John 9:4

4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work.

John 9:4 Meaning and Commentary

John 9:4

I must work the works of him that sent me
This shows, that the works of God, that were to be manifest, were to be done by Christ: many were the works which the Father gave him to do, and which he undertook to perform; and therefore there was a necessity of doing them, as principally the work of redemption, by fulfilling the law, and satisfying justice: and besides this, there were the preaching of the Gospel, and doing of miracles, and among these was this of giving sight to the blind, see ( Isaiah 35:5 ) , both in a natural and spiritual sense: and with a view to this he speaks of the works he mast do,

while it is day;
while the day of life lasts, for in the grave there is no work nor device:

the night cometh when no man can work;
meaning the night of death, and of the grave, and suggesting his own death hereby, that he had but a little time to be in this world, and therefore would make the best use of it, to do the will and work of his Father that sent him; and which should be a pattern to us. This life is but short, it is but as the length of a day; a great deal of business is to be done; and death is hastening on, which will put a period to all working.

John 9:4 In-Context

2 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him.
4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work.
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes,

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Other ancient authorities read [I]
  • [b]. Other ancient authorities read [us]
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.