John 9:36 Commentary: The Blind Man's Urgent Question

The man born blind was a beggar, likely sitting at a gate of the temple (Acts 3:2 suggests such locations were common for alms). His healing by Jesus on the Sabbath sparked controversy with the Pharisees, who interrogated him and ultimately excommunicated him (v34). The term "threw him out" (ἐξέβαλον) likely refers to formal excommunication from the synagogue, as Poole suggests. Jesus heard of this and actively sought him out (v35). The man had never seen Jesus; when Jesus first approached him, he had been sent to wash in the pool of Siloam (v7), and the two had not met face-to-face. Now, after being cast out, Jesus finds him and asks, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" The man's response shows he knew the concept of the Son of God (the Messiah) and was willing to believe, but he did not know that the one speaking to him was that person. The address "Lord" (κύριε) was a polite form of address, similar to "sir," and does not yet carry the full weight of a confession of divinity, that comes in v38 when he calls him "Lord" in worship. The surrounding context of judgment (v39-41) highlights the contrast between the blind man's growing sight (spiritual and physical) and the Pharisees' self-proclaimed sight leading to blindness.

The best manuscripts (including P66, P75, Sinaiticus, Vaticanus) include the conjunction καί before τίς, reading "And who is he?" (καὶ τίς ἐστιν). The Textus Receptus omits the και, likely assimilating to the simpler form. The inclusion adds an eagerness to the question, as Vincent and the Cambridge Bible note. There are no other significant textual variants for this verse. All manuscripts agree on the essential meaning: the blind man asks for identification so that he may believe.

Across church history, John 9:36 has been read as a paradigm of the seeker after Christ. Early church fathers such as Augustine saw the blind man as representing humanity's gradual enlightenment: healed by Christ, cast out by the world, and finally brought to worship. In the Reformation, Calvin emphasized the man's ready obedience, highlighting that God's call finds an active response. Later Wesleyan and Methodist traditions used the verse to illustrate prevenient grace, the work of God preparing the heart to believe. In simpler pastoral readings, the verse serves as an encouragement: honest questions are not a sign of weak faith but of a faith reaching for its proper object. The man's movement from "Sir" to "Lord" in worship (v38) has been celebrated as the goal of all spiritual seeking.

Three-point outline

1. The man who was cast out is found by Jesus (v35): After the Pharisees expelled him from the synagogue, Jesus sought him out. This shows that rejection by religious authorities does not separate us from Christ's care.
2. The question that reveals readiness (v36): The man's urgent question--"Who is he, Lord?"--demonstrates a heart eager to believe. He already knows Jesus is from God (v33) but needs to identify the person of the Son of God.
3. The revelation that leads to worship (v37-38): Jesus reveals himself: "You have both seen him, and it is he who speaks with you." The man immediately believes and worships. His faith moves from incomplete knowledge to full confession.

Five-point outline

1. A miraculous sign: The healing of the blind man shows Jesus' power over creation (v6-7).
2. A hostile interrogation: The Pharisees challenge the man, but he stands firm in his testimony (v13-34).
3. A shepherd's pursuit: Jesus seeks out the outcast and offers the gift of faith (v35).
4. A seeker's question: The man wants to know the object of his faith (v36).
5. A full confession: The man worships Jesus as Lord (v38).

Illustration hooks

• Anonymity of a benefactor: Think of a time someone helped you in a crisis but you didn't know their name until later. The blind man had been healed but had never seen his healer's face. He desperately wants to connect the miracle to the person.
• Natural readiness after experience: When we experience something powerful (like a rescue or a gift), we naturally want to know who provided it. The man's question is the most human response: "Who did this, so I can thank them?"
• The gap between knowing about and knowing: Many people know facts about Jesus but haven't met him personally. The blind man moves from knowing Jesus is "from God" to knowing him face-to-face.

Questions your congregation is asking

• "How can I know if I have true faith when I still have doubts and questions?"
• "What do I do when I feel rejected by the church or other Christians?"
• "How can I move from believing facts about Jesus to trusting him personally?"

This chapter shows a man who received physical sight and gradually gained spiritual sight. His question in v36 marks a turning point: he is ready to believe but needs the object of faith identified. As you discuss, consider how personal experience of Christ's power leads to deeper knowledge.

Discussion questions

1. Read John 9:35-38. What does Jesus' action of seeking out the man tell us about his character?
2. Why does the blind man ask "Who is he?" when he has already defended Jesus before the Pharisees? What does this reveal about what he does and doesn't yet understand?
3. The man calls Jesus "Lord" (κύριε). In your context, what difference does it make whether we translate this as "Sir" or "Lord"? (See John 4:11; 20:15 for similar uses.)
4. How does the man's faith grow in this passage? From what he says in v33 to his confession in v38, what changes?
5. In what ways might we have partial knowledge of Jesus but lack personal trust? How can we move from knowing about him to knowing him?
6. The Pharisees cast the man out. Have you ever felt excluded because of your faith? How does Jesus' response to the man encourage you?
7. How can our church community better help those who are seeking but still asking "Who is he?"