John 9:7-10

7 And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

8 Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?”

9 Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.” He said, “I am he.”

10 Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”

“Wash in the Pool to be Physically Healed”  “Be Baptized in Water to be Spiritually Healed”…What is the Difference?”

Jesus has just anointed the blind man’s eyes with clay that he made from His own saliva and dirt. The blind man was located near the Temple Mount. In verse 7, He then tells the man to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. The pool of Siloam was near the southeast corner of the city, and was roughly a half-mile from where the blind man was when Jesus anointed his eyes. It also involved traveling down a steep hill of about 350 feet. Now, to you and me, that might not be such a difficult task. But, just imagine a blind man trying to get to the pool on his own. I wonder… did he beg people for help along the way? 

Verse 7 also tells us that the word “Siloam” is translated as “Sent”. I have read this many times and didn’t realize the significance that the name of the pool held. Jesus was “sent” by God to endure rejection, hardship, and being crucified to save the world from sin. Jesus “sent” this man to the pool to wash and be healed. This was a sign of Jesus’ identity as the Messiah. The One whom God “sent” to set us free from the bondage of sin, “sent” the blind man to the pool to be set free from the bondage of a lifetime of blindness. Beautiful, right? 

In verses 8 and 9, we see that the people are divided on the identity of the man. Someone said, “Isn’t that the blind man who sat and begged?” One said, “Yes, it is him.” Another said, “No, it can’t be him. It is someone who looks like him.” All the while, the man was saying, “Yes, I am him. I was that blind man, but now I see.” Can’t you just hear people arguing with him? “There is no way that you can suddenly see after all these years!” Finally, in verse 10, they asked, “Well, how then… how is it that you can see when you were born blind?” 

So… what are the lessons from these verses? The first lesson that I see is that following Jesus is not always an easy path. I believe Jesus didn’t make it easy on this man to make a point to us today. Jesus knew that we would be reading and writing about the healing of this blind man today. And He wanted to teach us a lesson. Following Jesus shouldn’t be easy all the time. If it is easy, then we aren’t doing something right. If we are truly following Jesus, then we will suffer persecution in some form. In today’s time, it most likely won’t be physical persecution, although it could be. It will most likely be mental/emotional persecution. We might lose friends, even family, over following Jesus. But our reward in heaven will far outweigh all the hardships that we go through here on earth. The blind man was probably wandering around trying to figure out which way to go to get to the pool. Maybe, hopefully, someone helped him get to the pool, but we don’t know that. Maybe some people were laughing at him and making fun of him. People can be cruel. Isn’t that how our lives are sometimes? Don’t we sometimes lose our way? Do we have times when we don’t know which way to turn? Don’t we sometimes get ridiculed and made fun of for following Jesus?

The second lesson I see is that we have to DO what Jesus says. Why didn’t Jesus just say, “You’re healed!” and go on about His way? If this man wanted physical healing, he had to obey Jesus and DO what Jesus told him to do. It is the same with us today. If we want to be saved from our sins and have spiritual healing, then we have to DO what Jesus tells us to do. Jesus told this man to go and wash. He had to walk a half-mile and 350 feet downhill with clay on his eyes to do this, but guess what? He did it, and he was set free from his physical blindness. Jesus has told us that we have to be baptized in water to wash our sins away and be healed from our spiritual blindness. Tell me, what is the difference between Jesus telling the blind man to go and wash in the pool, and telling us to be baptized for the remission of our sins? The answer is there is no difference at all. If Jesus says to do it, then what is the issue? If we had a terrible physical ailment or disease and Jesus told us that we had to go to Riverfront Park in McMinnville, Tennessee, and wash in the river to be healed, would we do it? Of course, we would. If we lived 3000 miles away, we would get there. What is the difference between obeying Jesus to be physically healed and obeying Jesus to be spiritually healed? There is no difference, except that our eternal soul depends on it. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” This is Mark 16:16 from the mouth of Jesus Himself. 

So… following Jesus won’t always be easy, but it will be so worth it at the end of this life. Living like the world is the easy way. Going through the motions of being a Christian is no different than living like the world. It’s easy to never take a real stand against sin. It’s easy to just sit on a pew, but a real commitment? Now that is a challenge. The blind man had a hard journey to the pool to be healed. Jesus wants us to see that following Him will not always be easy, but if we do, a reward beyond our imaginations is coming one day. Jesus said in John 15:18-19, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” Jesus says, “No worries, they hated me first. We are in this together.” I wouldn’t have it any other way. Jesus also told the man what to do to be healed. There were stipulations. He tells us what to do to be healed. Just like the blind man, He expects us to do something too. We have to obey Him. He is our King. If Jesus were an earthly King, would we obey Him? If He were standing in front of us right now saying, “If you believe and are baptized you will be saved,” would we believe Him? What if Peter were standing here today, and we asked Him, “what do we do?” And he told us to “Repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins…” (Acts 2:38), would we do what the 3000 did on Pentecost? Please consider the true purpose for baptism, and reach out if you need help. I love your soul, and want to help you. 

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)