What does John 9:10 mean?

Jesus' choice of this man for His sixth miraculous "sign" is no accident. Earlier, Jesus chose to heal a man who had been crippled for nearly forty years (John 5:1–9). This left no doubt about the miraculous nature of the healing. The man would have been known for his condition, and that this disability was permanent. Here, the man Jesus healed with muddy clay (John 9:6) had been born blind (John 9:1–2). He was easily recognized by the people of Jerusalem as a beggar (John 9:8). It's because the man is so well-known for being blind that some in the crowd resist believing that he's been cured (John 9:9).

Despite some doubters, most people accept the obvious: this is the same man once known as a blind beggar. Their response makes perfect sense: "if you're the one who used to be blind, what happened to make you see?" On the other hand, this same question will be repeated no less than four times (John 9:10, 15, 19, 26). These questions assume a natural, mechanical answer. The people are so concerned with those details that they're missing the message of the miracle!

This presents an important perspective on Christian testimony. The formerly blind man will be challenged to explain and re-explain his story (John 9:15, 26). Each time, his response is sincere, simple, and honest. What attracts others to his message is not his own charisma or deep philosophy. People are drawn because they see something powerful and want to know what caused it. The man's consistent answer is that Jesus changed his life. Fancy speech and complex ideas are fine, in the right context. Neither are required to spread the "good news" to other people.