John 12:35 “Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. 36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.”
The Lord did not answer the fools according to their folly (Proverbs 26:4), but He did strongly exhort and warn them that “Yet a little while is the light with you”; that is, referring to Himself, for He is “the light of the world” (John 8:12; 9:5)! He told them and us that “he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth”! It is true that for short periods of time they would be without “the light”, His physical presence. Seemingly, they were without full illumination of “the light” while the Lord’s body was in the Tomb and then again during the ten days after His ascension (Acts 1) and the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). But, on that Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit appeared and sat upon them with such magnificent force that He could be both seen and heard, and He brought with Him “the light of the glorious gospel of Christ” (II Corinthians 4:4)! Then, the Preachers were empowered with “the light” and the people were moved to join themselves to the Lord’s illuminated Church and to walk “in the light” and live as “the children of light”! Without this blessed “light” “he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth”; that is, there is nothing but confusion and despair and heartbreak and suffering and hopelessness. In this dreadful “darkness” immorality and greed and dishonesty consumes like a fast-growing cancer; then people fail, families fail, communities fail, society fails, and nations fail! The “god of this world” [the devil and his minions] thrives in such dark misery; thus, he “hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (II Corinthians 4:4). So, even in our day, “we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake” (II Corinthians 4:5). And, it is so, that as we are walking “in the light”, we do have troubles and trials in this present world, but the devil doesn’t win (II Corinthians 4:6-10)!