The Signs of the Times, vol. 23

September 9, 1897

“Editorial. The Light of the World” The Signs of the Times, 23, 35.

E. J. Waggoner

“And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.” And Jesus said, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, and said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.” John 9:1-7. SITI September 9, 1897, page 545.1

In this simple story we learn how literally true are the words of Jesus, “I am the light of the world.” Here was a poor man who in the midst of light was walking in darkness. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world,” and immediately gave the man sight. It is very evident that the poor man was wholly dependent on Jesus and his word for his sight. Jesus was literally to him the light of day. SITI September 9, 1897, page 545.2

But that case is only illustrative. What Jesus was to that man, he is to all. He is literally the light of the world. “All things were made by him” (John 1:3), and “by him all things consist” (Colossians 1:17). God has set his glory upon the heavens. Psalm 8:1, R.V. The light of which the sun was made bearer, is nothing less than “the light of the glory of God.” All the light of this world came from the word of God, who said, “Let there be light,” and “there was light.” SITI September 9, 1897, page 545.3

It was this same word that gave light to the poor, blind man. There was no healing virtue in the clay, nor in the water; but the man obeyed the command, “Go and wash,” and in those words of Jesus he found the light. Thus he found that the words, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path,” are most strictly and literally true. He who follows Christ can not walk in darkness, because he has the light of life. John 8:12. SITI September 9, 1897, page 545.4

The man upon whom this miracle was wrought was only a poor beggar, who until that day had never seen the light, yet as soon as the miracle was performed, he had more true knowledge of the light than all the learned Pharisees and doctors of the law had. Note his clear and decisive answers under cross-questioning. When there was a doubt expressed as to his being the same blind man who begged by the wayside, he settled that question by saying, “I am he.” He was not ashamed to acknowledge his low degree. SITI September 9, 1897, page 545.5

Neither was he ashamed to acknowledge his dependence upon Jesus for his sight. On being asked how his eyes were opened, he said, “A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash; and I went and washed, and I received sight.” It was a simple testimony to the truth, and therein lay its convincing power. The most learned man in the city could not have told it any better. SITI September 9, 1897, page 545.6

Then there was a dispute as to the character of Jesus. First he bluntly declared, “He is a prophet.” Note that he did not give it as his opinion or belief, but as a fact that admitted of no dispute. In his simplicity he did not presume to advance theories, but stuck to what he knew, and that was far better than theories. If professed Christians, and Christian teachers, were better acquainted with the practical facts of the Gospel, there would be far less groping among systems of theories. SITI September 9, 1897, page 545.7

Further than these simple facts, the young man would not allow himself to be enticed. To the Pharisees’ declaration that Christ was a sinner, he replied, “Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not; one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.” That was a fact which the Pharisees would gladly forget, but the young man held them to it; and it really settled the whole question. For to give sight to a man born blind, was a creative act, and showed divine power. That being admitted, there could be no further question as to the character of Jesus. SITI September 9, 1897, page 545.8

The result was characteristic. The Pharisees could not gainsay the facts so simply yet graphically told by the young man, but they were bound not to accept the light that had so brightly dawned upon him, and so they said, “Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us?” and they cast him out of the synagog. When men meet facts which they can not overthrow and will not accept, they betray their confusion by appealing to their age, or their position, or their learning. SITI September 9, 1897, page 545.9

But the great lesson for us to learn is the reality of the light which God gives by his Word, and the positive assurance with which those must speak who have received that light. If all the philosophers in the world should unite to demonstrate that the sun is an opaque body, and that we actually receive no light from it, the most ignorant man in the street could say, “I don’t know anything about your science, but I know I see;” and with that fact he could overturn all their theories. So the simple man whose eyes are opened to see “the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ,” can silence every learned objection with the simple declaration, “I was blind; now I see.” Doubtless few will accept the truth through his simple testimony; but he may be sure that those who will not accept it on such evidence, would not accept it under any circumstances. One thing that an unlearned man knows is worth more than ten million things that wise men do not know. E. J. W. SITI September 9, 1897, page 545.10

“Shutting in the Light” The Signs of the Times, 23, 35.

E. J. Waggoner

Shutting in the Light. —The sun has risen, and is beginning to flood our room with light. Brighter and brighter the light shines, as the sun ascends in the heavens. “Ah, now we have light enough; that is quite sufficient; we shall not need any more! We will therefore now close the shutters tightly, so that we may prevent any more light from coming in, and keep only that which we now have.” This we forthwith do, but, behold, it is perfectly dark! The light that we had went out as soon as we shut out the light that was streaming in. So we find that it is impossible to retain the light that we now have, unless we allow the light to continue to come in freely. How many are forgetting the obvious fact, content to have no more light, and even strenuously resisting its entrance! Let such remember that they are in the way of making the light that is in them become darkness. E. J. W. SITI September 9, 1897, page 546.1