John 9:23

Therefore said his parents, He is of age, aske him. John 9:23 (KJV)

In this passage Jesus heals a man who was blind from birth, and the religious leaders immediately begin to interrogate the man and his parents about how the miracle occurred. The parents answer, “He is of age; ask him,” indicating that their son was old enough to speak for himself. In Jewish culture there was a recognized age at which a person became legally responsible and capable of giving an account of his own experience. By deferring to their son, the parents acknowledge that he alone had witnessed the healing and could provide the most accurate testimony.

This response highlights the importance of personal testimony in matters of faith. The parents trusted their son’s firsthand account of encountering Jesus and being healed, and they did not intervene or speak on his behalf. Their simple instruction—“ask him”—underscores the value of allowing those who have directly experienced the work of Christ to testify, rather than relying on second‑hand reports or skepticism.

The parents’ cautious reply also reveals the fear that many Jews felt toward the religious authorities. Earlier in the chapter the leaders warned that anyone who confessed Jesus as the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue (John 9:22). Aware of this threat, the parents chose a careful, non‑committal answer that protected themselves while still pointing the interrogators to the true source of the miracle.

John 9:23 therefore encourages believers to value personal encounters with Jesus and to respect the testimonies of those who have been directly touched by Him. It calls us to trust our own experiences of Christ’s healing and transformation, and to allow others to share theirs without undue doubt. At the same time, it challenges us to be courageous in standing for truth, even when faced with opposition or fear, remembering that Jesus remains the ultimate source of healing, salvation, and transformation.

Studying the entire chapter of John 9 provides a fuller picture of the context, the reactions of the Pharisees, and the broader themes of spiritual sight versus spiritual blindness that run throughout this powerful narrative.