“I Was Blind, Now I See”
Lesson 16 - John 9-10
Think
of the many physical infirmities that Jesus healed during his mortal
ministry. They include lameness, palsy,
and blindness. Part of this lesson is
about Jesus healing a blind man—a miracle he performed often. Healing the blind was a significant miracle
in the Savior’s ministry that had inherent symbolism—because the Savior’s power
helps us overcome spiritual blindness and “see” or understand spiritual
truths. The scriptures studied in this
lesson focus on seeing and hearing the Savior and on our responsibility to help
others do the same so that we all might have a greater understanding and
appreciation of Jesus Christ as the Light of the World and the Good Shepherd.
Jesus gave sight to a man who was born blind.
Before
healing the man who was born blind, Jesus proclaimed, “I am the light of the
world” (John 9:5).
John
9:6-7, 35-38 records that Jesus brought both physical and spiritual light to the
blind man.
John
9:10-11, 15, 17, 24-25, 27, 30-33 show that the man who had been blind testified
several times that Jesus had healed him.
From this man’s example, we are reminded that we have a responsibility
to share our testimonies. The man courageously testified to many people, even
those who rejected his testimony and threatened him. We should not do less.
John
9:11, 17, 33, and 38 show us how this man’s testimony grew as he continued to
share it. His testimony grew from seeing Jesus as a man, to seeing him as a
prophet, a man of God, and finally one to be worshipped. Here we see how a
testimony can grow as we share it.
John
9:16
records the varied reactions of the Pharisees when they heard about the
miracle. Why might they refuse to acknowledge that Jesus had performed this
miracle by the power of God?—perhaps because of pride, anger about Jesus
healing on the Sabbath, or fear that they would lose power or popularity.
John
9:16, 18-20, 24, 28-29, 34 show that the Pharisees tried to discredit Jesus. Of
course, today we see that some people deny the power of God in our day.
John
9:18-23
records the response of the parents of the man who had been blind when the
Pharisees asked them about the miracle.
John
9:22 the
parents responded with “ask him” rather than suffer the wrath of the Pharisees.
Consider how we are sometimes like this man’s parents. Could we be more valiant in our testimonies?
John
9:34
records that the Pharisees punished the man when he continued to testify that
Jesus had healed him by casting him out.
Being cast
out meant being excommunicated.
John
9:35-37
When Jesus heard that the man had been cast out because of his testimony; he
blessed him for remaining faithful during adversity.
John
9:39-41 In
some way the Pharisees could see, and in other ways they were blind. They knew
the law very well, but they were blind to its true purpose. They refused to see
that Jesus came in fulfillment of the law.
Think about the difference between seeing with our eyes and “seeing” or
understanding spiritually. Some causes of spiritual blindness might include
unresolved sins, pride, selfishness, and worldliness. We learn from this
account that overcoming spiritual blindness requires humility and a desire to
be righteous.
Jesus taught that he was the Good Shepherd.
John
10:1-15, 25-28. In these verses, Jesus described how a shepherd would protect and care
for his sheep. In Jesus’ time, sheep were led into an enclosure called a
sheepfold for the night. One of the shepherds would guard the door while the
others went home to rest. If a wild animal got into the sheepfold, the shepherd
would give his life if necessary to protect the sheep. In the morning, each
shepherd would return and call his sheep. They would recognize his voice and
follow him to pasture.
John
10:4, 27
In Jesus’ discussion of the shepherd and his sheep, the sheep represent his
disciples.
John
10:11 The
shepherd is Jesus Christ. Some
qualities of a good shepherd as exemplified by Christ include:
John
10:11-14
contrasts the difference between a shepherd and a hireling. Jesus is obviously
the perfect example of a shepherd. Refer to the previous list of qualities of a
good shepherd and consider how Jesus exemplifies each of these qualities. See 2
Nephi 9:41-42 as you ponder how Jesus is the door of the sheep. As you
consider Jesus’ willingness to give his life for us, see John 10:17-18.
John
10:3-4
Sheep recognize their shepherd by his voice. Consider how we hear the Lord’s
voice while you review these scriptures:
§
D&C 1:37-38 He speaks with his own voice and through the voices of his
servants the prophets.
§
D&C 18:33-36 He speaks to us by his voice and through his Spirit
§
D&C 97:1 He speaks with his voice and the voice of his spirit
We are protected when we know and follow the voice of the Good Shepherd.
John
10:1 The
thieves and robbers who try to enter the sheepfold are people who try to harm
the Lord’s followers or lead them astray.
John
10:10 We
can discern between true shepherds and those who try to lead us astray by their
motives and their fruits; by whether they give life more abundantly, or if they
take from us that which we have.
John
10:9-10, 28
The sheep are rewarded with blessings of salvation, abundance, life, and
eternal life for following the Good Shepherd. Think about how you have been
personally blessed for following the Savior.
“Other sheep I have” (John 10:16)
To
find out to whom Jesus referred in John 10:16, see 3 Nephi 15:21-24. These
“other sheep” heard the Savior’s voice through their own prophets and, after
his resurrection; they heard his voice in person. This verse could help someone who is investigating the Church to
have a better understanding of the Book of Mormon as Elder Howard W. Hunter
taught: “Those
who are familiar with the life and teachings of the Master from their knowledge
of the books of the Bible will be interested to know there is also a record of
his appearance to the people of the Western Hemisphere—the other sheep to whom
he made reference. It is titled the Book of Mormon after the prophet who
compiled and abridged the records of the peoples of the American continents.
The Book of Mormon is another witness for Christ and records his teachings to
the other flock in the New World” (Ensign, May 1983, 16).
Jesus
is the Light of the World and the Good Shepherd. In following the Savior, we should remember our responsibilities as
shepherds, considering how we too are shepherds for the Lord’s sheep and what
we can do to help others hear and follow the voice of the Good Shepherd.
Elder
Bruce R. McConkie taught: “Anyone serving in any
capacity in the Church in which he [or she] is responsible for the spiritual or
temporal well-being of any of the Lord’s children is a shepherd to those sheep.
The Lord holds his shepherds accountable for the safety (salvation) of his sheep” (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed.
[1966], 710).
These lessons are posted on
the Internet at http://www.neumanninstitute.org