Jesus healed a man who was born blind. The Pharisees questioned this man and cast him out of the synagogue because the man refused to condemn Jesus as a sinner for healing on the Sabbath. The Savior sought out the man, and the man worshipped Jesus as the Son of God. This lesson can help you understand how remaining true to what you know about the Savior, even in adversity, can strengthen your testimony of Him.
Pausing videos to discuss. Videos can be paused at strategic moments to ask questions, provide context, or invite student inquiry. When preparing to teach with a video, consider places you might pause to engage students with what the video is teaching.
Student preparation: Invite students to think about times when they have remained true to what they know and believe about Jesus Christ in the face of opposition.
Possible Learning Activities
Remaining true to Jesus Christ
Consider re-creating in class the scenario below with roses or other objects.
Imagine you were given a box with a yellow rose in it.
How would you respond if others who could not see the rose in the box told you it was pink?
Sometimes we may come across individuals or ideas that contradict our knowledge and testimonies of Jesus Christ. Even when the Spirit has testified truths about Jesus Christ to us, others may try to refute those truths.
Some students may have experiences they could share about times they faced opposition to what they know about Jesus Christ. Students could share what they thought of during the student preparation activity. If needed, consider sharing the example of Joseph Smith in Joseph Smith—History 1:21–26 or a personal experience.
Are you facing any opposition in your efforts to remain true to what you know about Jesus Christ?
If so, what impact is this having on your life?
Consider writing the following truth on the board so that students can remember it as they study John 9 .
In John 9 you will learn about a blind man whom the Lord healed. One of the principles we can learn from this man’s example is that as we remain true to what we know about Jesus Christ even when we face opposition, our testimonies of Him will be strengthened. Look for evidence of this principle as you study the account in John 9.
Read John 9:1–12, looking for what the blind man learned about Jesus. You may also want to watch the first portion of the video “Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind” from time code 0:00 to 4:01 and follow along in your scriptures. This video is available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
At this point, what does this man know about Jesus?
After the blind man was healed, some people disputed whether he was really the man who had been born blind, while others wondered how he had been healed. He was brought before the Pharisees, who were upset because the miracle was performed on the Sabbath. They began to question the man. The Pharisees also questioned his parents, but his parents refused to answer the Pharisees, because they feared being cast out of the synagogue if they supported Jesus. The Pharisees again questioned the man about his healing. (See John 9:13–34.)
Read verses 11, 17, 25, and 30–33, including the Joseph Smith Translation found in John 9:32, footnote a, taking note of what the man said about Jesus. Or you may want to continue watching the video “Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind” from time code 4:02 to 6:18.
Consider inviting students to list on the board the various statements the man made about Jesus. Students may also benefit from marking these statements in their scriptures.
In the story of the blind man, what evidence do you see of the principle that as we remain true to what we know about Jesus Christ even when we face opposition, our testimonies of Him will be strengthened?
In what ways do you think this man gained greater understanding about who Jesus is?
What do this man’s statements teach you about Jesus Christ?
Because the man continued to state that Jesus was of God, the Pharisees cast him out of the synagogue (see John 9:34).
Read John 9:35–38, looking for how the Savior ministered to the man. You may want to finish watching the video “Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind” (time code 6:19 to 7:47).
Think about the needs of the students, and select some of the following questions to discuss. Students may benefit from answering the selected questions in their journals before discussing as a class.
Possible discussion questions
How was the testimony of the man born blind strengthened as he remained true to what he knew about the Savior?
How can our testimonies of Jesus Christ be strengthened as we withstand opposition or trials of faith?
What do we learn about the attributes of Jesus Christ from His interactions with the man born blind?
How did the Savior help the blind man’s testimony grow? How does He help us strengthen our testimonies?
How can what you learned about the Savior in this account help you in facing opposition now or in the future?
Consider sharing a personal experience of remaining true to the Savior when facing opposition.
Commentary and Background Information
John 9:1–3. Why did Jesus’s disciples believe that the man’s blindness was a result of sin?
President Boyd K. Packer (1924–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
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Elder Boyd K. Packer
It is natural for parents with [disabled] children to ask themselves, “What did we do wrong?” The idea that all suffering is somehow the direct result of sin has been taught since ancient times. It is false doctrine. That notion was even accepted by some of the early disciples until the Lord corrected them.
“As Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
“And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
“Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” (John 9:1–3.)
There is little room for feelings of guilt in connection with [disabilities]. Some [disabilities] may result from carelessness or abuse, and some through addiction of parents. But most of them do not. Afflictions come to the innocent.
What did the blind man experience after exercising his faith in the Savior?
President Howard W. Hunter (1907–95) taught:
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Howard W. Hunter
Now sight had been given twice—once to remedy a congenital defect and once to behold the King of Kings before He would ascend to His eternal throne. Jesus had quickened both temporal and spiritual vision. He had cast his light into a dark place, and this man, like many others in that day as well as in our own, had accepted the light and had seen.
What does receiving spiritual eyesight look like in our lives?
President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018) taught:
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President Thomas S. Monson
Those who have felt the touch of the Master’s hand somehow cannot explain the change which comes into their lives. There is a desire to live better, to serve faithfully, to walk humbly, and to be more like the Savior. Having received their spiritual eyesight and glimpsed the promises of eternity, they echo the words of the blind man to whom Jesus restored sight: “One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see” [John 9:25].
(Thomas S. Monson, “Anxiously Engaged,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2004, 58)
John 9:22, 34–35. What was the significance of being cast out of the synagogue?
“Synagogues served as the religious and social center for many Jewish communities. Synagogues offered access to spiritual instruction and worship, as well as educational and social opportunities. Because the synagogue was so integral to Jewish society, to be cast out of the synagogue … meant more than being excommunicated and losing fellowship with the religious community. It meant banishment from cultural and social affairs as well. This threat was apparently severe enough to keep the parents of the man born blind from getting too involved in the investigation of this miracle” (New Testament Student Manual [2014], 230).
Supplemental Learning Activities
John 9:1–7. God can use our adversities to show forth His works and power
Consider using John 9:1–7 to teach the following truth: God can use our adversities to show forth His works and power. Some of the statements in the “Commentary and Background Information” section could help students understand this principle. Students could discuss how the account in these verses can influence the way they see their own adversities as well as those of others. Students could also share personal experiences that relate with this principle. It may be helpful to remind students not to share experiences that are too personal or private.
A similar principle is in the Come, Follow Me materials (see “April 24–30. John 7–10: ‘I Am the Good Shepherd,’” Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: New Testament 2023). Students could draw on any experiences or insights from their individual or family study.
An alternate conclusion to the lesson
To help students apply the principles from this lesson, provide them with copies of the following diagram. Instruct students to cover their left eye and to hold the diagram at arm’s length. Ask them to look at the plus sign (+) with their right eye and to slowly move the paper toward their face. At some point, the dark circle on the right should disappear from their peripheral vision. (You may want to explain that the point at which the dot disappears is referred to as a blind spot.)
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A plus sign and a black dot inside a rectangle.
Point out that as students adjust the distance of the paper from their eye, the dot will reappear. Invite them to ponder the following question: If the dot on the diagram represents the Savior, what adjustments could you make in your life so that you can see the Savior more clearly? Give students time to write in their study journals what they will do.