Sermons 2026

Text: John 9:1-39 

Theme: The Works of God 

Outline 

1. Why born blind? This man sinned or parents? 

2. Jesus says to show God’s glory, heals the man/creates strong faith and bold confession 

3. Calls us to same bold confession 

Sermon 

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

My dear beloved flock, the text for our meditation is the Holy Gospel of Saint John the ninth chapter verses one through thirty-nine. 

Beloved lambs, I pray that you are doing well today. When you close your eyes, what do you see? You see nothing but darkness. Do you think you could live life this way? Not seeing anything but darkness and voices. You have no idea where you are or what is going on around you very well. You can open your eyes, what do you see? You see bright light. You see colors, books, and people. We can be happy that we can see, as we help others to see in this world. In our text for today, we see Jesus giving sight to a man who is born blind. Why does Jesus do this? How does man help us in our lives today? Ponder those questions as you hear the rest of the sermon. You may return to your seats and those who love you. 

1. Why born blind? This man sinned or parents?

 Our Lord is in Jerusalem, walking with His disciples and He sees a man born blind. The man is sitting by the roadside begging, as is the custom, for his daily bread, whatever coins the people put into his bowel or cup as they pass by. The disciples ask Jesus a simple question, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Effectively, what is the cause of this man’s blindness? Did this man somehow sin while in the womb? How can that be? And why would God have punished him so? Did his parents somehow sin while he was in the womb and God blinded their son in the womb for their actions? That is certainly not just to punish an unborn child for the sins of the parents. 

Many people today have similar kinds of questions, “Why did my roof fly off during the winds? Why do I have to be so lonely? Why did my child die in the womb? Why do I have cancer and lay dying while it seems as though everyone else is in perfect health?” How do we respond to these types of questions? It is important to note our Lords reply. 

2. Jesus says to show God’s glory, heals the man/creates strong faith and bold confession 

Our Lord replies that this man is blind for none of those reasons. ”but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” As the light he shines in the darkness and enlightens everyone (1:4-9). Jesus used the physical elements of mud and his own saliva to give the blind man sight. His divine power does not deal with people directly and immediately, but in, with, and through his own human nature and with earthly elements. 

This man has faith in hearing Jesus’ words. He goes to the Pool, washes, and regains his sight. He was blind but now he physically sees. The neighbors and those who have seen this man before begging are astonished at this. They bring him before the Pharisees to see if they can figure out what has happened. This man is interrogated by them. He plainly tells them what had happened. Some of them call Jesus a sinner, some say that He is from God. When asked, the formerly blind man gives a great reply, stating that Jesus must be a prophet. 

The Pharisees do not believe the man or in his statement. They think that Jesus has do a trick. The blind man was only faking his blindness. The Pharisees call in the man’s parents. They answer that this is indeed their son, but they fear the consequences of their statements, so they point at their son, saying, “Ask him, he is of age.” 

They fear being excommunicated from the synagogue and the life of the Jews. According to the Talmud, there were three grades of excommunication among the Jews. The first was called niddin, and those on whom it was pronounced were not permitted for thirty days to have any communication with any person unless at a distance over four cubits (about 6 feet). They were not prohibited from attending public worship, though they could not, during the thirty days, enter the temple by the ordinary gate. They were not allowed to shave during that time, and were required to wear garments of mourning. The second was called cherem, and was pronounced on those who remained openly disobedient under the first. It was of greater severity than the other, and required the presence of at least ten members of the congregation to make it valid. The offender was formally cursed, was excluded from all intercourse with other people, and was prohibited from entering the temple or synagogue. The third was shammatha, and was inflicted on those who persisted in their stubborn resistance to authority. By this they were cut off from all connection with the Jewish people, and were consigned to utter perdition. How often do we fear being kicked out for making a bold confession? There are many throughout history that have denied Jesus rather than standing boldly and stating that they are Christians. 

The Pharisees call the man back. They ask him a second time what happened. Ironically, the Pharisees end up taking a position that was initially raised by the disciples (v. 2). The Jews called Jesus a sinner, but the man had no evidence to say so. Instead, he knew one thing: “I was blind but now I see!” His small faith fans into flame a bold confession, the man says a powerful statement. “Do you also want to become His disciples?” Enraged at these words, the Pharisees cast the man out, physically as well as spiritually. Yet, One has found this man. Jesus finds him. The man before had only heard of Jesus. Now he sees Jesus in the flesh. Hearing, he believed. Seeing, he falls in worship. 

3. Calls us to same bold confession 

This man is an example of what has happened to all of us. We may not have been born physically blind, but we were born spiritually blind and dead. We were born in the darkness of sin, enslaved under the power of the devil, condemned to everlasting and eternal death and torment with no way to save ourselves. We would have been lost forever. In mercy and grace, God send Jesus, the light of the world, to save us by taking on our flesh. He did the work of the Father upon this Earth. He suffered in the midst of the world’s darkness upon the cross, suffering and dying for us. He rose from the dead that we might have light and life forever. Still today, wherever and whenever His Word is preached in the midst of the world’s darkness of evil, sin, and death, Jesus shines brightly forth as the light of the world with salvation, mercy, forgiveness, and life. 

The works of God continue still today. Just as Jesus gave physical, and spiritual sight to the blind man. God give you physical and spiritual life. Though your parents, God creates your physical life, gives you daily breath, and sustains you in this mortal life. Spiritually, God creates and sustains Faith in us through His Sacraments, the waters of Holy Baptism, the bread and wine of Holy Eucharist, and the words of Absolution. The Holy Spirit strengthens our faith for the work we have to do upon this earth. Just as Jesus with his divine power gave sight to the blind man, so we need to be doing the works of God while we can. 

“We must do the work”; it’s part of our nature as his disciples. As God sent Jesus for us, so we will go because of Jesus. God gives us the day to work. He gives us the light of Jesus in our lives and directs us to let his light shine in this world. That’s how we do the work of God. And where the light of Jesus shines, we will see spiritually blind people receive their sight. Each of us has a limited number of opportunities to do the work and a limited time, however. When night closes out our day on this earth and we enter Jesus’ eternal light, we will no longer be able to work here or reach those we neglected in our lifetime. Likewise, if unbelievers are taken into eternal darkness, we have lost any opportunity of showing them the light of Jesus. Once I was blind but now, I see. While it is still day, while we still draw breath, let us continue to do the work He has given us to do, that more may no longer be in the darkness of their sins but see Jesus in faith, come to Him as the light of the world, and fall at His feet in worship forever and ever. 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard, and keep, your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.