The next two I AM statements occur in the same dialog in John 10, “I am the Gate for the Sheep (John 10:7) and “I am the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11, 14). But let’s begin in John 9, for chapters9 and the first half of chapter 10 occur together.

John chapter 8 took place in the fall (October 32 AD) at the Feast of Tabernacles, six months before Jesus’ crucifixion. John 10:22 takes place in the winter at the Feast of Dedication, or what is more commonly referred to as Hanukkah today. So the setting is sometime between these two feasts (mid October to early December 32 AD).

(John 9:1-5) Jesus and his disciples walk past a beggar, blind from birth. Based on their understanding of Exodus 20:5, that the consequences of a man’s sin can be passed down several generations, the disciples ask Jesus who was at fault for this man’s condition. The disciples viewed his pitiful condition as divine retribution. But Jesus saw it as an opportunity awaiting His divine grace and pleasure. “Neither,” came His reply. “He was born that way to experience something truly marvelous and miraculous”. He reminds the disciples of his earlier claim that “I am the Light of the World” and then he gives new sight to the blind man. He spits in the dust, and makes mud (as God had fashioned Adam from the ground). Perhaps the sound of spitting was to clue the blind man in as to what was happening. He applies the mud to the man’s eyes and instructs him to go wash in the pool of Siloam, which John parenthetically tells us meant “Sent” (ἀποστέλλω
(Strongs #649) – the verb form of the word for Apostle – as sent out ones). How fitting that the One Sent sends the man to the pool named Sent to get healed! Notice the man’s response. “So he went and washed and came back seeing.” (John 9:6-7) The man exhibited faith in his obedience, accepting the gift that Jesus now offered him. He could have chosen to disbelieve and done nothing and remained blind. And notice what he does next. He doesn’t run and tell his friends and family, he returns to Jesus, no doubt to thank Him and to worship. But apparently Jesus was gone when he returned (John 9:8-12).

The neighbors and men were so astounded that they at first didn’t believe it was the same beggar they knew to be blind from birth. When they heard that it was Jesus who had done this, they took the man to the Pharisees, perhaps to question if this Jesus wasn’t in fact the long awaited Messiah. Then John gives us another clue as to the angst of the Pharisees towards Jesus. They were already seeking to kill him because He had healed the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath. John tells us in John 9:13, “Oh, oh, here we go again with another Sabbath healing.” There bent out of shape. They grill the man, then they grill his parents, determined to get to the bottom of this obvious magic trick. Then they grill the man some more. You gotta love his response. He sticks to the facts he has witnessed in his testimony. When they tell him to give the glory to God for Jesus is obviously a sinner, the man responds, “I’m not sure of that, after all He healed me, a man born blind!” (John 9:24-25). As they continue to push him, he really let’s them have it. “Why do you keep asking me these questions? Do you want to become His disciple too?” That was the wrong thing to say to them and they revile him and belittle him and then excommunicate him. The pride of the Pharisees is heard loud and strong as they disparage the beggar, “How dare you teach us, you sinner!” (John 9:28-34)

After hearing the man had been cast out of the temple, Jesus in His compassion seeks the man out. He assures the man that he is not spiritually lost. In fact, he has not only received physical sight, but also glorious new spiritual insight! The man responds, as we must too who have new life in Christ, in worship. (John 9:35-38). It’s not about religion. It’s not about behavior. It’s all about a relationship!