By His Stripes (2)

John 9 is a good place to start, because it is the clearest example of sickness that was undeserved. Jesus is clear that neither the sin of the man, nor of his parents, was the cause of his blindness (John 9:3). The blindness was an undeserved sickness.

The question that immediately arises is why Jesus spat in the clay and made a paste of clay and spittle and rubbed it on the mans eyes? The clay clearly did not heal the man. The spit did not heal him. It is the Holy Spirit who heals, so we should not look for healing properties in the spit or the clay.

The mud gave the man a task to do. Jesus told him to go and wash off the mud in the pool of Siloam. This was an odd thing to ask. The man knew that mud could not restore his eyes. Going to a pool in another place would be quite hard for a man who was blind. It would have been easier to go home and do it, or get some water where he was. Although Jesus instructions seemed pointless, he trusted Jesus and obeyed his instructions.

When he washed his eyes at Siloam, the Holy Spirit healed his eyes and restored his sight.

Obeying Jesus and washing at the pool was an act of faith. While he was obeying in faith, he was healed. Faith healed him.

John points out that Siloam means “sent” (John 9:7). This confirms that Jesus gave the man a task to do. He sent him to do something.

He did not need to remain with Jesus. Rather, he had to trust Jesus and go where he sent him and do what he had told him to do.

Faithful obedience was the key to his healing.

When the man came back healed, he testified to the Pharisees.

Jesus made mud, and he put on mud, and he sent me,
and I washed, now I see (John 9:15).

He did not give glory to the mud. He gave credit to Jesus.

He is a prophet (John 9:17).

By responding to the hostility of the Pharisees so boldly, he continued to show faith.

If this man were not from God, he could do nothing (John 9:33).

This bold testimony confused the Pharisees. He responded to Jesus questions by declaring his allegiance to Jesus.

Lord, I believe (John 9:38).

Bold testimony = faith and allegiance.

How was this man healed? When he trusted in Jesus, Jesus was able to take his sickness and carry it for him. Jesus took up and carried whatever undeserved sickness the man had, so he was immediately freed from it. Jesus took it from him, so he did not need to bear it.