Why believe in Jesus
Notes
Transcript
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to John b. The Origin of Jesus’ Authority (8:21–30)
The double force of the verb is maintained. When Jesus is ‘lifted up’ on the cross, he is being ‘lifted up’ to his Father’s presence, returned to the glory he enjoyed with the Father before the world began (17:5). This does not mean that the cross is merely the first stage on the way to the real exaltation, however, since the cross itself is the glorification of Jesus (cf. notes on 1:14; 12:23–33). The exaltation of Jesus by means of the cross is also the exaltation of Jesus on the cross.
Claim - Jesus is light adn truth to the world, the Father testifies to this truth and will lift Jesus up in glory to fully disclose this to the world.
Focus - Jesus is fully revealed in being lifetd up on the cross, and lifetn up to glory (acension)
Function - Cause us to marvel at Jesus in Glory, through the lifting up on the cross.
Focus - Jesus is fully revealed in being lifted up on the cross, and lifted up to glory (ascension)
Function - Cause us to marvel at Jesus in Glory, through the lifting up on the cross.
Some of you might have noticed that we have missed out a short section in John’s Gospel.
It’s not a mistake,
As you’ll see from the church bibles John 7v53-8:11 was never part of the origional manuscripts that we have.
They have been added later on.
It’s not to say that the event recorded here didn’t happen,
simply that it does not belong to the infallible, cannon of scripture.
Perhpas it was added or referred to as an example of Jesus’ teaching at a later stage.
But as translation techniques have improved
and older historical documents have been found and carefully examined,
these verses were not in the older manuscripts.
The early church Fathers made no refernece to them either,
which is significant given that they as a whole referred to almost every other verse in the NT in their writting as a whole.
So, we’ll be assuming they don’t belong to the NT and move onto 8v12.
Feel free to catch me afterwards or email me if you’d like more information about this.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to John Excursus: The Woman Caught in Adultery (7:53–8:11)
These verses are present in most of the medieval Greek miniscule manuscripts, but they are absent from virtually all early Greek manuscripts that have come down to us, representing great diversity of textual traditions. The most notable exception is the Western uncial D, known for its independence in numerous other places. They are also missing from the earliest forms of the Syriac and Coptic Gospels, and from many Old Latin, Old Georgian and Armenian manuscripts. All the early church Fathers omit this narrative: in commenting on John, they pass immediately from 7:52 to 8:12. No Eastern Father cites the passage before the tenth century.
Let’s remind oursleves first of the context of this passage,
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to John Excursus: The Woman Caught in Adultery (7:53–8:11)
On the other hand, there is little reason for doubting that the event here described occurred, even if in its written form it did not in the beginning belong to the canonical books.
Jesus is at the great feast of tabernacles
where the Jews flocked to Jersualm for a week of celebrations each year.
They would live in tents for the week as a reminder of their time in the wilderness
after God’s rescue of them from slavery in Egypt.
It’s the last and greatest day of the festival and as we saw
last week Jesus has some announcements to make!
Last week Jesus announced.
On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
john 7 37
At a festival where each day, water would be poured out on the Lord’s alter,
in praise and thanks for his provision of water and therefore life,
To claim that life could only truely be recieved now,
by believing in Jesus as the saviour of the world!?...
Well that was a claim!
And his next claim that we’re looking at today is no less significant.
As we know, It’s still the final and most important day of the festival,
(perhaps it’s evening by now)
john 8 12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
and Historians record that probably every night, certainly the final night,
four huge lamps in the temple’s court would be lit it great celebration.
Men described as being ‘Men of piety and good works’
would danced through the night,
holding burning torches in their hands and singing songs and praises to the Levitical orchestras.
The light from the temple area shed its glow all over Jerusalem.
SLIDE - Temple lit up at night
The grande temple already on the mountain top could not be missed,
now with light glaring forth in the dark night
- everyone knew that the greatest light in the darkness
was the celebration and memory of God rescuing his people from Egypt.
The feast of tabernacles, the hope of light steeped in history.
It’s a dramatic, once a year spectacle of light,
like the firewroks of London on NY eve,
only with glorioius hope and meaning for God is light in the darkness,
He is salvation,
deliver from evil and pain:
It is then, v12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to John a. The Authority of Jesus’ Testimony (8:12–20)
the lighting of the four huge lamps in the temple’s court of women and of the exuberant celebration that took place under their light (Mishnah Sukkah 5:1–4). ‘Men of piety and good works’ danced through the night, holding burning torches in their hands and singing songs and praises. The Levitical orchestras cut loose, and some sources attest that this went on every night of the Feast of Tabernacles, with the light from the temple area shedding its glow all over Jerusalem. In this context Jesus declares to the people, I am the light of the world.
1 - Jesus is the Light
1 - Jesus is the Light
It’s quite a claim!
You don’t need to look back any longer, as you are doing in the festival,
You don’t need to look forward any longer, as you are doing in this festival,
I AM - here!
I AM the Light!
It’s not just the immedient context of the feast that gives significance to the claim Jesus is making,
The Bible, NEW and OLD Testamnerts is full of the imagery of light and darkness.
Readers of John’s gosepl have already learned that Jesus ‘was the light of men’ ( 1:4).
And the light metaphor is steeped in Old Testament allusions.
Light represents the glory of the very presence of God in the cloud which led the OT people to the promised land ()
and protected them from those who would destroy them ().
The Israelites were trained to sing, ‘The LORD is my light and my salvation’ ().
The word of God, the law of God, is a light to guide the path of those who cherish instruction (; );
God’s light is shed abroad in revelation and salvation (, , ) ().
‘Light is God in action, ’
Isaiah tells us that the servant of the LORD was appointed as a light to the Gentiles,
that he might bring God’s salvation to the ends of the earth ().
The coming age When Jesus will return will be a time when the LORD himself would be the light for his people (; cf. ).
Perhaps is especially significant,
with its promise of continual light on the last day,
followed by the promise of living waters flowing from Jerusalem.
The great, burning lights of the Feast of Tabernacles resonate with God’s love, his salavtion, and hope of future deliverance from sin and darkness.
Already in John’s Gospel the dawning of the light in the coming of Jesus has been a significant theme.
What a Claim Jesus is making,
He is king,
Saviour,
Messiah,
He alone will free mankind,
you and me, from darkness!
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to John a. The Authority of Jesus’ Testimony (8:12–20)
This is the second of the ‘I am’ statements that are followed by a predicate (cf. notes on 6:35). Of the incarnate Word we have already learned that the life ‘was the light of men’ (cf. notes on 1:4). The light metaphor is steeped in Old Testament allusions. The glory of the very presence of God in the cloud led the people to the promised land (Ex. 13:21–22) and protected them from those who would destroy them (Ex. 14:19–25). The Israelites were trained to sing, ‘The LORD is my light and my salvation’ (Ps. 27:1). The word of God, the law of God, is a light to guide the path of those who cherish instruction (Ps. 119:105; Pr. 6:23); God’s light is shed abroad in revelation (Ezk. 1:4, 13, 26–28) and salvation (Hab. 3:3–4). ‘Light is Yahweh in action, Ps. 44:3’ (H. Conzelmann, TDNT 9, 320). Isaiah tells us that the servant of the LORD was appointed as a light to the Gentiles, that he might bring God’s salvation to the ends of the earth (Is. 49:6). The coming eschatological age would be a time when the LORD himself would be the light for his people (Is. 60:19–22; cf. Rev. 21:23–24). Perhaps Zechariah 14:5b–7 is especially significant, with its promise of continual light on the last day, followed by the promise of living waters flowing from Jerusalem—this passage probably forming part of the liturgical readings of this Feast (cf. notes on 7:37–39). The great, burning lights of the Feast of Tabernacles resonate with such strains. Already in the Fourth Gospel the dawning of the light in the coming of Jesus has been a significant theme. In this age of an inaugurated but not yet consummated kingdom, however, the light is still in mortal combat with darkness (1:4, 9; 3:19–21).
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.”
Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.”
john 7
Most of us here,
although perhaps those still ignite or roots
have not yet seen the true darkness in thsi world,
Surely most of us here have seen great darkness.
We live in it.
Were surrounded by it.
The evil of others,
Misundertsandings that lead to conflict,
Illness,
Pain,
And the darkest of all - our own secret lives of sin.
Sin that we hide and often deny,
Darkenss that we cover up with good behaviour and morals,
respctable jobs and homes,
No-one likes to be told they live in darkness.
But when we put our charade of light next to the glory and light of God the creator and sustainner and judge of all,
How black this life is.
But not so for those of us who know Jesus.
For he is light - and we know longer walk in darkness.
We may still live in this dark world,
We may still have tendancies of darkness in our hearts,
But we no longer belong to this world of darkness.
We are in his light - he has saved us from ourselves -
Set our feet upon his path of light and glory,
He has done it,
He is light of the world!
It’s what the Jewish leaders were expecting for hundereds of years,
But they just don’t see the light!
In this age of an inaugurated but not yet consummated kingdom, however, the light is still in mortal combat with darkness (1:4, 9; 3:19–21).
The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”
It’s a fair response I suppose.
We don’t tend to just believe someone who says something extraordinary, simply becasue they say it!
They don’t believe Jesus’ Testimony
2 - Jesus’ Testimony
2 - Jesus’ Testimony
And to someone who isn’t prepared to believe, Jesus’ answer initially isn’t going to help,
If today, you’re sat here, and you don’t believe JEsus is the only hope, the only light in this life,
Without whome you will face the eternal judgment of God,
eternal darkness,
Then I doubt Jesus’ answer, his testimony, will convince you either!
Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”
john 8 14-
Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going.
It seems a wholy unsatifactory answer.
I am the light says Jesus, becasue I say so,
and my say so is good enough and true,
because the Father God in heaven also testifies to this truth!
but I te
Well where is your Father they ask in v19,
Another fair question I guess.
And Jesus’ response?
v19
Then they asked him, “Where is your father?”
“You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”
If you knew me, you would know my Father, and if you knew my Father, you would know me.
Sounds like a circular argument really.
But it’s only unsatisfactory if it isn’t true!
why should it be any other way.
If God created us,
and gave us life,
if that is true,
and yet we refuse to honour him,
live for him,
and instead choose darkness,
And then he sends himself in the person of Jesus, God the Son,
to bring light and hope.
To offer forgivenss to us all, all who believe,
Light to the world,
Then his testimony ought to be enough.
What other testimony could there be in a dark world.
Darkness cannot expose light!
It’s not an option.
But says Jesus - my testimony is true
- I am light, becasue I, and my Father in heaven
- who you cannot know becasue you live in darkness
- we both testify to this truth.
How extraordinary that God stepped down into darkness so we could see his light!
We ought to be eternally grateful that we have the testimony of Jesus at all!
3 - Jesus’ Verdict
3 - Jesus’ Verdict
Jesus continues,
We must be given the living waters that we heard about last week -
God himself must help us believe - or we will never lift our heads out of the darkness alone.
with concenring words for anyone to hear,
Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.”
This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?”
But he continued, “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; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”
john 8 21-
Unless you believe in Jesus - you will die in your sins!
You will be eternally seperated from the love of God,
There is no hope for you,
no light,
only judgement and darkness.
And despite their dissattifaction with his answer about who else testifies to his truth,
They are shocked by this threat that they will die in their sins!
Even as Christians here, we must never forget what we have been saved from!
Even as Christians here, we must never forget what we have been saved from!
We deresve death in sin,
judgement without a mediator,
it’s a sobering reminder of who we truely are without Jesus!
And all of us therefore must rememeber the answer to the final question that the Jewsish leaders ask:
And yet,
“Who are you?” they asked.
“Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.”
john 8 25 -But,
Jesus does not leave the listeners with that unconvincing - but already immensly gracious revelation of who he is,
There is a final peice to the puzzel of Jesus prooving to us that he is truely the light and only light in this dark world.
It really is incredible that Jesus explains that we all deserve judgemnt,
The only way back to the Father in heaven.
Just as he did in
His verdict for us is death in the sins we deserve
The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil.
jon 7 7
He also exaplins that in our evil, we have and will reject him, the true light,
The only hope they have to be reunited with God
and yet,
the Father with the Son have colaborated in the greatest mission of sacrificial love
ever concieved in our world!
And despite our inability to simply take Jesus at his word,
4 - Jesus Lifted Up
4 - Jesus Lifted Up
Which he now explains,,
You may not believe I’m the son of God, says Jesus
The saviour of the world,
The light of the world,
The only way to salavtion before God Almighty,
The only way to avoid judgement for our evil and dark ways before God
But the ulitmate proof of His love is coming he says:
So Jesus said, “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 but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”
john 8 28
When i am lifted up - then you will know I and the Father are one.
I am God!
In a double use of imagery,
Jesus fortells the soon to come time
when the people will ‘lift him up’
but not in glory
on a cross - to his death,
But quite ironically,
what they intend for evil,
The Father intends for good,
Just like Jospeh sold into slavery in the OT,
which his brother intended for evil,
God used for good and saved his people from starvation through Joseph!
And so,
the lifting up of JEsus on the cross,
leads to the salavtion of all who believe and
it is the means by which Jesus is fully glorfied
and lifted up eternally to his father in heaven!
As he is lifted on the cross,
Jesus takes the sin of the world on his shoulders,
He takes our darkness on himself.
Just like the temple lit up the dark night in Jerusalmn,
So Jesus on the cross lights up the darkness of our world,
the darkness of our sin.
SLIDE - Cross of light
Those that have rejectced the light,
will be able to recieve the light,
Those of us today who believe in the light,
we celebrate the victory of the cross
Our sins, past present and future - forgiven,
the price paid on Jesus not us.
Jesus glorified, not us,
The Father, acting in compassionate love towards a peoiple who would naturally choose darkenss!
And so as Jesus dies, sin is paid for,
And not long after, Jesus is truely lifted up again,
and he returns to the Father in glory!
If you want proof of my testimony says Jesus,
Look up to the cross where I am lifted up!
See your sin paid for,
Your darkness expelled,
Light takes it place - for all who believe,
And look to my glorification as I return to my Father!
The cross is not just the mechanics of salvation,
and the
But, The cross is not just the mechanics of salvation,
The cross is also the proof of salvation.
Christians, here today - rejoice that Jesus was lifted up.
Rejoice at his love and sacrifice.
rejoice that despite our rebelion, our darkenss, he gives us light,
Rejoice that he was lifted up to heaven in glory and will one day return to end all the worlds darkenss,
for an eternity of light!
Non-chirtsians here today,
Wont you accept his testimony,
Wont you believe in Jesus the light in this dark world,
what other hope do you have?
Look to Jesus - lifted up on a cross in your place,
Believe he is the Son of God,
Light of our Dark World.
PRAY
In this age of an inaugurated but not yet consummated kingdom, however, the light is still in mortal combat with darkness (1:4, 9; 3:19–21).