What is the meaning of John 9:29? We know - The Pharisees speak with confident certainty. In their minds, religious authority rests on what they can verify (John 9:24). - Scripture reminds us that human certainty often masks spiritual blindness (Proverbs 14:12; Jeremiah 17:9). - Genuine knowledge begins with fearing the Lord (Proverbs 1:7), yet these leaders ignore the very One who brings light to their understanding (John 1:9). that God spoke to Moses - They rightly affirm the historicity of God’s revelation at Sinai—“Then the LORD said to Moses…” (Exodus 3:4; 33:11). - Moses himself pointed forward to a greater Prophet: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me” (Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 3:22). - Jesus insists, “If you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me” (John 5:46-47). Their admission that God spoke to Moses actually condemns their rejection of Jesus. but - This small word signals a hard turn from truth to unbelief. - Paul describes the same contrast: “Where is the wise man? … Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” (1 Corinthians 1:20). - The natural mind resists God’s revelation unless transformed by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14). we do not know - In reality, they refuse to know. Earlier they claimed to “know where this man is from” (John 7:27), showing their inconsistency. - Jesus exposed their willful ignorance: “You know neither Me nor My Father” (John 8:19). - When people reject clear evidence, they retreat into professed uncertainty (Romans 1:21-22). where this man is from - The healed beggar soon corrects them: “We know that God does not listen to sinners… If this man were not from God, He could do nothing” (John 9:31-33). - Jesus had already declared His heavenly origin: “I know where I came from and where I am going” (John 8:14; 8:23). - Prophecy identified Bethlehem as Messiah’s earthly birthplace (Micah 5:2) and heaven as His eternal home (John 6:38). - Their question is not about geography but authority. By denying Jesus’ origin, they attempt to invalidate His miracle and teaching. summary John 9:29 captures the tragic irony of religious certainty without spiritual sight. The Pharisees affirm God’s past revelation to Moses yet reject the living fulfillment standing before them. Their claim to “know” exposes their pride; their confession of ignorance reveals willful unbelief. True knowledge embraces both Moses and the One Moses foretold—Jesus, the Light of the World, whose works and words attest that He is unmistakably “from God.” |
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