John 16:9 (WEB)

Passage

about sin, because they don’t believe in me;

Nearby Context

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I don’t go away, the Counselor won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

John 16:8 When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment;

John 16:9 about sin, because they don’t believe in me;

John 16:10 about righteousness, because I am going to my Father, and you won’t see me any more;

John 16:11 about judgment, because the prince of this world has been 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 "When he has come he will convict..." into verse 10's "about righteousness because I am going 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.