Who Is This Jesus: The Light Of The World Series

Who IS This Jesus

He is the Light; Follow Him

John 8:12

By Pastor Ralph Juthman

INTRODUCTION:

Jesus is the WORD: Listen to Him

Jesus is the LIGHT: Follow Him

Light is essential to our daily lives; Few of us would think of walking at night on a strange and unfamiliar path with out some source of light? To do so could have serious consequences.

While on maneuvers, a battleship lookout noted a light in the dark, foggy night. After noting the light’s coordinates, the captain recognized his ship was on a collision course with the other vessel. The captain instructed, "Signal the ship: We are on a collision course, advise you change course 20 degrees." The return signal countered, "Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees." The captain signaled, "I’m a captain, change course 20 degrees." The response was, "I’m a seaman second class, you’d better change course 20 degrees." By this time the captain was furious. His signal curtly ordered, "I’m a battleship. Change course 20 degrees." The reply: "I’m a lighthouse. You make the call."

The world of 2009, is a very dark place. Just consider some of the lead articles on the front page of the Toronto Star from Friday’s edition,

• Top police officer charged with sexual harassment

• Ontario led the country in job losses in February as it shed 35,300, helping push the national unemployment rate to almost a six-year high.

• TD predicts longer recession

• 16 people lost at sea following a helicopter crash in the Atlantic off Newfoundland

• A deal for concessions to save teetering automakers in Canada may be unraveling.

• The 112th solder is killed in Afghanistan

• President Obama signs law essentially making full term abortion legal in the US

. I read an editorial in a Christian magazine this week, and the writer made a statement which I could really identify with,

Each night as I watch the late night news I find that things have gone no better today than yesterday. I watch hoping to finding that this day has not been as bad as the last, but each day I am disappointed.

Have you ever felt like that? I know that I have. Life can sometimes feel overwhelming. Our thoughts range from fear to despair. I can understand why many non believers try to relieve their pain through alcohol, drugs, possessions, work or suicide.

There are times when the complexity of my life becomes so overwhelming that I wonder if even Jesus understands. When the world around me is filled with darkness and uncertainty, how can I find my way?

According to John 1:3-5, I am reminded that Jesus created the universe, He sustains it and controls it, and nothing therefore is to difficult for Him to handle.

3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood[a] it.

This means that the darkness of this world will never extinguish the Light of God’s love and grace. The Bible says that Jesus Christ is the Creator of life, and His life brings light to this dark world. The point is that…,

When we follow Jesus, the true Light, we can avoid walking blindly and stumbling in the darkness.

PRAY and Turn to John 8:12-20

The Feast of the Tabernacles is the last of the seven annual feasts of Israel commanded by God, and one of the three feasts that all Jews were required to attend. For seven days each year the Jews celebrated the Feast of the Tabernacles. God had inaugurated this feast to help the people of Israel to remember that for forty years they had wandered in the wilderness before God finally brought them into the Promised Land.

Now there are two important aspects to the way the Jews celebrated the Feast of the Tabernacles; that made it very different from any of the other annual feasts.

The first was that for those seven days the entire nation camped out. That is, every family moved outdoors into temporary shelters made of branches and leaves to remind themselves of the hardships that their ancestors had under-gone while living in tents during the 40 years in the wilderness.

The second was that on the opening night of the celebration a couple of giant Menorah or candelabras were erected in the Court of the Women. Each was reported to be 75 ft. tall, with huge bowls at the top. Each bowl held 10 gallons of oil. The wicks were made from the old, no longer useable garments of the priests. Then with great pomp and ceremony the bowls were lit. Ancient accounts said that the light from these huge candelabra literally lit up the streets of Jerusalem. At the end of the feast, the lights were purposely put out. Why? because the Messiah had not yet come. Some scholars propose that it is at this point that Jesus makes his declaration.