When We Stop Debating And Start Doing, Lives Change - [John 9:1-7 | Verse by Verse Bible Study]

What if the miracle you’re waiting for sits on the other side of one simple act of obedience? We walk through John 9 with clear eyes and open hands, tracing how Jesus turns a theological argument into a living, breathing story of compassion, urgency, and healing. Instead of asking who’s to blame, we ask what God wants to do right now—and how we can step into it.

We start with a challenge from Psalm 90 to number our days with wisdom, then explore how Jesus rejects the disciples’ debate over a man born blind and reframes suffering as a canvas for God’s glory. From there we lean into the urgency of “work while it is day,” unpacking the divine imperative behind must and how delaying decisions hardens our hearts over time. Jesus, the light of the world, doesn’t just explain darkness; he displaces it. That same clarity can reshape our calendars, our service, and our hope.

The turning point is obedience. Jesus makes clay, sends the man to Siloam, and the man goes—no guarantees, just a word. We connect this step of faith to the pool’s history, the meaning of being “sent,” and the striking completeness of the healing: not only eyes opened, but understanding granted. Along the way, we highlight stories from Scripture and church history—jars filled from a tiny flask, orphans fed through prayer, a pilot guided to safety—showing that God still meets courage with provision. The result is a practical framework: stop unproductive debates, serve with urgency, and obey promptly so your life becomes a conduit for God’s power.

Ready to trade analysis for action and turn your days into something eternal? Listen now, share with a friend who needs courage today, and if this encouraged you, subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what step of obedience will you take this week?

Regularly join Dr. Novella Springette as she does in-depth Bible teaching with the intent of fostering Christian discipleship.

Transcript

Numbering Our Days With Wisdom

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Are we optimizing our time here on earth for God's glory? In Psalms 90, Moses asked God to teach us to number our days so that we may acquire a heart of wisdom. Moses was not speaking about measuring our days according to life expectancy. What Moses expresses here is essentially a profound reflection on the brevity of our time here on earth and the need for us to live our lives purposefully. In John 9, verses 1 to 7, Jesus instructed his disciples to do God's work with a sense of urgency. These disciples then went on to change the course of history. If we too wish our lives to be impactful, this podcast is for us. Today we will uncover three powerful truths directly from this text. One, we must refrain from unproductive intellectual discussions and focus instead on God's power. Two, we must diligently do God's work on a daily basis. Three, we must unconditionally obey God so that the extraordinary can take place in our lives. Today, we will carefully research these truths so as to ensure that we spend all of our time here on earth doing the work of God. Stick with me as we analyze this passage verse by verse. Are we looking at circumstances in our lives from a normative theoretical perspective rather than from God's viewpoint? John 9 verses 1 to 3 tells us that this is the position that the disciples found themselves in. The disciples were engaged in a theological discussion regarding the blind man's plight rather than seeking to address his need. Jesus emphatically rejected that approach. Our first truth states that we must refrain from unproductive intellectual discussions and focus instead on God's power. Jesus' encounter here with the blind man certainly illustrates this point. Jesus was passing by this blind man because in the previous chapter, when he informed the Jews in the temple that he was indeed the Son of God, they became infuriated and attempted to kill Jesus. Jesus then disguised himself, slipped away from their grasps, and vacated the temple grounds. Jesus was essentially on the run for his life. This man was blind. Jesus could have quietly passed by and ignored the blind man completely, and the man would have never even known that he had lost out and been touched by the hand of Jesus. Jesus saw him sitting and begging and had compassion on him. Jesus made the time to deal with this man in his desperate need, even though he himself was also under pressure. Like Jesus, are we able to see the suffering of others despite the fact that we too might be in distress. In Acts, mention is made of two persons who had been suffering from the time they were born. One, the layman at the beautiful gate of the temple, in Acts 3 verse 2, who was healed by Peter and John, and two the cripple at Lystra in Acts 14 8, who was healed by Paul. This man was blind from birth. The Greek expression that is used here translates as from the hour of birth and does not occur anywhere else in the New Testament. This man had never seen the sunrise or set. He had never seen his parents' faces. His life had been one of complete darkness from the time that his mother gave birth to him, from the day that he was born blind. This man was condemned to live a life based on other people's charity. In verse 8 of this chapter, we find his neighbors exclaiming, If this same man was not the one who could usually be found sitting and begging, is there anything in our lives that we have been dealing with for an extended period of time that would likewise require a miraculous intervention for change to occur? The disciples who had been walking with Jesus and had recently seen Jesus feed in excess of 5,000 people with two fish and five loaves decided to engage in a theological discussion regarding this man's predicament. The disciples wanted to know if the man being blind from birth was due to the man sinning or his parents' sinning. This way of thinking was based on some beliefs that were commonly held in Jesus' day. Some of the Jews believed that the baby could sin in the womb. Other Jews believe in reincarnation and that blindness would have been punishment for wrongdoings that were committed in a previous life. Additionally, when Moses gave the law to the Jews, God indicated that he would make the children suffer for the parents' sin down to the third and fourth generation. As a result, this man's blindness could have been punishment for some sin that was committed by one of his forefathers. Let us ask God to terminate and remove from our lives and that of our families anything negative that may have come down through our bloodlines right now in the name of Jesus. This intellectual discussion that the disciples were conducting was not doing anything to help the man. Jesus bluntly rejected the approach. Jesus immediately dismissed the fault finding of the disciples. First, Jesus said that the man's blindness, essentially a birth defect, was not caused by some specific sin on the part of the man or his parents. Past sin had nothing to do with the man's present misery. Birth defects and other such tragedies are sometimes due to the sinful behavior of the parents, for example, crack babies. Yet, far more often, as in this case that Jesus is dealing with here, it is due to man's fallen state. Adam's sin set the principle of death and its associated destruction. Jesus then instructed the disciples to change their viewpoint from a hopeless looking for an explanation to a hopeful looking at what God could accomplish. Is there anything counting in our lives that we need to shift our perspective from an intellectual viewpoint to a faith-based mindset? Jesus told these disciples that what was happening there would result in God being glorified. At no point in time had this man been able to see. No one would be able to say that maybe the sight this man lost was only temporary and he was now able to see again. It'd be very clear that only God had been able to accomplish a difference in this man's sight. The man's blindness presented a possibility for God to do something extraordinary. The man's opportunity was simply God's opportunity. What in our lives may seem to be a drawback, but is actually an opening for God to do something phenomenal in our lives. The Bible tells us stories of many persons whose importities provided opportunities for God to do the extraordinary. Among these is the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth. Zechariah was a priest in the temple. Both he and his wife Elizabeth were descendants of Aaron, Moses' brother. The Bible declares that they were both righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commands and decrees blamelessly. However, they had grown old and were childless, as Elizabeth was unable to conceive. One day, when Zechariah was on duty in the temple, an angel appeared to him and told him that God would honor him with a son who would be in the spirit and power of Elijah. Instead of Zechariah rejoicing, he questioned the angel as to whether or not this could actually occur, as both he and his wife were already old. The angel Gabriel then struck Zechariah dumb for his unbelieving stance until such a time as the son would be born. As promised, Elizabeth conceived and stayed in seclusion for five months. Elizabeth stated that the Lord had done this for her. God had shown his favor and taken away her disgrace from among the people. Jesus said that the son that Elizabeth gave birth to, John the Baptist, was the greatest of the prophets. Are we ready to believe that God wants to do the impossible in our lives? Church history also shows us that God is still in the miracle business. George Mueller opened orphanages in Bristol to meet the needs of the children in that area. He determined that he would never beg for money. He would pray and ask God to supply the needs of the orphanages. If what he was doing was truly God's will, then God would ensure that matters worked out. In his lifetime, George Mueller successfully cared for in excess of 10,000 orphans. One day a businessman approached Mueller and told him that he had found it difficult to believe that Mueller was able to take care of so many orphans through prayer alone. This businessman prayed and told God that if Muela's method was true, to allow him to buy a piece of land at a ridiculously low price so that he could donate 100 pounds to the orphanage. On the day of the auction, he put in his bid and to his shock, he was awarded the property. He not only gave Mueller the 100 pounds, but he amended his will to leave 1,000 pounds to the orphanage as well. God let this businessman see that our God is a prayer hearing and answering God. Let's reflect on the truth that the God we serve is not bound by the laws of logic and rationality. After directing the disciples to focus on the blind man's need in the light of God's ability to do the impossible, Jesus pivots to a duty as God's creations. In John 9, verse 4, Jesus unequivocally affirms that as long as we have bread in our bodies, you must focus on doing God's work. The plural we that Jesus uses here included the disciples and extends to the church today. We, all of us, must do godly work while we can. This brings us to a second truth, which is that we must diligently do God's work on a daily basis. Let's reflect on how we implement this command to do God's work on a day-to-day basis. The Greek word that is translated here as must has a connotation of necessity established by the counsel and decree of God. This word implies a divine imperative, a calling by God to do his work. It is the same word that Jesus uses in Matthew 20 to explain to the disciples that he must suffer, be crucified, and rise again. It is the same word that Jesus uses in John 4 when he said he must go through Samaria to encounter the woman at the well. It is the same word that Jesus uses in Luke 19 when he tells Zacchaeus that he must dine at his house. Additionally, Jesus articulated an urgency to do God's work while it was still day. Jesus understood that opportunities for service and doing good do not last forever. Are we focused on ensuring that our day-to-day activities optimally glorify God? In verse 5, Jesus went on to state, So long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. There are seven I am statements of Jesus in the book of John. This is the second of the seven. I am the light of the world. Light travels at about 186,282 miles per second. According to Albert Einstein, nothing in the universe can travel faster than light. As a result, Einstein determined that the speed of light is the only constant by which we can measure space, time, or physical mass? Jesus is the light that controls everything in the universe. Furthermore, darkness disappears once light shows up. Has the true light of the world, Jesus, entered our lives and banished our darkness? Jesus said that so long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. He did not mean that the time of his life and work were limited, but that our opportunity of laying hold on Jesus is constrained. There comes to every man a chance to accept Jesus as Savior, Master, and Lord. Starbuck, in his book The Psychology of Religion, has some interesting and warning statistics about the age at which conversion normally occurs. It can occur as early as seven or eight. It increases gradually to the age of ten or eleven. It increases rapidly to the age of sixteen. It declines steeply up to the age of twenty. And after thirty, it is very rare. It is not that the power of Jesus grows less or that his light grows dim. It is that if we put off the great decision, we become ever less able to take it as the years go on. Work must be done. Decisions must be taken while it is day before the night comes down. God is always saying to us, now is the time. There is in Glasgow a sundial with the motto, take thought of time before time is ended. The Christian's duty is to fill the time he has, and no man knows how much that will be by doing God's work. Are we bringing the necessary sense of urgency to how we go about doing God's work? All throughout the New Testament, emphasis is placed on the need to serve God now. The apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthians, told them that now is the time of God's favor. Now is the day of salvation. When Paul was a prisoner appearing before Governor Felix, the Apostle Paul told Felix that someday Felix would have to appear before Jesus to give account for his life here on earth. The book of Acts informs us that Governor Felix became afraid, asked Paul to stop talking, and sent Paul away. Felix assured Paul that he would check back with him at some more convenient time. The Bible never tells us that Felix found a more convenient time to serve the Lord. While we have bread in our lungs and the blood runs warm in our veins, are we giving to God the service that He deserves? Church history lets us know that just as the Bible documents, that having given God the best of our lives, we have a hope beyond the grave. Those of us who confess Jesus as Lord and believe in our hearts that He is the Son of God will spend eternity with Jesus and those who have gone on before. Lotti Moon speaks of the death of a friend and fellow missionary, Jesse Broadman Hartwell. Pastor Jesse had first come to China as a missionary in 1857. He then spent 35 years serving as a missionary in China. An unusual event accompanied his death. In the hours before he passed away, Pastor Jesse went into a deep coma. From within this coma, Jesse started calling out the names of local Chinese Christians who had already died as though seeing them from a distance. Everyone was heartened by this occurrence. Surely they assured themselves, Pastor Jesse was catching a glimpse of heaven. This idea was dismissed, however, when he called out the name of a local deacon who had recently traveled to South China as a missionary. Since everyone knew this man was alive, the onlookers then decided that Pastor Jesse's talk was merely the hallucinations of a dying man. Pastor Jesse died shortly afterwards. At his funeral, a man who had traveled from South China informed the attendees that the deacon whose name Pastor Jesse had called out had died unexpectedly about the same time that Pastor Jesse called his name. On his deathbed, Pastor Jesse was indeed catching a glimpse of heaven and those who had gone on before him. Are we living so that we can make heaven our home for eternity? Having admonished the disciples about the need to refrain from empty discussions and actually engage in doing God's work as mankind's time here on earth is finite, Jesus then went about putting his words into actions. This brings us to our third truth: that we must unconditionally obey God so that the extraordinary can take place in our lives. In verse 6, Jesus spat on the ground, mixed the saliva with the dirt, and made a clay mass which he placed over the eyes of the blind man. So Jesus was doing a work of creation with dust and clay for this man. The man, blind from birth, had never enjoyed sight. Instead, Jesus was preparing to create sight from nothing, just as God created the world from nothing. What do we need God to create out of nothing in our lives today? What seems so strange to us today, using saliva as a medicine upon the eyes was not considered unusual in the ancient world. At that time, it was believed that spittle, especially if it was from some distinguished person, had some form of healing power. Jesus, being a wise physician, used the methods of the day as those people would have been at ease with that methodology. This was not the only time in the Bible that Jesus used spittle. In Mark 7, 33 to 35, Jesus used spittle to loosen the tongue of the deaf and stammering man. Also in Mark 8, 22 to 26, Jesus spat on a blind man's eyes, laid hands on him, and his sight was restored. Are we ready for Jesus to take the necessary steps so that we can be healed? Up to this point in time, Jesus had taken all of the initiative. Jesus was the one who approached the blind man. Now in verse 7, the blind man received instructions. This man was instructed by Jesus to go to the pool of Siloem and watch. What was this pool of Siloem that the man had to make his way to? Approximately 700 years before Jesus came, Hezekiah, king of Judah, built the conduit that supplied the pool of Siloam with water. Hezekiah realized that Sennacherib, king of Assyria, was marching on Jerusalem to wage war and place Jerusalem on the siege. If Jerusalem were to run out of water, Sennacherib would be able to easily conquer Jerusalem. So Hezekiah took steps to prevent such a disaster. Let's reflect on our need for the living word of the Holy Spirit to be welling up in our lives so that the enemy of our souls cannot conquer us. Hezekiah had his engineers cut through solid rock to bring the water from the spring Gion into the city. This was one of the greatest engineering feats of the ancient world. The conduit runs approximately 2,000 feet through solid rock. In some places, the tunnel is only two feet wide. On average, it is about six feet in height. The engineers started cutting from both ends and met in the middle. The pool of siloem is a reservoir inside the city that exists at the end of this tunnel. Originally, the pool of siloem was about 53 feet long, 18 feet wide, and 19 feet deep. This pool was part hewn rock and part masonry. When Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians around 600 BC, the pool was destroyed. After the exile ended, some 70 years later, when Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, he also repaired the pool of Siloem. The pool of Siloem still exists today. It is located in the southern part of the city of David in Jerusalem. It is an archaeological site that is currently being excavated. As the water in the pool of Siloem came from a spring, it was referred to as living water. During the Feast of Tabernacles, water from this pool was poured over the great altar in the temple to symbolize the outpouring of the Spirit in the latter days. Is the Holy Spirit the living water that Jesus spoke of similarly being poured out in our lives? The Apostle John notes asylum meant sent. The Greek word that is used here for sent comes from the same root word as apostle. Here the blind man is being sent to the pool where the water has been sent through the conduits by the one who was sent from the Father, Jesus. The Great Commission states that we must go and make disciples of all nations. Are we fulfilling that commission in our lives today? This blind man had to respond with faithful actions, otherwise, his healing would not occur. You must note that Jesus did not even promise a blind man that he would receive his sight. He just told him to go to the pool of Siloem and wash. This blind man had to stop gathering money by begging in his regular spot and do something different. As a blind man, he then had to find his way to the pool of Siloam and down its steps to the pool itself. He likely could think of a dozen reasons why this was a fool's errand. However, the man was obedient to the word of Jesus and made his way to the pool of Siloem where he washed the clay from his eyes. Verse 7 tells us that this blind man went and washed and came back seeing. Are we prepared to step away from our daily routines and do things differently so that God can do the extraordinary in our lives? The fact that this man was born blind makes a miracle incredibly remarkable. If his blindness had occurred more recently, healing might seem possible. However, as this once blind man points out in verse 32, since the world began, no one had ever opened the eyes of one who was born blind. This is the first time in the Bible that a person born blind was able to see. From Genesis to John, no prophet, priest, or apostle ever gave sight to eyes born blind. Furthermore, scholars tell us there is more than just his eyes that will heal. The brain of a man who has been blind from birth does not know how to process optical information. Neurologists state that it can take a very long time for the brain to function normally and understand what the visual information that it is being presented with entails. Jesus gave this man instantaneously the mental acuity to understand the images that the brain was now processing via his eyes. This man's obedience to Jesus' commands led to him receiving his sight. Today, let us ask God to open the eyes of our heart so that we may see him. The Bible lets us know that God habitually does the impossible in the lives of those who are in need. 2 Kings 4 tells the story of one of the widows of the prophets. Subsequent to her husband's death, the creditors were coming to take her two sons as slaves to settle his debt. She cried out to the prophet Elijah, who asked her what she had in her possession. She stated that all she had was a small jar of olive oil. Elijah told her to go around and ask all the neighbors for their empty jars. She was to obtain as many jars as she could. She was then to go inside with her two sons, shut the door, and pour from the small jar of olive oil into these containers. As they filled, she was to set them to the side. The woman listened to Elijah and sent her sons to collect the jars. As they brought the jars, she kept pouring. Eventually her sons told her there were no more jars left to borrow. Then the oil stopped flowing. The widow went back to Elijah, who told her to sell the oil to pedadets. Whatever was left was for her and her sons to live on. The widow faithfully obeyed the instructions of God and received a miracle in her life. Are we prepared to step out on faith so that God can do the extraordinary in our lives? Christian history shows us that God is still in the miracle business. Betty Green flew planes to transport missionaries in Peru. She was the first woman to pilot a plane across the Andes. One day, the plane that she was regularly flying developed a noise in the engine. Her colleague decided to work on it. Unexpectedly, he had to travel to Lima for a family emergency. He told Betty not to fly the plane unless she absolutely had to, as he was not finished working on it. She had no intention of flying the plane, but one day she received an urgent call. On June 15, 1947, the commandant of the military base told her that two of his men had left on what should have been a short flight, but they had not returned. The commandant believed that these men must have crashed in the jungle. He wanted Betty to fly him over the jungle in the hope of spotting where they might have crashed. When Betty thought of the men lying injured in the jungle, she knew she had to take the risks of flying the plane. Unfortunately, during this reconnaissance flight, the plane engine quit. There was perfect silence. Betty tried to start the engine several times, but nothing happened. The plane was losing altitude fast. In less than a minute they would hit the ground. Betty said a quick prayer and tried the engine one more time. It roared to life and she was able to climb 20 feet before it went dead again. She then piloted the plane to a stretch in the river where she could land the plane safely. The passengers asked her how she remained so calm. She informed them that God was with them and had brought them to a safe landing. When the engineer returned, he stated that there was no way that the engine should have started again to give Betty the few seconds of power she needed to land safely. Betty prayed, believed, and God came true for her. Let's pray and ask God to do the impossible in our lives. We started by asking if we are optimizing our time here on earth for God's glory. This passage reveals three important truths that must be implemented in our lives if we are to be on mission with God on a day-to-day basis. One, we must refrain from unproductive intellectual discussions and focus on God's power. Two, we must diligently do God's work on a daily basis. Three, we must unconditionally obey God so that the extraordinary can take place in our lives. Let us commit to refraining from indulging in non-productive intellectual discourse and instead focus on God's power and abilities. Our time here on earth is limited. While we have breath in our bodies, let us give all to God's work so that we can be mightily use of God. Let us expect the impossible in our lives as we consistently step out by faith on God's word. Before you go, if this message spoke to you, like this podcast and subscribe so you don't miss what God is doing here at Catch on Fire Podcasts. If you are ready for real change, take a moment right now to pray with me. Jesus, I give you my life. Lead me, forgive me, and make me new. If you pray that, welcome to the family. Follow along, stay connected, and let's walk this walk together. Please join me as we confess words of life over all of our lives. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we are still holding on to God's unchanging hand. We are still in God's holy plan. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we are living holy lives as God requires. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we are feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, giving clothes to those in need, ministering to the sick and visiting those in prison, and we are doing so to the least of those among us, as when we do so we are ministering to Jesus. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we have received healing, as by his stripes we are healed. From the crown of our head to the soles of our feet, all of our bodily organs are working correctly. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that God is ordering our steps, that all weapons that are formed against us have been utterly and completely destroyed, and every tongue that is rising against us in judgment is condemned. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that all generational curses are cancelled. Anything that runs in our ancestral bloodline that is not of God has no power over us, our children and our grandchildren, and is eliminated forever right now. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that angels are watching over us. Keeping our family, our children, our grandchildren, our loved ones safe. We declare in the queen the name of Jesus that every negative word that has been and is being spoken over our lives and that of our family, children, grandchildren, and loved ones is cancelled and sent back to the pit from whence it came. We declare in the Queen the name of Jesus that we are the head and not the tail. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we are not and will never be ashamed. Our enemies have not and never will triumph over us. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that anything that is not of God, that has been dispatched to hinder our blessings, our progress, and our well-being is immediately destroyed. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we are financially in line with God's word, and as such we are lenders and not borrowers. As a result, all of our debts have been paid and are forgiven. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that the enemy of our souls has no authority over our finances and our funds, and that we are good stewards of the money that God has placed in our keeping. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that in the area of business and our carriers, that just as Isaac reaped a hundredfold, the blessings of Abraham are falling on us, and we are reaping a hundredfold from whatever we put our hands to. We declare and decree in the name of Jesus that we are living under an open heaven in every area of our lives. Blessings are falling on us, our family and our loved ones. These blessings are being manifested in our lives, in the spiritual and in the physical. Let's repeat the 23rd Psalm together. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restored my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. Amen.