Sermon Tone Analysis

The Light of the World

6-2-02

John 8:12-32 

 

Top Ten list of approaches at changing a light bulb.

10            Q: How many lawyers does it take to change a light bulb?

A: How many can you afford?

9              Q: How many teamsters does it take to change a light bulb?

A: “Twelve.

Ya got a problem with that?’‘

8              Q: How many Psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb?

A: Only one, but the bulb has got to really WANT to change.

7              Q: How many ‘Real Men’ does it take to change a light bulb?

A: None: ‘Real Men’ aren’t afraid of the dark.

6              Q: How many football players does it take to change a light bulb?

A: The entire team!

And they all get a semester’s credit for it!

5             Q: How many Harvard grads does it take to screw in a light bulb?

A: Just one.

He grabs the bulb and waits for the world to revolve around him.

4              Q: How many bureaucrats does it take to screw in a light bulb?

A: 45.

One to change the bulb, and 44 to do the paperwork.

3              Q: How many board meetings does it take to get a light bulb changed?

A: This topic was resumed from last week’s discussion, but is incomplete pending resolution of some action items.

It will be continued next week.

2              Q: How many Arthur Anderson accountants does it take to screw in a light bulb?

A: What kind of answer did you have in mind?

1             Q.

How many Floridians does it take to change a lightbulb?

A. Don’t know for sure, they’re still counting.

John 8 – still at the Feast of Tabernacles approximately AD 29.

He has presented Himself as life-giving water as they symbolized God’s provision of water in the wilderness (ch.

7).

Now, He siezes again upon a very significant moment that the Father gives Him to reveal Himself.

“Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, *‘I am the light of the world, he who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’”

*– Jn 8:12 (memorize it!)

Amazing economy of words…

/1.

The Claim of Light, *“I am the light of the world”* /

/2.

The Contrast of Light, *“shall not walk in darkness”*/

/3.

The Conditions of Light, *“he that followeth me”*/

/4.

The Consequences of the Light, *“shall have the light of life”*/

 

1.

The Claim of Light, *“I am the light of the world”*

Context:

John 8:20  “*These words He spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come.”*

Only Jews were allowed in the Treasury, and both sexes were permitted to walk through this court.

Placed around this courtyard were thirteen trumpet-shaped containers, small at the top and flanged at the bottom.

Each of these receptacles had a label for a specific kind of offering.

One particular ritual of the feast was celebrated in this court with a “standing-room-only” crowd looking on.

Four huge candelabras graced this court.

On the first night of the feast of tabernacles, these were lit.

Reports from the first century tell us that these lights could be seen throughout Jerusalem.

This act commemorated the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night.

Perhaps they would recall what every Jewish child would recite growing up, Psalm 27:1

*“The LORD is my light and my salvation;*

*whom shall I fear?*

*the LORD is the strength of my life;*

*of whom shall I be afraid?”*

Following this lighting, the people would dance and sing late into the night, all week.

But on the last day of the feast, the priests would extinguish the lights.

The reason for this was that God had not yet sent the “Deliverer,” the “Messiah.”

Jesus is standing in the courtyard where these beautiful candelabras are.

They had been lit for several days, but now they are darkened.

In the midst of all this symbolism, Jesus stands and says, “I am the light of the world” (8:12).

What do you think that did to that crowd who had just finished the celebration of light?

*Significance:*

We must take seriously these beautiful words because Jesus means them.

These are not a politician's promise; promises that can all be forgotten after the election.

Our Lord means to fulfill these words in any human life: *"I am the light of the world; he who follows me [not just knows about me], he who walks with me, obeys me and stays with me will have light in his pathway."*

Dr. Phillips Brooks, who was a preacher from a century ago, described the light of the sunrise in these words:

When the sun rose this morning it found the world in darkness, torpid and heavy and asleep, with powers all wrapped up in sluggishness; with life that was hardly better or more alive than death.

The sun found this great sleeping world and woke it.

It bade it to be itself.

It quickened every slow and sluggish faculty.

It called to the dull streams and said, "Be quick;" to the dull birds and bade them sing; to the dull fields and made them grow; to dull men and women and bade them think and talk and work.

…It poured strength into the essential processes which belonged to the very nature of the earth.

It glorified, intensified and fulfilled the earth.

In the words, *"I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness," *he means that not only will he give light to the one who follows him, but he will be the means by which that man will see everything else in his path; and he will be summoned to fulfillment; he will be energized and fulfilled and intensified by the light.

What follows Jesus’ words is a life and death struggle between light and darkness.

It is all out battle.

Full frontal assault between the darkened souls of religious leadership and the Light of Life, Jesus Christ.

It gets ugly.

 

2.

The Contrast of Light, *“/he who follows me/ shall not walk in darkness”*

That is a wonderful promise.

There is nothing mankind needs more, then and now, than light on the path.

People are walking in darkness.

It is not economics or education that is needed (important).

It is light.

Later on in this very gospel Jesus declares, *"He that walks in darkness does not know where he is going,"* {cf, John 12:35}.

How many people do not know where they are going, not only after they leave this life, but even down the road a little.

They have no idea of what is ahead; they are running into disaster and they cannot even see it coming.

But the man who has light can see what is in his pathway.

ill.

With 22 million followers, Oprah Winfrey is arguably the most influential spiritual leader in pop culture in America.

In a context of talking about Buddhism, and Judaism and Hinduism, Oprah herself has said, "One of the biggest mistakes humans make is to believe there is only one way.

Actually, there are many diverse paths leading to what you call God."

Not true!

13,14  The Pharisees therefore said to Him, “You are bearing witness of Yourself;  Your witness is not true.”

Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness 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.”

They rejected Him, supposing there was no supporting testimony.

Since He testified concerning Himself, they thought His testimony need not be believed and accepted.

That was their practice.

He had before acknowledged, himself, the technical need of supplementary evidence and furnished it in the form of the testimony of John the Baptist, His Father, His words, His works, and the Scriptures.