Jesus is the Light

Scripture Reading

Our Gospel reading today is from the Gospel According to John - the 12th chapter verses 34-36

Hear the reading of God’s word:

English Standard Version Chapter 12

So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”

The Unbelief of the People

When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.

This is the word of the Lord:

Grace Peace and Love be yours in abundance through Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior Amen.

Introduction

In the beginning. The triune God looked out at His creation, and said that it was good for their to be light. It was good for this world that shapeless and void to be exposed. It was good for the glory of God to shine upon creation. In the beginning it was so.

But God did not stop there. On the third day of creation God looked out at his creation, that was no longer formless, and said that this light that shines upon you shall be given to a ruler. The sun shall rule the light of the day and the moon shall rule the light of the night. This light is not formless, it is not disembodied, it is in fact ruled by the creator of our universe who has delegated his duty to the sun and the moon.

We see an example of this idea in Voyage of the Dawn Tread, when Eustace Scrub - the boy who almost deserved his name, makes this alarming statement to a star that he is talking to

“In our world," said Eustace, "a star is a huge ball of flaming gas."

And the star responds Even in your world, my son, that is not what a star is, but only what it is made of.”

And friends we know what the light is - it Jesus Christ, the incarnate deity. The light of the world who has put on flesh.

John 12

In our passage today Jesus is speaking to a crowd of Greeks who have come to the passover feast. And they begin to ask him questions about the coming son of man and the Christ. The crowd is drawing on the language from Daniel which talks of the son of Man who will come and be presented before the Ancient of Days to receive a throne of everlasting dominion.

The crowd is asking an important question - who is the king? Who is the king who will not pass, who’s kingdom will never be destroyed, Jesus of Nazareth is this you?

And how does Jesus respond? He says something that can strike us as strange. He begins to talk about the light. He tells the people that the light is only among them for a little while longer. And he exhorts the people to believe in the light. What is going on here? Why does Jesus respond in this way?

The Son of Man

Jesus is answering a question about the son of Man asked by a people who don’t understand what they are asking. To ask about the son of Man is to ask about a king, and Jesus responds by telling them what a king does. A king gives light, he is the guide for his people. He directs them where to go and what to do, and all of this is done because he is the light. The son of Man is the light that has come into the world. The son of Man is incarnate light. This is what the son of Man’s kingdom looks like.

John 1:9–10 tells us that “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.”

The light that entered the world is THE LIGHT. It is the eternal light. The light that shines forth in the new heavens and new earth so that we no longer require the sun. This light of the world came down and put on human flesh. And the world didn’t even recognize their light.

This is the light that has brought out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light itself. It is the light that guides our path, the light that could not be held by the grave but instead burst forth on the glorious morning of the third day.

Do not grow weary

So friends here is my exhortation to you this day. Do not grow weary of walking in this light. If you are a baptized christian then you belong to the kingdom of light. Do not grow weary walking in this light.

Fathers as you clock in and clock out of work, as you come home and lead family worship and discipline your children. As you strain against the thorns and thistles of this world. Do not grow weary. Our light, our Lord himself came down down and was a carpenter redeeming the work that you now do. One day you will hear well done my good and faithful accountant, line worker, truck driver, pastor, servant.

Mothers as you raise babies, educate children, cook countless meals and stare down a never ending pile of laundry and dishes, do not grow weary. Our light, our Lord himself came and put on flesh and the all powerful creator of the universe entrusted himself to his mother for care, protection, and education. May you look at your home, family, and children and echo the phrase “I am blessed among women.”