92. John 9:1-5 – Not All Illnesses Are the Result of Sin
Not All Illnesses Are the Result of Sin
John 9:1–5
Scripture Text
1. As He went along, He saw a man blind from birth.
2. His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3. Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
4. “As long as it is day, we must do the works of Him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work.”
5. “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Common Explanations of Sin
The disciples’ question sounds logical. They see suffering and immediately look for a cause. In their thinking, there were only two acceptable explanations:
• the parents are guilty — God punished the family;
• the man himself is guilty — even if the sin happened before birth.
This is not cruelty, but limited theology. Suffering demanded an explanation, and the simplest one was guilt.
This way of thinking still exists today:
• “He must have done something wrong.”
• “God is probably punishing him.”
• “Things like this don’t happen without a reason.”
Jesus’ Answer Breaks the Entire System
Jesus does not choose between the two options. He rejects both:
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned…”
This is crucial. Jesus does not clarify who is guilty, because there is no guilty party here.
He removes the very logic: illness = punishment.
Not “Why?”, but “For What Purpose?”
Jesus does not answer the question “Why did this happen?” InsteadInstead, He answers a different one — “For what purpose is God acting in this situation now?”:
“…but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
This does not mean that God made the man blind. It means that God does not abandon a person in their condition.
Jesus shifts the focus:
• from the past to the present;
• from searching for a cause to God’s action;
• from accusation to hope.
Jesus Often Answers Different Questions Than the Ones We Ask
We search for answers to questions like:
• “Why did God allow this?”
• “Why did this happen to me?”
• “What did I do wrong?”
But Jesus answers the questions we need most:
• “You are not rejected.”
• “You are not being punished.”
• “God is near.”
He does not always explain events, but He always reveals the character of God.
The Sovereignty of Christ
God’s sovereignty means that:
• God is greater than our understanding;
• we are free to seek answers;
• but God is not obligated to explain everything to us.
The Bible acknowledges this honestly.
Job lived for a long time in complete confusion. He asked questions, argued, suffered — and never received an answer to “why.”
But he received an encounter with God.
God’s sovereignty is not cruelty; it is a reminder that God does not fit into our systems.
Jesus Is the Light of the World
Jesus concludes this passage by saying:
“While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
We cannot understand every event in this world. We cannot explain every pain. But we can keep our focus on what matters most — on Christ Himself.
Conclusion
• Not all illnesses are the result of sin.
• Not all suffering is punishment.
• Not every question receives an explanation.
• But every person needs Christ.
Jesus did not come to look for the guilty. He came to reveal the works of God.