What do you think of John 9:39?

Question

Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind"

What does he mean?

Answer 1

Jesus was talking about spiritual blindness. The Bible attributes far greater importance to spiritual sight than to the physical. Jesus used the occasion of healing the man blind from birth to point out the reprehensibility of the Pharisees because they professed to be those with spiritual sight and willfully refused to come out of their blind condition. They were like those who loved darkness rather than light

Answer 2

Jesus said: “For this judgment I came into this world: that those not seeing might see and those seeing might become blind.” (John 9:39)
On the basis of his preaching, other activities, and role in God’s purposes, individuals either would gain spiritual sight and walk in light or would be in spiritual darkness. (Isaiah 9:1, 2; 42:6, 7; Matthew 4:13-17; 6:23; 2 Peter 1:9; 2 Corinthians 4:4)
Had the religious leaders been just uninformed Jews with the normal burden of human sin, their not accepting the Messiah might have been excused. But they, who claimed to “see,” or understand, were especially reprehensible because they had greater knowledge of the Law and of God’s prophetic Word.
So their rejecting Jesus was a serious sin that condemned them more than their normal human imperfection and sin did.
Thus, Jesus told the Pharisees: “If you were blind, you would have no sin. But now you say, ‘We see.’ Your sin remains.”—John 9:41.

:)

Answer 3

The blind to moral issues and their need for the kingdom were the tax collectors and prostitutes etc. Starting w/ John the Baptists call to repentence and Jesus' announcement of the Kingdom, they "saw" a new world open for them.
The Pharisee/Saducces had expanded the 10 C and other OT laws up to 612. They saw all the things that caused sin, but in their focusing on sin, became blind to grace which Jesus offered.

Answer 4

John 9:39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

Jesus is speaking of spiritual blindness. Inability and determination not to comprehend the sinfulness of oneself. The verses that follow explain the meaning.

John 9:40 And [some] of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?

The Pharisees were blind.... they were willfully blind to their own bankrupt spiritual condition. They often interpreted Jesus' words literally when He was speaking in a spiritual sense.

John 9:41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

If the Pharisees were blind but not by a stubborn, rebellious choice, they would not be guilty of sin but since they claimed to have spiritual eyesight their sin of purposely, (with both eyes open) rejecting Christ remained on record in heaven to condemn them in the judgment.

Jesus came into this world so that those without spiritual eyesight would be enabled to spiritually see as a result of becoming Christians. Those who recognize and acknowledge their inabliity to see are counted sinless before God as the righteousness of Christ is credited to their life records in heaven.

Show N Tell

Answer 5

Know what it says is I have come to judge the world. I have come to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind. One misplaced word will throw the whole entire meaning of the scripture off. What he's saying is he is coming or has come into the world to give knowledge and wisdom and offer the light of salvation to all who welcomes it. And that there are people out there that believe they're already know everything.

Answer 6

In order for you to understand this Bible verse, you must read on down to verse 41. In that verse it tells what Jesus meant by what was said in verse 39. It says Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: But now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth. Read again the entire Chaper of John 9. Then you will understand.

Answer 7

Jesus had recently healed a man who was blind. The Pharisees, trying to discredit Jesus, expelled anyone from the temple who confessed faith in Jesus. Here is the context of the scripture you quoted: John 9:35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and, on finding him, he said: “Are you putting faith in the Son of man?” 36 The [man] answered: “And who is he, sir, that I may put faith in him?” 37 Jesus said to him: “You have seen him and, besides, he that is speaking with you is that one.” 38 Then he said: “I do put faith [in him], Lord.” And he did obeisance to him. 39 And Jesus said: “For [this] judgment I came into this world: that those not seeing might see and those seeing might become blind.” 40 Those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and they said to him: “We are not blind also, are we?” 41 Jesus said to them: “If YOU were blind, YOU would have no sin. But now YOU say, ‘We see.’ YOUR sin remains.” The Pharisees were more blind than healed man ever was.The Bible attributes far greater importance to spiritual sight than to the physical. Jesus used the occasion of healing the man blind from birth to point out the reprehensibility of the Pharisees because they professed to be those with spiritual sight and willfully refused to come out of their blind condition. They were like those who loved darkness rather than light. (John 3:19, 20 - 19 Now this is the basis for judgment, that the light has come into the world but men have loved the darkness rather than the light, for their works were wicked. 20 For he that practices vile things hates the light and does not come to the light, in order that his works may not be reproved )

Answer 8

My take is that the un-believers and sinners will come to believe, and those who think they know the answers will find out that they don't.

I suppose in that particular period of time Jesus may have been specifically referring to the Pharisees and the Scribes, who followed the letter of the law but missed the point of why they were obeying the law in the first place.

Answer 9

Those like the blind man who admit their need of spiritual sight who see vs. persons like the Pharisees who claim to have spiritul understanding based on their own wisdom and righteousness.

Answer 10

I think that the blind means non-christians who don't believe in Christ, and the ones who see are the christians who will become "blind" in order that they don't sin. Sin enters through the eye.

Matthew 6:23
"But if your eye is bad (sin, lust), your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the (literal) light that is in you is darkness (sin), how great is the darkness!


Matthew 6:22
"The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear (no sin), your whole body will be full of light (holyness"