We began on John 9 today in bible study, a very interesting section on the Healing of the Man Born Blind. We read the entire chapter for context, and discussed it until verse 12.
Verse 4 and 5 struck me:
v.4 We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.
* We = it is our work
* must work = a command
* works = there is much to do
* of Him who sent Me = work that is of Christ, i.e. the Gospel
* as long as it is day = while there is time
* night is coming = there isn't much time left
* no one can work = nothing you can do then
v.5 While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.
There will be a time Christ will be the judge, but for now He is the light of the world, point others to Him, while there is still time. Time will soon run out and it will be too late and there is nothing we can do about it.
We have work to do.
pearlie
literary critic says;
ReplyDeleteJesus is light, when light shine forth on darkness, darkness reject light, means reject Jesus.
so "when day times", means with the presence of Jesus, since Jesus is light, infered by daylight..
whenever darkness, disciples encountered perils, storms, couldnt work, but as long as Jesus appear, there is light and hope, and storm quenched, and disciples could work.
The literary nature of Gospel John is most intense among four gospels,,,
ReplyDeleteetc.. light and darkness, above/under, knowing the voice...are all verbal thread, which are key to interpret the narratives therein...
a bit of sharing..
Alan Culpepper,got a must-read book. "The anatomy of fourth Gospel". good book! quite cheap, selling PJ su fes...
you got?
Thanks for your thoughts. Yeah, you got a point there I missed - that Jesus is the light of the day in v.4 and it ties in to v.5. Yup, I am aware of the sense of duality in the Gospel of John.
ReplyDeleteI saw the book in Sufes but I did not get it though.