THE WITNESS OF THE LIGHT.
John 8:12-20.
JOHN 8:12. “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
After the feast of Tabernacles, the four golden lamps which had illuminated Jerusalem throughout the feast were extinguished. Soon after this Jesus’ voice was heard again, making another bold claim pertinent to this feast. This is the second significant “I am” saying of John’s Gospel, in which Jesus is both unashamedly identifying Himself with the true and living God, and offering Himself to His people.
Jesus testified of Himself, that He is the light of the world. He summons us out of the darkness of corruption into the light of life. The source of our light is found in Jesus Himself. Any light that we may have is at best a pale reflection of His, much as the planets reflect the glory of the sun. The closer we walk with him, the brighter we shine.
JOHN 8:13. “The Pharisees therefore said unto Him; Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.”
In this they were perhaps alluding to the need of two or three witnesses in order to establish a case, and may well have been picking up on Jesus’ own words in John 5:31, ‘If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.’ However, on that occasion Jesus had introduced the Father as His witness: ‘And the Father Himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me” (John 5:37).
Jesus takes the same approach here, leading up to His answer in John 8:18, “I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.” But we must not get too far ahead of ourselves.
JOHN 8:14-15a. “Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh…”
Jesus is appealing here to His divine origin, and His Messianic mission. He came down from heaven to offer Himself as a sacrifice for our sins, and would return to heaven thereafter. The Pharisees knew nothing of this because they were only judging by outward appearances.
JOHN 8:15. “Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.”
It is interesting that Jesus had refused to pass judgment on the woman allegedly ‘taken in adultery’ (John 8:4). But here were the Pharisees – perhaps some of them were the same Pharisees – seeking to pass judgment against Jesus, an innocent man.
JOHN 8:16. “And yet if I judge, my judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.”
[For the time being, Jesus had not been sent to judge, not because He was not qualified to judge, but because judgment belongs to the era immediately following the resurrection of the dead (cf. John 5:28-30).]
The sense here seems to be, ‘If I were to judge, I would not be doing it alone, but “I and the Father” would be at one in the matter.’ Jesus points to His union with the Father as reason enough to believe Him.
JOHN 8:17-18. “It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness to myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.”
“Your” law – the law that you say you love, and love to quote from – says that “the testimony of two (mere) men” is taken to be “true.” How much more should the witness of “I and the Father” be taken to be true.
JOHN 8:19. “Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father; if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.”
However well they might have known the scriptures, they did not know the Father, and neither would they recognise the Son; and because they refused the Son, so they could not get to know the Father.
Notice what Jesus is saying: 1st, “If ye had known me,” then 2nd, “ye should have known my Father also.” That is the right order of things. There is no other way of knowing the Father other than through His Son. ‘No man cometh unto the Father but by me, (John 14:6). Jesus is the only way.
JOHN 8:20. “These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as He taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on Him; for His hour was not yet come.”
Again the divine restraint. No one could hurt Him until He said, ‘This is your hour, and the power of darkness’ (Luke 22:53).
