The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-02-04

Yet Jesus was, and is, the Light
. Of the World (chapter 81. FOL
he Shone away the darkness an'
; depravity of sin Us seen IN th'
woman taken in adultery; M
brought salvation with light ant
life through himself rs Lord anC
Saviour; and he offers freedom by
the truth through faith in HIM n
the Son of God with the divine
attribute of existence before
Abraham.
Jesus proved himself the Light
of the " Orld by healing the mar
born blind (chapter 81. When ne
credited Jesus with his cure the
healed man was cast out Of the
synagogue under cenSme of the
| PhariyeeS. but was soon brought
| into the light and liberty of the
GOSPEL by his divine Bencfactor.
THE LAIN (John 81
Jesus Claimed TO BE the Light
of the World. Life and liberty
are involved in this superlative
claim. Cd Life. Men can have
"tha light of life" only rs they nc
ceut and follow Christ rs the
Light of the World. (Sec Gold IL
the Golden Text for comment.
| (2) Liberty. The controversy be
tween Jesus and the ecclesiasticS
terminated in a superficial accept
ance of Jesus by many of the
Jews. To this group he declared
! the conditions o. true disciplcshlp
IF We continue in my word, ther
are We my disciples indeed" Dis
cipleship is not genuine unless II
is perservering. Vast are the
riches of knowledge before the
discipleship that is affectionate
and persistent. eye shall know
the truth" for Jesus is not only
it's greatest teacher but also It's
highest embodiment. Moreover,
sympathetic knowledge OF the
truth produces liberty through the
truth. as Godet tells us. Jesus
knew that delivcrancc fro mthe
! Roman yoke was the great work
expected of the Messiah. He there
fore Spiritualized this hope. From
a more dreadful captivity than
that in in Babylon and from 4
more awful bondage than that to
Rome the omnipotent Messiah can
deliver with the Sword Of the
Spirit which is the Word of God.
THE PROOF (John 81
Jesus Proved Himself to Bc the
Light of the World. While attend
ING the Feast of Dedication at
Jerusalem in the latter part OF
December, % A.D.. Jesus healed
the man born blind, first giving
him sight and then giving him sal
walton. CD Sight. 1t was the
Temple entrance perhaps that
Jesus. as he passed by, saw man
who was blind from his birth. In
the gospel history this is the only
case of blindness from birth, six
miracles for the blind being re-
corded. As Jesus beheld the un-
fortunate man, the attention OF
his disciples was attracted. and
they expressed a current bellei
that the dement's of parents reap
peared in their children. They
held that every affliction was
traceable directly to some special
sin. But the answer of Jesus Is
extremely interesting: Neither
hath this man sinned, nor his par.
ents: but that the works of God
should be made and his parents
were sinlcss, but that no special
sin of theirs had incurred this
calamity. Jesus now "spat on
the ground, and made clay of the
spittle, and he anointed the eyes
of the blind man with the clay.
This ointment developed receptiv'
ity in the blind man; and because
of it's inadequacy to restore sight
it made an indelible impression
upon all who heard of it. To test
and develop the faith of the BIND
man, Jesus said, Go, wash IN the
pool of Siloam." The blind man
obeyed and came seeing" Wher
| he returned, he found his neigh
bors in a controversy as to VINO
he was. as not this he that sat
and begged?" The variety OF
opinion and the decisive assertion
of tire healed man are graphicall!
recorded. When his identity hac
been settled, his neighbors were
anxious to know how he had beer
cured. His answer to their inquiry
was terse and true, simple anc
natural: "a man that is calico
Jesus made clay, and anointeo
mine eyes, and said unto me. GC
to the pool of Sloan, and wash
and went and washed, and | re-
ceived sight"
(2) Salvation. Of course Jesus
learned at once that the healed
beggar who honored his Healer
had been cast out of the synago'
que. Without delay he found the
unfortunate man who had en-
countered the opposition of The
ecclesiastics. No sooner had hi
found him than he asked him the
fundamental question, "Dost thor
believe on the Son of God?" Hh(
answer of the healed man Va.
made honestly and earnestly
"Who is he, Lord, that | may be
lieve on him." The answer Of
Jesus was self-revelation o.
himself as Messiah, Saviour, anC
Lord. The poor mans eyes haC
been opened for a sublime pur
pose. He looked upon Jesus an'
saw more than when he looked fol
the first time upon the grea
world around him. Jesus was him
self the Son of God. Then came
the climax in the word and deco
of the healed beggar; Lord, be
lieve. And he worShipped' him."