THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
John 8:12-21
Whenever Jesus taught the Word, His adversaries were always present. The ones
who hated His teaching were the religious leaders. The teachers of the Law, the
Chief priests, the Pharisees, and the elders of the Synagogues.
Earlier in the text the religious leaders tried to find a reason to accuse Him by
bringing a lady caught in adultery. Jesus stoop down and wrote on the ground.
Let me suggest the first time He stooped, He wrote the first 5 commandments.
The second time He stoop, He wrote the 2nd 5 commandments. He said if any one of you is without sin, cast the first stone. All the accusers of the woman
left. Jesus taught the Word and used it to backup His claims to be the
Son of God.
Let this be a lesson to use the Word of God to support your worth and beliefs.
You cannot fight those who hate you with human reasoning, You fight with
the Word of God.
JESUS CLAIMS TO BE GOD
V:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
The Jewish nation was living in a dark world waiting for the Son to shine.
Their problem was they had Jewish religious leaders who relied on their
traditions rather than the Word of God. The nation had moved away from God
to a form of religion, based on their custom, thoughts, and ideas. Thirty years
into His life on earth, Jesus began teaching the truth which the Jewish leaders
refused to believe. The light can only be found in the Word of God.
Jesus taught this message in the Temple court. Jesus said I Am the Light Of the
World. As the planets revolve around the sun. The spiritual world revolves
around the Son. All plants and animals need the light of the sun to grow. Man
needs the Light of Jesus for spiritual growth.
With the I AM statement Jesus claimed to be God. He is all-knowing. He can not learn
anything, because He knows the full and complete truth.
Ecclesiastes 1:9-11
9 What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything which one can say,
"Look! This is something new"?
It was here already, long ago;
it was here before our time.
John Chapter 1 starts with “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God
and the Word Was God. Everything we need to know is found in the 66 books of
the Bible. You cannot add anything to it or take anything away from it (Revelations 22:18).
This I AM claim was made in the Temple court doing the Passover Festival. Jesus may
have had in view the light of the seven-branch Candelabrum which provided
continuous light with olive oil in the Holy Place. Seven is the number of completion.
Jesus is the complete Word. We need the completeness of Jesus for eternal life.
THE WITNESS AGAINST THE DEVIL IS THE WORD
V:13 The Pharisees challenged him, "Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid."
14 Jesus answered, "Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going.
The Pharisees saw Jesus as a preacher/teacher from Galilee and nothing more.
They listen carefully to every word He spoke to find fault, and not to understand
the truth.
The Jews believed that the truth was established by two or more witnesses.
Deuteronomy 19:15
A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
The Jewish leaders knew the Word but only quoted the Word to support
their own traditions. When the truth is in question, it can only be supported by
the truth. Jesus referred to the truth of their ignorance of Him. All believers are in
a growth process. We must be open to learning more about Jesus. God's knowledge is
infinite. We only know what we have heard, read, and believe which is like a grain
of sand on a seashore.
Most Jewish leaders hated Jesus because He questioned their knowledge and
authority with His teachings. I also believe the Jewish leaders were envious
of Jesus because He drew large crowds when He spoke. Perhaps they feared losing
their influence over the Jewish people.
John 7:47-49
47 "You mean he has deceived you also?" the Pharisees retorted. 48 "Has any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? 49 No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law — there is a curse on them."
Unbelievers don’t know Jesus or the truth He speaks in the Word. Jesus is Lord
and Savior, but unbelievers will never know Him.
All of us were born in sin and shaped in inequity. We were born into this world
in an unbelieving state. But by the grace of God, we were chosen before the
foundation of the earth to be with Jesus (Ephesians 1:4) Once born in sin the Lord drew us to the marvelous light (John 6:44).
JESUS IS THE FINAL JUDGE
V:15 You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. 18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me."
19 Then they asked him, "Where is your father?"
"You do not know me or my Father," Jesus replied. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also." 20 He spoke these words while teaching in the temple area near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his time had not yet come.
Sometimes the truth is rejected because people don’t believe in the one who speaks
it. The Jewish leader believed in themselves and their vast misunderstanding of
the Law. They judged people by their beliefs in their traditions and not by the
truth in the Law. They taught the Law but their traditions were their law.
Mark 7:8
8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."
Again, the truth must be supported by the truth. Jesus is the judge and the jury.
However. for believers, His judgment is covered with the blood of atonement.
Jesus came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
Jesus had two witnesses, Him and His Father. The Jewish leaders did know
Jesus or the Father. They knew of the God they claimed but refused to honor
by not keeping His commands. They knew the Word that prophesied the coming
of the Messiah, his time of birth, his place of birth, and the community He would
be raised. In the presence of the Messiah, they witnessed His supernatural
nature through the miracles He performed and the power of His Word but refused to
believe.
In chapter 7 starting at verse 40, some Jews said He was a prophet, and some said
He was the Christ, but none believed the Christ could come from Galilee. You
cannot let race, nationality, or looks prevent you from receiving the Word of God.
We must put aside our beliefs to accept the Word of God
JESUS IS THE CURE FOR DARKNESS
John 12:44-46
V:44 Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45 When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as a light so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
Jesus gives us His mission; to bring light to a dark world. To believe in the Father
you have to believe in Jesus. The Father and the Son are one. You can only get
to heaven through Jesus who was sent by the Father.
You and I cannot physically see Jesus. We must have faith that He exists. The Just
lives by faith and not by sight. Without faith, it is impossible to please God.
Acts 4:12-13
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
The absence of faith in Jesus is darkness. It is only through Jesus that we can know the
truth. The truth is the spiritual light that blesses all believers. The is found in only
one place, the Word of God. Study to show yourself approved.
Rev. M. Mitchell
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