What does John 9:12 mean?

This highlights key lessons from this story. Jesus has given sight to a man born blind (John 9:1–7). To do so, Jesus put clay on the man's eyes (John 9:6), then told him to go and wash it off. This means the formerly blind man has not actually seen Jesus, yet! He's not even in the same place he was when Jesus encountered him. Though others doubt what has happened (John 9:8–9), the evidence is clear. This man was once blind, but now he can see.

The man's ability to give this message to a crowd is not due to his own abilities. He's not using eloquence or drama. He's not demonstrating deep thinking or skilled debate. He is simply and directly telling others the truth about what God has done for him. It's the powerful impact of God in his life that makes people want to ask in the first place.

Defending our faith is not merely useful, but it's a command given to all believers (1 Peter 3:15–16). However, Christians do not have to be expert philosophers. We do not require academic degrees or full-time ministry roles to effectively tell others about Christ. Neither do we have to have all of the answers. What we need is willingness to tell people what we know. This same man will summarize this beautifully when interrogated later on: "One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see" (John 9:25).