Jesus, Light of the World (Part 1 - John 8:12-18)

Is it easy to convince someone that the Bible is the Word of God on the basis of its unity, its scientific, historical accuracy, its miracles, its archaeological evidence? I haven’t found that to be the case. In a special series spread over a three-week period I presented such data at a private college in California. I felt the proof was overwhelming and not one person became a believer. Why doesn’t it convince all unbelievers when it’s so convincing to us? Paul said it when he wrote, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14). Only when the Holy Spirit does His regenerating work, only as He opens the mind, tears off the scales of blindness, gives life where there is death and plants the marvelous understanding of the revelation of God, only then do people come to believe and trust in the Bible. The reason I know the Bible is true is that the Spirit of God has convinced me of it. John MacArthur

Time and time again, in Jesus ministry, in the NT, and even in our current age, we see a terrible spiritual blindness.

The facts are not the problem.

The presenter is not the problem.

The problem is spiritual blindness.

The adversary has blinded the minds of humanity, keeping them from seeing and believing even when it is presented from the highest of sources…Christ Himself.

In considering John 8:12-30, we will be confronted with/reminded of a glorious truth. And in that confrontation, in that reminder, we will also be presented with a sober warning.

The truth....Jesus is the light of the world

The warning…despite that truth and the evidence to support it, man remains blind to it.

This is the second of the “I AM” statements in John.

Metaphorical “I am” statements

1. I am the bread of life John 6:35, 48, 51.

2. I am the light of the world John 8:12; 9:5.

3. I am the door of the sheep John 10:7,9.

4. I am the good shepherd John 10:11, 14.

5. I am the resurrection and the life John 11:25.

6. I am the way, the truth, and the life John 14:6.

7. I am the true vine John 15:1.

Each one gives us a greater glimpse into the person.

The light of the world, which gives the light of life to men, is the light responsible for pushing back the darkness and bringing men into the light of salvation.

We are going to consider some of the various reason why spiritual blindness remains, but know this…THE MAIN REASON, the OVERARCHING reason is that the adversary has blinded their minds.

2 Corinthians 4:1-4.

2 Corinthians 4:1–4 ESV

1 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

The reason we will consider are just subsets of this truth.

This reality, though, should not discourage us for there is hope of light penetrating the darkness.

2 Corinthians 4:5-6.

2 Corinthians 4:5–6 ESV

5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

God CAN and DOES shine the light into hearts, making them see, and leading them to repent and believe.

HOWEVER, it is helpful to understand the reasons why blindness persists.

And to this, we look as we move on into John 8.

Sermon Body

Big Idea: Though The True Light of the World shines, beware of the blindness that persists.

It is startling to think that with so glorious and true a Light as Jesus shining, that spiritual blindness can still persist. But yet, so it does.

I believe this passage exposes four reasons why that is true. They are not ALL the reasons, but they are reasons.

The true Light of the world shines - John 8:12.

John 8:12 ESV

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.”

Before Jesus addresses the first reason that blindness persists, he exposes Himself as the cure for all blindness.

Again...

If John 7:53-8:11 really do not belong here...then this text follows right on the heels of John 7:52.

Jesus’ last recorded words were in John 7:38. Jesus had no involvement in the exchange that took place in verse 40-52.

So, right after the opposition over his origin and his teaching on the living water, he continues....

Right after he spoke about those following him and streams of living water flowing out of him, he will continue with this dialogue about being the light of the world.

Again, he speaks to those gathered.

What he tells them is this...

I am the Light of the World...

What does it mean that Jesus is the Light of the World?

As with this statements on water, he ties his words here to the traditions of the festival by connecting Himself the lighting of the candles/torches in the tabernacle.

The lighting of candles was a commemoration of the Shekinah glory and the pillar of fire.

Jesus is declaring himself to BE the light which leads to truth. He is declaring to BE the light that leads to life. (End of the verse).

Jesus is the light which leads the way to salvation, to life, to deliverance.

Darkness conceals and hides. Light reveals and exposes.

Jesus exposes and reveals the truth hidden by darkness.

Jesus exposes and reveals the terror and slavery of sin.

Jesus exposes and reveals man’s guilt SO THAT THEY MIGHT LOOK UP and find life by having the truth exposed.

Jesus is the ONLY way this happens.

Jesus is the ONLY source of truth.

All truth finds its origin in God.

Jesus is the ONLY way to life.

Matthew 7:13-14.

Matthew 7:13–14 ESV

13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

There is but one narrow, restrictive way to life.

The world recoils at this.

The world condemns this.

They cast judgment upon those who hold it and accuse us of being elitist, intolerant, judgment haters who insist that there is but ONE way to salvation, one way to life.

And yet, God makes it clear.

ONLY HE can lead to Life.

and whoever follows him....

Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.

Whoever Follows

What does it mean to follower Christ?

To follow Christ means to live as he lived; to talk as he talked; to serve as he served; to do as he did.

To follow Christ is to make Him our example, our model, our guide regarding WHO we are to be and HOW we are to live.

To follow Christ means to become like Christ and to yield to His authority in our life.

To follow Christ is to be conformed to His image.

It is to be a true disciple that includes total submission and devotion.

What are the demands or expectations of being a God follower?

Luke 18:18-27 details God’s expectations.

Luke 18:18–27 ESV

18 And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’ ” 21 And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 23 But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. 24 Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27 But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

Being a follower of Christ, means giving Him EVERYTHING. Surrendering EVERYTHING to him.

It means entrusting EVERYTHING to his authority, will, and care and trusting Him to use it well and to oversee our care with total perfection.

It means to love Him MORE THAN LIFE ITSELF…it means to love him more than anything else.

It means to trust him more than anyone or anything else.

It means to recognize and submit to his authority in EVERY aspect of our lives.

Consider also Matthew 10:34-39 and Matthew16:24.

Matthew 10:34–39 ESV

34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Whoever loves father or mother MORE THAN me is what....

Not worthy of me.

This is NOT to imply that family is not important because are told in NT that those who do not care for their family are worse than unbelievers and there is a severe rebuke for them...

BUT, it does mean that people, not even family…those closet of our relationships (at least in theory and intent) ARE NOT TO BE MORE IMPORTANT TO US THAN GOD.

We can make people our god, our idols. In fact, we often do.

We can put family over God.

God says, you want to follow me, I MUST BE PRIMARY. I must be first.

If that is not enough, Jesus ups the anty in verse 38 with the all to take up our cross, die to self, and follow him.

Jesus repeats verse 38 later....

Matthew 16:24 ESV

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Following Christ means denying self. Dying to self. Taking up his cross

It is total, complete. God never intended to make being a follower of his easy or cheap..

To follow God, to be his disciple IS TO BE EVERYTHING TO US.

Following Christ is not a hobby.

Following Christ is not a weekly endeavor.

Following Christ is not a temporary matter.

Following Christ is a continual, moment by moment, day by day, month by month MAKING GOD OUR LIFE AND HIGHEST AND CHOICEST priority.

Those who do....are given the promise…we...

Will not walk in darkness

Those who follow Christ will find LIGHT AND LIFE. They will find deliverance from the darkness. They will find truth.

Why is this good news? What is the darkness like?

Eph 2:1-3.

Ephesians 2:1–3 ESV

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Eph 4:18 says that those in darkness have their understanding darkened.

They are alienated from God.

They give themselves over to sensuality without restraint like wild animals mating with whomever they will.

John 3:36 - The wrath of God remains on those in darkness.

Romans 1:18 speaks about the same terrifying reality.

What’s more, God hands man over to his debased mind, enslaving him to the darkness of his passions and lets him reap all the ugly and terrible consequences that they bring.

THOSE WHO FOLLOW CHRIST WILL NOT WALK IN SUCH DARKNESS BUT WILL find the light of life.

They will find forgiveness and intimacy with God restored.

They will not walk in sin, despair, hopelessness. Truth and life do not lead to those things. Only when we reject it and do things our own way, do we find those realities.

The light of life leads to joy, peace, hope, and intimacy with God WHICH IS EVERYTHING we were made for.

They will not walk in the lack of understanding that so many of those whom Jesus is addressing (those that we interact with every day) walk in. They will know truth and the truth will set them free. John 8:32.

John 8:32 ESV

32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

They will not walk in the consequence that their sin would bring. Romans 8:1.

Romans 8:1 ESV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

They will have the light of life...Jesus Himself, the Spirit, to shed light on truth, to expose it, to guide into proper living.

To follow Jesus is to have access to the truth, to the light to lead and us guide us, to life itself.

That is what he means when he says, “But will have the light of life”

Jesus is declaring himself to BE the light of the world that leads to eternal life.

A bold statement…unless you can back it up…which he can.

In addition to being shown truth and granted life through following the one who IS life and light, we will then shine to others as light and show them the way to the one true light. Our lives, having been touched and affected by the one true light, will be lesser lights that lead others to Him.

All this, Jesus declares and reveals about Himself...

Despite this....

The Pharisees response exposes the soberness of persistent blindness despite the glorious display of the light of the world.

I see four reasons for persistent blindness…we will consider one today and the rest next week.

Blindness persists because man uses the wrong standard of judgment.

Wrong standard of judgment - John 8:12-18

John 8:13.

John 8:13 ESV

13 So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.”

What is the crux of their reply, of their argument?

Their argument is probably built off two key issues...

In mocking of Jesus own words in John 5:31.

John 5:31 ESV

31 If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true.

In the context of John 5, Jesus healed the man at the pool of Siloam. His teaching, his healing, as always, invoked a great deal of opposition. He declared himself equal with God, proclaimed his authority to them to give life.

In his teaching, he was connecting himself to God the Father and using his Father’s authority in sending him as the basis for his authoritative teaching and actions.

In making this statement, he does not mean to imply that without witnesses, his word cannot be taken as true, rather he was acknowledging that they would not receive it as true without witnesses. So, Jesus provided one. His father.

No doubt, they are now the advantage of the opportunity to toss these words back to him.

The SECOND thing they are likely alluded to is the OT law. For legal purposes, a testimony required witnesses corroboration to be valid. It was not necessarily that the testimony was false without more than one witness, but in order to corroborate the witness, at least a second was required.

Because there was not a second witness to his outlandish claims (at least in their minds), they could not be corroborate and thus, they used this line of reasoning to dismiss His words.

Truth was, though, that this was not true. There were witnesses to His words and his authority…there were witnesses who had seen his works.

John the Baptist [1:7–8, 19–27, 34, 36; 3:26; 5:33],

The Twelve [1:49; 6:69; Matt. 14:33; 16:16],

The Samaritan woman [John 4:39],

Martha [11:27],

Those who witnessed His raising of Lazarus [12:17],

Jesus’ works [5:36; 10:25],

The Scriptures [5:39], and, above all,

The Father - Vs. 17-18.

What is terrifying about this whole exchange is just HOW obstinate unbelief is. No matter how much evidence there is, when unbelief digs in its heels, it will not be convinced.

ONLY THE SPIRIT can open ones heart and mind to the truth and lead them to acceptance.

A reminder that our work and ministry is wholly dependent on the work of the Spirit and thus we must be dependent on prayer.

Jesus, unfazed by their dismissal, replies...

John 8:14-18.

John 8:14–18 ESV

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.”

Legal requirements aside....(which, they exist for a purpose...due to the sinfulness of man’s heart; due to incomplete understanding, it is easy to present something as true that is not. Thus, the law required verification before something was accepted as true)

However, just because the law required corroboration for verification sake, it does not make the testimony of a single witness any less true if it was truly true.

Jesus, in essence, is saying...EVEN IF....I do bear witness about myself (without any witnesses...which is not true...but even if) IT IN NO WAY NEGATES THE TRUTHFULNESS OF MY WORDS.

Even without witnesses, even with out support, Jesus’ words are true.

He gives two evidences that his words are true....

I know where I came from

As has already been established, he came from God, was sent by God and that alone validates his words because he is acting on the authority and commission of God Himself.

It is here that he rebukes them and points out the first reason that though the light shines, blindness remains...

They judge according the flesh

According to worldly, fleshly standards, whose knowledge, understanding, and discernment is limited. They failed because they could not see beyond the flesh.

He on the other hand did not judge anyone....

I am not judging anyone

Meaning, he is not judging by the same fleshly standard AND/OR

I am not judging anyone…YET.

We know that in the future, Jesus will judge.

But for now, his ministry was not one of judgment and condemnation but one of forgiveness, salvation, and deliverance.

The second evidence he gives for his valid testimony is....

The Father and Son as ONE judge and the father testifies to his Son.

Jesus possesses a divine nature, which he shares with the father.

Even if he should judge, which he does not in the flesh like them...and/or not yet fully....his judgment is true because of his divine nature and his judgment WITH the father.

His claim to be judging WITH the father, as ONE...IS a claim to deity.

The many different ways that Jesus throughout his earthly ministry claims to be God is frankly enormous. It just explain why the blind pharisees are so often angry with him.

John 5:17 is another one of those such statements.

John 5:17 ESV

17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

John 10:30 - Jesus testimony is true BECAUSE HE IS GOD and his shared nature with God makes his testimony true AND corroborated.

John 10:30 ESV

30 I and the Father are one.”

The Father and Son, as one, corroborate his testimony.

What’s more is that the Father HAS testified to His son.

Matthew 3:17.

Matthew 3:17 ESV

17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

This was at his baptism.

Later towards the end....(Matthew 17:5)

Matthew 17:5 ESV

5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

This was after his transfiguration on the mountain top.

In both cases, there were witnesses to the voice from heaven, a voice that testified to and affirmed the authority and authenticity of Jesus as the Son.

The TRUE LIGHT is shining.

But, due to man’s persistent sinfulness and fleshly passions, they miss it. They judge and view the whole thing by their own standards rather than by the living word which they had been entrusted with.

They remained blind because they failed to judge according to the higher standard of the word and chose to judge according to their own standards.

So, man remains blind because they judge by the wrong standard.

We will consider the other three reasons for blindness’ persistence next week.

Lack of Intimacy - John 8:19-20.

Misplaced Values - John 8:21-24.

Hardness of Heart - John 8:25-30.

Conclusion

Big Idea: Though The True Light of the World shines, beware of the blindness that persists.

Four Reasons that, though The Light shines, man remains blind.

The true Light of the world shines - John 8:12.

Wrong standard of judgment - John 8:13-18.

Lack of Intimacy - John 8:19-20.

Misplaced Values - John 8:21-24.

Hardness of Heart - John 8:25-30.

Explain the Gospel as perfectly as possible and they sadly just do not see it. The problem is not necessarily the presenter. The problem is definitely not the Gospel! Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:4 that the Gospel is “the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” That’s impressive, as good as it gets! But because of the spiritual blindness of the individual (2 Cor. 4:3-4), unable to see the Gospel’s greatness, there is simply no desire without God’s enabling power. And add to the blindness, a spiritually dead heart (Eph. 2:1), and there is absolutely no way a person on his or her own will ever desire Jesus Christ. In other words, people are not blinded because they chose to renounce the Gospel. Rather people renounce the Gospel because they are blinded by the evil one. Sermon: A Successful Gospel-Centered Ministry – part 3, 2 Corinthians 4:1-6, May 3, 2014. Randy Smith

Blindness persists because of the work of the evil one.

We should never lose sight of this fact.

We ought to pray, often, for the true light to shine into darkened hearts, that they might see and repent…that they might believe and find eternal life.

May our own hearts never grow hard to the gospel.

May our own hearts never know blindness to the light of life

and may we, as we gaze upon the light, be ever growing together to become more like Jesus for the glory of God.

Application

Which of the “I AM” statements of Christ affect you most deeply and why?

If the adversary can blind the minds of man even to the glorious light of the world, where is our hope found?

In the work of the Spirit to remove the blinders and enable man to see, to believe, and to repent.

John 6:44.

We MUST be people of prayer....even more than people work. If we work, if we do without the prayer, we are doing it in our might and we are doing it foolishly. Only God can change hearts. Since we are in heart work, we must be regularly dependent on prayer.

This ought to emphasize and prioritize corporate prayer life. Praying TOGETHER FOR each other and for those we are desperately trying to see repent and believe OUGHT to be a HIGH priority for the local church assembly.

How is our role and call as believers affected by the spiritual blindness of man?

Makes it harder.

Means that the word we share will not always be received.

Means we must be patient and faithful

We must be prayerful and diligent.

We must expect opposition and persecution.

Are we ever spiritually blind as believers? Explain your answer.

Absolutely. Living in sin riddle flesh, we are still blind to our own sin, to our own blindness at times. This is why we need the body. This is why we need regular time in the word. This is why we need regular time under the sound biblical exposition of the word. This is why we need diligent prayer.

Why would God never have intended to make being a follower easy or cheap?

Because God want us to know and be satisfied in HIM alone. He does not want us to settle for cheap substitutes.

The value of something makes working harder to get it worth it.

How much we are willing to do, to sacrifice, to give in order to lay hold of the thing we desire most shows how much we love it and increases its worth.

Are we ever, like the Pharisees, guilty of judging by the wrong standard? If so, what is the solution to it?

Faithfully studying, meditating, and digesting the word.

Carefully evaluating our heart, our thoughts, convictions, and desires according to that truth.

Living in community with others who can help correct us when we err.

Fostering humility and teachability into our hearts and lives.

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