John wants us to be thinking about Genesis as we read his gospel. This is evident from his opening lines and is reinforced over and over again throughout the narrative. And where does Genesis begin? It begins with the Spirit of God, hovering over the dark waters of an unformed void. No light. No order. No form. Until God, through His word, brings forth light and life. Until He begins, day by day, to create and order the world. And John, as he sits to record his story of Jesus, takes the reader right back to that Genesis scene when he writes, "In the beginning was the Word...all things were made through Him...in Him was life...and the life was the light of men...and the light shines in the darkness" (Jn 1:1-5).
And so, as we come to chapter 9, John invites us to keep that Genesis picture in the background. The Word who spoke light into the darkness in the beginning now stands before a man who has lived his entire life in darkness. The Creator who brought light into the world is about to bring light into this man's world. Just before He does He reminds His disciples "I am the light of the world" (Jn 9:5). Then He stoops down, gathers dust with His own hands and "spit on the ground" to make "mud with the saliva" (Jn 9:6). He could have spoken a word, He could have placed a healing touch on the mans eyes, but dirt and spit? What seems strange in isolation becomes rich with meaning when read through the lens of Genesis.
We have seen this scene before. We have seen God stop speaking, and instead stoop down to gather dust with his hands. The Bible says that when He made man in His image He "formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life" (Gen 2:7). The dust of the Earth combined with the breath of God Himself creates a living and animated humanity.
Just like in Genesis, John gives us a picture of God, stopping in the midst of the action, not to speak healing, but to form with His hands mud to bring sight.
It is as if John is whispering to the reader, Don’t miss this. What was lost in Genesis is being restored. Jesus is here. He is the light that has overcome the darkness, the Creator who has come to restore what was broken.
In the beginning, God spoke light into the darkness, and from the dust of the ground and the breath of His mouth, He brought life. But now the Word has come to dwell among us. He has entered our darkness, and with dust He brings restoration. Our Creator is creating again.
If you’re feeling discouraged, worn down, or beaten by the weight of this dark world, take heart: our Creator is still creating. Our light is near. He is breathing new life into you, restoring what has been broken, and continually recreating you in His image.
He is your strength when you are weary, your shield when you feel vulnerable, your High Priest when you need someone to intercede, and your Alpha and Omega when you cannot see what comes next. He is your hope in the middle of the struggle.
If the world feels heavy today, take heart. The One who created the world has not abandoned it. The One who brings light into darkness is still at work. The light still shines.
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