Chapter 9 records the healing of the blind man, which is the sixth of the seven special miracles recorded in John's Gospel as witnesses to the deity of Christ. The first three show how a person is saved--through the Word (water to wine); by faith (nobleman's son); and by grace (important man). The last three show the results of salvation--peace (stilling the storm); light (healing the blind man); and life (raising Lazarus). The feeding of the 5,000 shows that the Gospel is given to a world as men cooperate with Christ.
The blind man is a picture of the lost sinner. The sinner is blind, a poor beggar seeking for something to satisfy. As Jesus came to the blind man, He came to him in grace. He could have passed him by, for it was the Sabbath and according to the Law, He was supposed to rest. While the disciples argued about the cause of the blindness, Jesus did something for the man! What a picture of some Christians and preachers today who major on the minors, while saying very little about the saving grace of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Satan has many Christians quibbling over little things, while spending very little time in real Bible study and prayer. Satan's work against Christians is to have them major on insignificant matters, without the power of God upon their lives.
In chapter 10 Jesus is presented as the Shepherd. He is contrasted with the thieves and robbers who would kill and destroy the sheep. We see Him as the great Protector and Saviour of the sheep. People who have been born-again are often referred to as sheep by the Lord. In verse 14 Jesus said He was the Good Shepherd and knew His sheep and was known of His. What a tremendous verse! We who are born-again and know Christ as our Saviour are known of Him. In verse 15 we are told that Jesus lays down His life for us who are His sheep. We see the power of our Good Shepherd in verse 18, when Jesus says that no man can take His life from Him, but He and He only has the power to lay down His life or to take it up again.
Finally, let us notice the security of the sheep who are in the fold of Jesus. He says that He gives unto us eternal life, and we shall never perish. What a wonderful assurance of God's saving and keeping power. He said no man could pluck them out of His hand because the heavenly Father gave them to Him and He is greater than all. This is a wonderful verse, the security of the believer. I thank God that He not only saves, but He keeps us saved. I Peter 1:5 says we are kept by the power of God. God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son to provide salvation and then, through the power of His mighty hand, keeps us secure from the fall.
