Beloved, I’m glad to share with you today the above theme taken from Jn 8:12. Indeed, “The Light of the World” is before the Jewish people. But “men have loved darkness better than light,” such as those insects that, when the stone that sheltered them is lifted, run to hide elsewhere (Jn 3:17-21). Then the only one who, being without sin, would have had the right to exercise the punishment declares to the woman: “I do not condemn you either: go, and do not sin anymore.” Many people strive by their own conduct to deserve God’s forgiveness; while the Lord begins by forgiving and only then commands not to sin any more (Jn 5:5-16; Ps 130.1-4; 1 John 3:7-10).
As we have already noted, the Lord derived His teaching from the facts recorded in it. For the light that illuminates every man had just shone before several. It was life for those who wanted to enjoy it, but this will not be the case before the great white throne (Rev 20:11-12) where this light will manifest the state of sin of all those who will appear there to judge them according to their works. Those who wanted to experience Jesus did not take advantage of it, since they withdrew. The Lord therefore says that he who follows him will have the light of life, not only among the Jews, but in the world, plunged into the darkness of death. Jesus came for all, that is what characterizes this gospel. Here it is “the light of the world”. He does not say that, if the world follows him, he will have the light of life, but “he who follows me”; for the reception of life, of salvation, is an individual matter.
Priceless privilege to have the light of life to walk in the middle of a world plunged into darkness! How important it is to have it today. For the moral darkness, in which the world has lived since the fall, envelops more and more of its mortal darkness the Christendom which, more than ever, rejects Christ whose name it still bears. The invitation is still heard: “He who follows me will have the light of life”. For one cannot follow Jesus by having one foot in the world and the other with those who follow the Lord. One cannot enjoy for a moment the worldly pleasures, in any form whatsoever, and to others, seek to silence one’s uncomfortable conscience by taking care of the serious things a little. For if we go in this state of mind to the meetings where we speak of the Lord, it’s with a heart full of worldly vanities. In this way we do not follow the Lord, and there is no peace, no joy, no light in this path.
So, to have the light of life, to enjoy this life whose object is Christ himself, which makes the heart perfectly happy and able to see all things as God sees them, we should abandon all that is related to the world and follow the Lord in the path he has traced here on earth. This truth is simple to understand. For the world dwells in darkness; man’s heart is dark, like the dark chaos in which the physical world found itself. It is impossible to draw a ray of light from it. It is therefore necessary that the divine light shines there. That is why God had said, “Let there be light, and there was light.” It comes from God, as does the one who, in the person of Jesus, shone in the midst of the moral darkness of the world. It can therefore only be possessed by receiving it and following it. For this light is life, like the physical light. Everything on earth is deprived of sunlight, withered and died.
Upon hearing Jesus’ words, the Pharisees said to him, “You bear witness of yourself; your testimony is not true.” As a man, the Lord did not bear witness to Himself, but here as the Son of God and the Light of the World, He testified of who He was. It is not necessary to say that the sun is illuminating; as soon as it is lifted everyone is convinced of this. Jesus was therefore the light; the woman’s accusers had seen it. Jesus answered them, “Though I bear witness of myself, my testimony 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. You judge according to the flesh; I do not judge anyone. And if I judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone; but the Father who sent me is with me. It is written in your law that the testimony of two men is true; I bear witness of myself, and the Father who sent me bear witness of me.”
Jesus was constantly aware of where he had come from and where he was going. He could not remain in a world opposed to God and which rejected him; he was going to leave him, as soon as he had done the work he had undertaken. By not receiving his words, no one knew where he was coming from and where he was going. Alien to God and what comes from Him, men judge Jesus only according to the flesh. For it is impossible to get out of the circle in which the natural spirit moves without faith. Indeed, Jesus had not come on his own; his Father had sent him, as this gospel declares forty times. Not only had his Father sent him, but he was with him, so that the testimony required by law existed, a divine testimony that, in their blindness, men refused.
Upon hearing of his Father who had sent him, they said to Jesus, “Where is your Father? Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father.” If you knew me, you would also know my Father.” What evidence of the inability of man to know God, even when he reveals himself in grace in the person of his Son. The whole gospel according to John is well summarized in these verses of the first chapter. “The light is squeething in the darkness, and the darkness has not received it.” “She was in the world, and the world was made by her, and the world did not know her. She came to her family, and hers did not receive her.” But, thanks to God, faith grasps what the natural heart rejects and cannot know: “But to all those who have received it, to those who believe in its name, it has given the power to become children of God, who were born, not of the blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man. , but of God.” They are for the benefit of Jesus’ coming into this world. And although Jesus uttered these words in the temple in the midst of a hostile religious world, no one put their hands on him, “because his time had not yet come.”
What can we learn from this teaching of our Lord Jesus?
- Walking like children of light
Eph 5:1-10: Therefore become the imitators of God, as beloved children; (TheBible affirms that God is light, and that there is no darkness in him (1Jan 1:5). And Jesus says,’You are light.’ By becoming a new creature in Christ, by being born again, we are called to be a light and thus to imitate God who is light).2 and walk in charity, following the example of Christ, who loved us, and who gave himself to God for us as an offering and a sacrifice of good smell. But notice this. 3 Let impudicity, let no kind of impurity, and greed be appointed even among you, as is appropriate to saints. 4 Let us not hear dishonest words, foolish words, or jokes, things which are contrary to propriery; let us instead hear thanksgiving. The believer must take care to preserve his moral purity. (‘Allthese sins,’ Paul tells us, ‘should not be mentioned as having been committed by a Christian.’ ) 5 For, know it well, no shameless, or impure, or greedy, that is to say, idolatrous, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (We are saved by the grace of God, by means of faith. Our salvation does not come from works, Paul affirms in his letter to the Ephesians. But this does not mean that the works are unimportant or that God ignores sins. For your actions demonstrate your true spiritual identity: you are either a child of light or a child of darkness. And all those who continue to take part in the works of darkness cannot claim an inheritance in the kingdom of God. ) 6 Let no one seduce you with vain speeches; for it is because of these things that the wrath of God comes upon the sons of rebellion. (Do not be deceived by vain words. Let no one lead you astray by telling you that it is possible to lie, to steal, or to live in debauchery while having part in salvation as a result of a superficial profession of faith. This is a worthless argument. ‘When our God becomes angry,’ the author of the epistle to the Hebrews tells us, ‘he becomes an all-consuming fire.’ Know that we do not play with sin with impunity.) 7 Therefore, have no part with them. (Do not mingle with those who live in disorder. Then Paul declares that the light comes off on a dark background.) 8 Once you were dark, and now you are light in the Lord. Walk like children of light! 9 For the fruit of light consists of all kinds of goodness, justice, and truth. 10 Consider what is pleasing to the Lord. (If you allow the Light of the Lord to spread through your life, if you constantly seek to accomplish what pleases God, then inevitably you will be a source of light in this world. You will carry in you the fruit of light, i.e., goodness, justice and truth. It is in these terms that Paul describes the function of the Christian in society.)
The disciple who subjects his life to the will of God thereby becomes a spiritual light in a world darkened by immorality. Its Christian character bear witness to Christ. He is distinguished from the world, not because he is better, but because the power of God is at work in him. The world has the opportunity to give glory to God when it recognizes, by observing us, that we are what we are by the grace of God. People will thus find that our light comes from that of God and that our works are those that God does in us. In this way, Christ makes Himself known and we pray that many come to Him.
- Light and the city
You are the light of the world. For acity located on a mountain cannot be hidden(Mat 5:14). That seems obvious. If you build a city on a height, it is certain that it will be visible from afar. In fact, it will be so apparent that it cannot even be hidden. On the other hand, one may wonder why Jesus mentions a city. What link can be made between ‘light’ and ‘a city on a mountain?’ That’s a great question. We must always bear in mind that this passage has light as its main theme and its content applies to the disciples of Christ. In this regard, let us remember the following point. Here, the Lord Jesus compares the Church to a city and he says to His disciples, ‘You are, as a Church, like a city located on a mountain. And such a city cannot escape the eyes of men.’
This assertion deserves some explanation. To fully understand this passage, one must know how to put oneself in the place of those who listened to Jesus. How could they interpret Jesus’ words when he spoke of a ‘city on a mountain?’ Remember that most Jews, from childhood, received education on AT. All of them knew the word of God very well. When Jesus was talking about a city built on a mountain, what would the Jews have thought of in the first place? Which city is located on a hill in Jewish thought? Jerusalem, of course. Jerusalem is a city that was built on a hill. It was such an obvious notion that no one had to question the identity of this hilltop city.
- A Mission for the Church
Jesus said to His disciples and to us today, ‘You are that city on the mountain and which Isaiah mentioned. This mountain dominates on all heights and all peoples will come to it for their salvation. The nations will see that Jehovah has established his home on this mountain, in this city, the City of God.’ When the Bible mentions a mountain and a city, very often that city is Jerusalem. And today, the Church constitutes the new Jerusalem. In Galatians 6:16, Paul affirms that we are the Israel of God, god’s true chosen people.
Isaiah not only prophesied about the Mountain of the Lord, but he also spoke of a light that will illuminate the world. This is what he says in Isaiah 60:1-3: Rise up, be enlightened, for your light comes, and the glory of Jehovah rises upon you. 2 Behold, darkness covers the earth, and darkness over peoples; but on you Jehovah rises, upon you His glory appears. 3 Nations walk to your light, and kings to the light of your rays.
‘You must stand up and shine brightly for your light has come.’ Do you know to whom those words were addressed? In Jerusalem. Jerusalem was to rise and shine with a thousand lights in the midst of the darkness that covers the earth. Do you see any connection with Jesus’ teaching? The Lord Jesus says, You are the light of the world. And immediately after, he says, A city located on a mountain can not be hidden. What can be the relationship between these two sentences? By what link does ‘the light of the world’ follow with ‘a city built on a mountain?’ This is where the verse in Isaiah 60:1 helps us. Jerusalem was to rise and shine brightly because the glorious presence of the Lord illuminates it. We find essentially the same point in Isaiah 42:6, I, the Lord, have called you (people of Israel) for salvation, … and I will establish thee to deal with the covenant with the people, to be the light of the nations, in other words, to become the light of the world.
- Breaking the old nature
God is the one who lights the light in us. We read for example in Psalm 18:28, for it is you who make my lamp shine, the Lord, my God, makes my darkness shine. Moreover, the Bible teaches that the spirit of man is precisely that lamp that God has given to humans. The spirit of man is a lamp of jehovah; he probes all the depths of the heart (Proverbs 20:27). It is God who makes our light shine. But how can this light spread outside of me? It was necessary for Gideon and his men to break their jugs so that the flame of the torches could be visible. In a similar way, if we want the world to see our light, then our sinful nature, the body of the sins of the flesh, must be destroyed, broken, shredded into a thousand pieces.
This notion of breaking the body, we found it in jesus’ words where he applies it to himself saying, This is my body, which is broken for you; do this in memory of me (1Co 11:24). In what sense was Jesus’ body broken, or broken? In breaking the bread, Jesus declared that his body was broken in the sense that it was crucified on the cross. How are we broken? How is our old sinful nature destroyed? In the same way, i.e., by crucifying it. That is why Paul writes in Romans 6:6, Knowing that our old man was crucified with him, so that the body of sin may be destroyed,so that we may no longer be slaves of sin. The cross is the spiritual instrument that allows the destruction of our corrupt nature. By applying the cross to our lives, we destroy our old nature. And then our light can spread throughout the world.
There is therefore a condition to be met and without which our light cannot function. The old man in us, our sinful nature, must be put to death with Christ on the cross. And if really the cross has been applied to your life, people will see the result in your conduct. There will be a radical change in your behavior, your attitude to life, and especially to sin.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
- Christ the light of the world:
Es 9:1 The people who walked in darkness See a great light; On those who inhabited the land of the shadow of death A light shines. Jn 1.4 In it was life, and life was the light of men. Jn 8:12
Jesus spoke to them again, and said: I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but he will have the light of life. Jn 12:35 Jesus said to them: The light is still for a little time in your midst. Walk, while you have the light, that the darkness may not surprise you: he who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 2 Cor 4:6 For God, who said: The light shall shine from the bosm of darkness! has made the light shine in our hearts to make the knowledge of the glory of God shine on the face of Christ. Ep 5:13 but all that is condemned is manifested by light, for all that is manifested is light. Rev 21:23 The city needs neither the sun nor the moon to enlighten it; for the glory of God enlightens it, and the lamb is its torch.
- The promised light:
-To those who obey: Jb 22:28 To your resolutions will respond success; On your paths the light will shine. Ps 97:11 Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for those whose hearts are straight.
-To the right men: Ps 112:4 The light rises in darkness for the right men, for him who is merciful, compassionate and just.
-To the righteous: Pr 4:18 The path of the righteous is like the resplendent light, whose brightness is increasing until the middle of the day.
-To the benevolent: Es 58:8 Then thy light will come up like dawn, and thy healing shall germinate promptly; Your righteousness will walk before you, and the glory of Jehovah will accompany you.
-To the Church of the future: Es 60:20 Your sun will no longer set, and your moon will no longer darken; For jehovah will be your light forever, and the days of your mourning will be over.
-To the disciples of Christ: Jn 8:12 Jesus spoke to them again, and said: I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but he will have the light of life. 1 Jn 2:10 He who loves his brother dwells in the light, and no opportunity for a fall is in him.
- Spiritual Darkness
Mi 3.6 Because of this, you will have the night…, and more visions! You will have darkness…, and more oracles! The sun will set on these prophets, the day will darken on them. Mt 6:23 but if your eye is in poor condition, your whole body will be in darkness. If, then, the light which is in you is dark, how great will this darkness be! Jn 1:5 The light glosss in the darkness, and the darkness has not received it. Jn 3:19 And this judgment is that, the light having come into the world, men preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. Jn 5:3 If I bear witness of myself, my testimony is not true. Rm 13.12 The night is advanced, the day is approaching. Let us therefore strip ourselves of the works of darkness, and put on the weapons of light. 1 Th 5:4 But you brethren are not in darkness, that this day may surprise you like a thief;
- Defamed Christ
-accused of having bad associates: Mt 9:11 The Pharisees saw this, and they said to his disciples: Why does your master eat with the publicans and the people of bad life?
-accused of gluttony and drunkenness: Mt 11:19 The Son of man came, eating and drinking, and they say: He is a eater and a drinker, a friend of publicans and people of bad life. But wisdom was justified by his works.
-accused of blasphemy: Mt 26:65 Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying: He blasphemed! What else do we need witnesses? Behold, you have just heard his blasphemy. What do you think?
-accused of madness: Mk 3:21 The parents of Jesus, having learned what was going on, came to seize him; for they said: He is meaningless.
-accused of being possessed by evil spirits: Jn 7:20 The crowd answered: You have a demon. Who is it that seeks to make you die?
-accused of violating the Sabbath: Jn 9:16 On which some of the Pharisees said: This man does not come from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath. Others said: How can a sinful man do such miracles?
-accused of treason: Jn 19:12 From that moment on, Pilate sought to release him. But the Jews were crying out: If you release him, you are not a friend of Caesar. Whoever makes himself king declares himself against Caesar.
From all of the above, we note that Jesus, the light that illuminates every man, had just shined before several. He was life for those who wanted to enjoy it, but this will not be the case before the great white throne where this light will manifest the state of sin of all those who will appear there to judge them according to their works. Priceless privilege to have the light of life walking in the midst of a world plunged into darkness! How important it is to have it today. For the moral darkness, in which the world has lived since the fall, envelops more and more of its mortal darkness the Christendom which, more than ever, rejects Christ whose name it still bears. But those who wanted to experience Jesus did not take advantage of it, since they withdrew. Now the Lord therefore says that he who follows him will have the light of life, not only among the Jews, but in the world, plunged into the darkness of death. And He came for all. Our prayers support you all in your efforts to fully enjoy the light the Savior brought to the world and to the Church.
PRAYING FOR THE ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS A PERSONAL LORD AND SAVIOR
I now invite anyone who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me as follows:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I acknowledge that I have sinned against you and ask forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as my Lord and personal Savior. I acknowledge that you died on the cross of Calvary and that you rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me each day to eternal life you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal to me and strengthen my heart and my faith so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me in your divine family so that I too can contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
To you all worship, power, and glory, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to respond to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you next week “Jesus’ teaching about the good shepherd.”
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty Lord.
තථ්ය කාලීන නවතම වෙබ් පුවත්