The Sixth Sign

In John’s Gospel, Jesus’ miracles aren’t just acts of compassion—they’re signs. They’re meant to reveal who He is and invite us to believe in Him for eternal life. As John himself says near the end of the book:

“Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.”
—John 20:30–31

In other words, there’s a message in the miracle, a sign in the wonder. The event itself points beyond itself, directing us to the truth about Jesus - and our need for him. John records seven signs, and today we look at the sixth. One of the most famous hymns in history, Amazing Grace, captures the heart of today’s sign:

“I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see.”

That’s not just poetic sentiment. That’s John 9.

In this chapter, Jesus makes one of His most striking claims:

“I am the Light of the World.”

Throughout John’s Gospel, Jesus pairs profound “I am” statements with miraculous signs: “I am the bread you need,” “I am the living water you thirst for,” “I am the resurrection and the life.” Here, He declares that He is the Light—our guide, Truth unveiled, our healer, the one who makes sense of the world.

As C.S. Lewis once wrote:

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen—not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”

And in John 9, we meet a man who learns that firsthand.

Born in the Dark

John 9:1–4

The story begins with a shocking detail: this man had been born blind. He had never seen the sun rise, never seen his parents’ faces, never watched children play in the street.

The disciples, like many in their time, assumed his blindness must be a punishment. “Rabbi, who sinned—this man or his parents—that he was born blind?”

That’s an old theology in a new coat. It assumes that suffering always comes from personal sin, that misfortune is a moral scoreboard. But Jesus rejects that framework. This man’s condition wasn’t a divine penalty—it was an opportunity for the works of God to be displayed.

The deeper truth here is that we’re all born blind. Not physically, but spiritually. We don’t see God for who He is. We misread reality. And the worst kind of blindness isn’t physical—it’s the blindness you don’t realize you have.

Scripture paints the whole story of humanity as a journey from darkness to light, ending with the day when there will be no more night because “the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp” (Revelation 21:23).

Brought to the Light

John 9:5–7

Jesus spits on the ground, makes mud, and spreads it over the man’s eyes. Then He tells him, “Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam.” The man obeys—and comes back seeing.

Why mud? Why such a strange method?

Because the same Jesus who heals is the Jesus who creates. In Genesis 2, the Lord formed man from the dust of the earth. Now, the Creator is restoring one of His creatures, publicly completing what the womb had left unfinished. Early church father Irenaeus put it this way:

“What the womb omitted to form in private, the Word provided in public.”

This healing wasn’t just a personal blessing—it became a public testimony. Everyone wanted to know what happened. His neighbors debated whether he was even the same man. His parents confirmed it, though they stayed cautious. The religious leaders interrogated him.

And this is where his story mirrors the journey of every believer: when Jesus opens your eyes, you start bearing witness, whether people like it or not.

John Newton, the author of Amazing Grace, understood this transformation. As a young man, Newton was deeply immoral and heavily involved in the transatlantic slave trade. He later admitted:

“I was very wicked, and therefore very foolish; and, being my own enemy, I seemed determined that nobody should be my friend.”

But in 1748, during a violent storm at sea, he began reading the Bible. That night became his spiritual rebirth—a date he marked and celebrated for the rest of his life. Newton eventually renounced the slave trade, publicly repented, and joined forces with William Wilberforce to help abolish slavery in the British Empire.

His reflection captures the heart of John 9:

“I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am.”

The man born blind could have said the same.

Basking in Grace

John 9:35–38

The healed man eventually encounters Jesus again. Jesus asks him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man replies, “Who is He, sir? Tell me so that I may believe in Him.”

“You have now seen Him,” Jesus says. “In fact, He is the one speaking with you.”

And the man responds simply: “Lord, I believe.” Then he worships Him. The man moves from a life of isolation and degradation, of poverty and fear, to wholeness and mercy. He becomes a worshipper of Jesus. That’s authentic conversion on display. It’s repentance and faith. It’s what John Newton experienced, and it’s what happens to all who are truly brought from darkness to the kingdom of light.

This is the moment that matters most. Physical sight is a gift, but spiritual sight is the miracle. It’s one thing to have your eyes opened—it’s another to turn them toward Jesus in faith.

The religious leaders in the story never get there. They remain locked in “blind unbelief,” refusing to admit their need. But John Newton summed up the truth they missed:

“Although my memory’s fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great Savior.”

That’s the heart of the gospel.

Who’s Truly Blind?

John 9:39–41

Jesus ends the story with a paradox:

“For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

The poor and embittered can be as blind as anyone, but the tragedy I often witness is that it is the powerful, the rich, the learned, the self-sufficient, and the capable who are most spiritually blind - because they think they’re already seeing clearly. They believe they’ve earned their place in life. They ask the same question the disciples asked: “Who sinned?” If sin was the root of the blind man’s illness and fate, then their relative ease is a sign that they’ve done nothing wrong, nothing worthy of the need for a Savior. They’re not bad at all and their net worth proves it.

But the light of Christ pierces that darkness. And nowhere is that light more brilliantly displayed than at the cross.

The crucifixion was the darkest day in history—so dark that the sun itself refused to shine. The Light of the World was snuffed out, and for a moment it looked as though darkness had prevailed. But on the third day, the Light burst forth in glorious day, and the grave was emptied forever. Not only has Christ been raised from the dead, the light of the world shattering death “while it was still dark” (John 20); he has also been raised to the right hand of glory and will come again “to judge the living and the dead.” And when he comes again, “every eye shall see him” (Revelation 1:7).

This is why John 9 isn’t just an ancient story—it’s your story, if you’re in Christ. You were born in the dark. You were brought to the light. And now you’re called to walk in it, looking for the blessed hope of his return.

The Question for Us

Jesus is still opening eyes today. He’s still driving out darkness. The question is: when the Light of the World shines on you, will you shut your eyes—or will you look up, see Him, and worship?

Because once you’ve truly seen Jesus, you’ll never see anything the same way again.

As Amazing Grace reminds us:

Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

That’s not just a lyric. That’s the reality of John 9. That’s the reality of every believer. And if today you find yourself still in the dark, Jesus offers the same invitation He gave to the man born blind: “Look to Me, and see.”