John 9:36

He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?

John 9:36 (KJV)

Context

This verse is part of the larger account in John 9:1-41, where Jesus heals a man who was blind from birth. In John 9:1-7, Jesus and His disciples encounter the man, and the disciples ask whether his blindness was caused by his own sin or his parents’ sin. Jesus answers that neither sinned, but that the blindness allowed the works of God to be displayed. Jesus then heals the man by making clay with His saliva, anointing the man’s eyes, and sending him to wash in the pool of Siloam. The man obeys and receives his sight.

After the healing, neighbors and Pharisees question the man. The Pharisees, skeptical of Jesus’ authority, are divided and ultimately reject the man’s testimony and cast him out. In verse 36, the healed man, having been excommunicated, encounters Jesus again. He does not yet know that the one speaking to him is the same Jesus who healed him, for he had not yet seen Jesus after the healing (John 9:7).

Meaning

The man’s question, “Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?” reveals a ready and willing faith. He knows that a Messiah is expected and expresses belief in Him as coming, but he does not yet know that the Messiah has already come, nor that the particular person before him is the Messiah and the Son of God. His address, “Lord,” indicates respect and acknowledges Jesus as someone of authority. His immediate desire to believe upon being told who Jesus is demonstrates a disposition to believe.

This response reflects the man’s openness and eagerness to believe in Jesus. His experience of receiving physical sight had led him to recognize Jesus as Lord, and he desired to deepen his faith. It is an expression of humility, acknowledging Jesus’ authority and seeking a deeper relationship with Him.

Biblical connections

This verse highlights the spiritual dimension of the healing. While the physical healing was miraculous, it served as a sign pointing to a deeper truth: that Jesus is the Lord, the Messiah, and the source of spiritual sight and understanding. The healed man recognized this truth and desired to grow in his faith and belief in Jesus.

Christ does many and great things for His people before they know Him, and their interest in Him and in the blessings of His grace does not depend upon their full knowledge of Him. By the power and grace of Christ, the principle of faith was already implanted in the man’s heart; what he wanted was to be directed to the proper object of it, which Jesus provides in the very next verse (John 9:37). The immediate context shows that upon learning Jesus’ identity, the man confesses, “Lord, I believe,” and worships Him (John 9:38).

Application

This verse encourages us to seek a deeper understanding of who Jesus is and to have faith in Him as our Lord and Savior. The healed man’s response portrays a transformed perspective: he received physical sight and recognized Jesus’ authority. It challenges us to respond to Jesus with the same humility and eagerness, ready to believe when He reveals Himself to us.

Reflection

The progression from physical sight to spiritual insight is a powerful picture of the beginning of faith in Christ. The man’s question, asked in sincerity, was met with Jesus’ self-revelation. This assures us that when we genuinely seek to know who Jesus is, He will make Himself known to us, and our faith will find its proper object.