IDENTIFYING JESUS
I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
John 8:12 (NIV) 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."
INTRODUCTION: OUR PASSAGE TODAY INCLUDES THE SECOND OF THE “I AM” STATEMENTS OF CHRIST. THE FIRST BEING LAST WEEK WHERE WE LOOKED AT THE STATEMENT OF JESUS – “ I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE”
IN THE FLOW OF THE BOOK OF JOHN, JESUS MAKES THIS STATEMENT BEFORE HEALING A MAN BORN BLIND. THIS MAN WAS AT THIS PARTICULAR PLACE, AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME IN ORDER THAT HIS HEALING MIGHT BE A POWERFUL DECLARATION OF THE PRESENCE AND POWER OF GOD IN THE MIDST OF THE PEOPLE
WHAT IS EVEN MORE STRIKING, IS WHEN WE LOOK A LITTLE DEEPER INTO OUR PASSAGE; PUTTING IT IN ITS ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT,, THAT WE BEGIN TO SEE THE POWER BEHIND THIS DECLARATION OF JESUS – I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.
I. THE CONTEXT OF THE “I AM” OF JESUS
a. THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES HAD JUST CONCLUDED
i. THIS FEAST FOLLOWED THE PASSOVER AND COMMEMORATED THE EXODUS AND THE 40 YEARS OF WANDERING, AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE
ii. IT REAFFIRMS FAITH IN GOD
iii. ANOTHER NAME OF THE FEAST WAS SUKKOT
1. FIRST STOP IN THE EXODUS FROM EGYPT WAS THE TOWN OF SUKKOTA
iv. THE FEAST ALSO COMMEMORATES THE TRANSITION FROM SLAVERY TO WANDERING TO FREEDOM IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL
v. THE FEAST IS SEVEN DAYS LONG
b. THE ACTIVITIES OF THE FEAST
i. EACH MORNING OF THE FEAST THE PRIEST OF ISRAEL WOULD PROCEED TO THE POOL OF SILOAM
1. THEY WOULD FILL PITCHER OF GOLD WITH WATER
2. THEY WOULD RETURN TO THE ALTAR AND POUR THE WATER ON THE ALTAR OF SACRIFICE CHAT SEVERAL VERSES FROM THE PROPHETS AND PSALMS
a. Isaiah 12:3 (NIV) With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
Psalm 114:7-8 (NIV) Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, 8 who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water.
ii. ON THE EVENING OF THE FIRST NIGHT OF THE FEAST AND EACH EVENING OF THE FEAST AFTER SUNSET
1. TWO GREAT LAMPS IN THE COURTS OF THE TEMPLE WERE LIT
2. THEY WERE SAID TO HAVE CAST THEIR LIGHT INTO EVERY CORNER OF THE CITY
3. THEY RECALLED THE PILLAR OF CLOUD BY DAY AND THE PILLAR OF CLOUD BY NIGHT
a. THE PILLAR OF CLOUD STOOD BETWEEN THEM AND THE EGYPTIAN ARMY THUS PROTECTING THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL FROM ATTACK AND WOULD SHADE THE NATION OF ISRAEL AS THEY WANDERED
b. THE PILLAR OF FIRE KEPT THE PEOPLE WARM IN THE COOLNESS OF THE DESERT AT NIGHT
iii. IT WOULD BE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE LIGHTING OF THESE TWO GREAT LAMPS THAT JESUS WOULD DECLARE THE HE WAS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
JUST AS JESUS AS THE BREAD OF LIFE WAS REMINISCENT OF THE MANNA GOD SENT DOWN FROM HEAVEN, SO NOW JESUS AS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD MAKES REFERENCE BACK TO THE PROVISION OF GOD FOR THE SAFETY AND COMFORT OF THE NATION AS THEY MOVED FROM SLAVERY TO FREEDOM.
JUST AS OUR FAITH IN CHRIST MOVES US FROM THE SLAVERY OF SIN TO THE FREEDOM OF ETERNAL LIFE
SO IN DECLARING HIMSELF THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD – JUST AS THESE TWO LAMPS WERE THE LIGHT OF JERUSALEM, JESUS IS DIRECTING US TO LOOK AT THE PILLARS OF FIRE AND CLOUD REPRESENTED BY THE GREAT LAMPS IN THE TEMPLE
II. WHAT THE PILLARS OF CLOUD AND FIRE TELLS US
a. THE PRESENCE OF GOD
i. THE FACT THAT THE CLOUD WOULD HAVE BEEN HUGS SUGGEST THAT IT ITSELF WAS A THEOPHANY/CHRISTOPHANY
ii. ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE THIS CLOUD WAS ACTUALLY GOD IN A VISIBLE FORM
iii. Exodus 13:21-22 (NIV) By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.
iv. WHEN APPLIED TO CHRIST:
1. THE CLOUD WAS GOD’S PRESENCE WITH THE JOURNEY OF ISRAEL
2. IT WAS A CLOUD – GOD’S PRESENCE THAT FILLED THE TEMPLE
3. IT WAS A CLOUD THAT LATER LEFT THAT TEMPLE SIGNIFYING THE DEPARTURE OF GOD
4. NOW WITH THE STATEMENT OF JESUS, GOD HAS RETURNED TO HIS PEOPLE – THE WORD BECAME FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US!
b. THE PROTECTION OF GOD
i. WITHOUT THE PROTECTION OF THIS CLOUD THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL WOULD HAVE PERISHED LONG BEFORE ARRIVING IN THE PROMISED LAND
1. THE CLOUD PROTECTED THEM FROM THE ARMIES OF PHARAOH
2. THE CLOUD PROTECTED THEM FROM DANGERS ALONG THE WAY
a. HEAT
b. COLD
ii. APPROX. 2 MILLION JEWS LEFT EGYPT
1. 600,000 MEN
2. WOMEN AND CHILDREN
iii. THE DESERT THEY TRAVELED WAS ANYTHING BUT HOSPITABLE
1. 140-150 DEGREES DURING THE DAY
2. BELOW ZERO AT NIGHT
iv. MOSES PROVIDED WATER AT THE ROCK, GOD PROVIDED SHELTER WITH THE CLOUD
JESUS IS THE PROTECTOR FOR ALL WHO FOLLOW HIM!
c. THE MOVEMENT OF THE CLOUD
i. THE MOVING OF THE CLOUD WAS THE PRIMARY WAY GOD COMMUNICATED WITH HIS PEOPLE
ii. NO LANDMARKS IN THE DESERT TO GUIDE THE NATION
iii. WOULD NOT HAVE RECOGNIZED THE LANDMARKS IF THEY WERE THERE
iv. IN ORDER TO GET TO THE PROMISED LAND, GUIDE NEED TO GUIDE THEM AND HE DID THIS BY THE MOVING OF THE CLOUD
v. WHEN THE CLOUD STAYED THE ENCAMPED; WHEN THE CLOUD MOVED, THEY MOVED
BY DECLARING THAT HE WAS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD, JESUS WAS SAYING HE WAS THE PRESENCE OF GOD AMONG MEN, THE PROTECTOR OF ALL THOSE WHO FOLLOW HIM, AND NOW THE ONE WHO CAN AND WILL GUIDE US.
d. TWO MISTAKES WHEN WE FOLLOW JESUS
i. WE ARE TO HASTY – WE GET TO CLOSE AND MISS THE DIRECTION GOD IS GIVING US
1. SO HEAVENLY MINDED WE ARE NO EARTHLY GOOD
2. THE CLOUD WOULD SET ITSELF 2,000 CUBITS FROM THE PEOPLE (ABOUT 3/5 OF A MILE)
3. THERE COULD BE NO MISTAKE AS TO DIRECTION
4. WE NEED TO BE SURE WE KNOW WHERE GOD WANTS US TO GO
ii. WE ARE TOO SLOW TO FOLLOW
1. WE NEED TO BE AWARE AND CAREFUL THAT WE DO NOT BECOME SO CONTENT WHERE WE ARE THAT WE DISREGARD THE MOVEMENT OF GOD.
2. THE BEST PLACE TO BE IS IN GOD’S SHADOW
SO, HERE SOME 2,000 YEARS LATER, WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES FIRST IF WE KNOW CHRIST AS OUR SAVIOR AND LORD, AND THEN, WITH THAT QUESTION SETTLED, WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES IF WE ARE REALLY FOLLOWING CHRIST AS WE SHOULD?
DO WEE SEEK TO BE IN HIS PRESENCE?
DO WE RUN TO HIM FOR OUR PROTECTION?
DO WE GO WHERE HE WANTS US TO GO?
