February 04, 2022 – Friday
John 12:35-36 NIV
35 Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going.
36 Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
Comment.
In John 11:9 Jesus said, Are there not twelve hours of daylight, when He had about two weeks until His crucifixion. Now He has less than a week. We know this because verse one of this chapter tells us it is six days before the Passover and Jesus would be crucified on the eve of the Passover. With this in mind, it is no wonder He now says, You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. And then goes on to say, Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.
The warning to Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you has meanings for the present and the future. For the present it was a warning to the Jewish people in Jerusalem who heard Jesus speak to them. The warning was to let them know there was only a short time left for to accept him as their Messiah. For the future, for those who later would read John’s Gospel including every person since that time, Jesus’ words are a warning for them (us). Each of us has a limited finite time in this life to act on the message the Light of the world brought to us.
Jesus closed this with Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light. The idiom “children of light” or “sons of light” in some versions, means fundamentally “people who are characterized by God’s light,” or simply people of God. Jesus revealed God’s love for mankind and for those who accept the truth that was revealed through His love and do their best to live by His truth are children of light. Luke would later label them saints (KJV) or holy people (NIV) in the book of Acts meaning consecrated or separated.
Bottom Line: The choice is Light or darkness. We all need to choose wisely as our decision determines where judgment will place us for all of eternity.
Prayer: Father God, Even as Your Son’s time ran out for His earthly life, He made sure to less us know what our choices were and are. Thank You for providing such clarity. – In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
RileyD, nwJ
Riley D. Driver – Pastor
Calvary Chapel of Dayton
in Beavercreek