What do you believe?

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
Roughsoul1991

Roughsoul1991

Senior Member
#1
Sep 17, 2016
8,888
4,540
113
#1
Why does Jesus ask the man to go to bathe before the miracle would occur while others Jesus instantly healed?

John 9:1-12 New International Version (NIV)
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was.
Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”
But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”
10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.
11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
12 “Where is this man?” they asked him.
“I don’t know,” he said.
 
Lightskin

Lightskin

Well-known member
#2
Aug 16, 2019
3,165
3,665
113
#2
Perhaps his walk to the pool attracted more people to the forthcoming miracle.
 
Roughsoul1991

Roughsoul1991

Senior Member
#3
Sep 17, 2016
8,888
4,540
113
#3
Lightskin said:
Perhaps his walk to the pool attracted more people to the forthcoming miracle.
Click to expand...
Where is this man?” they asked him.
“I don’t know,” he said.

That is definitely a evident reaction within scripture.
 
R

Runningman

Banned
#4
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,691
113
#4
Roughsoul1991 said:
Why does Jesus ask the man to go to bathe before the miracle would occur while others Jesus instantly healed?

John 9:1-12 New International Version (NIV)
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was.
Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”
But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”
10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.
11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
12 “Where is this man?” they asked him.
“I don’t know,” he said.
Click to expand...
Test of faith and obedience?

Imagine being born blind and some random guy comes along talking about displaying the work of God in you. Only you didn't realize that the person talking to you was literally God incarnate. He puts mud in your eyes and says it will cure your blindness if only you feel your way over to a pool of water to wash in. What would you do?
 
Roughsoul1991

Roughsoul1991

Senior Member
#5
Sep 17, 2016
8,888
4,540
113
#5
Runningman said:
Test of faith and obedience?

Imagine being born blind and some random guy comes along talking about displaying the work of God in you. Only you didn't realize that the person talking to you was literally God incarnate. He puts mud in your eyes and says it will cure your blindness if only you feel your way over to a pool of water to wash in. What would you do?
Click to expand...
That is interesting because why was others immediately healed?
 
A

acts5_29

Active member
#6
Apr 17, 2020
327
89
28
#6
Roughsoul1991 said:
Why does Jesus ask the man to go to bathe before the miracle would occur while others Jesus instantly healed?

John 9:1-12 New International Version (NIV)
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was.
Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”
But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”
10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.
11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
12 “Where is this man?” they asked him.
“I don’t know,” he said.
Click to expand...

You know...to be quite honest, I never really believed anything about this. I believe Jesus told the blind man to go bathe, and if the man believed Jesus could heal him and he wanted to be healed, then he should go bathe. No further reason required. Accepting Jesus in your life requires some level of obedience.

Elisha told Naaman the leper that he had to bathe, too, and Naaman struggled with that. 2 Kings 5. In the end, do you believe God can heal you? Then do what He says. If other people don't have to do anything at all, then what is that to you? Follow God. John 21:22.
 
Roughsoul1991

Roughsoul1991

Senior Member
#7
Sep 17, 2016
8,888
4,540
113
#7
acts5_29 said:
You know...to be quite honest, I never really believed anything about this. I believe Jesus told the blind man to go bathe, and if the man believed Jesus could heal him and he wanted to be healed, then he should go bathe. No further reason required. Accepting Jesus in your life requires some level of obedience.

Elisha told Naaman the leper that he had to bathe, too, and Naaman struggled with that. 2 Kings 5. In the end, do you believe God can heal you? Then do what He says. If other people don't have to do anything at all, then what is that to you? Follow God. John 21:22.
Click to expand...
I get all that. But it is still interesting how Jesus chose to heal people. The many different ways to bring about something He could of just spoke into existence. Atleast one case Jesus only had to speak and they was healed. Very interesting to think about.
 
A

acts5_29

Active member
#8
Apr 17, 2020
327
89
28
#8
Roughsoul1991 said:
I get all that. But it is still interesting how Jesus chose to heal people. The many different ways to bring about something He could of just spoke into existence. Atleast one case Jesus only had to speak and they was healed. Very interesting to think about.
Click to expand...
I think it is an important point to keep thinking about. We pray for God's deliverance all the time, and if we truly want to listen for God to answer, then we should realize that often, Jesus responded by telling us to do something. All the way back in Genesis 19, Lot and his in-laws had to do something in order to get God's deliverance, and they didn't even pray for it. All this to say: if you're looking for an answer to prayer, look out for God to command you to do something. That could be that answer.
 
Nehemiah6

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
#9
Jul 18, 2017
26,074
13,778
113
#9
Roughsoul1991 said:
6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
Click to expand...
This was not about bathing but washing his eyelids. Jesus covered them with mud paste and then told him to go and wash it off.
 
Roughsoul1991

Roughsoul1991

Senior Member
#12
Sep 17, 2016
8,888
4,540
113
#12
tourist said:
I believe that the mud and slightly delayed healing was for the benefit of the blind man and many others pondering why Jesus healed the man that way.
Click to expand...
Lol it has me pondering too
 
Dave-L

Dave-L

Banned
#13
Jan 17, 2020
4,792
736
113
#13
Roughsoul1991 said:
Why does Jesus ask the man to go to bathe before the miracle would occur while others Jesus instantly healed?

John 9:1-12 New International Version (NIV)
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was.
Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”
But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”
10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.
11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
12 “Where is this man?” they asked him.
“I don’t know,” he said.
Click to expand...
How many times does it say "when Jesus saw their faith" he healed them?
 
Roughsoul1991

Roughsoul1991

Senior Member
#15
Sep 17, 2016
8,888
4,540
113
#15
tourist said:
Somewhere in that passage there is something important or perhaps critical that may be learned for God does everything with a specific purpose in mind.
Click to expand...
What do you believe He was wanting us to learn from such example.
 
H

Hungry

Banned
#17
Nov 26, 2012
3,095
1,050
113
#17
Maybe his eyes were disgusting. We know our eyes are clean because we wake up, we clean them. We know if there is junk in them. This beggars eyes could have had all kinds of mess on them. So, Jesus formed an abrasive scrub so he wouldn’t open them until they were cleaned first. By the time he was done washing the mud off, the rest would be clean also. Then when he opened them for the first time, they would be clear. I never thought about it before but this just came to me.
 
Nehemiah6

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
#20
Jul 18, 2017
26,074
13,778
113
#20
Roughsoul1991 said:
What about it?
Click to expand...
Through all His miracles, Jesus did not ask anyone to go and bathe (even though some may have needed to do so).

However, He must have had an excellent reason to cover this man's eyelids with mud paste and then tell him to go and wash it off in the pool of Siloam. As we see Siloam means "sent" and this man was sent to that pool in order to be healed, ans he even mentioned it specifically to others (v 11). In other words he needed to obey Christ in this matter in order to be healed (unlike most miracles of Christ).

In Hebrew Shiloah (Isa 8:6) (which corresponds to Siloam) also means "sent", and this pool was formed by the sending forth or gushing out of a fountain of water at that spot. However Shiloh (Gen 49:10) means tranquillity, and is a name for Messiah (the Lord Jesus Christ).

After his healing this blind man recognized Jesus as a prophet. Then he taught the Pharisees a theological lesson, which must have stung:
30 The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. 31 Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. 32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. 33 If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.