Who is this Jesus? [Part 3]

Jesus says that He is the Light of the World

Opposites are common in the Gospel of John. For instance the opposites of Life & Death or Light & Darkness.

John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

Life & Death are clearly opposites to each other. A person is either alive or dead. However, a person can be alive in this world and yet dead to God. This is why Jesus taught that a person must be born anew.

John 3:5-8 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

A person who is not born anew of God cannot enter God’s Kingdom. A person who is not born anew is a “dead man walking,” that is, already condemned and heading for judgment. John 3:18, 36 “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God . . . Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him."

Light and Darkness are another pair of opposites in John.

John 12:44-46 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.”

Light & Darkness are another way of describing two states of being. Light refers to one in whom the truth has worked to change them from unbelieving to believing. Darkness refers to someone who does not believe or who rejects the truth.

John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Notice that the encounter with the men trying to stone an adulterous woman comes immediately before Jesus’ statement in John 8:12. When Jesus stooped to write in the dirt what do you think he was writing? Why did the men leave one by one? Does God’s truth about us ever cause us to feel guilty?

What did Jesus do to take away the woman’s guilt? John 8:10-11 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” Jesus forgave her. He forgives us also if we trust his promise.

Jesus is the Light, he is the revelation of God’s truth, to the world. This is why he is called both the Word of God and the True Light in John 1:1, 4-5, 9 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it . . . The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. The Word expresses, communicates, and reveals God’s truth to us just as Light makes all things visible.

Jesus is God’s revelation to the world. What is the truth that God reveals through Jesus? That God has sent his Son to die for the sins of the world, that the Redeemer has come, that God offers forgiveness, life, and salvation to all mankind through His Son.

Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

When a person turns on the light in a room what happens? God comes to us through his Word to turn on the light in our hearts. It is God’s Light. He shines it where he will. But what happens if a person turns off the light? If we reject Jesus’ gift what happens to the light of life?

John 3:16-19 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”

The statement in John 8:12 leads to Jesus’ further explanation in the following verses.

Jesus claims to be the True Witness sent by God the Father

The Judean party could not accept Jesus’ statement. Consider what Jesus has been claiming. He has claimed to be the Messiah, to be equal with God, to be the Son of God, and to be the source of eternal life. They could not accept these claims. They accuse Jesus of lying. Jesus replies,

John 8:18 “I AM the one bearing witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” (my own translation)

Notice that the emphatic “I Am” must have grated on their ears. They knew what he was saying when he used the language of God’s self identification from the Old Testament. Furthermore, in using this language he asserts his authority to speak. Yet not only does he speak but God the Father confirms his words.

How does the Father bear witness concerning Jesus, confirm Jesus’ words? God’s witness concerning Jesus is revealed in the Spirit coming upon him at his Baptism, the Miracles, Old Testament prophesies about the coming Messiah in the Word of God, the Transfiguration, and later the Resurrection.

The Baptism: John 1:32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.” Luke 3:2-221 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

The Transfiguration: Luke 9:35 Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”

By this time these people had seen abundant evidence concerning Jesus in the Miracles and in his teaching. What does Jesus say to those who do not believe in him? John 8:24 “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I Am he you will die in your sins.” Jesus tells them that they must believe his claims, including his use of “I Am” in his self-identification.

The Crucifixion and Resurrection are the ultimate witness concerning Jesus. John 8:28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.”

The theme of the Son of Man being lifted up refers to Jesus' Crucifixion. John 12:28-32 “Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

The Apostle Paul declares that the Resurrection is God’s imprimatur on Jesus finished work of salvation. Romans 1:1-4 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord . . .

Do you believe Jesus’ promise? Then you have life and freedom through his promise, through his word. John 8:31-32 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

This entire section including the next passage is Jesus’ self-defense concerning his identity and his purpose in coming. Next time the Judean party will really be outraged.

[Part 4 will continue this study.]