The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-02-06
Sunday, Feb. Z.

ed him a fanatic; some, GOOD
man; some, u false leader; some,
clever teacher; some, a demon
lac; some, a hunted fugitive
/ (chapter ~. But the officers sent
after the sought Christ, observed
the teaching Christ, and made the
report concerning the unmolested
: Christ.
Yet Jesus was, and is, the Light
OF the World (chapter 81. For
he shone away the darkness ana
depravity of sin as seen in the
woman taken in adultery; he
brought salvation with light and
life through himself rs Lord and
Saviour; and he offers freedom by
the truth through faith in him as
the Son of God with the divine
attribute of existence before
Abraham.
Jesus proved himself the Light
of the World by healing the man
born blind (chapter 81. When ne
credited Jesus with his cure the
healed man was cast out OF the
synagogue under censure OF the
PhariseeS, but was soon brought
into the light and liberty of the
gospel by his divine Benefactor.
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
"the light of life" only as they &C
cept and follow Christ as the
Light of the World. (See Gold in
the Golden Text for COMMENT
(2) Liberty. The controversy be-
tween Jesus and the eccleSastics
terminated in a superficial accept
ance of Jesus by many of the
Jews. To this group he declared
the conditions of true discipleship:
IF we continue in my word, then
are We my disciples indeed" Dis
cipleship is not genuine unless 1t
is perservering. Vast are the
riches of knowledge before the
discipleship that is affectionate
and persistent. "Ye 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 deliverance fro mthe
Roman yoke was the great work
expected of the Messiah. He there
fore spiritualized this hope. From
more dreadful captivity than
that in in Babylon and from a
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 Be the
Light of the World. While attend
ing the Feast of Dedication at
Jerusalem in the latter part OF
December, 20 AID, Jesus healed
the man born blind, first giving
him sight and then giving him sal
walton. (D Sight. 1t was the
Temple entrance perhaps that
Jesus. as he passed by, saw a 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 belief
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 sinless, 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 blind
| man, Jesus said, go, wash in the
pool of Siloam." The blind man
obeyed and came seeing" When
he returned, he found his neigh
bors in a controversy as to who
he was. as not this he that sat
and begged?" The variety of
opinion and the decisive assertion
Of the healed man are graphically
recorded. When his identity had
been settled, his neighbors were
anxious to know how he had been
cured. His answer to their inquiry
was terse and true, simple and
natural: "A man that is called
Jesus made clay, and anointed
mine eyes, and said unto me. Go
to the pool of Sloan, and wash /:
and l went and washed, and | re-
ceived sight"
(2) Salvation. Of course Jesus
learned at once that the healed
beggar who honored his Fealer
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 he
found him than he asked him the
fundamental question, "Dost thou
believe on the Son of God?" The
answer of the healed man was
made honestly and earnestly.
"Who is he, Lord, that l may be-
lieve on him." The answer of