Walk in the Light
Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by the world’s light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light.” John 11:9,10
Jesus had withdrawn from Jerusalem (10:40) prior to His final Passover return. But His preparation for this supremely demanding event has been interrupted by an urgent request for help, ‘Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha … So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick”’ (11:1,3). Jesus has unexpectedly waited two more days before telling His disciples that they will now head off to Bethany.
This was not good news to Jesus’ followers. “But rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?” (11:8). Bethany was only a few kilometres from Jerusalem.
Jesus’ response has mystified many since John first put it on paper. “Are there not twelve hours of daylight?” The Jewish day was from sunrise to sunset and the night from sunset to sunrise. So the 24 hour period was divided loosely into 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness.
The person who goes about in the day “will not stumble” but the person who tries to do the same thing at night “stumbles for he has no light.” Journeys are always possible if the right hour is chosen. Only a few months earlier Jesus had said “As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no man can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (9:4,5). So Jesus characterised His ministry as occurring in the ‘day.’ There would soon come a time when He would no longer be here ‘in the world.’ Until that time He would accomplish the Father’s purposes without stumbling, meaning without being deflected by reminders of previous attempts to stone Him or because of the possibility of future attempts before His proper time (7:6,8).
And further, while Jesus was in the world, He was ‘the light of the world’ (9:5). So while the disciples stayed close to Him, they walked in light.
When you feel surrounded by darkness, draw closer to Jesus. The promise remains: ‘Come near to God and he will come near to you’ (James 4:8). Walk in His light and you won’t stumble.
To listen to this message, download in MP3 here.