Howdy!  If you are walking around outside of Truett Theological Seminary you will likely pass the clock tower at the North-East corner of the building.  On that clock tower, the words “the night cometh” are inscribed.  This is a quote from Jesus found in John 9:4. The full verse reads: “We must carry out the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming, when no one can work (NASB).”

When I first got to Truett in 2019, I would have told you that I thought “the night cometh” was a silly thing to put on the side of a seminary.  To me, it seemed dark and gloomy and hopeless, especially considering the Good News of Jesus.  I have learned a lot since then, and I have come to appreciate the decision to put “the night cometh” on the side of the seminary.

You see, this quote comes right as Jesus is healing a man of his blindness (I encourage you to go read the whole story, it is awesome).  Before saying this, Jesus explained to those around him that the man wasn’t suffering from blindness because of his sins or the sins of his parents.  Rather, the man was blind so that the glory of God could be displayed through his healing.  Jesus recognized that the night was coming for his time on earth, and his goal was to show the people around him the glory of God while he was still with them.

The story doesn’t end there though, the night cometh is not simply about Jesus’ work before ascending into heaven.  The night is also coming for us here in 2022.  There will be a time when we can no longer share the Gospel or help the helpless.  There will be a time when the Kingdom of God, a new heaven and a new earth, will come and Jesus will return.  In this passage of scripture, Jesus is trying to instill urgency in both his own time on earth and for all believers everywhere because the night is coming.

So, what does that mean for us?  It means that there are people who don’t know Jesus, and the night is coming when we can no longer share the Good News with them.  It means there are people going hungry, and the night is coming when we can no longer feed them.  It means that the Church and all Christians have a job to do, and the night is coming when we can no longer work.  Once the night comes, we can no longer work.  So, we need to get to it!

I have learned that “the night cometh” is not a dark prophesy about the future, it is a call to action for all Christians to do the work of Jesus before it is too late.  The night will come for all of us at some point, either before or when our savior returns.  It is on us to dedicate our lives to Christ’s service, for the sake of the Gospel.

In Him,

Tanner

P.S. If you are confused about your place in all this, feel free to reach out!  I would love to talk to you and we have a ton of resources that can help you discern how you can serve the Gospel.