The Light of Life. John 8:12-30 The light of spiritual life that Jesus spoke of while in the treasury area of the temple is available to everyone. Some have said that the light shone on the gold-colored containers where people placed their tithes and offerings, like the woman who put in two mites. Regardless, the people remained aware of their spiritual needs even after the week-long feast ended. In a clear statement about His deity, Jesus publicly declared that people could experience this light in their own lives despite the surrounding spiritual darkness. They could receive divine guidance even in uncertain times.
In our world filled with spiritual and moral darkness, many people feel discontented and dissatisfied with their life experiences. Those who believe in Him today, just as those who believed in Jesus when He was here, will encounter the "light of life" when they follow Him. In this way, we rise above all that appeals solely to our fleshly nature and begin to experience the blessings of living in fellowship with God. Then, we are able to see beyond the decay of our surroundings to the reasons behind the events God allows.
When others doubt what will happen to them and the world, those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ will have the knowledge and assurance that God is in control. Those who believe in Him and have the light of life find meaning and purpose, while others who do not believe live without purpose and hope. Life begins as God intended for us after true repentance and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Pharisees, who kept criticizing Jesus and hoped to trap Him in some wrongdoing, judged Him because He testified about Himself, revealing who He is. Passing judgment based on fleshly standards relies on outward appearance and is flawed and superficial. Such judgment comes from comparing others to ourselves or to flawed mortal men. Jesus clearly told the Jews challenging Him that He had the right to declare His identity, and the Father confirmed His claim. Against perfection in a person and truthful words, accusations from deceitful lips arise. The words of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are often offered to those deeply in bondage without them even realizing it.
The judgment of God was supported not only by two divine persons making it lawful but also by the public signs and miracles Jesus performed in front of everyone. Still, they mocked Jesus and His statement of unity with the Father. To deny the Son is to deny the Father. To mock the Son is to mock the Father, and Jesus told those men what we need to remember today—words of mockery and denial of God come from beneath, come from Satan. Full freedom, fresh from Truth’s deep fountain, flows in words of grace despite harsh accusations. The accusers will still be there even after losing their argument and battle.
Even though those Jews who openly opposed Jesus wanted to seize Him and kill Him, they couldn’t do so because He had all authority over creation, sin, and every evil power. He has the power to bring all things under His control. There was nothing men could do against Him "except it were given to thee from above." They rejected Jesus' claims and still demanded proof of His authority and deity. Satan causes spiritual blindness, and people can also choose to deliberately ignore what is right in front of them. When the Lord said He was going away, those who opposed Him foolishly mocked Him about committing suicide. In their darkness, they would die in their sins because they continued to reject Christ and remain under Satan’s influence.
Jesus repeatedly affirmed His deity in many ways. The "I AM" is the Light of the world. He is in perfect unity with the Father. He plainly stated, "I AM HE," yet they did not understand or accept His deity. From the beginning of His ministry, both His words and actions showed that Jesus was the Son of God. He told those who would not believe in Him that He would be lifted up on the cross, and then they would know that God was in Christ. The supernatural darkness that lasted three hours while Jesus was on the cross was clearly an act of God. The earthquake that occurred when He dismissed His spirit was also an act of God. Similarly, the veil was torn from top to bottom at that same moment. Another great earthquake happened at His resurrection.
All of these events happened beyond human control. Those who believe in Him need to follow Him. When they do, they will recognize the truth, and the truth will set them free from doubt, fear, spiritual darkness, and despair. They will walk in the light with the Lord Himself. Spiritual blindness is lifted when one remembers the cross-work of Christ and the redemption He provided for all who believe in Him.
There! On that tree! He is hanging! Despised and rejected by men! In His own body, He bears what should have been laid upon them. Men's words are self-centered, trying to justify all they have done; when the Light of the world finally enters, they try to put out the Light of the Son.
Throughout His years here, the Light was bright. It exposed the darkness of sin, and there was no avoiding the light of life, which revealed the fact that God had come to earth to dwell among men. There was never any doubt about His righteousness, through whom all blessings come to mankind. The brightness of His perfect holiness showed men where they needed to begin when they were willing to stop and acknowledge that they were wrong. People must face the fact that they cannot meet God on their own. We all need this Mediator between God and sinful men, and there is no one else but Him who can span the great gulf between the Holy God and sinful humans.
In this eighth chapter of John, there is conflict and hostility directed at Jesus as the Jews try to discredit Him, deny Him, and ultimately destroy Him. The same is happening today. People are denying the existence of God and the deity of Christ and are fiercely opposing anything that even mentions Jesus as the only Lord and Savior of mankind. In this chapter, willful unbelief and blindness go hand in hand with the rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
There is an unexplainable darkness and blindness over people who hear the Gospel and cannot seem to understand the significance of what Christ has done for them. To believe in Him may seem too simple a way of salvation to many. Spiritual deadness in trespasses and sins persists until each person believes in their heart on the Lord Jesus Christ and confesses with their mouth that He is Lord.
Unlike the spiritual blindness and deadness of unbelievers, there is the Light of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ, shining through the darkness with His words of truth and salvation. The life that results from faith in Christ influences every part of a follower's life. There is understanding that emerges about things that were previously hidden from the mind by unbelief. There is clarity about who Jesus is, why He came, and the blessings that come with salvation. God's grace lights up the darkness caused by sin in this world, and the glory of God is revealed in those who believe in Jesus—along with their worship, praise, and thanksgiving for Him who loved us and washed away our sins with His own blood.
The contrasts between unbelief and the bright glory of faith in God are seen in this part of John eight. It begins with "I Am the Light of the world" and concludes with, "I always do those things that please Him." Some believed in Him because of what He said. Perhaps others only believed in His words, but many "believed in Him." It would be a blessing today if people went beyond religion and personal ideas to truly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. What the Lord says is really all that matters, although others have a right to be heard. The difference is that they aren’t like me, and He has the final say. No matter what we say, the Lord Jesus alone has the right to expect us to obey every statement because He is “The Light of life.”
In their jealousy and anger, men nailed the Lord to the tree. The Holy God and the willing Savior agreed that He would bear the guilt belonging to me. When He was lifted on the cross, He bore the curse of sin that was imposed by the law. God, in righteousness, doesn't demand more, for Christ, in His perfection, actually fulfilled all the righteous demands of the law. Because of that uplifted Person, the curse of the law is passed, and there is complete justification for men to approach God. Faith in the Savior provides a full and complete redemption. Now believers can live in peace because He met every claim against them.
“Ye shall know the truth.” John 8:31-59 There is a saying, "There are none so blind as those who will not see." Those are the kinds of people the Lord Jesus Christ was addressing in His great debate with the Jews, who felt their position and prestige were being threatened by His works and teachings. Some follow only, while others follow and learn. True disciples are the latter.
True believers are those who hear God's word, believe in it, and continue to practice it in their lives. God's grace has saved these individuals, and they appreciate His words because they know and love Him. They understand they have been delivered from the power and consequences of sin. They walk in the light because they are children of the day and want to avoid the pitfalls and snares set in the darkness.
Furthermore, they are guided by the Holy Spirit in God's ways and desire that guidance rather than seeking their own independent self-control. God's word affirms our salvation. We are not left to guess about our position or future. The word of God assures us that life's situations, whether easy or hard, are under God's control. The word of God confirms our forgiveness of sins. That source of truth sets us free.
When there is freedom in Christ, attempts to bring us into the bondage of sin do not have control over us. We are not immune from the attacks of the world, the flesh, and the devil, but these enemies lack the power to dominate us. We understand that these enemies will try to deceive and overcome believers through subtlety and temptation. When someone is in bondage, they are under the control and authority of another. People can become so accustomed to sin that they believe it is normal living. That bondage shows when people are dishonest and disrespectful toward God and holy things, and they mock those who walk in the light of life.
The Jews who were challenging Jesus were in bondage to Rome, and for generations, they had been under the control of foreign powers. Yet, they claimed they were never in bondage to anyone. Perhaps they believed they were unbowed and unbroken in their national spirit, but they didn't realize they were in much greater bondage to Satan. A slave is never certain of where he will live or what will happen to him. He may have some freedom and think that is all freedom entails. He may know his origins, but cannot enjoy the blessings of his early life because sin has entered his heart and caused defeat. When we sin, we are in bondage to sin.
The Lord Jesus was very clear when He explained the difference between a slave and a son. A son feels at home in his father's house. A son is truly free because everything the father has is his. The Lord Jesus Christ was a Son in His Father's house forever. There are no conditions that make Him a Son because He is the eternal Son of the eternal Father and shares the same nature as the Father. The Son has no doubt about His parentage, regardless of any slur those who opposed Him might have thrown at Him, trying to question His origin. The Son speaks and acts like the Father, and the Father delights in the Son.
Family characteristics are passed on to those in Christ through the divine nature He has given us. Those who spoke against the Lord Jesus Christ did not have the seed of faith that Abraham had. The Lord called them children of the devil because they displayed the traits of Satan. They were plotting to murder Jesus, and the devil has been a murderer from the beginning. They were dishonest and lying and refused to listen to God, and the devil is a liar and the father of lies. He would not listen to God and tries to blind people's minds so the light of the Gospel won't shine into the dark hearts of sinners and God can save them. All those traits in the people opposing Jesus came from Satan's seed, not Abraham's seed. As a true Son, the Lord Jesus Christ wanted to honor His Father and see Him honored by others. Jesus aimed to honor the Father from those who truly followed Him.
It is a blessing when sons can appreciate and honor their fathers, and they can act on what they hear and learn from true fathers. They trust the words of instruction their fathers give. Words refer to what is taught, while speech refers to the words themselves. Those who ignore the teachings from God's word are not sons of God. The people did not understand Jesus' speech because they did not listen with faith or do what He taught. They did not grasp the meaning of His references to living bread, living water, the light of life, and similar truths.
Sinful minds look for ways to oppose God's truth. Those who love God cherish the truth. Abraham rejoiced in what he knew by faith because he loved God, obeyed Him, and showed his faith through his life. When Jesus told those debating with Him that Abraham rejoiced to see the day He would be here, they responded with scorn, demonstrating their attitude against the Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus clearly stated His deity and eternal existence with the words of truth and dignity, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM;" they understood He was again identifying Himself as God. The Son of God was right there before them, yet they maliciously rejected Him with murder in their hearts.
The One whom true disciples follow, the One who reveals the truth that liberates human souls and brings us into the light of life, has made it possible for us to know the truth. What a privilege it is to be free to learn the truth and follow Him without the trappings of man's religious ideas and the bondage of sin that ties us to the god of this world. Freedom and a full, abundant life are the inheritance of those who are born into God's family. We enjoy the blessings of that inheritance now and will continually marvel at the abundance of all that is ours because of the surpassing riches of God's grace given to us.
John 8: “Continue” – persevere IN MY WORD, Jn.8:31 - disciples indeed; free indeed IN MY LOVE, Jn.15:9 – glorify the Father; bear fruit IN THE GRACE OF GOD, Acts13:43 – the spiritual work begun IN THE FAITH, Acts14:22; Col.1:23 – in spite of difficulties IN WITNESSING, Acts26:22 – to the Gospel: [1] the privilege of the real witness – know, 1Jn.5 [2] the power of the real witness – the Holy Spirit, Acts1:8 [3] the personal testimony of the real witness [4] the progress of the real witness – wait, receive [5] the presentation of the real witness – bold, fervent, courageous IN HIS GOODNESS, Rom.11:22 – in picking us up who were “nobodies.” IN THE GOSPEL, Gal.2:5 – in spite of opposition IN FELLOWSHIP, Phil.1:25 – with other believers IN PRAYER, Col.4:2 – specific, thankful, intercessory IN DOCTRINE, 1Tim.4:16 – save yourself and others by teaching IN WHAT WE LEARNED FROM OTHERS, 2Tim.3:14 – learn their wisdom from their experiences IN BROTHERLY LOVE, Heb.13:1 – meeting needs IN THE SON AND THE FATHER, 1Jn.2:24 – when first love and first fruits remain a part of us