Let there be light

In John 9, Jesus makes an allusion to the creation story when He explains to His disciples the reasons for the blind man’s blindness. The man is not blind because of his own sin, or his parents’ sins, but instead so that the work of God might be displayed in Him.

Jesus describes this work in terms of light and darkness, and tells the disciples that He is the “light of the world” as long as He is in the world. This light/dark contrast alludes back to the beginning of the gospel, where Jesus is said to be the light that shines in the darkness, and the light that lightens every man (1:4-5, 9).

In the context of John 1, this is clearly an allusion to the creation of light on the first day of the creation week. When Jesus alludes back to that here, He is making the same connection. The world is darkened by sin, but the God who said “let there be light” at the beginning has spoken His Word as the Light of the world, and the world is light again.

For the blind man, this has a particular relevance: He is in darkness, literally. And the day of his healing is the day when light shines in that darkness that he has experienced throughout his life. The day of his healing is a repetition of the first day of creation for him, when God speaks and light dispels darkness.