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John 9:41
ESV Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.
NIV Jesus said, 'If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
NASB Jesus said to them, 'If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now that you maintain, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.
CSB "If you were blind," Jesus told them, "you wouldn't have sin. But now that you say, 'We see,' your sin remains.
NLT If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,' Jesus replied. 'But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.
KJV Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

What does John 9:41 mean?

The Pharisees, of all people, ought to recognize the Messiah when they see Him. Nobody in Jesus' era was more passionate about Scripture, or obedience to God. Unfortunately, most of the Pharisees—but not all (John 3:1–2; Luke 23:50–51)—were really more concerned with tradition and status than truth (John 5:39–40; 5:45–47). By worldly standards, these men had more spiritual "sight" than anyone else. So, when Jesus indicated that His ministry was meant to give spiritual sight to those who sought it, and reveal spiritual blindness to those who thought they were wise, the Pharisees responded with arrogance. Their response, in essence, was to say, "you obviously aren't saying we're spiritually blind."

Here, Jesus clarifies: this is exactly what He's saying.

Further, Jesus' statement here underscores an important principle, which is that God holds people accountable only for what they know, but holds them absolutely accountable for it. Those who come to God in humility, admitting weakness and seeking truth, are met with grace and forgiveness (Mark 9:24; John 9:35–38; Matthew 7:7–8). Those who think they are wise, who claim to have spiritual sight, will be judged accordingly (James 3:1). This is especially true of those who, like the Pharisees, have knowledge and deliberately choose to ignore it.
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