Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened his eyesThis phrase refers to the miracle where Jesus healed a man born blind by making mud with His saliva and applying it to the man's eyes. This act of healing is significant as it demonstrates Jesus' authority over physical ailments and His power to restore sight, both physically and spiritually. The use of mud can be seen as a symbolic act, reminiscent of God's creation of man from the dust of the ground in
Genesis 2:7, highlighting Jesus' divine nature and creative power. This miracle is one of the signs in the Gospel of John that reveal Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God.
was a Sabbath.
The mention of the Sabbath is crucial in understanding the conflict between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders. The Sabbath, a day of rest and worship, was strictly observed by the Jews, based on the commandment inExodus 20:8-11. By performing this miracle on the Sabbath, Jesus challenges the Pharisees' legalistic interpretation of the law, emphasizing the spirit of the law over its letter. This act highlights Jesus' authority over the Sabbath, as He declares inMark 2:27-28 that "the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." The healing on the Sabbath also foreshadows the new covenant, where Jesus fulfills the law and offers rest and restoration to all who believe in Him.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
JesusThe central figure in this passage, who performs the miracle of healing the blind man.
2.
The Blind ManA man who was blind from birth and received his sight through Jesus' miraculous intervention.
3.
The SabbathA day of rest and worship in Jewish tradition, which is significant in this passage as it highlights the tension between Jesus' actions and the Pharisaic interpretation of the law.
4.
PhariseesJewish religious leaders who are often depicted as opposing Jesus, particularly in matters of law and tradition.
5.
JerusalemWhile not explicitly mentioned in this verse, it is the broader setting for many of Jesus' interactions with the Pharisees.
Teaching Points
Understanding the SabbathThe Sabbath is a gift from God meant for rest and worship, not a burden of legalistic restrictions. Jesus demonstrates that acts of mercy and healing align with God's intentions for the Sabbath.
Jesus' AuthorityJesus' actions on the Sabbath reveal His authority over religious traditions and His identity as the Son of God. Believers are called to recognize and submit to His authority in all areas of life.
Compassion Over LegalismJesus prioritizes compassion and human need over rigid adherence to rules. Christians are encouraged to follow His example by showing love and mercy, even when it challenges traditional norms.
Faith and ObedienceThe blind man's healing required faith and obedience to Jesus' instructions. Believers are reminded that faith often involves trusting and acting on Jesus' words, even when it defies conventional expectations.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of John 9:14?
2.How does John 9:14 illustrate the conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees?
3.Why is the Sabbath significant in understanding John 9:14's context?
4.How can we prioritize compassion over legalism, as seen in John 9:14?
5.What other scriptures show Jesus healing on the Sabbath, like John 9:14?
6.How can we apply Jesus' example in John 9:14 to modern-day challenges?
7.Why did Jesus heal on the Sabbath in John 9:14, defying Jewish law?
8.How does John 9:14 challenge traditional interpretations of Sabbath observance?
9.What does John 9:14 reveal about Jesus' authority over religious laws?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from John 9?
11.Did Herod think that Jesus was John the Baptist? Yes (Matthew 14:2; Mark 6:16) No (Luke 9:9)
12.John 14:9 - How can Jesus say 'whoever has seen me has seen the Father' and still be separate from God, especially given other Scriptures that distinguish the Father from the Son?
13.In John 9:13-16, why would the Pharisees react so harshly if this account were verifiable?
14.How is Jesus both fully God and fully man?What Does John 9:14 Mean
Now• The word signals a real, historical moment that follows directly after “As He went along, He saw a man blind from birth” (John 9:1).
• It reminds us that the narrative is unfolding in time, underscoring God’s ongoing work—“My Father is working still, and I too am working” (John 5:17).
• By anchoring the miracle in the present tense of the story, John invites us to watch Jesus act with purposeful immediacy, just as He did when He “reached out His hand and touched” the leper without delay (Mark 1:41-42).
The day on which• John highlights a specific calendar day, preparing us for the controversy that will follow.
• Other healings are marked this way—“At once the man was healed… Now that day was the Sabbath” (John 5:9).
• The phrase reminds us that God’s timing is never random; “When the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son” (Galatians 4:4).
Jesus had made the mud• Earlier, “He spit on the ground, made some mud, and applied it to the man’s eyes” (John 9:6).
• Forming something from earth recalls creation, when “the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground” (Genesis 2:7).
• The physical action shows that the Lord of creation can use the simplest material—much like He used five loaves and two fish (John 6:9-13).
• It also underscores personal involvement; Jesus does not heal from a distance here, but stoops to touch, echoing the intimate methods seen inMark 7:33-35.
and opened his eyes• The result is unmistakable: a man born blind now sees (John 9:7).
• Isaiah foretold, “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened” (Isaiah 35:5); Jesus fulfills that promise.
• Physical sight points to spiritual light—“I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness” (John 8:12).
• This miracle illustrates the gospel mandate: “Go and report… the blind receive sight” (Luke 7:22).
was a Sabbath• The Sabbath command is clear: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8-11).
• Religious leaders defined healing as work, sparking conflict: “This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath” (John 9:16).
• Jesus consistently places mercy above man-made restrictions—“It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:12).
• He also claims authority: “The Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:28).
• By healing on this day, He reveals the true intent of the Sabbath: rest in God’s restorative grace, mirrored in the man’s newfound rest from blindness.
summaryJohn 9:14 emphasizes timing more than technique. It records an actual day when Jesus crafted mud, restored sight, and did so on the Sabbath. Each detail—“now,” “the day,” “made the mud,” “opened his eyes,” and “was a Sabbath”—builds a composite picture: the Creator steps into time, uses earth’s simplest elements, brings promised healing, and demonstrates that the Sabbath ultimately celebrates His redemptive work.
(14)
And it was the sabbath day--
i.e., most probably, the last day, that great day of the feast of
John 7:37. Nothing has taken place which makes it necessary to suppose any interval, and though the discourses seem long, they would have occupied but a short time in delivery. The whole narrative follows in unbroken order, which makes it difficult to suppose that a week intervened.
When Jesus made the clay.--This is mentioned as a servile work which contravened the Sabbath law. The anointing the eyes with spittle on the Sabbath was specially forbidden by the decrees of the Rabbis. They held that no work of healing might be performed on the Sabbath except in cases of immediate danger.
On the question of our Lord's relation to the Sabbath day, comp. Notes onJohn 5:16et seq., and onMatthew 12:10;Luke 13:11-16;Luke 14:1-5. . . .
Verse 14. -
Now it was sabbath on the daythat Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. The phrase is peculiar, and implies that the day may have been a festival sabbath. The introduction here shows that the difficulty of the neighbors and other friends had already been raised, and something more than a desire on their part for religious guidance actuated their appeal to the Pharisees. Why should the healed man be taken to the Pharisees, or the synagogue-court at all, unless some question of casuistry had been raised? The movement was one unquestionably adverse to Jesus. It could have had no other motive. Nor can any doubt arise that Jesus had violated the rabbinical rules of the sabbath, though his act had been in perfect harmony with the spirit and even letter of the Mosaic Law. The making of clay with the spittle and the sand was an infringement of the rule ('Shabbath,' 24:3). It was curiously laid down in one of the vexatious interpretations (preserved in Jerusalem Gemara on 'Shabbath,' 14) that while "
wine could by way of remedy be applied to the eyelid, on the ground that this might be treated as washing, it was sinful to apply it to the inside of the eye" (Edersheim). And it was positively forbidden (in the same Gemara) to apply saliva to the eyelid, because this would be the application of a remedy. All medicinal appliances, unless in cases of danger to life or limb, were likewise forbidden. Consequently, the Lord had broken with the traditional glosses on the Law in more ways than one (see Winer, 'Bibl. Realw.,' 2:346; Lightfoot, ' Ad Joan. 9; 'Wetstein on
Matthew 12:9; Wunsche,
in loc.).
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
Nowδὲ(de)Conjunction
Strong's 1161:A primary particle; but, and, etc.[the] dayἡμέρᾳ(hēmera)Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2250:A day, the period from sunrise to sunset.onἐν(en)Preposition
Strong's 1722:In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.whichᾗ(hē)Personal / Relative Pronoun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3739:Who, which, what, that.JesusἸησοῦς(Iēsous)Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424:Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites.had madeἐποίησεν(epoiēsen)Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4160:(a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.theτὸν(ton)Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.mudπηλὸν(pēlon)Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4081:Clay, mud. Perhaps a primary word; clay.andκαὶ(kai)Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.openedἀνέῳξεν(aneōxen)Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 455:To open. From ana and oigo; to open up.hisαὐτοῦ(autou)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846:He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.eyesὀφθαλμούς(ophthalmous)Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3788:The eye; fig: the mind's eye. From optanomai; the eye; by implication, vision; figuratively, envy.wasἦν(ēn)Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510:I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.a Sabbath.σάββατον(sabbaton)Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4521:The Sabbath, a week.
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NT Gospels: John 9:14 It was a Sabbath when Jesus made (Jhn Jo Jn) 
