What does John 9:26 mean?
Jesus' healing of a man born blind is clearly miraculous (John 9:1–7). It corresponds to Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah (Isaiah 29:18; 35:5; 42:7). Yet Jesus' religious critics refuse to accept that He is acting with divine power (John 9:16). They go so far as to threaten those who accept Jesus' claims with excommunication (John 9:22). Seeking to debunk the miracle, scribes and Pharisees of Jerusalem interrogated the healed man (John 9:13), as well as his parents (John 9:18).This is part of a second round of questioning of the formerly blind man (John 9:24). Asking the same questions more than once is a common interrogation tactic. The questioner is hunting for inconsistency or other signs that the story is a lie. These men have already asked the healed man what happened. He has already answered. Rather than simply repeating his story, the man takes a bold and incredibly effective approach. The following verses show how his sincere honesty embarrasses the prejudiced, conniving religious leaders.
John 9:13–34 describes the Pharisees' reaction to Jesus' healing of a man born blind. Rather than being swayed by an obvious sign of divine power, they look for excuses and criticisms to discredit the miracle. They interrogate the man's parents, who timidly defer back to their son. The healed man knows nothing more than this: ''though I was blind, now I see.'' His matter-of-fact responses to the Pharisees highlights their obvious prejudice. As a result, they excommunicate the healed man from the synagogue. Jesus will meet with the man in the next passage to give more context for the miracle.
Jesus encounters a man who has been blind his entire life. Consistent with notions of that era, the disciples assume the disability is due to some specific sin: either the man's or his parents'. Jesus challenges this idea and heals the man. His restoration leads to interrogation. The Pharisees try to discredit Jesus' miraculous work. The healed man's simple, straightforward perspective embarrasses the religious leaders, who excommunicate him in frustration. Jesus meets with the healed man, explaining more about His identity and the purpose of His ministry. Jesus also reminds the Pharisees that those who ought to know better, spiritually, will be held more accountable as a result.
