I do not see how this passage could be talking about belief or converting people to belief. God's work here is the healing in a direct and physical sense that Jesus is doing.
Ok, this has been a good discussion. I feel that you are one of the few on here that make an honest effort to allow scripture to interpret scripture. But, that was the weakest point you’ve made so far, for you are contradicting your previous request to use the gospel of John to interpret the terminology of John, for it defines point blank the “works of God” as bringing people to a belief in Jesus Christ, which is exactly what the Great Commission is all about.
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It may be easy to see the time in the tomb as not much of anything, but really it was momentous. It really was night, and there was a sense of finality. You have to look at it from a pre-resurrection perspective to understand it. Jesus was preparing his disciples for this, and his time beforehand was precious.
1) In John 9:4, Jesus was NOT speaking to his disciples, but rather to his detractors.
2) Jesus’ disciples did not catch Jesus’ drift about being killed and rising again, until AFTER the resurrection. So if Jesus was attempting to prepare the disciples for the 3 days in the tomb, Jesus failed.
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To interpret…
John 9:4 ”We must work the works of him that sent me while it is day. The night cometh when no man can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
…as…
[We must strive to save people while Christ’s presence is in the world. A time will come when the presence of Christ will not be in the world, and no one will be able to believe in him. But, as long as Christ in the world, there remains a chance for people to grasp truth which lights the path to salvation.]
…requires jumping through ZERO hoops.
I can use the scriptural definitions of “the works of God” as bringing people to a belief in Christ, “the light” as the presence of Christ that attracts people to God, “the day” as the time period that light is available to lead people to salvation, and “the night” as an direct antonym for “the day” and the cessation of daytime activities that involved bringing people to Christ.