What did Jesus mean by "night is coming"?

trophy33 · 2025-07-12T00:19:26-0500

While it is daytime, we must do the works of Him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
J 9:4-5

When Jesus left, He sent the Holy Spirit. And there is church and a lot of people are doing good works. What does it mean that "night is coming, when no one can work"?

RandyPNW · 2025-07-12T00:42:28-0500

trophy33 said:
While it is daytime, we must doa the works of Him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
J 9:4-5

When Jesus left, He sent the Holy Spirit. And there is church and a lot of people are doing good works. What does it mean that "night is coming, when no one can work"?

I think Jesus intended to imply a deeper meaning here. Obviously, without electricity or lots of candles when it is night people can't see to work.

So Jesus indicated that he was a kind of spiritual light. With him nearby we can work. When he left his light was no longer available.

Fortunately, Jesus left the Holy Spirit to replace his presence with us. Still, we can only operate when the Spirit opens the doors for us. That's the lesson we may have to learn if we are to be effective models for Jesus to this world.

And for those in ministry, they have to absolutely be led in the way to go, in order to produce well. We have to know that without the Lord's help we can do nothing.

trophy33 · 2025-07-12T00:52:02-0500

RandyPNW said:
I think Jesus intended to imply a deeper meaning here. Obviously, without electricity or lots of candles when it is night people can't see to work.

So Jesus indicated that he was a kind of spiritual light. With him nearby we can work. When he left his light was no longer available.

Fortunately, Jesus left the Holy Spirit to replace his presence with us. Still, we can only operate when the Spirit opens the doors for us. That's the lesson we may have to learn if we are to be effective models for Jesus to this world.

And for those in ministry, they have to absolutely be led in the way to go, in order to produce well. We have to know that without the Lord's help we can do nothing.

I can not find any specific answer in your post. Of course Jesus did not mean the literal night, that is not even question here.

The question is - can we do good works today? How is it "night"?

FireDragon76 · 2025-07-12T02:32:47-0500

An untimely death, judgement. There's a sense of urgency in Jesus' words that speaks to something about the human condition broadly- we resist change, become set in our ways, and put off needed change until its often too late. "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish", etc.

trophy33 · 2025-07-12T03:00:14-0500

FireDragon76 said:
An untimely death, judgement. There's a sense of urgency in Jesus' words that speaks to something about the human condition broadly- we resist change, become set in our ways, and put off needed change until its often too late. "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish", etc.

So, you think that the night is one's individual departure from this world? Physical death?

FireDragon76 · 2025-07-12T03:02:58-0500

trophy33 said:
So, you think that the night is one's individual departure from this world? Physical death?

Yes, though I suspect it's a multivalent symbol, without one specific meaning.

trophy33 · 2025-07-12T03:11:13-0500

FireDragon76 said:
Yes, though I suspect it's a multivalent symbol, without one specific meaning.

This explanation could work, I guess. However, I have a feeling that it should be something related to Jesus's physical presence on Earth (and to His departure from the Earth).

Richard T · 2025-07-12T06:27:26-0500

There are quite a few choices in the answers above and to this question posted here.

https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/19594/night-is-coming-when-no-one-can-work-john-94

BobRyan · 2025-07-12T07:09:34-0500

trophy33 said:
While it is daytime, we must do the works of Him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
J 9:4-5

When Jesus left, He sent the Holy Spirit. And there is church and a lot of people are doing good works. What does it mean that "night is coming, when no one can work"?

Heb 8:1-2 "The main point is this" -- Jesus (the "Son of Man' as Christ says) is our High Priest in heaven's sanctuary above. The second person of the Godhead - a minister in the Sanctuary in heaven - the temple built by God - the Third Temple of NT times.

In the near future:
Rev 15:8 that Sanctuary ministry of Christ is shut down so that the seven plagues can be poured out.
Rev 22 predicts the condition on Earth at that time as one where no one "changes sides" - the one who is righteous "is righteous still" the one who is wicked "is wicked still". No evangelism, no crossing over.

ViaCrucis · 2025-07-12T07:22:04-0500

trophy33 said:
While it is daytime, we must do the works of Him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
J 9:4-5

When Jesus left, He sent the Holy Spirit. And there is church and a lot of people are doing good works. What does it mean that "night is coming, when no one can work"?

It does appear to be speaking about the brief window of time of His earthly ministry. The context--the healing of the blind man--suggests to me that the window of what Jesus is doing in His earthly ministry is short.

In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus will identify His Church (a la His disciples) as "the light of the world"; and returning back to the Gospel of John, as you note, the Holy Spirit will be sent and He will empower the Church to do the works of God and preach the word, etc.

Yet there is a distinction, between the Lord's earthly ministry, and the ongoing ministry of the Church.

Jesus at times speaks of how He will no longer be with them/us, and simultaneously speaks of how He will always be present and with them/us.

Ultimately I think Jesus is saying, "What needs to be done needs to be done right now, while I am here doing these things".

-CryptoLutheran

trophy33 · 2025-07-12T07:31:50-0500

ViaCrucis said:
It does appear to be speaking about the brief window of time of His earthly ministry. The context--the healing of the blind man--suggests to me that the window of what Jesus is doing in His earthly ministry is short.

In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus will identify His Church (a la His disciples) as "the light of the world"; and returning back to the Gospel of John, as you note, the Holy Spirit will be sent and He will empower the Church to do the works of God and preach the word, etc.

Yet there is a distinction, between the Lord's earthly ministry, and the ongoing ministry of the Church.

Jesus at times speaks of how He will no longer be with them/us, and simultaneously speaks of how He will always be present and with them/us.

Ultimately I think Jesus is saying, "What needs to be done needs to be done right now, while I am here doing these things".

-CryptoLutheran

"Night is coming, when no one can work"
- I could not find any explanation of this in your post

RandyPNW · 2025-07-12T09:10:51-0500

trophy33 said:
I can not find any specific answer in your post. Of course Jesus did not mean the literal night, that is not even question here.

The question is - can we do good works today? How is it "night"?

My specific answer was, Jesus was talking about his being a spiritual kind of light, and that he was going to die, leaving his disciples without his light. "Night is coming" means he will no longer be with them, and they will be unable to walk by his light.

Jesus was calling his Disciples to continue in their present ministry while he was still with them. Of course, later Jesus provided for a continuation of their ministry without him. But it would be light form the Holy Spirit, representing him, at that later day. It would be a new phase of ministry.

At present, Jesus was talking about the ministry in which they were going out two by two in preparation for something they did not yet understand, which was his atoning death. They were to bring as much of Israel as possible into conformity with the righteousness of the Law so as to look, by repentance, to their future national salvation.

The Disciples did not fully know yet, what Jesus' imminent salvation was to mean for them. But in the meantime they were to work, bringing Israel into preparation for his Kingdom. They just didn't realize yet that the coming of his Kingdom was not imminent, and would have to be preceded by Jesus' death, ie the "Night," followed by a complete breakdown of the nation, spiritually and morally.

I think at the heart of it all was that Jesus' Gospel called for Israel to conform to the Law via recognition of Jesus' role as the source of this righteousness up until the point where the Law would completely collapse. Israel had been in covenant with God through the Law, and Jesus' prophetic role kept Israel aligned with that covenant, though I doubt this was well understood immediately.

So, the "Day" refers to Jesus' time as the source of righteousness and truth during the remaining time of the Law. The coming "Night" referred to Jesus' death, bringing the era of Law to an end, when the works of the Law ceased to have any value.

The Liturgist · 2025-07-12T11:05:03-0500

trophy33 said:
"Night is coming, when no one can work"
- I could not find any explanation of this in your post

I could - perhaps you could be more specific? Because the entirety of what @ViaCrucis wrote seemed to me an explanation of what he believes our Lord meant. I don’t want to put words in his mouth by trying to summarize, but perhaps you might want to ask ViaCrucis to explain it to you another way? Because he did provide an explanation, perhaps not the one you will find most satisfactory, but one which is coherent and logical and worthy of analysis.

trophy33 · 2025-07-12T11:07:28-0500

The Liturgist said:
I could - perhaps you could be more specific? Because the entirety of what @ViaCrucis wrote seemed to me an explanation of what he believes our Lord meant. I don’t want to put words in his mouth by trying to summarize, but perhaps you might want to ask ViaCrucis to explain it to you another way? Because he did provide an explanation, perhaps not the one you will find most satisfactory, but one which is coherent and logical and worthy of analysis.

I was very specific.

The Liturgist · 2025-07-12T11:14:44-0500

trophy33 said:
It seems to me that people on this forum prefer to use as many words as possible instead of giving concise and clear answers to clear questions.

No, only a few of the more silly members like me, indulge in that vice, but not in conversation with you, and of that vice @ViaCrucis is completely innocent. I assure you, his reply was concise, which is why I am urging you to reach out to him to obtain specific clarification rather than discounting what he wrote.

trophy33 · 2025-07-12T11:18:13-0500

The Liturgist said:
No, only a few of the more silly members like me, indulge in that vice, but not in conversation with you, and of that vice @ViaCrucis is completely innocent. I assure you, his reply was concise, which is why I am urging you to reach out to him to obtain specific clarification rather than discounting what he wrote.

I am not sure why you even want to instruct me to reach him. I reacted to his post clearly and specifically. If he wants to add or clarify something, he can.

And after a day of trying to get simple answers from people here on forum in various places, I was generalizing, not talking specifically about ViaCrucis. It looks like vagueness, non-answers and useless speculating is widespread and I got frustrated after the day.

The Liturgist · 2025-07-12T13:17:44-0500

trophy33 said:
I am not sure why you even want to instruct me to reach him. I reacted to his post clearly and specifically. If he wants to add or clarify something, he can.

And after a day of trying to get simple answers from people here on forum in various places, I was generalizing, not talking specifically about ViaCrucis. It looks like vagueness, non-answers and useless speculating is widespread and I got frustrated after the day.

Please forgive me as I value and love you as a brother in Christ and don’t wish to frustrate you.

I will, if you wish, try to write a very exact and concise answer of my own to this question, but I need a bit of time since as you know, my habitual style is long winded and meandering and I do not want to add to your frustration with a rushed response.

ViaCrucis · 2025-07-12T19:35:37-0500

trophy33 said:
"Night is coming, when no one can work"
- I could not find any explanation of this in your post

People don't work during the night, one has to wait until it is daylight to work. When Jesus ascended to the Father His earthly ministry was finished, and so He no longer worked personally/incarnately as He did while He was here on earth.

TL;DR version: Night = after Jesus' earthly ministry is finished.

-CryptoLutheran

What did Jesus mean by "night is coming"?

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