February 02, 2022 – Wednesday
John 9:5 NIV
5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
Comment.
The verse above are words of Jesus. But for context let’s go to the end of chapter 8 where Jesus is still at the temple and the Pharisees were arguing with Him. He was bringing the discussion to an end when He said, Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad. They were incredulous and said to Him, You are not yet fifty years old, and you have seen Abraham! Jesus did not back down instead He doubled down answering them by saying, Very truly I tell you, before Abraham was born, I am! It was at this point they picked up stones to stone Him, but He slipped away from the temple grounds.
After slipping away from the temple grounds with His disciples and (9:1-2), As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus’ reply concludes with our verse of the day, Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
What would the man who claims He is the light of the world do when He comes across someone who has been blind from birth, living a life in total darkness? The answer is in verses 6-7, After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. Reading further on we discover Jesus made the mud and healed the blind man on the Sabbath which did not violate God’s rules for the Sabbath, but Pharisaical rules for the Sabbath.
The Pharisees questioned the man who had been healed and not pleased with his answers then questioned his parents. They would only confirm he was their son who had been born blind but could now see. Fearful of being put out of the synagogue they suggested their son be questioned again.
So, they questioned him once again and after much back and forth he spoke common sense truth to them saying (v30-33), You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing. The Pharisees did not consider what he had said, but insulted him and threw him out.
Jesus later found him and revealed Himself as the Son of Man (the Messiah), whereupon the man believed in and worshipped Him. At this point Jesus stated, For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind. Some Pharisees who had been listening asked, What? Are we blind too? To which Jesus replied, If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
Jesus was stating a fact when He said, While I am in the world, I am the light of the world. He brought light to the blind, those physically blind and those spiritually blind or with darkness in them that needed light. The Pharisees could not admit their need for the light, so their guilt remained. Jesus’ offer of light for everyone was a free offer. All one had to do was admit their need for His light and it would be given. But refused, darkness would remain and increase until they would suffer eternal separation from God.
Prayer: Father God, Help me to always be aware of my need for the Light offered through Your Son. He granted me grace if I would but accept such a wonderful gift. Help me to embrace it fully and to share it with others. – In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
RileyD, nwJ
Riley D. Driver – Pastor
Calvary Chapel of Dayton
in Beavercreek