The Sixth Sign of Isa
Recap: You already know that the Quran shows us that:
- Isa was born of a virgin
- Isa performed miracles
- Isa was not killed
- Isa was taken alive to Allah
- Isa will return on Judgement Day
No other prophet in Islam is described this way.
Now you also know:
- Isa can create
- Isa’s word has authority over sickness
- Isa can restore strength to the helpless
- Isa can provide bread for a great crowd
- Isa has authority even over the forces of nature
In the Injil, John records a series of carefully chosen signs. These are not simply miracles to amaze people. Each sign reveals something deeper about who Isa is and invites the reader to respond.
In this sixth sign, Isa meets a man who has been blind from birth.
The disciples immediately ask a question about blame: whose sin caused this condition?
But Isa shifts the focus away from blame and toward the works of Allah being displayed.
Isa then does something startling. He puts mud on the man’s eyes, tells him to wash, and the man comes back seeing.
What follows is not only a healing, but a growing conflict about spiritual sight and spiritual blindness.
This sign raises a deeper question:
Is Isa only giving physical sight, or is he revealing that he himself is the light for those who cannot truly see?
Read the Scripture below:
John 9:1-12
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.
His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Isa, “but this happened so that the works of Allah might be displayed in him.
As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.
While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.
“Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
His neighbours and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?”
Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”
But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”
“How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.
He replied, “The man they call Isa made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
“Where is this man?” they asked him.
“I don’t know,” he said.
Observation first — What does the Scripture say?
Before drawing conclusions, we first carefully observe what the text actually says.
What is happening in the story?
- Isa sees a man who has been blind from birth.
- The disciples ask whether the blindness was caused by sin.
- Isa rejects that assumption and says the works of Allah will be displayed.
- Isa says, “I am the light of the world.”
- He makes mud, places it on the man’s eyes, and tells him to wash in Siloam.
- The man obeys, washes, and returns seeing.
- People who knew him are shocked and confused.
- The healed man testifies simply that Isa healed him.
Important details to notice
- The man was not recently blinded; he was blind from birth.
- The disciples begin with a question about blame.
- Isa redirects the conversation toward the works of Allah.
- Isa openly says, “I am the light of the world.”
- The healing includes both Isa’s action and the man’s response of obedience.
- The sign quickly becomes public and controversial.
Interpretation second: — Is there something we can learn about Isa?
Now we ask: what might this sign reveal about Isa?
Light for those who cannot see
This sign is about more than eyesight.
Isa does heal the man physically, but he also explains the meaning of the sign with his own words:
“I am the light of the world.”
The miracle points beyond itself. Isa is not only opening blind eyes. He is presenting himself as the one who brings true light.
From blame to the works of Allah
The disciples ask who sinned. They assume suffering must be explained by direct blame.
Isa refuses that simple formula here and shifts attention to something else:
the works of Allah being displayed.
That does not answer every question about suffering, but it does show that Isa sees this man as more than a problem to explain. He sees him as someone through whom Allah’s work can be revealed.
A sign that exposes spiritual blindness
As John 9 continues, the man who was blind begins to see more and more clearly who Isa is.
At the same time, many of the religious leaders become more resistant and more hostile.
This means the chapter is not only about physical blindness. It is also about spiritual blindness.
Those who seem most certain that they can see may actually be the ones missing what Allah is showing them.
The light of the world
Isa does not leave the reader to guess the meaning.
In the middle of the story he says:
John 9:5
“While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
This raises a deeper question:
if Isa is truly the light of the world, what does that mean for those living in darkness, confusion, or unbelief?
Implication last: What might this mean for you?
You have now read the Scripture and considered what this sign might reveal about Isa.
Take a moment to reflect personally.
- What stands out to you most in this story?
- Why do you think the disciples first asked about sin and blame?
- What does Isa’s answer reveal about the way he sees this man?
- Why do you think Isa calls himself “the light of the world” in this moment?
- How can a person have physical sight and still remain spiritually blind?
- If Isa truly brings light, what might that mean for you?
Continuing the Journey
This was the sixth sign recorded by John.
Each sign reveals something deeper about Isa and invites us to consider who he really is.
⬅︎ Previous Sign: The Fifth Sign — Walking on the Water
➡ Next Sign: The Seventh Sign — Raising Lazarus
↩︎ Return to: John’s Road — Seven Signs of Isa
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