Kaleo San Diego Church

Before we dive into the full text of what we will be studying tonight, I want us to take an excursus into a study of light as given to us by the Scripture.

If you remember last week’s study, we discussed verses 7:53 through 8:11 and examined the well known study of the woman caught in adultery.

This week we will be picking up where we left off in the Gospel of John and we are going to be looking at Jesus claims in John 8:12 and then searching from Genesis to Revelation to discover what this verse means in context for this passage as well as its link to the whole of God’s Word.

BIBLICAL EXCURSUS OF LIGHT

Before we begin our study in verse 12, I thought it would be helpful for us if we look at this reference of light that is used frequently in scripture.

If you were to take a concordance and count the amount of times the word “light” was used in the Old Testament, you would find it used no less than 221 times. That is 144 times in the Old Testament and 77 times in the New Testament.

We see the first usage of the word light in the Old Testament found in the book of Genesis.

Genesis 1:3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.

4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness

Creation begins with God creating light. His creative power is exercised and the first thing He does is create light.

He then separates the light from darkness. If you are a student of Bible you will find this idea used metaphorically through scripture. God creates us and changes us by His light; He then separates us from darkness.

This is used as a way to explain salvation and the process of God sanctifying us by setting us apart from the dark.

In Exodus, at night, the children of Israel would follow a pillar of fire (light).

Exodus 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.

If the fire moved, you moved, if it stopped, you stopped. The fire, supplied by God, was your guide in darkness and you would do well to keep your eye on its direction and follow the area it illuminated.

Also, in the tabernacle, there were great golden lampstands that were created to give light to the altar where the sacrifices where made for the atonement of sin.

If we read the Psalms we see this usage of the word 25 times.

Psalm 18:28 For You will light my lamp; The LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.

This teaches us that God will be the light of our understanding. He will be the one that brings light into our darkness.

Psalm 19:8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;

God’s commands are pure and give us light to see what is right and wrong, good or bad.

Man does not have the ability to understand what is good or evil without God giving him that standard by the light of His commands. God’s commands are the standard of morality and justice.

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?

The LORD is described as light and salvation. He is the guiding light that ultimately leads us to eternal salvation in Christ.

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

God lights our steps, he allows us to see in the darkness of the night, the darkness of the world.

Ecclesiastes 2:13 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly As light excels darkness.

Solomon uses Light to describe wisdom.

Isaiah 51:4 "Listen to Me, My people; And give ear to Me, O My nation: For law will proceed from Me, And I will make My justice rest As a light of the peoples.

The law of God and the justice of God are considered light of God.

Daniel 2:22 He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him.

God’s light reveals deep and secret things in man.

Hosea 6:5 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of My mouth; And your judgments are like light that goes forth.

God’s light is compared to judgments.

Zephaniah 3:5 The LORD is righteous in her midst, He will do no unrighteousness. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He never fails, But the unjust knows no shame.

God’s light shows us justice.

So we see in the Old Testament that light:

Guides us, it gives us the commands of God, the teachings of God, it provides salvation, life deliverance, it shows us how to walk, it exposes our sin, it exposes our darkness, it shows us God, it shows us God’s word, it gives us wisdom, it shows us God’s justice, and ultimately leads us to God’s resurrection in Christ.

In the New Testament John comes on the scene and tells us that this light is related directly to Jesus Christ.

If you look the 5 books of which John is the author (John, 1st, 2nd, 3rd John, and Revelation) you will see that this is a constant theme. He uses this idea to represent Christ and to contrast Christ’s righteousness of light, to the sinful wickedness of man’s darkness.

John takes this Old Testament concept and places it exactly where it belongs, on Christ.

John 1:4-5 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

John is saying that this light that they understood to be God and described in their own writings as attributes of God and the active power of God, is in fact Jesus Christ!

Yet they did not comprehend it. They didn’t understand that this was God in the flesh, the light of God, because they were yet in darkness and stumbled in it.

John 3:19 "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 "But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

The unbelief of those that Jesus had come to dwell among, was their condemnation.

Why would they not believe and come to Jesus? They loved darkness and sin, rather than light and righteousness.

The sins of man are typically done in secret, in the dark. Those that have no desire to expose their sins will always shrink back in the shadows. It is because the object of their love is darkness rather than light.

As we move through John’s Gospel, we see in Chapter 7 that the “Feast of Tabernacles was at Hand.”

This feast was a celebration. It was also called the “Feast of Lights” because it celebrated God’s goodness to the children of Israel in the desert when He cared for them by allowing them to worship in the tabernacle and also His care for them by guiding them with the pillar of fire. This is one of the three major feasts of the Jews.

This celebration was continuing in chapter 8. The Jews would gather at the temple at night in the court of women (or the court of treasury), and they would light 4 massive lampstands that would light the temple and would even spill into Jerusalem and light the surrounding houses.

It is probably dark and they have just lit the lampstands and begin to gather for more celebration that Jesus speaks again:

I. JESUS IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

This is the second “I AM” statements from Jesus.

In the context of this important feast, Jesus’ declaration must have come with incredible force.

He doesn’t just let this statement hang in the air. He immediately describes the positive consequence: Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

Jesus proclamation is both a healing balm and a poison. He clearly teaches to those in the temple that celebrate from a perspective of religious ritual, that He will give them life and light.

The negative to His claim, is that those that do not follow Him, will have death and darkness.

Darkness could be described as the absence of light.

Since we agree that Jesus has offered, historically, this light and life to those that are willing to come into the light, and that He has offered this same reality to us today, what are some reasons that you are unwilling to step from the darkness into the light?

Fear? Pain? Separation from friends and family? Willful disobedience? A love of darkness?

How does God describe those that are His?

You are the light of the world

Matthew 5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.15 "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

You are children of the light

Ephesians 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

You are saints in the light

Colossians 1:12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

You are sons of light

1Thessalonians 5:5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.

II. JESUS EXPOSES THE PHARISEES DARKNESS

13 The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of yourself; your witness is not true." 14 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 and where I am going. 15 "You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 16 "And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. 17 "It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. 18 "I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me." 19 Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?" Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also." 20 These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

The unbelief of the Pharisees is exposed. The Pharisees, so steeped in religious legalism and ceremony and darkened by their own sin, can’t judge righteously, they can only judge “according to the flesh.”

They are void of the light of Christ and therefore can not do or think or see contrary to their own fleshly nature.

1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.

God must impart His light in man, so man can truly see. God must illuminate man’s conscience so man can confess his sin.

1 Corinthians 2:16 16 “For who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

Belief in Jesus, trust in Jesus, relationship with Jesus, is lived out in faith in Jesus. A faith that is active and vibrant. A faith that is characterized by spiritual judgment and discernment. A faith that is obedient to the Fathers will. A faith that endures. Any type of faith that is not described as such is a false faith and is not a saving faith.

Yet Jesus offers hope to those in such a condition.

Jesus offers His light to those that are willing to turn from their sins and believe in Jesus Christ for salvation.

Are you in darkness? Come to the light and be washed and cleansed of your sin. Let Christ shine His light into your heart and bring you to a place of confession so that you can be “the light of the world.”

Let’s pray.

Communion

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