It is clear that Jesus' ministry will come to an end. There is an urgency with this and the following stories for folks to figure out that the life of Jesus is a gift from God that they can accept or reject. And, time is running out for them to accept it. It is similar in that a sick person is presented with a need, Jesus heals, and then there is a witness and discourse about it. This healing takes place inside a community.
People see the blind man healed and wonder what happened.
Like other healing stories, this one emphasizes that Jesus touched the blind man. How ironic that Jesus, the Word in John, did not heal with words, but with touch. For John, the Word is flesh. Jesus is God's Word made flesh, God's Wisdom. This is a direct gift from God and the touching is important.