I am the Light
Notes
Transcript
John 8:12-30
John 8:12-30
What have we covered so far in John:
The Word became flesh (Chapter 1)
Testimony of John the Baptist (1)
Jesus declared to be the Lamb of God (1)
Jesus calls his first disciples (1)
The wedding at cana (2)
Jesus first miracle at the wedding (2)
Jesus cleanses the temple (2)
Interaction with Nicodemus (3)
Declared to have to be born again (3)
For God so loved the whole world (3)
John the Baptist exalted Christ (3)
Jesus and the women at Samara (4) (women at the well)
Jesus healed the officials son (4)
The healing at the pool on the Sabbath (5)
He declares Himself equal with God (5)
He declares to have total authority (5)
He feeds the 5,000 (6)
He walks on water (6)
He declares to be the bread of life (6)
Jesus appears at the feast of Booths (7)
They question if he is the Christ (7)
The officers attemped to arrest Jesus (7)
He declares to be the rivers of living water (7)
The woman caught in adultery is brought in to be stoned (8)
Remember that story.
Jesus was in Galilee avoiding Judea because they were trying to kill him. Then he decides to go in under cover but soon he is in the temple teaching during the festival of booths. He interrupts there great festival pinnacle moment to declare he is the one who can satisfy, those that are thirsty can come to him and find rivers of living water.
Officers are sent to arrest Jesus and they don’t because no man has ever spoke with such authority. There is divisions amongst the people about what this means, who Jesus is and what he can do, which brings him to the women. The Pharisees boldly proclaim: “Jesus, Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Moses commands us to stone this women, what do you say?” What say you Jesus.”
Jesus agrees just as along as the one without sin throws the first stone.
Face flush, jaw dropped, eyes big. But, but, but, Jesus....
The Pharisees were full of themselves. They thought some silly things, but even they weren’t going to stand before anyone, and certainly not Jesus and say there was no sin in them. Its interesting Jesus doesn’t even say that you can’t stone her without sin, only that the first stone must be thrown by the one without sin. Silence. Crickets chirping.
One by one they walk away starting with the older ones. Those that came proud and pompous, walk away dejected and defeated.
What is the embarrassing sin here in this story? What is the gut wrenching part? Not the women, but the pharisees.
Soon its just Jesus and the women.
We talked a little last time about how 7:53-8:11 were not in the earliest manuscripts. and so without getting back into that debate, the story today is flows better attached to John 7:52
They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”
So they we come to verse 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.” So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” 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. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 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. In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” 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.” 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. 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.” So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” As he was saying these things, many believed in him.
Thats a lot to unpack i know but we will highlight a couple part of this.
Jesus continues speaking to them and dialoguing with the pharisees. Jesus boldly makes his second “I am” statement of John. I am the light of the world—whoever follows me does not walk in darkness.
Light has such an interesting role in the bible.
First of all it was the first thing created: let there be light
Believers have gone from darkness to light
for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
Jesus Christ was light that we now display
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
The world is complete darkness and yet we shine light
that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
One day there will be no more darkness
And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
I believe that is two fold. There will be no more night, no more need to lamps or sun or flashlights. But also the darkness will be no more. No more crooked and twisted generation but only the truth.
Notice that Jesus does not say whoever sees the light has life. The truth has been revealed or declared to many people who have not received it. Joseph Stalin was studying to be a priest. Mao Tes-tung was rasied by missionary teachings. Hugh Hefners dad was a pastor. Steven Furtick went to Southern Seminary.
The point is being told the truth or having the light shown at you doesnt give you life—following Jesus, those are the ones who do not walk in darkness.
The pharisees respond to him in a typical pharisees response. What do they say?
They don’t necessarily attack what he says but try to trip him up on a technicality.
Well Jesus, you actually can’t bear witness about yourself—you have to have some collobarators.
Jesus just powers right back at them—even if I did bear witness about myself—what I say is true, I know where I cam from and when I am going—you do not know either.
You judge and you judge and you judge with no care for validity or purpose. I dont judge and if I did it would be true because I don’t judge alone but with the Father.
Yeah—your law, it says that two people must bear witness, its me and the father so I guess thats two.
Mic drop. You would think the pharisees would learn and would walk away. But they don’t.
They respond in verse 19 “what is your father?”
You say its you and the father but we don’t see him, your making this stuff up.
Jesus responses,
John 8:19 (ESV)
Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”
You want to know why you don’t know where my father is—because you don’t know me. This isn’t just one of those you don’t know me man so leave me alone. No, you don’t know the father or the son—you are walking in darkness still. Your eyes have not been opened.
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.”
I am going away and you cannot follow me.
So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?”
They are confused—so consumed with worldly thinking—wait is he going to kill himself. What do you mean we cannot come?
He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”
Jesus continues to emphasis this divide between there viewpoint and his. They are of the world and he is not. He is going to go away because he is not of this world. and unless you believe that he is the one, the true and living one, the great light, you will die.
So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.”
Who is this guy? They did not understand. They were confused and unable to understand because of their hardness of heart.
So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.
What do you think it means but when you have lifted up?
Its not about raising up or glorifying, but literally when the son of Man has been lifted up on that cross to hang there for all to see. That is when you will know I did not do anything on my own but but by as the Father had taught him.
As he was saying these things, many believed in him.
The pharisees may not have understood, they questioned and questioned and pushed back but there were many that believed.
Sometimes we are going to share this good news and some or even many will not understand. They will question and question and push back. But some will hear and receive and believe.