Page 103 - Gospel of John_teachers lesson_cp 1-10_Neat

John 9:6- When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay
of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
John 9:7- And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by
interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came
seeing.

Lesson Notes:

(John 9:6-7) – Finished with the explanation, the mechanics of the miracle are demonstrated,
the Messiah makes clay from the life water (spittle) in Him mixing with earth dust used to form
the first man. The substance is used as ointment to smear upon the eyes of the man. The blind
son is instructed to wash the substance away in the public pool just outside of Jerusalem know
as Siloam (Shiloah). The pool was located on the southern boundary of the renovated Temple
City expanded and re-shaped by the Herodian Empire less than 40 years before the birth of
Christ. The public pool was largely used by Jewish travelers making their journey to the
Jerusalem to wash themselves before making the final ascent up the long, wide path that led
directly to the temple.
The name of the pool adds some context to the encounter because it means “sent” likely
because the pool was not private pool with secured access but open to the public for the
arriving wayfarers in need of accommodations. The public access to the pool could be symbolic
of the Messiah illuminating the truth and making it accessible to the general public.
Sending the son to the Siloam pool would also broaden the visibility of the miracle because
there would likely be many Jews entering the city for the Holy Feast, stopping first at the pool
to wash in the public facility.
The son is required to leave the temple courtyard and walking away from the influence of
religion to yield the results of his miracle. Blindly making the trek back to a pool where his
journey likely started in order to find his sight. The journey to the pool nearly a half mile away
would require great faith.

He washed in the pool used by worshippers preparing to enter the temple, the cleansing ritual
was literally used to give him his sight. Preparation for worship should empower those seeking
God to see Him, opening the eyes of the spiritually blind to see in the same manner that a blind
man was empowered to see.
The unknown man left the temple city blind and returned fully able to see God and His creation
for the first time.

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