You Wouldn’t Know The Light If It Hit You In The Head
Notes
Transcript
Pray
Before we look at this passage we must consider the background behind the passage Which I will be mostly talking over and referencing. We will be in John 8:12-59
I encourage you to please read this after the service or during if you get board
We are still in the temple as Sukkot, the feast of tabernacles. Which Happened October 2 - 9 this year 2020.
So think this time of year.
The time of Tabernacles is to remind the people of there time in the desert. It has rituals to celebrate the harvest of tree and vine. Water ceremonies to recall the need for water in the dry autumn.
The autumn equinox ( where night and day are of equal length) provided the context for a light ceremony that was popular in Jerusalem and orchestrated during Tabernacles
The feast of Tabernacles has all this motif woven inside of it
The Mishnah chapter on Tabernacles provides a descriptions of both water and light ceremonies and it is described as a great wonder
Four large stands each held four golden bowls
These sixteen golden bowls (reached by ladders) were filled with oil and used the worn undergarments of the Priest for wicks. They were lit at night (so the rabbis said), all Jerusalem was illumined. In a world without street lights these shining on the yellow limestone would really shine. People would seeing and dance in the streets
Here we are on the final days of Tabernacles in the court of Women (so that men and women could give offerings). In the very Court where the Lighting ceremonies takes place Jesus stands beneath sixteen lit bowls of oil and says
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world! The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” So the Pharisees said to him, “You testify concerning yourself! Your testimony is not true.” Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I testify concerning myself, my testimony is true, because I know where I have come from and where I am going. But you do not know where I have come from or where I am going. You judge according to externals; I do not judge anyone. But even if I judge, my judgment is true, because I am not alone, but I and the Father who sent me. And even in your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true. I am the one who testifies concerning myself, and the Father who sent me testifies concerning me.” So they were saying to him, “Where is your father?” Jesus replied, “You know neither me nor my Father! If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.” He spoke these words by the treasury while teaching in the temple courts, and no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.
With the candles lit with all of Jerusalem visible. Jesus says (Vs12) I am the Light of the world (that is Cosmos all of God’s creation) Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have light of life”I am the light that leads, as the flame that lead the people in desert
And what will follow will be a debate of who Jesus is Debate of charges and counter-charges that are between Jesus and the “theologians”.
The first claim By Jesus I am the Light of the world
Their response (13) you are appearing as your own witness, your testimony is not valid. You have to have 2 witnesses according to Jewish customs.
Jesus responds that that I and My father are enough to count for witnesses in the court
Who is your Father
Jesus tells them that they lack true spiritual discernment because they don’t already know. This is the same argument found in John Chapter 5
Jesus last visit to the temple
Without a deep knowledge of God and His love, it is impossible to recognize his Son
Jesus will then tell them he is leaving, going away and they will look for Him or die in their sins. But they don’t understand wondering if he is going to kill himself. We understand that He is speaking of His death that will bring life
If we ABC then we can have life as his righteousness placed on us as our sin on Him
But they did not see this
If you know the truth and the truth will set you free
But they argue back we are Abrahams descendants and have never been slaves to idolatry, They have been enslaved to Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome.
They don’t understand the slavery they are under
They are blind to it
When you are born to a situation don’t know. You were poor but you couldn’t tell. They can’t see it they instead say that he is demon-possessed. And Jesus has one of the most revealing statements about who he is in this passage VS 58
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am!”
Which should remind you of the YHWH name of God found in Exodus given to Moses I am that I am
Jesus claims to be the son of God and with God in the beginning
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
In the beginning was the word and the word became flesh and the word was with god and the word was God
And the Jews wanted to Stone Jesus for his word
They couldn’t see that He was the light In the darkness. They can’t see the light. They refused to look at it.
This is how the world is
The world that is atheist
The world that is other religion
The world that hiding inside our churches
The world that tempts and whispers to us
We see the truth, the light, the life. But do we follow it
Do we recognize it
Do we know it
Jesus hit them over the head with the argument that he is the light
And they didn’t know it
Even though they were the theologians or maybe because.
When we talk to people some will never know the light because they don’t know it even if it is hitting them in the head
Next Steps
Next Steps
Do you?
Have you ABC
And if you have We see the light that is upon the path guiding us
Do you follow the light
Sin no more
But even if it isn’t a sin follow God’s ways
Can you recognize the light
It’s hitting you in the head
Pray
Bibliography
Bibliography
Barry, John D., Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R. Grigoni, and David Bomar. Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016.
Burge, Garry. John (NIV Application Commentary), Zondervan, 2000, 2010.
Rodkinson, Michael L. The Babylonian Talmud: Original Text, Edited, Corrected, Formulated and Translated into English (19 Vols.). The Talmud Society, 1918.