted seven days, and an additional day was added, making it an eightday festival. The eighth day was considered the great day, when all the people gathered for a sacred assembly. During this feast, burnt offerings were offered daily in the temple. In the New Testament period, two major symbolic rituals characterized the Feast of Tabernacles: water and light. During the feast, in hope for rain, water was drawn daily from the lowest place—the Pool of Siloam—and poured onto the altar at the highest place, the temple. And throughout the feast, enormous torches were lit in the Court of Women inside the temple.

These rituals were deeply connected to the identity of Jesus, who came into the world. The second Ego Eimi appears in John 8:12. What does it say? [John 8:12] When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Jesus declares that He is the light of the world. This also appears in today’s passage: [v.5] While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

We may not fully grasp the meaning of this statement, but the Jews of that time understood it immediately. What kind of Messiah were they longing for and earnestly waiting for? The Messiah who would come as the light into this land of darkness. Therefore, when Jesus declares Himself to be the light of the world before healing the blind man, He is revealing that He is the Messiah.

This is why the apostle John begins his Gospel by saying that in the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not understood it. John begins his Gospel by proclaiming that Jesus, the Word, is God and the Messiah who came as the light of the world.

With this background in mind, let us share today’s message together.

 

1. Expect the work of God.

Today’s passage describes Jesus healing a man who had been blind from birth. But the disciples ask Jesus about this blind man: [v.2] His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

This question reflects the common Jewish belief and prejudice about sickness at that time. When someone was not normal or experienced misfortune, people believed it was because of that person’s sin or the sin of their ancestors. Was this an unfounded and baseless prejudice? Not entirely.

[Exodus 20:5–6] …punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Therefore, when the disciples saw this blind man, they wondered whether he was blind because of his own sin. But since he had been blind from birth, they assumed it must be because of the sin of his parents or ancestors—that God was punishing him.

How does Jesus answer this question? [v.3] “Neither this man nor his parents sinned…but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

Jesus says that his blindness was not because of sin, but so that the work of God might be revealed through him.

We need to understand this correctly. This does not mean that all sickness has nothing to do with sin. Nor does it mean that every sickness exists to reveal God’s work. In some cases, sickness does come as a result of sin. We must not generalize Jesus’ explanation in this passage and apply it to every situation.

Sometimes I hear people say, “Pastor, I must have done many wrong things in my previous life, so this is happening to me.” Please do not say such things, and erase such thoughts from your mind. That is not biblical at all. “Previous lives” belong to Buddhism or Hinduism. Do not say such things.

Then what if someone says, “I think this sickness or hardship came because of sins I committed in the past”? If someone thinks that way, I actually consider it a gracious thing—because through what has happened, they examine themselves, recognize their sin, repent, and renew their heart. But I hope it stops there.

However, in most cases, people go in a different direction. Instead of repentance, a bigger thought arises: “God is punishing me. God no longer loves me.” They think God has no interest in them and has abandoned them. And eventually they begin to doubt God: “Why should I believe in God? I believed all this time—why is God letting this happen? Why doesn’t He stop it?” Then feelings of disappointment, resentment, and anger arise.

I hope we can hold onto Jesus’ heart and intention in verse 3:
[v.3] “…but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

The disciples looked at the blind man and focused on what sins he or his parents had committed in the past. But Jesus focused on what God was going to do through him.

Beloved congregation, when something bad happens, when unexpected sickness comes, when things go wrong, it is good to examine ourselves and repent if needed. But beyond that, I hope you will expect and pray that through this situation, the work of God will be revealed. What kind of heart is this? It is faith. Faith is trust—relying on God.

When I believe in God, I hold onto two truths: God is good. God is faithful.

What was the common characteristic of the people of faith in Scripture—Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, Daniel, Job, and others? They all experienced suffering. Yet they continued to trust in God’s goodness and faithfulness. In their suffering, they did not sin with their lips but placed their hope in the Lord, prayed, and remained faithful in their circumstances.

Look at Joseph. As a young boy, he was sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers. But he did not complain. As a slave, he served faithfully and was entrusted with managing Potiphar’s entire household. After ten years as a slave, he was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife and thrown into prison. He spent at least three years there, but again he served faithfully and was put in charge of all the prisoners. He interpreted the dreams of political prisoners and hoped to be released. But the cupbearer, once restored to his position, completely forgot about Joseph, leaving him in prison for two more years. His hopes and dreams seemed gone, yet he did not complain. He remained faithful, and eventually God raised him to become the prime minister of Egypt.

What do we learn from Joseph’s life? God’s goodness and faithfulness. God knows our lives better than we do. Because Joseph was sold into Egypt at a young age, he was able to learn the Egyptian language. In Potiphar’s house and in prison, he learned economics, personnel management, administration, and finance. By caring for political prisoners, he learned about politics. God was shaping him to become a prime minister. And if the cupbearer had remembered Joseph immediately, Joseph would not have become prime minister. God made him wait two more years so that he would be raised at the right time to save the nation of Israel.

Beloved, do not be bound by the past—expect the future. Change your thinking and your perspective. Instead of focusing on improving your circumstances, begin to expect and pray for the work of God that will be revealed through these things.

[Application] How am I thinking about God right now? When something bad happens, do I regret the past, or do I expect the work of God that will be revealed through it?

 

2. Obey the Lord’s word even when you do not understand.

Jesus heals the blind man. How does He heal him?
[vv.6–7] After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

Jesus spat on the ground, made mud, put it on his eyes, and told him to go wash in the Pool of Siloam. When he washed, he could see. But when we think about this process, many questions arise. Why mud? Why tell a blind man to go wash in Siloam?

Why is going to the Pool of Siloam such an unreasonable instruction? Because Siloam was located at a very low point in Jerusalem, while the temple was at the highest point. During the Feast of Tabernacles, priests drew water daily from Siloam and carried it up to the temple altar. Siloam was created during King Hezekiah’s time by digging a 500meter tunnel (Hezekiah’s Tunnel) from the Gihon Spring outside the city to bring water inside.

Where was this blind man likely sitting? Most likely at the temple gate, where many people passed by, since he was a beggar. To get from the temple to Siloam, he would have to walk 400–500 meters—not on flat ground, but down steep, uneven paths and stairs. Even healthy people had to walk carefully. For a blind man, walking even 10 meters on flat ground is difficult, yet Jesus told him to go all the way there and wash. Isn’t that unfair and unreasonable?

Did Jesus heal other blind men this way? No. When He healed Bartimaeus, He simply asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” When Bartimaeus said he wanted to see, Jesus declared, “Your faith has healed you,” and he received sight.

In Matthew 9, Jesus healed two blind men by touching their eyes and saying, “According to your faith let it be done to you,” and their eyes were opened.

But this time, Jesus put mud on his eyes and told him to walk 400–500 meters to wash. Yet the blind man did not say, “Jesus, I can’t see. How can I go that far? I can’t do it.” Instead, he obeyed and went to Siloam, washed, and received sight.

The Bible does not tell us exactly why Jesus did it this way. But as I meditated, a few reasons came to mind. First, Jesus wanted to see his faith. Faith is trust. Trust requires humility—laying down one’s own thoughts. When we insist, “I think this is better. That doesn’t make sense. My way is more reasonable,” we cannot fully trust the Lord or obey His word.

Second, sending him to the Pool of Siloam was sending him to Jesus Himself. “Siloam” means “Sent”—from the Hebrew שִׁילֹחַ (Shiloach). Look at verse 4: [v.4] As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.

Jesus Himself is the One sent by God. That is why He is the living water that quenches forever.

As the blind man walked with mud on his eyes toward Siloam, many people must have seen him. How ridiculous must he have looked? Was he not publicly announcing, “I am blind”? His strange appearance—mud on his eyes, stumbling down the steep path with someone’s help—must have been unforgettable to those who saw him. Many probably laughed or mocked him.

Later, when people asked how his eyes were opened, what did he say?
[v.11] “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

Among those who heard this answer—directly or indirectly—some must have remembered the strange man with mud on his eyes walking toward Siloam.

[Application] What sins or shame must I expose—even if others may mock me—in order to be healed? What word must I obey right now, even if I do not understand it?

 

3. Look only to the Lord, confess Him, and testify of Him.

People who saw the man after he received sight were confused. Some said, “He is the same man who used to beg,” while others said, “No, he only looks like him.” Why the confusion? Because a person with closed eyes and a person with opened eyes look different. But the man said, “I am the one.”
[v.9] Some claimed that he was the man. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

When people asked how his eyes were opened, he added nothing and omitted nothing—he simply told exactly what happened.
[v.11] “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes… I went and washed, and then I could see.”

He did not boast about how difficult the journey to Siloam was, how many times he fell, or how hard it was. He simply testified to what Jesus did.

Later, in verse 15, when the Pharisees asked him, he again told them exactly what happened:
[v.15] “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and now I see.”

When they argued about Jesus and asked him who Jesus was, he answered, “He is a prophet.”
[v.17] “The man replied, ‘He is a prophet.’”
Calling Jesus a prophet meant he believed Jesus was sent by God—the Messiah. It was a confession that he had become a follower of Jesus. People understood it that way. That is why when the Jews summoned him again, they said he was a disciple of Jesus.

[vv.27–28] He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?” Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses!”

Finally, Jesus Himself came to him and asked: [v.35] “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

Some manuscripts say “the Son of God.” “Son of Man” refers to the Messiah who comes to earth.

When Jesus revealed that He Himself was the Son of Man, how did the man respond?
[v.38] Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

This confession was not made in an easy situation. He could lose everything because of it. But he did not look at people, circumstances, or consequences. He looked only to the Lord and boldly confessed, “Lord, I believe,” and testified of Him. He did not whisper quietly so others would not hear. He confessed openly, and he even bowed before Jesus while everyone was watching.

Beloved congregation, look only to the Lord. And testify in your life to what He has done. May you trust the Lord who is always good and faithful, and as His disciples, may you enjoy true peace. I bless you in the name of the Lord.

[Application] What am I looking at? What am I speaking to my neighbors?

 

 

하늘소망교회(담임 손진국 목사)는 뉴질랜드 오클랜드 북부 실버데일에 세워진 한인교회로 '하나님의 마음으로 사람을 살리는 교회'입니다.

Hope of Heaven Baptist Church (Senior Pastor: Rev. Jinkook Sohn) is a Korean church established in Silverdale, Auckland, New Zealand. It is a church that saves people with the heart of God.