Jesus, Light of the World
(John 8:12-26)
1. We would like to wish our mom’s a Happy Mother’s Day. CNN, "The typical [stay at home] mother puts in a 92-hour work week… and works at least 10 jobs. In order of hours spent on them per week, these are: housekeeper, day-care center teacher, cook, computer operator, laundry machine operator, janitor, facilities manager, van driver, chief executive officer and psychologist. By figuring out the median salaries for each position, and calculating the average number of hours worked at each, the firm came up with [an equivalent salary of] $138,095 -- three percent higher than last year's results."
2. Motherhood is a mysterious phenomenon. One evening after dinner, my five-year-old son Brian noticed that his mother had gone out. In answer to his questions, I told him, "Mommy is at a Tupperware party."
This explanation satisfied him for only a moment. Puzzled, he asked, "What's a Tupperware party, Dad?"
I've always given my son honest answers, so I figured a simple explanation would be the best approach. "Well, Brian," I said, "at a Tupperware party, a bunch of ladies sit around and sell plastic bowls to each other."
Brian nodded, indicating that he understood this curious pastime. Then he burst into laughter. "Come on, Dad," he said. "What is it really?"
2. Many of us got our first glimpse of God through our mothers. Moms are often a source of spiritual light, often giving us at least a little bit of illumination about Who God is.
Psalm 36:9, For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.
The imagery of light in the Bible is massive. The metaphorical use of the term light is quite a study, way beyond where we can go today.
One description of hell is “outer darkness.” God’s presence is associated with light, thus, in the new heaven and earth, we don’t need the sun or moon. God is its ultimate source.
3. Many people have been enlightened in many ways. But if you haven’t surrendered to Jesus Christ, whatever light you have is inadequate. John’s preamble to his gospel includes this: “In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it” (John 1:4-5).
Main Idea: Light without the heavenly Source of Light is inadequate to illumine eternally. Only Jesus brings us the limitless light of God.
I. Jesus is the Light of the World: He Truly ENLIGHTENS Those Who Trust Him (12-18, 26).
A. The background: the Feast of TABERNACLES
• Also called Feast of Booths or Sukkot (see John 7:2 to place the timing here)
• This was the party festival, and corresponds to the Millennial Kingdom.
During the feast, four enormous candelabrum were placed in the Court of the Women. That is the first court inside the Temple itself, the same court that contains the altar. These candelabrum were higher than the surrounding walls. Each evening the large bowls on top of three of them were filled with oil and then lit. Being the highest point in Jerusalem, it was said that their light illuminated every courtyard in the city. As the women watched from the balconies, “men of piety and good works used to dance before the oil lamps with burning torches in their hands, singing songs and praises… countless Levites played on harps, lyres, cymbals and trumpets and instruments of music.”39 The meaning of the lights must have been clear to all the worshipers. They were celebrating the Feast of Sukkoth (Booths or Tabernacles) and had built their little shelters to remind them of the time when God led their forefathers through the wilderness. What led them? It was the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. (Exodus 13:21) These candelabrum represented that light, but they also represented another light, the one that filled the Holy of Holies, the Shekinah Glory. (Exodus 40:34)
That fourth candelabrum was the Great Light. It was not lit until the last night of the weeklong feast. It was a symbol of the nation waiting for the full salvation that God would one day bring. It was probably either when they were preparing to light that candelabrum or the next morning when the oil was exhausted that Jesus’ voice rang out, 12 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Once again, Jesus interpreted the symbolism to apply specifically to himself. When you read the passage you don’t get the full impact and shock value of the statement unless you understand what was taking place during the Feast. [source: Wallace, Paul. John's Rabbi . Paul Wallace Publishing. Kindle Edition]
B. To claim that HE was the Light of the World was a claim to be Messiah (12).
Isaiah 60:1-3, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord shines over you. For look, darkness will cover the earth, and total darkness the peoples; but the Lord will shine over you,
and his glory will appear over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to your shining brightness.”
C. By claiming authority apart from the ESTABLISHMENT, He was again implying He was Messiah (13-18).
1. The Messiah was to assume the throne as absolute Monarch (see Daniel 7:9ff); the Father Himself authorized Him.
2. Anybody who believed in Jesus was dismissed as an incompetent witness before being given a fair chance: in reality, there were many human witnesses, including John the Baptist, Peter, James and John, to name a few.
3. There were apparently two opinions common about the Messiah. Let’ read John 7:25-27 and 7:40-43.
II. Jesus’ Adversaries Looked at Messiah from Only the PHYSICAL Perspective (19-25).
A. They challenged his LEGITIMACY and lineage (19, 25).
1. Where is your father? Between this and verse 41, it sounds like they are suggesting that, unlike them, Jesus was born of immorality.
2. This is indirect evidence for the virgin birth.
3. The Talmud says Jesus’ father was a Roman soldier, Pantera.
4. Then in verse 25, they ask “Who are you?”
5. Why does Jesus seem to be evasive and not just say, “I am the Messiah?”
B. Jesus describes the awful consequence of NOT accepting Him as Messiah: dying in sin (21-22, 24).
1. This refers to dying unforgiven. God’s forgiveness is conditional, a fact many deny.
2. Forgiveness revolves around what we do with Jesus.
3. Matthew 7:21-23 alerts us to that danger: "Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'"
4. Jesus was predicting His death, burial, resurrection and ascension – they did not get it.
C. The real problem: they were of this world and wanted things to STAY that way (23).
A. 12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
B. 13 So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. 17 In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. 18 I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.”
C. 19 They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.
D. 21 So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?”
E. (CENTER) 23 He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
D’ 24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”
C’ 25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning.
B’ 26a I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true,
A’ 26b ...and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.”
1. Have you ever seen the movie The Time Machine? In the future, some people had migrated under ground, and surface dwellers we subservient to them. But the underground people could not stand light, for theirs was a dark world.
2. These leaders were content w/religious rituals of lighting great oil lamps to illumine the entire city, but were blinded by the true Light that came from heaven, and wanted nothing to do with it.
3. Why do so many children, reared in Christian families, reject the faith? Because they are from below, and have no desire to be connected to Jesus, who is from above. It is about here and now.
4. There are many lesser lights people settle for, but like a light bulb, their life expectancy is not eternal. We need a align ourselves with the true light.
