Light Of The World
The Endless Journey - John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Reading:
6 “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations,
Introduction:
For centuries ships have sailed dangerous waters. Storms, broken rudders, torn sails, and hidden rocks could destroy a ship in moments.
For those exact dangers something was put in place back in 280 B.C. by the Pharaohs in Alexandria Egypt.
Light Houses!
Lighthouses were tall structures where fires would be lit up high, in bad weather, boats would know the dangers are.
Light has always been a beacon of safety.
Ancient sailors didn't trust the sea — they trusted the light.
That is why lighthouses became so important.
Light reveals what darkness hides.
In John 8, Jesus declares:
“I am the Light of the world.”
But what does that mean?
In this chapter Jesus shines His light into human darkness:
exposing hypocrisy,
revealing sin,
confronting pride,
and offering freedom to those trapped in it.
The same light that exposes danger is also the light that guides people to safety.
Jesus does not expose darkness to destroy sinners —He exposes darkness to save them, and —so He can free us from it!
Overall Point:
The end of chapter 7 leading into chapter 8 Jesus was left alone, even though He seemed to be a blasphemer.
The religious hierarchy knew how to get Him, and to set a trap to get people against so people wouldn’t riot when they did kill Him\!
Transition:
Chapter 8 starts with a woman caught in adultery brought to Jesus.
The trap is: How would Jesus respond as a “religious leader”?
This account is His thoughts against:
Moral Impurity (2-11)
Moral Impurity (2-11)
The Scribes and Pharisees were very dubious and wanted Jesus gone.
While Jerusalem was full with many travelers for the Festival they found an opportunity to set a trap for Jesus.
In the “early morning hours” a woman was caught with a man in the act of Adultery!
This is their supposed “opportunity”:
3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst
4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.
5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”
The scene is set, Jesus is teaching in the temple early in the morning, and the Scribes and Pharisees know He is there and bring the woman to Him in the temple for what His judgment would be.
Does this sound right to you?
Comparison:
This would be like the school resource officer and the HOA enforcer grabbing a kid buying drugs and bringing him to someone else's parents asking what they think of this?
Also implying that they are the judges and what they say goes!
That’s ridiculous!!
Connection:
Have you ever noticed what people are willing to bypass and ignore to make sure they get what they want?
That is called manipulation..
The sin nature of people shows often in what they are willing to do to get a desired result.
The Scribes job was to be keepers of the law.
The Pharisees were the ones to enforce the law.
What was the proper protocol in this scenario of a woman caught in adultery?
Proper procedure was:
Both man and woman were to be brought for judgment.
There had to be 2 or more witnesses to the act to validate it.
A trial was to be conducted, I would guess by the Pharisees, according to Deuteronomy 17:6-7
If found guilty both parties were to be put to death!
If this was the law then their motivation for bringing only the woman to Jesus revealed their motive!
It was self serving, instead of pursuing justice.
(?) In what ways was this a trap for Jesus?
This trap would provide a few different facets to how Jesus may answer or “judge”.
It would trap Jesus societally.
If Jesus condemned her and called for her execution He wouldn’t be a friend of sinners.
It would trap Jesus politically.
The judgment to condemn her would place Him against Rome since Roman law didn’t allow the Jews to practice capital punishment for violating Jewish law.
We get this truth re-iterated in scripture through Pilate in John 18:31
31 Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves and judge Him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.”
It was also a “religious” trap.
If Jesus were to condone her act, it would be an agreement with her sin which would place Him at opposition to the law of Moses.
This is a no-win scenario for Jesus.
Any answer would condemn Him in one of three areas at minimum.
How can He respond without falling into the trap?
6 This they said to test Him, that they might have some charge to bring against Him. Jesus bent down and wrote with His finger on the ground.
7 And as they continued to ask Him, He stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”
8 And once more He bent down and wrote on the ground.
9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before Him.
Jesus ignored the Scribes and Pharisees, even in their “hurry up” demand for judgment, and addressed an truth for all of us:
7 And as they continued to ask Him, He stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Jesus shows mercy without approving sin.
There wasn’t a person there who could throw a stone or condemn her.
Jesus took the scenario and presented it to everyone present especially considering the proper procedure was bypassed entirely.
No one could, or would, say a thing instead they stayed silent and left.
10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
Notice what Jesus did not say:
He did not say her sin was acceptable.
He did not say holiness no longer mattered.
But He also did not crush her.
That is what the Light does.
It exposes darkness without abandoning people in it.
Jesus told the truth about sin while still extending mercy to sinner!
Connection:
The religious men’s hatred of Jesus justified their skirting the proper procedure of law.
How often do we convince ourselves that disobedience is acceptable if it helps us get the outcome we want.
Some Examples:
Manipulating people
Hiding truth
Dishonest business practices
Emotional revenge
Gossip disguised as concern
Spiritual pride
The moment we don’t want to follow the proper channels, a flag should go up causing us to evaluate our desire and the length’s we are willing to go.
That moment commit to doing what is proper, true, and right instead.
even when it is against our desire.
Jesus didn’t fall for the trap; notice what He says:
11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
The Pharisees used a broken woman as a weapon to attack Jesus, her sin was exposed and Jesus shined the light to her freedom:
Sin no more!!
Jesus is:
A Light To Moral Darkness (12-30)
A Light To Moral Darkness (12-30)
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.”
Jesus makes the claim that He is God by the phrase: “I AM”.
This phrase is the same phrase that Yahweh uses when Moses asks Him whom do I say sent me so they will believe me?
What is your name?
Jesus gives the same “I AM” phrase to describe Himself and an attribute of Him!
God - The Light of the world.
The claim comes with a promise!
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.”
Whomever follows Him, and becomes His disciple, will not find themselves in the darkness that sin brought into the world.
A darkness we find in society is a moral darkness.
Which is revealed by a moral failure.
That failure to be perfect!
Jesus states that He came to expose sin and cast it out.
He exposes the lies that we believe about sin!
How we only see short-term gains and miss the eternal long term loss.
The promise is His light will be in each of us exposing the wrong so we can avoid it.
The Pharisees didn’t like the claim and promise that Jesus made, they attempted to discredit what He said.
13 So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.”
Jesus pointed out the credibility He has and could’ve used it against the woman caught in adultery.
He only speaks truth, there is no lie or deceit in Him. 1 Peter 2:22
22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in His mouth.
This echoes the prophecy concerning the Messiah found in Isaiah 53:9
9 And they made His grave with the wicked and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, and there was no deceit in His mouth.
Jesus speaks honesty and truth.
Which means if He were to make a judgment or enact a law against anyone it wasn’t for self profit or gain.
It would only be a true judgment.
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.”
Jesus again re-iterates the fact that those before Him who are supposedly scholars to the law and scripture should’ve rejoiced at the Messiah finally arriving and follow Him.
The bible points to Jesus!
Often when people are challenged to set aside their own personal desires to accept the truth they don’t submit!.
Why?
We are prideful and believe in ourselves more than believing in God!
The Scribes and Pharisees couldn’t submit to a no one from no where even if He could do all these things and His life lined up with what He claimed!
Makes sense in the context when we hear the Light of the world expose the darkness in their hearts and minds.
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.”
Jesus exposed that they didn’t know God, they only knew religion.
They had religion, not a relationship.
There are many who have fallen into this trap as the religious had and Jesus lets us know how He will deal with those who believe this lie:
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.”
The light is shining on the way through eternal destruction to enter safety for all eternity.
Believe in Him as God, and follow Him accordingly!
Jesus revealed the fact that when He was killed by them, He would go back to His throne as a victor over sin and death making a way for us to follow.
28 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.
Pride won in the hearts of the Scribes and Pharisees that day; but Jesus knew that they weren’t the only ears in the cornfield.
Many people witnessed the interaction.
People evaluated what was being said, including the promise He made with the claim.
30 As He was saying these things, many believed in Him.
There no indication that anyone said anything to Him about believing in Him!
Revealing that He knows what is in the heart and minds of man.
Light can comfort those wanting truth, but it threatens those protecting darkness.
What darkness does He expose in you that you can repent of, turn away from?
The light that came into the world and He is the:
Liberator Of Moral Slavery (31-59)
Liberator Of Moral Slavery (31-59)
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples,
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
He highlighted a group.
Those who believed in Him:
They who live according to His word are a disciple of His.
Those who trust His word can see the truth and because of the truth you can be free!
(?) What is Jesus freeing people from?
From the practice of sin; which is the word that Jesus used for “slave”.
A slave to sin is one who practices sin.
The light shines and convicts the moment you are contrary to holiness.
The light or Holy Spirit, you received at salvation, tells you when your wrong.
Then you have the power of believing the truth and avoiding the lies or to give into the lies following your own desires.
Which Jesus addresses:
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.
Jesus freed us. We don’t have to practice it any longer.
36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Faith in Jesus makes you free for all eternity.
Point:
Freedom is not the ability to sin freely; freedom is finally having power to walk away from sin.
Stuff like:
Anger
Lust
Bitterness
Addiction
Pride
Self-righteousness
Fear
All the desires of the flesh!
Jesus publicly reveals who the Scribes and Pharisees are following and who’s slave they are.
44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
The desire for committing the sin of murder on Jesus was a contradiction to the Law they are supposed to uphold and enforce.
Hypocrites, and Jesus made a sound judgment of them!
Their authority being challenged made them more angry and they spiraled downward into crazy arguing.
Have you ever noticed when someone won’t submit to the truth they grasp at straws and say crazy things?
48 The Jews answered Him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?”
This seems like an attempt to bash His character and discredit Him.
Which He meets with supreme wisdom and power!
Jesus baits them into another claim that He will make:
He was with Abraham, even those years ago and is greater than him!
In Genesis 18 Abraham had a theophany experience.
A theophany is a moment where God reveals Himself to humans and speaks directly to man.
1 And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day.
This is the account of history when Abraham pleaded with the Lord to spare any believes in Sodom.
Since Christ has all judgment according to John 5:30
30 “I can do nothing on My own. As I hear, I judge, and My judgment is just, because I seek not My own will but the will of Him who sent Me.
He was the one with Abraham!
Has anyone ever made you mad and they rub it in your face?
Jesus rubs it in their faces:
58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
He, re-iterated that He is God!
59 So they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.
Transition:
Jesus’ time hadn’t come to give up His life, no man would take it from Him, He would lay it down and it had to be on a cross; not by rocks..
Jesus was tested in Societal rules, Political rules, and Religious rules and proved to be supreme.
Conclusion:
The entire chapter of John 8 reveals what happens when the Light shines into darkness.
The Pharisees stood exposed in their hypocrisy.
The woman stood exposed in her sin.
The crowd stood exposed in their unbelief.
Jesus still shines into the hearts of those who have ears to hear.
He exposes:
Pride,
Hidden sin,
False religion,
Bitterness,
Hypocrisy,
And the lies we tell ourselves.
He does not expose darkness to humiliate us.
He exposes it to rescue us from it.
The same Jesus who said:
“I am the Light of the world,”
Also promised:
“Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
The question is not whether light is shining.
The question is whether we are willing to step into it.
Some people in John 8 hardened their hearts and picked up stones.
Others believed.
Today we make the same choice.
Will we cling to our pride and remain in darkness?
Or come to Christ, confess our sin, trust Him and walk in His light?
Because freedom is only found in Him.
-Pray!
