“The Night Is Coming”
By Pastor Mitch
July 19, 2017
As I stood on the roof of our beloved Bethany a few weeks ago, I saw this beautiful sight as the sun receded under the horizon. The day had ended and the night was coming. It reminded me of the words of the Lord Jesus when He was seeking to do the works of God.
The night is coming when no one can work….” John 9:4
He spoke of how the night was coming where work would cease. When the night comes (especially in an agrarian society), no more work could be done. Of course, He was symbolically referring to how His life on earth would end soon. When will death come for us? We don’t know. It is poignant for us to recall that we have had 6 funerals in the last 6 months. When will night come for us? For Jerrie Jiang, it was when she was just 23 years old. We thank God that her soul is with the Lord now. Her work on earth is done. However, for us, our work is not. While it is yet day for us, let’s seek to learn from the Lord on how to live our life.
THE LORD’S TREMENDOUS URGENCY IN DOING THE WORKS OF GOD
I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:4-5
The Lord Jesus had a tremendous sense of urgency in how He wanted to live His life. His focus was on working the works of God while it was yet day. The Lord Jesus knew that He had a short three years to finish His work. He had said earlier that His priority was to do the will of God and to finish the work that He was tasked to do (John 4:34). The “work” in this former verse is singular. His food was about finishing the work at hand. The Lord Jesus in this latter verse focused on doing the works that He was given. “Works” is now plural. He had a list of works to be done. He was most conscious that when night comes, He could no longer work. There was tremendous urgency in wanting to finish the works that God had sent Him to do. Let’s seek to follow our Lord Jesus in how He lived His life. As long as He was living, He sought to be the light of the world. The Lord’s example should challenge us to have a greater sense of urgency in all that we do. Let’s seek to have greater determination in doing the list of works that we need to do whether in our studies or in our service for Him. Let’s reflect His light in all that we do. Let’s work hard now because the “night” is coming.
