Why are we told to work while it is day (John 9:4)?

John 9:4-5. If the man's condition was an occasion to manifest the works of God, the Lord was here to work the works of God. It was the day of His presence in the world in active grace: the night of His absence was coming when no man can work. As long as Christ was in the world, He was the Light of the world, and while here He must work, for love could not rest where sorrow was; light could not rest in the presence of sin. When Christ departs, all is over with the world, until His return. This does not set aside the fact that, in consequence of His death and ascension, a testimony goes out to the world declaring the grace of God. This testimony, however, calls a people out of the world for heavenly blessing and by no means relieves the world of its sorrows. This will be a millennial work; "no man can work" during the night of Christ's rejection.

They had nothing better than Jewish thoughts about the case. But all through the gospel of John Christ is setting aside these thoughts on every side, whether in enquirers outside, or more particularly in disciples, who were under this pernicious influence like other people. Here the Lord answered, "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents." The ways of God are not as man's; and their revelation stands in contrast with Jewish notions of retributive justice. The reason lay deeper than what his parents deserved, or the foresight of what he would do amiss. Not that the man and his parents were not sinners; but the eye of Jesus saw beyond nature, or law, or government, in the man's blindness from his birth. To divine goodness, the inner and true and ultimate reason, God's reason — if one may be permitted such a phrase — was to furnish an opportunity for Christ to work the works of God on the earth. How blessedly grace operates in, and judges of, a hopeless case! That it was wholly outside the resources of man made it just the occasion for Jesus, for the works of God. This is the point of the chapter — Jesus working the works of God in free unconditional grace. In John 8 the prominent feature is the word of God; here, the works of God made effectual and manifest in grace. "I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day." Therefore can one say, that it is unqualified grace, because it is not merely God mercifully answering man's appeal, and blessing man's work, but God sending, and Christ working. "I must work the works of him that sent me." What grace (save in Jesus all through) can be compared with this? Jesus, then, was doing this work "while it is day." Day was while He was present with them. Night was coming, which would be, for the Jew, the personal absence of the Messiah; indeed, such for any would be the departure of the Son of God. "The night cometh when no man can work." (Verse 4) Higher things might follow in their season, and brighter light suited to them when the day should dawn, and the day-star arise in hearts established with grace. But here it is the time of the absence of Jesus in contrast with His presence on earth as He then was. "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." (Verse 5)

And here comes the distinctive character of Christ. He must needs do this; though He had been rejected by the world, still He must needs work the works of Him that sent Him, though He might have turned aside on the rejection of the world. The work of grace, as it were, all remained. Then in its place it began to work, the real work began to show itself, the work of God in despite of the rejection of seeing man. Christ was a Servant in this work. Though the Light of the world, He did it as the Servant of the Father. He must needs work, but He must needs work while it is day. The day is the time of the presence of the light. But while Christ was in the world He was its Light. The night is His absence. We are not of the night, but of the day; but as being dead to the estate of Christ's absence, and believing in the light, having the light of life. The night is far spent, the day is at hand, says the apostle. This, however, had its direct application to the Jews, with whom He was concerned in Person, yet so as that therein, as the apostle ever carefully by the Spirit presents Him, as we have seen, He was the Light of the world. But this was an additional truth, and must be realised simply because of His Sonship, and because in Person He was paramount to the Jews, though subject in grace to the dispensations of God, and herein a Minister of the circumcision for the truth of God. Not that this was of Moses, but of the fathers. Yet this subjection was the order of the ministration. But Christ's rejection was total night to them. We may, or they individually might, by the Spirit see Him by faith, and have the light of life. But the dim light of the law had ceased as to them in the rejection of Messiah, the end of the Law, and they were in pitch night, having neither law nor Messiah, yet in responsibility in its highest estate. The world had rejected the Messiah, and though (the Light shining in darkness) He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, yet the world knew Him not. While He was in it He was the Light of it; and when He is in the world He must necessarily be the Light of it, though the glory of the Lord may rise upon Zion, and so it is the Lord's day. Nor till He be thus in the world in Zion will it be the day of the Lord, but then being that the glory is manifested it must be, so to speak, universal in the world, though its zenith may be in one spot; in it, however, in zenith, to one spot. Yet this only in dispensation; for it is in a higher character that He is the Light of the world. So that individually in respect of that higher glory it may be more felt and estimated by one far off than one near, though enjoying all its actual beams.

His disciples ask, “Who has sinned?” It was all wrong. The question now was, “Who is at work?” God was there in the person of the Son, at work to bring men out of darkness into light. And there was no time to be lost for the night was coming in which no man can work. It was the Sabbath day, but the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath, and it must stand aside and give place to the mercy of God, of which this man was to be a subject. The works of God were to be made manifest in Him. His night had been already too long. The compassions of God are aroused. He never made the Sabbath to stand between Him and the blessing of His poor creature. He makes clay of a spittle, spreads the clay upon the eyes of the blind man and tells him to go to Siloam and wash. The poor blind creature makes no delay, raises no questions, but does what he is told, and his night of gloom gives place to the glorious light of day.

The eighth chapter has presented the testimony of the Lord's words. He spoke to the world those things which He had heard of the Father (John 8:25-28). The ninth chapter presents the testimony of His works: as before He had spoken the words of the Father, so now, He says, "I must work the works of Him that sent Me" (verse 4). Not only does the Lord bring the light into the world, making known the heart of God, but He also works in grace to open blind eyes to see the truth. Thus the blind man not only receives natural sight, but spiritual vision is given that he may see the glory of the Son as sent by the Father.

It is a great action therefore that occupies Jesus at this time; not merely opening the eyes of the blind by sovereign power, but giving Himself as the object of sight in effectual grace to the man and to the nation if they will accept Him — being likewise the light without which the eye, though opened, could not behold Him! In view of this Jesus said, "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work." Observe, day and night get a new meaning, when they are looked at in reference to Christ's continuance and work upon this earth. "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay." The dust of the floor, and the water, and the earthen vessel which would have made up the compound in "the hand of the priest" for the infliction of the curse and the rot, upon the trial of jealousy and unfaithfulness, had been refused. He who alone can "bring meat out of the eater" gives us now to learn instead the virtues of the spittle, and the ground, and the mystic clay in the hand of Him that is come to work the works of God. Jesus said to the man "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which is by interpretation Sent). He went his way therefore, and washed and came seeing." The dust of the ground, out of which the first man was "made in the image of God," had been cursed because of transgression and Satan; but now, under the power of Christ it is reclaimed and made available by the "sent" One through His spittle for bestowing an eye of faith to behold Him who came to bear away every curse, let it lie on whatsoever floor it may; and turn "the curse into a blessing!" The Light which had filled the temple just now and emptied it of every accuser, (how could they abide in its searching power?) leaving the woman alone with Jesus, does the same thing among the Scribes and Pharisees, now that the man who "was born blind" is brought into their midst. How well has the compound of the Apothecary done its work in connection with the sent One? "If this man were not of God [he says to them], he could do nothing. They answered, and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? and they cast him out."

I do not wish to enter into the fuller revelation he received afterwards of the person of Christ, nor of the place the Pharisees drove him to, outside the fold with the Shepherd — in reality "put forth" by the Shepherd, though apparently "cast out" (the same word, as has been remarked) by the Pharisees. My object is only to contribute towards a comparison of the teaching of chapters 8:12 and 9:5; the former being "the Light" in His person, and the effect on man of its presence without the Holy Spirit's work; whereas the latter is the way the Spirit works to reveal that person to the soul. In chapter 8, "I am the Light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." With what effect? "The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest witness of thyself; thy witness is not true." In chapter 9, "I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day; night cometh, when no man can work. While I am in the world, I am [the] light of the world." Chapter 8 is about "the Light," about Himself, as the Pharisees said. The subject-matter of chapter 9 is illumination in grace.

Moreover, the duty of evangelising always remains: the responsibility of those who have to labour in pastoral care is always the same, and Christian love will constrain those who are filled with the Spirit of Christ thus to occupy themselves. The conviction that the church is fallen, and that the world is going to be judged, will only serve to give more activity, so that they who have ears to hear, may hear, and be saved from the perverse generation, whose iniquity will soon bring in such terrible consequences; namely, the righteous anger of a God of patience, the wrath of the Lamb! Let us work, dearly beloved, whilst it is day; the night cometh, when no man can work. The love of Christ is the best guide for our daily duties.

But am I saying a word against service in all this, beloved? No; but only seeking so to order it that it may be acceptable to the Lord. A heart that with God, makes Christ its paramount object has the spring and power of service indeed; nor will it be found lacking in sympathy with the thoughts of God, as the Master's words ring in our ears — "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15) Is it possible that any of us are so far removed from fellowship with God, as not to have the service of seeking to win souls for Christ ever dear to us? Let us work, beloved, while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work. But the most blessed service has its snares. Let us beware lest we should be engaged in telling others of Him, while all the time our hearts are cold to His love. Christ is not first: and instead of self-judgment that it is so, and confession, so that communion may be restored, the heart (feeling the distance) runs restlessly into increased measure of service; but this only tends to maintain the distance by cloaking the soul's real condition. Martha found a snare in her very eagerness to get ready the house for the Lord. Mary, occupied with Himself alone, to the exclusion of all other interests, when the time had come, knew how to render the most exquisitely grateful service ever rendered to Him on earth.

It was new work for the fisherman, he had not been trained to wield a sword, and his misdirected energy only resulted in the loss of an ear to Malchus, and the exposure of his own impetuous folly, and shall we add, his true love for his Master. But there was yet another result. The Lord had said “I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work. As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world” The gloom of night was gathering thickly upon the world, but He was still its light, and there was one more work of mercy that He must do before the devil and men had their way, a work not to be wrought upon a friend but upon a foe, who had come against Him with murder in his heart. Hence, with a word of gentle rebuke to Peter He stretched forth His hand and touched the severed ear and healed it.