While I Am in the World, I Am the Light of the World (John 9:1–12)

 

While I Am in the World, I Am the Light of the World (John 9:1–12)

No one wants to walk in darkness, but not everyone chooses to walk in the light. Jesus is the light of the world. Anyone who follows Him will not walk in darkness but will live in the light. Through Jesus Christ, we have been cleansed by His blood and freed from the darkness. Now, we can live in the light forever and fully obey the Lord's laws and commands.

Because of this, we are no longer slaves to the darkness. But if we fail to love our neighbors as Jesus has loved us, we are still walking in darkness. Jesus gave His life to free us from the chains of hatred and anger. The evidence that we are living in the light is this: loving others as Jesus has loved us. This is the new commandment God the Father has given us. Amen!

As Long as It Is Day, We Must Do the Works of God

1 As Jesus was walking along, He saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned—this man or his parents—that he was born blind?" 3 Jesus replied, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of Him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work." (John 9:1–4)

While walking with His disciples, Jesus saw a man blind from birth. The disciples asked whether the blindness was caused by the man’s sin or his parents’ sin. This reflected their belief in cause-and-effect thinking. But Jesus corrected them, saying it wasn’t because of sin, but so that God’s works might be revealed in him.

The disciples saw the man’s situation as hopeless, but Jesus saw it as an opportunity to show God’s glory. Life is full of difficulties, and like the disciples, we often try to find someone to blame. But Jesus reminded them that it was still daytime—there was work to do. The "day" represents our time on earth, where we have the chance to accept Jesus and share His love. Once we die, that opportunity is gone.

35 Jesus said, "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." (John 12:35–36)

Jesus saw the blind man as a way to reveal God’s work on earth. At the same time, He was also speaking to His people—those who could see but were spiritually blind and deaf. God had spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
“Go and tell this people: ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’” (Isaiah 6:9)

Jesus invites us to live in His light and share His love so that we, too, can be children of light. Let us walk in His light and glorify God in all we do!

Jesus, the Light of the World
"While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." (John 9:5)

In John 8, Jesus declared, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." (John 8:12) Jesus came to bring the light of life to a world trapped in the power of darkness and death.

How did Jesus reveal this light? Through His works, Jesus showed the power, glory, and authority of God the Father. In a world consumed by ignorance and darkness, God revealed Himself through Jesus, the light of life. As John wrote in his letter, "God is light; in him there is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5) On the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus' face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as light, displaying His glory (Matthew 17:2).

Darkness is the opposite of light. To be outside the light is to be in darkness—unable to see, lost, and without direction. Darkness also represents ignorance and a lack of knowledge. While human knowledge has grown, and libraries are filled with vast resources, there is still far more that we don’t know. We are just beginning to uncover the mysteries of the universe and humanity, but complete understanding is beyond us.

However, those who are in Jesus are no longer in darkness but in the light. While we cannot know everything, there is one truth we must know: Jesus Christ, God’s Son, sent to save us. God sent His Son to free us from darkness and lead us into the light.

To be in darkness is to be under sin, as Adam was. Humanity, trapped in sin, faces death and, after that, God’s judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Without deliverance from this darkness, eternal punishment awaits. But God, in His great mercy, sent His only Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Now, anyone who is in Christ is no longer in darkness but walks in the light. In Christ, we are no longer slaves to darkness but can live as children of the light.

"But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober." (1 Thessalonians 5:4–6)

Walking in the Light Means Obeying God’s Word
What is the evidence that we are no longer in darkness but in the light? It is fellowship with God and walking with Christ.
"If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." (1 John 1:6–7)

We can walk in the light because the blood of Christ cleanses us. As we continue to walk in the light, His blood keeps us clean and free from sin. Jesus taught us to pray, "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." (Matthew 6:12)

The evidence that we are walking in the light is obedience to God’s commands:
"Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them." (1 John 2:8–11)

Walking in the light means living in love, forgiving others, and obeying God’s Word. Through Jesus, we are no longer in darkness but can live as children of the light, reflecting His love and glory in all we do.

Go, Wash in the Pool of Siloam
"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." (John 9:6-7)

Jesus spit on the ground, made mud, and applied it to the blind man's eyes. Then He told him to wash in the Pool of Siloam, which means "Sent." The man obeyed Jesus' words, washed, and returned with his sight restored. The journey to the pool wasn’t easy, but the return trip was free of difficulty. He left behind the darkness and walked freely in the light.

Before we accepted Jesus, we didn’t know where we came from or where we were going. But now, in Christ, we know we are pilgrims, coming from God and returning to Him. Though we were once in darkness, we now walk in the light, following Jesus, who is the Way. By His grace, the Lord will guide us in the light until we reach His heavenly kingdom. Amen!

"To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen." (Jude 1:24-25)

How Were Your Eyes Opened?
"His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, 'Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?' Some claimed that he was. Others said, 'No, he only looks like him.' But he himself insisted, 'I am the man.' 'How then were your eyes opened?' they asked. He replied, 'The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.' 'Where is this man?' they asked him. 'I don’t know,' he said." (John 9:8-12)

When the man received his sight, the people around him were divided in their opinions. Some said he was the same man who had been begging, while others said he only looked like him. But the man testified, "I am the one."

When asked how his eyes were opened, his answer was simple and clear: "The man called Jesus made mud, put it on my eyes, and told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went, washed, and now I can see." He testified plainly about how Jesus’ grace had opened his eyes.

Persecution Follows Grace
Receiving God’s grace often brings persecution because we no longer belong to the world. Those who belong to Christ follow the path He walked, including suffering. Jesus said, "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." (John 15:19)

However, in Christ, we are safe, walking in the light. Jesus Himself promised, "Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:20) Amen!

2025.1.12.
Buffalo Livingstone Church ©2025, David Lee Ministries ©2025 – All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are from the NIV.