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)
Jesus here reframes suffering entirely, pushing back against the disciples' assumption that misfortune must be a punishment for sin. Instead, he reveals a radical divine purpose: even in blindness and affliction, God can orchestrate circumstances for His magnificent works to be displayed. This shifts the focus from blame to God's creative power to bring glory even from suffering.
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)
Jesus and his disciples encounter a man born blind, prompting the disciples to ask if his condition is a result of his own sin or his parents' wrongdoing. Jesus redirects their focus away from assigning blame for suffering and toward a greater purpose. He reveals that this man's blindness was allowed so that God's power and glory could be vividly displayed through a miraculous healing.
We often assume suffering is a direct punishment for sin. But what if there's more to the story?
The disciples, reflecting a common belief, asked Jesus if a man's blindness was due to his own sin or his parents'. They saw suffering as a clear sign of divine judgment for specific wrongs.
Jesus redirects their thinking. He clarifies that this man's blindness wasn't a direct consequence of any particular sin, either his or his parents'. This challenges the simplistic view that every misfortune is a direct, traceable punishment.
It's a powerful reminder that the link between sin and suffering isn't always a straight line we can easily discern. God's purposes are often far deeper and more complex than our immediate understanding allows.
What if the very things that seem broken or unfair in our lives are actually opportunities for God to shine?
Jesus reveals a profound purpose behind the man's lifelong blindness: 'that the works of God might be displayed in him.' This wasn't about assigning blame but about revealing God's magnificent power and grace.
Jesus wasn't saying suffering is good, but that God can use it. This man's condition, from birth, became the perfect backdrop for Jesus to perform a miracle. It wasn't just a work of God, but the works of God – showcasing His power, compassion, and perhaps even foreshadowing the spiritual healing He brings.
This shifts our perspective from seeking the 'why' of suffering in terms of sin, to looking for the 'how' God can be glorified it, demonstrating His greater purposes.
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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.
This passage directly parallels Jesus' teaching here, as He rebukes the common assumption that all suffering is a direct punishment for personal sin, pointing instead to God's sovereign purposes.
Exodus 4:11God's direct statement, 'Who has made a mouth for man? Or who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?', echoes Jesus' assertion that such conditions are not always directly linked to sin but are within God's sovereign control for His purposes.
Romans 9:20-23Paul's analogy of the potter and the clay highlights God's right to use even broken or flawed vessels (like the man born blind) for His glory, underscoring that human suffering can serve divine, often mysterious, purposes.
Job 1:21Job's profound statement, 'The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord,' reflects the same spirit of recognizing God's overarching sovereignty, even amidst profound suffering, as seen in John 9:3.
2 Corinthians 12:9Paul's experience with his 'thorn in the flesh,' for which God's power is made perfect in weakness, illustrates the principle that suffering can be permitted not due to sin, but so that God's 'works' or power can be displayed through human frailty.
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 here reframes suffering entirely, pushing back against the disciples' assumption that misfortune must be a punishment for sin. Instead, he reveals a radical divine purpose: even in blindness and affliction, God can orchestrate circumstances for His magnificent works to be displayed. This shifts the focus from blame to God's creative power to bring glory even from suffering.
Jesus and his disciples encounter a man born blind, prompting the disciples to ask if his condition is a result of his own sin or his parents' wrongdoing. Jesus redirects their focus away from assigning blame for suffering and toward a greater purpose. He reveals that this man's blindness was allowed so that God's power and glory could be vividly displayed through a miraculous healing.
Jesus and his disciples encounter a man born blind, prompting the disciples to ask if his condition is a result of his own sin or his parents' wrongdoing. Jesus redirects their focus away from assigning blame for suffering and toward a greater purpose. He reveals that this man's blindness was allowed so that God's power and glory could be vividly displayed through a miraculous healing.
"Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him." — Jesus here reframes suffering entirely, pushing back against the disciples' assumption that misfortune must be a punishment for sin. Instead, he reveals a radical divine purpose: even in blindness an…
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Last reviewed October 2026