John 9:34

Scorn has often served as a final resort when evidence fails, and it served the Pharisees this way here. They implied that this man’s congenital blindness was the result of a sinful condition that rendered him incapable of intellectual insight (cf. John 9:2). By saying this they unintentionally admitted that Jesus had cured a man blind from birth.

"How could anybody be steeped in sin at birth? Everybody is born with a sinful nature (Psalms 51:5; Romans 5:12), but a baby can hardly commit numerous acts of sin moments after it is born!" [Note: Blum, p. 308.]

The Pharisees did not argue the exceptions to the rule that the man cited nor did they offer any other possible explanations. No one seems to have remembered that when Messiah would appear He would open the eyes of the blind (Isaiah 29:18; Isaiah 35:5; Isaiah 42:7).

This poor man lost his privilege of participating in synagogue worship for taking his stand supporting Jesus (cf. John 9:22). Many other Jewish believers followed him in this fate in the years that have unfolded since this incident happened. This is the first persecution of Jesus’ followers that John recorded.

"The Rabbinists enumerate twenty-four grounds for excommunication, of which more than one might serve the purpose of the Pharisees." [Note: Edersheim, 2:184.]