07 July, 2011

The Light of the World Gives Light to One

In the Gospels we see numerous responses to the Lord Jesus. As Jesus reveals himself as light in John 8 he then illustrates that aspect of his calling with the healing of a man born blind. Often we fail to see such connections because we have been so trained to cut off the associations because of the numbers in our Bibles (John 8:1; John 9:1). We fail to remember that those numbers are not inspired, but were later added to the text as a help. Sometimes they fail to help because they fail to bring together the connections that are between one chapter and another. Arthur Pink comments on such connections between John 8 and John 9. The Light of the World brought His light to one.. where do you stand in regard to the light of Christ?

In John 8 we behold Christ as the light exposing darkness, but in John 9 He communicates light. In John 8 the Light is despised and rejected, in John 9 He is received and worshiped. In John 8 the Jews are seen stooping down to pick up stones; in John 9 Christ is seen stooping down to make anointing clay. In John 8 Christ hides himself from the Jews; in John 9 He reveals Himself to the blind beggar. In John 8 we have a company in whom the Word has no place; in John 9, outside the Temple, He is owned as Lord. The central truth of John 8 is Light testing human responsibility; in John 9 the central truth is God acting in sovereign grace after human responsibility has failed.

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