John 16:9 (DBY)

Passage

of sin, because they do not believe on me;

Nearby Context

John 16:7 But I say the truth to you, It is profitable for you that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I go I will send him to you.

John 16:8 And having come, he will bring demonstration to the world, of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

John 16:9 of sin, because they do not believe on me;

John 16:10 of righteousness, because I go away to [my] Father, and ye behold me no longer;

John 16:11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "believe". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "believe" and "the identity of Jesus", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "And having come he will bring demonstration..." into verse 10's "of righteousness because I go away to...", so "believe" and "the identity of Jesus" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "believe" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.