John 9:3
Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Jesus reframes suffering not as a direct punishment for sin, but as an opportunity for God's power to be displayed. He's telling his disciples to look beyond simplistic cause-and-effect, recognizing that even hardship can be woven into God's larger, awe-inspiring plan.
Jesus and his disciples encounter a man born blind, prompting the disciples to ask if the man or his parents had sinned to cause such a condition. Jesus immediately refutes this common assumption, stating that neither the man nor his parents were directly at fault for the blindness. Instead, he reveals that this situation was allowed to happen so that God's powerful works could be revealed through Jesus' healing of the man.
When we see someone hurting, our first thought can be, 'What did they do wrong?' But Jesus challenges this assumption head-on.
The disciples, like many people, assumed this man's blindness was a direct consequence of sin – either his own or his parents'. This was a common way of thinking, a way to make sense of suffering by assigning blame.
Challenging the Blame Game
Jesus corrects them, stating plainly, 'It was not that this man sinned, or his parents.' He's not saying they were perfect, but that their sin wasn't the direct cause of this particular affliction.
If suffering isn't always punishment, what is it for? Jesus points to a higher, often unseen, divine plan.
Jesus redirects the disciples' focus from assigning blame to recognizing God's overarching purpose. The man's blindness, he explains, existed 'that the works of God might be displayed in him.'
A Stage for God's Glory
This doesn't mean God causes evil or sin. Rather, He sovereignly permits certain circumstances, even those stemming from a fallen world, to become the backdrop for His powerful and gracious actions.
Understand the original words
ergon · Greek Noun
In this context, refers to the divine actions or manifestations of God's power and character in the world. It often signifies God's redemptive activity, miracles, or the accomplishment of His sovereign purposes.
Jesus confronts the popular idea that suffering is always a direct punishment for personal sin, just as He does in John 9:3, redirecting the focus from immediate blame to repentance and the unfolding purposes of God.
Romans 8:28This passage echoes Jesus' statement in John 9:3 by asserting that God works all things, including difficult circumstances, for the good of those who love Him, revealing His divine plan rather than just immediate judgment.
Exodus 4:11Similar to John 9:3, where Jesus explains that the man's condition is not due to sin but for God's glory, God tells Moses, 'Who has made a human mouth? Or who makes someone mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?' This highlights God's sovereignty over all human conditions, including those that seem like impairments.
Job 1:21-22Job's response, 'The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord,' mirrors the attitude in John 9:3, where suffering is understood not necessarily as punishment but as part of God's overarching plan, even when its reasons aren't immediately clear.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10Paul's 'thorn in the flesh' serves a similar purpose to the blind man's condition in John 9:3; it's allowed to remain not as punishment for sin, but so that God's power can be made perfect in weakness, demonstrating that suffering can be a vehicle for divine works.
calvinJohn 9:1-5: "And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth."
- And Jesus, passing by, saw a man blind from his birth. 2. And his disciples asked him, saying, Rabbi, who hath sinned, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 3. Jesus answered, Neither did this man sin, nor his parents; but that the works of God may be displayed in him. 4. I must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day; the night cometh, when no man can work. 5. While I am in the world, I…
ellicottJohn 9:3: "Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him."
(3) Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents. —The answer is, of course, to be understood with the limitation of the question, “that he was born blind.” Neither his special sin nor theirs was the cause of the blindness. Our version does not give quite accurately the form of the answer. It should be, Neither did this man sin, nor his parents. T…
Jesus reframes suffering not as a direct punishment for sin, but as an opportunity for God's power to be displayed. He's telling his disciples to look beyond simplistic cause-and-effect, recognizing that even hardship can be woven into God's larger, awe-inspiring plan.
Jesus and his disciples encounter a man born blind, prompting the disciples to ask if the man or his parents had sinned to cause such a condition. Jesus immediately refutes this common assumption, stating that neither the man nor his parents were directly at fault for the blindness. Instead, he reveals that this situation was allowed to happen so that God's powerful works could be revealed through Jesus' healing of the man.
Jesus and his disciples encounter a man born blind, prompting the disciples to ask if the man or his parents had sinned to cause such a condition. Jesus immediately refutes this common assumption, stating that neither the man nor his parents were directly at fault for the blindness. Instead, he reveals that this situation was allowed to happen so that God's powerful works could be revealed through Jesus' healing of the man.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about John 9:3 is available in the Sola app.
"Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him." — Jesus reframes suffering not as a direct punishment for sin, but as an opportunity for God's power to be displayed. He's telling his disciples to look beyond simplistic cause-and-effect, recognizing…
