‘Then he said to him ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam', which is by interpretation ‘sent'.'
The author draws attention to Siloam as meaning ‘sent'. We are thus almost certainly intended to see it as meaning that, just as the pool which was ‘sent' caused the blind man to see, so the One Who was sent from God was at work opening the spiritual eyes of men. Furthermore the pool of Siloam was where the water was drawn for the ceremonies at the Feast of Tabernacles (see on John 7) and this linked it with the coming work of the Holy Spirit, and the times of refreshing, symbolised by those waters, when the eyes of the blind would be opened (Isaiah 29:17; Isaiah 35:5 compare also Isaiah 42:7).
It is very probable therefore that it was this also which was to be seen as ‘sent'. The man blind from birth had met the light of the world Who was ‘sent' to drench (baptise) men with the Holy Spirit that God has promised to ‘send' into the world, and as a result he saw.
‘So he went and washed, and came back seeing.'
The blind man was obedient to Jesus' words. It was no simple matter for a blind man go to the pool but he did what Jesus told him to do without question. After a life of hopelessness he had met Jesus and hope had arisen in his heart, a hope accompanied by faith. How simple the words are. He responded obediently to Jesus and stumbled on his way to the pool of Siloam and washed his eyes, and at once the miracle happened, he could see. The world's blindness must be dealt with in the same way. The water of the word of God can wash away the blindness and darkness, and open the eyes of the blind and of those who sit in darkness (Ephesians 5:26). But just as the blind man had to go and wash so those who would have their eyes open must go to the word of God and partake of it in responsive faith. Then they too will come back seeing.