THE SON’S DIVINE ASSIGNMENTS

“I MUST WORK the WORKS of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” – John 9:4

The Father’s Business is the platform for the SON’S DIVINE ASSIGNMENTS: “I MUST WORK the WORKS of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (Jh.9:4). The Son of God came to fulfil everything in the Father’s Grand Agenda (Jh.5: 17, 19-20). The Son’s Mission and Assignments are a continuum of the Father’s Eternal Business.

This passage contains the sixth of the seven miraculous “signs” of Jesus’ divinity found in John’s gospel. Jesus encountered a man who had been blind from birth (v.1). In typical fashion for that era, the disciples assumed this condition was due to a specific sin – either the man's sin or his parents’ sin. Jesus corrected His disciples’ misconceptions about sin and suffering, and miraculously healed the man, granting him sight (vv.2-7). This restoration led to interrogation, as the Pharisees tried to discredit the miracle. The healed man’s simple, straightforward perspective embarrassed and frustrated the religious leaders (vv.13-25). They purposefully ignored the spiritual message being proven by Jesus' works; but we must not!

Jesus used metaphors relating to His earthly days. In an era without electricity, night-time was, by necessity, a time in which less work could be done on account of darkness. The day was the most effective time to work, but it is also a limited period. As used by Christ here, “day” – daylight hours when it’s possible to see and work without hindrance – referred to the time left for Him to serve God's Will on earth. “Night” referred to the rapidly-approaching time when He would die and end His earthly work. Jesus knew He had a finite amount of time to “work” in His earthly ministry. He was very conscious that His time was short and that He had to give Himself wholeheartedly to the task assigned to Him while the opportunity was available.

The word “must” is the Greek word dei, which carries the idea of an obligation or a necessity. Jesus urgently and strongly felt that there was no option in the matter. It was compulsory, essential, and imperative that He properly use His time to fulfil His divine assignments. He literally said: “For Me, there is no option; what is before Me is certainly compulsory” The word “works” depicts intensified work, not a light matter; something that completely consumes one’s thoughts and actions. The phrase carries this idea: “I must give Myself completely to the task before Me and do it enthusiastically and passionately”!

Furthermore, the word is “sent” infers “to send as a messenger or to send on a specific mission.” Jesus was no haphazard messenger. He was purposely sent by the Father for a specific reason, and He was accountable for how He performed His Mission. Jesus was saying: “I was sent specifically for this mission, and I will answer to the One who sent Me for how I carry out this assignment.” Jesus’ declaration is incredibly important because it contains a strong admonition for every serious Christian. The attitudes of Jesus expressed in this scripture must be our attitude as well. Life on earth is a timed assignment!

We as Believers in Christ have only the days of our earthly lives to accomplish the work God has assigned us in that time. It is imperative that we use the time given to us now to reach billions of souls across the nations of the world who’ve never heard the good news that Jesus saves, and to work while there is still time to work! Most of the opportunities God places before us are limited. If we delay or hesitate too long, they will pass us by. It is urgent that we – like Jesus – esteem every God-given opportunity as a unique gift that cannot be wastefully squandered.

Time is a precious gift and Kingdom opportunities are open doors provided by God Himself. If He has given us a space of time when we can freely work without hindrance, we must embrace it and fervently seek to fulfil all He has called you to do.