WEBVTT 00:00:03.460 --> 00:00:06.919 Morning. Well, you know, this time of year is 00:00:06.919 --> 00:00:09.839 always crazy, isn't it? Especially this summer 00:00:09.839 --> 00:00:13.439 when there's a little sunshine, everybody scatters, 00:00:13.439 --> 00:00:15.880 and it just so happens to fall when all the fish 00:00:15.880 --> 00:00:19.000 are running, and yeah, that's where we're at 00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:21.539 right now. Hey, how many of you are just tired? 00:00:22.859 --> 00:00:25.559 Let me ask what I thought. I kind of feel it 00:00:25.559 --> 00:00:29.600 today. And that's always what happens. And so... 00:00:30.250 --> 00:00:32.270 You're okay. You'll get there. Here's my hope 00:00:32.270 --> 00:00:34.670 for us today. That no matter where you're at 00:00:34.670 --> 00:00:38.689 when here, that you will look to Jesus. And what 00:00:38.689 --> 00:00:42.770 I mean when we say look to Jesus, that's set 00:00:42.770 --> 00:00:47.369 your mind and your attention and your gaze upon 00:00:47.369 --> 00:00:54.090 him. My wife yesterday, and this really kind 00:00:54.090 --> 00:00:56.950 of relates to where we're going in this text. 00:00:57.570 --> 00:00:59.250 But I don't know how many times she just kept 00:00:59.250 --> 00:01:00.890 saying, I got to go sit out on the deck to get 00:01:00.890 --> 00:01:03.649 some sunshine. She just kept going out there 00:01:03.649 --> 00:01:05.189 to sit in the sunshine since she needed to get 00:01:05.189 --> 00:01:10.109 her vitamin D. And it's much like what we need 00:01:10.109 --> 00:01:13.290 with Jesus right now. If he was a big ball of 00:01:13.290 --> 00:01:18.290 sun, we need to go sit under it. And so I'm going 00:01:18.290 --> 00:01:23.629 to pray that as we get into this, that that's 00:01:23.629 --> 00:01:26.609 where... your heart, your affections, your mind, 00:01:26.629 --> 00:01:29.329 when you walk out of here today, your attention 00:01:29.329 --> 00:01:33.129 and your gaze will be refocused on Jesus. Because 00:01:33.129 --> 00:01:37.709 I know, I'm just like you, that if I take my 00:01:37.709 --> 00:01:44.150 gaze off of Jesus, it starts falling apart. One 00:01:44.150 --> 00:01:46.909 more thing, and then we're going to pray. If 00:01:46.909 --> 00:01:49.890 you haven't read this book, especially if you're 00:01:49.890 --> 00:01:52.549 out and about, it's a great audio book, by the 00:01:52.549 --> 00:01:54.629 way. It's called Run Over by the Grace Train. 00:01:55.569 --> 00:01:58.450 If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. 00:01:58.530 --> 00:02:02.010 It's just straight up good news of Jesus in your 00:02:02.010 --> 00:02:05.469 face over and over again. Who has read this? 00:02:06.269 --> 00:02:12.490 Anybody? I have. So anyway, I just shameless 00:02:12.490 --> 00:02:16.949 plug. Go get it. It's a really good book. All 00:02:16.949 --> 00:02:19.990 right, let's pray and we'll jump into God's word 00:02:19.990 --> 00:02:23.360 together. Lord, we need you this morning. desperately 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:29.099 need your involvement, your spirit to work through 00:02:29.099 --> 00:02:34.719 what I'm going to say. I'm just a dude. And Lord, 00:02:34.860 --> 00:02:37.719 will you by your spirit speak to our hearts? 00:02:41.080 --> 00:02:44.819 Kind of help us let go of the craziness of summer, 00:02:44.939 --> 00:02:49.360 the busyness, and just kind of focus in our gaze 00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:53.789 upon you. So help us this morning. as we open 00:02:53.789 --> 00:02:58.669 your word. Amen. So if you've been tracking with 00:02:58.669 --> 00:03:02.770 us as we're working our way through John, you 00:03:02.770 --> 00:03:05.810 probably noticed, in fact Jess mentioned it today 00:03:05.810 --> 00:03:09.370 when she was getting ready to read up here, so 00:03:09.370 --> 00:03:12.150 she's been reading that text, but you probably 00:03:12.150 --> 00:03:17.189 noticed that it's kind of getting intense. There's 00:03:17.189 --> 00:03:20.469 a bit of intensity going on in the life of Jesus, 00:03:20.530 --> 00:03:25.210 and A lot of, as we get into these chapters, 00:03:25.270 --> 00:03:27.030 we're going to see that intensity just continue 00:03:27.030 --> 00:03:29.210 to increase. And it's going to take us right 00:03:29.210 --> 00:03:31.689 up to his crucifixion. So things are getting 00:03:31.689 --> 00:03:36.610 tense. And it's probably, the reason is, it's 00:03:36.610 --> 00:03:38.750 probably because of the statement that Jesus, 00:03:38.990 --> 00:03:43.830 that's causing the biggest stir in Jesus when 00:03:43.830 --> 00:03:48.750 he says, it's these I am statements. There are 00:03:48.750 --> 00:03:55.400 like, when Jesus says, I am, he is literally 00:03:55.400 --> 00:03:59.400 saying, I have equality. I'm claiming equality 00:03:59.400 --> 00:04:04.120 with God. So there are seven of these I am statements 00:04:04.120 --> 00:04:06.819 in John, and we're going to look at one of them 00:04:06.819 --> 00:04:10.759 today. But before, let me just, before we jump 00:04:10.759 --> 00:04:15.099 into this, into this story today, let's just 00:04:15.099 --> 00:04:17.500 catch up a little bit on our story. If you remember 00:04:17.500 --> 00:04:22.329 back two weeks ago, the last two weeks, it's 00:04:22.329 --> 00:04:26.110 been centered around this big celebration. It 00:04:26.110 --> 00:04:29.370 was a yearly celebration that was done in Jerusalem 00:04:29.370 --> 00:04:32.850 that was called the Feast of the Booths or Festival 00:04:32.850 --> 00:04:35.430 of the Shelters. If you remember what that was 00:04:35.430 --> 00:04:38.050 all about, it was this time that they would come 00:04:38.050 --> 00:04:40.370 in and they'd set up these little tents and they 00:04:40.370 --> 00:04:42.949 would pretend, in a sense, to go back to their 00:04:42.949 --> 00:04:45.610 time when they were in the wilderness. wandering 00:04:45.610 --> 00:04:47.449 of the children of Israel, wandering in the wilderness 00:04:47.449 --> 00:04:49.910 because they'd been freed out of Egypt. So the 00:04:49.910 --> 00:04:51.949 book of Exodus is where this is referencing. 00:04:52.410 --> 00:04:56.029 But it was a time that they would celebrate this 00:04:56.029 --> 00:04:59.410 journey where God provided for them over and 00:04:59.410 --> 00:05:02.930 over. And they would remember back to the children 00:05:02.930 --> 00:05:06.129 of Israel and their time frame and what happened 00:05:06.129 --> 00:05:11.339 in the desert. So if you remember in John 7, 00:05:11.459 --> 00:05:14.259 verse 37, when Jesus stood up and cried out, 00:05:14.579 --> 00:05:19.199 if anyone's thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 00:05:19.259 --> 00:05:21.480 Remember when that happened? Two weeks ago, I 00:05:21.480 --> 00:05:23.980 explained this, where part of this festival was 00:05:23.980 --> 00:05:27.420 pouring the water and they would raise this basin 00:05:27.420 --> 00:05:29.500 up of water after they had drawn it. They made 00:05:29.500 --> 00:05:31.420 this procession back to the temple and they're 00:05:31.420 --> 00:05:35.819 going to dump water onto the altar. It's a remembrance 00:05:35.819 --> 00:05:39.439 of how God provided water. And Jesus stands up 00:05:39.439 --> 00:05:42.100 and says, if any of them is thirsty, let them 00:05:42.100 --> 00:05:45.160 come to me and drink. Like he cries this out 00:05:45.160 --> 00:05:47.620 in the temple. And the one who believes in me, 00:05:47.740 --> 00:05:51.839 as the scripture said, will have streams of living 00:05:51.839 --> 00:05:55.480 water flow deep within him. And Jesus says, I'm 00:05:55.480 --> 00:05:58.519 that water. And I'm going to be poured out for 00:05:58.519 --> 00:06:03.160 you. I'm the picture. All that stuff that happened 00:06:03.160 --> 00:06:06.740 in Exodus is pointing to me. And I'm that. And 00:06:06.740 --> 00:06:09.240 so now we enter in chapter 8, we see the same 00:06:09.240 --> 00:06:12.899 festivals is still going on. And according to 00:06:12.899 --> 00:06:16.660 John chapter 8 verse 20, we see that where they're 00:06:16.660 --> 00:06:19.699 at, where this whole story takes place is in 00:06:19.699 --> 00:06:24.160 a place called the court of the women. It's the 00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:25.959 largest court in the temple. Now it means the 00:06:25.959 --> 00:06:27.879 court of the women is the women were allowed 00:06:27.879 --> 00:06:30.899 to come to this place, but they couldn't go beyond 00:06:30.899 --> 00:06:33.069 it. But it was... The court of the women was 00:06:33.069 --> 00:06:35.550 the biggest gathering place in the temple. I've 00:06:35.550 --> 00:06:37.189 got a picture of it up here. It's kind of hard 00:06:37.189 --> 00:06:39.689 to see a little bit, but it's kind of the big 00:06:39.689 --> 00:06:43.850 area in the temple. It was the busiest part of 00:06:43.850 --> 00:06:47.529 the whole temple. On the sides of that court 00:06:47.529 --> 00:06:52.810 would be big offering baskets or chests, they 00:06:52.810 --> 00:06:55.689 call them. They look like an upside -down trumpet. 00:06:56.649 --> 00:06:58.870 And they were there, and there was 13 of these 00:06:58.870 --> 00:07:01.680 on the wings. And this is where you would bring 00:07:01.680 --> 00:07:03.759 your tithes and your offerings and you would 00:07:03.759 --> 00:07:05.620 put it in. And each one of them kind of represented 00:07:05.620 --> 00:07:08.740 a different part of the church budget, in a sense. 00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:12.540 And so people were bustling in there and they 00:07:12.540 --> 00:07:15.279 were, you know, this was actively a massive, 00:07:15.399 --> 00:07:18.560 this was an active place. So there were two great 00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:21.240 ceremonies that happened during this festival. 00:07:21.420 --> 00:07:23.339 First was the one we talked about was the pouring 00:07:23.339 --> 00:07:25.779 out of the water, where Jesus cries out. The 00:07:25.779 --> 00:07:28.480 second, though, is called the illumination of 00:07:28.480 --> 00:07:31.410 the temple. And it took place in this location. 00:07:31.610 --> 00:07:35.149 The illumination of the temple took place in 00:07:35.149 --> 00:07:38.209 the court of the women. So there's kind of the 00:07:38.209 --> 00:07:40.709 treasury slash, this is the hangout, okay? So 00:07:40.709 --> 00:07:43.430 in the center of the court are these four great 00:07:43.430 --> 00:07:47.170 torches. You kind of see them there. One of the 00:07:47.170 --> 00:07:50.209 young... A young guy would scurry up, have a 00:07:50.209 --> 00:07:52.329 ladder system. They'd go up and they would light 00:07:52.329 --> 00:07:54.930 off these torches. And the torches actually were, 00:07:55.029 --> 00:07:57.949 the wicks on the torches were old priest's garments 00:07:57.949 --> 00:08:00.410 that were used. And so they, I mean, this was, 00:08:00.509 --> 00:08:03.649 but it was, it would torch off these big torches. 00:08:04.370 --> 00:08:07.230 And then as the night set in, as these torches 00:08:07.230 --> 00:08:09.189 were going, you got to understand, like, there 00:08:09.189 --> 00:08:12.410 was no electricity. And so when it got dark, 00:08:12.470 --> 00:08:15.829 everything ceases to stop, right? Except now. 00:08:17.379 --> 00:08:20.420 Torches were everywhere. Big torches that lit 00:08:20.420 --> 00:08:22.959 up the place. So if there's light, everybody's 00:08:22.959 --> 00:08:24.899 going to come to that center point where there's 00:08:24.899 --> 00:08:28.199 light. And now at that place, when that light 00:08:28.199 --> 00:08:30.920 was lit off, they begin to dance and they would 00:08:30.920 --> 00:08:33.860 sing. And in particular, the men would dance 00:08:33.860 --> 00:08:36.759 and they'd be burning. They'd have torches in 00:08:36.759 --> 00:08:39.019 their hand and they're dancing and singing songs 00:08:39.019 --> 00:08:43.399 of praise. Countless Levites would be playing 00:08:43.399 --> 00:08:45.980 harps and lyres and cymbals and trumpets and 00:08:45.980 --> 00:08:49.100 every kind of musical instrument. It was a massive 00:08:49.100 --> 00:08:52.919 music fest. It was a time of celebration. And 00:08:52.919 --> 00:08:56.019 they're all celebrating the great pillar of fire 00:08:56.019 --> 00:08:59.360 that led the people of Israel during the time 00:08:59.360 --> 00:09:04.539 in the wilderness. This is really cool. They're 00:09:04.539 --> 00:09:09.009 celebrating God's presence. And how he was there 00:09:09.009 --> 00:09:11.129 and they're so, God, this is so good. You're 00:09:11.129 --> 00:09:14.909 so good. You provided light for us, a fire pillar 00:09:14.909 --> 00:09:21.190 at night. It's in this place that Jesus chose 00:09:21.190 --> 00:09:23.610 to raise his voice again. Remember how he raised 00:09:23.610 --> 00:09:26.370 his voice when they dumped the water? Jesus chooses 00:09:26.370 --> 00:09:30.009 to raise his voice again to the crowd and he 00:09:30.009 --> 00:09:32.429 proclaims another one of these very offensive 00:09:32.429 --> 00:09:37.399 I am statements, showing equality with God. Look 00:09:37.399 --> 00:09:40.700 what he says in verse 12. Jesus spoke to them 00:09:40.700 --> 00:09:45.120 again. I am the light of the world. Anyone who 00:09:45.120 --> 00:09:48.639 follows me will never walk in darkness, but will 00:09:48.639 --> 00:09:53.519 have the light of life. See, this statement by 00:09:53.519 --> 00:09:59.600 Jesus is absolutely massive. Like a big rock 00:09:59.600 --> 00:10:05.200 dropped into a lake and the splash hits. but 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:08.320 then the ripples go from that. This is what the 00:10:08.320 --> 00:10:12.120 effect of that statement is. Verse 12 is this 00:10:12.120 --> 00:10:14.679 rock hitting the water and everything else ripples 00:10:14.679 --> 00:10:19.340 from it. So let's just unpack these claims. There's 00:10:19.340 --> 00:10:21.620 two claims, two things that are happening in 00:10:21.620 --> 00:10:25.980 verse 12. First is that Jesus makes this claim 00:10:25.980 --> 00:10:28.700 about himself. He says, I am the light of the 00:10:28.700 --> 00:10:31.360 world. Now, I'm just going to warn you, you need 00:10:31.360 --> 00:10:34.580 to be okay to be in elementary school brain right 00:10:34.580 --> 00:10:37.279 now. You need to be okay with the metaphor just 00:10:37.279 --> 00:10:39.700 kind of setting in this very basic metaphor. 00:10:39.940 --> 00:10:42.080 And this is because I think Jesus wants us to 00:10:42.080 --> 00:10:46.840 see how basic this is. He says, I am the light 00:10:46.840 --> 00:10:50.480 of the world. These great torches symbolized 00:10:50.480 --> 00:10:54.419 for the people what we call the Shekinah glory. 00:10:55.000 --> 00:10:59.309 Kind of a weird word. The Shekinah glory refers 00:10:59.309 --> 00:11:04.250 to the visible, tangible manifestation of God's 00:11:04.250 --> 00:11:08.490 presence dwelling in humanity. And so every time 00:11:08.490 --> 00:11:11.289 you'd see those four torches up there, you're 00:11:11.289 --> 00:11:15.129 going, oh yeah, that's a picture of God among 00:11:15.129 --> 00:11:20.309 us. His presence being visual and tangible. His 00:11:20.309 --> 00:11:25.360 presence dwelling in humanity. Crazy. And so 00:11:25.360 --> 00:11:30.460 they're celebrating his God come to them. It 00:11:30.460 --> 00:11:34.100 represents the moment where the transcendent 00:11:34.100 --> 00:11:37.980 God steps into the physical world so that human 00:11:37.980 --> 00:11:43.100 eyes can behold his closeness. The dwelling radiance 00:11:43.100 --> 00:11:48.139 of God. That's what it is. And so why were they 00:11:48.139 --> 00:11:50.639 singing and dancing? Because God had come to 00:11:50.639 --> 00:11:55.570 them. We see this appearance in the Old Testament, 00:11:55.570 --> 00:11:58.190 most notably with the Israelites in the wilderness, 00:11:58.269 --> 00:12:02.970 with the fire at night. God's presence was with 00:12:02.970 --> 00:12:05.750 them, protecting them, or this brilliant light 00:12:05.750 --> 00:12:08.909 and this heavy cloud that would be there that 00:12:08.909 --> 00:12:11.710 would shield them from the Egyptians, but also 00:12:11.710 --> 00:12:14.470 would feel a sense of, okay, we're not alone. 00:12:15.570 --> 00:12:19.970 So the Jews were celebrating this dwelling radiance 00:12:19.970 --> 00:12:25.259 of God among them. as these torches are lit. 00:12:26.159 --> 00:12:31.559 John 1 verse 14 says, the word became flesh and 00:12:31.559 --> 00:12:37.919 dwelt among us. We observed his glory as the 00:12:37.919 --> 00:12:41.600 one and only son from the father full of grace 00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:45.360 and truth. So John has already told us what Jesus 00:12:45.360 --> 00:12:50.620 has done. And now Jesus is declaring, I am here. 00:12:52.590 --> 00:12:59.309 I am the light of the world. I am the Shekinah 00:12:59.309 --> 00:13:03.269 glory that's come. My presence, the God of the 00:13:03.269 --> 00:13:10.090 universe has come to you and I am him. So as 00:13:10.090 --> 00:13:13.250 Jesus stands up and declares, I am the light 00:13:13.250 --> 00:13:15.429 of the world, in effect he's saying, do you remember 00:13:15.429 --> 00:13:19.070 that pillar that came between you and the Egyptians? 00:13:19.149 --> 00:13:22.620 Do you remember that in the Red Sea? That protected 00:13:22.620 --> 00:13:25.580 you. And led you through the wilderness. That 00:13:25.580 --> 00:13:31.759 was me. That was me. Wait a minute. What? You're 00:13:31.759 --> 00:13:35.620 a physical human being. And he's saying no. Yes 00:13:35.620 --> 00:13:41.519 I am. But I am also God. And I was there. Guiding 00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:46.200 your people through the wilderness. I'm he. I 00:13:46.200 --> 00:13:50.559 am God incarnate. I am the light of the world. 00:13:54.639 --> 00:13:59.960 The opposite of light, though, is darkness. Think 00:13:59.960 --> 00:14:05.340 for a minute about darkness. Darkness of this 00:14:05.340 --> 00:14:09.639 broken world. See, sin has turned out the lights. 00:14:10.379 --> 00:14:12.320 I want you to think, and we're going to have 00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:14.440 a discussion here, and I want you, it's okay, 00:14:14.580 --> 00:14:17.240 these questions may sound really basic, but we 00:14:17.240 --> 00:14:19.700 need to go there because this metaphor begins 00:14:19.700 --> 00:14:22.200 to come alive. That Jesus is talking about. And 00:14:22.200 --> 00:14:25.259 he says this. So here's the question. What happens 00:14:25.259 --> 00:14:29.440 in darkness church? What are the effects of darkness? 00:14:32.100 --> 00:14:35.779 What's that? Depression. What else? What's that? 00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:41.059 Say it again. Uncertainty. Confusion. What are 00:14:41.059 --> 00:14:44.919 the effects of darkness? Blindness. You can't 00:14:44.919 --> 00:14:54.470 see. What? Worry? Okay, you guys are going deep 00:14:54.470 --> 00:14:56.289 right away, but some of the basic ones are what? 00:14:56.370 --> 00:14:58.409 What happens if it's dark and you can't see where 00:14:58.409 --> 00:15:04.470 you're going? Stumble. What else? What's that? 00:15:05.509 --> 00:15:12.409 Weariness. Hopelessness. Fear. I mean, how many 00:15:12.409 --> 00:15:15.350 kids are, is it when it's light out and you're 00:15:15.350 --> 00:15:17.529 trying to go to sleep, go, I'm afraid. No, it's 00:15:17.529 --> 00:15:19.690 when it's dark. I'm afraid of the dark. No, you're 00:15:19.690 --> 00:15:21.049 afraid of what's in the dark or what you think 00:15:21.049 --> 00:15:23.629 is in the dark. But darkness brings a sense of 00:15:23.629 --> 00:15:30.750 fear. Now, if that's true, now Jesus says, I 00:15:30.750 --> 00:15:33.450 claim to be the light. When Jesus claims to be 00:15:33.450 --> 00:15:36.149 this light, what is he saying about himself? 00:15:40.250 --> 00:15:41.769 What is he saying about himself? What do you 00:15:41.769 --> 00:15:45.929 think? Let the metaphor run. He wants it to. 00:15:51.000 --> 00:16:03.519 What's that? Okay. What else? Vision. All of 00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:06.879 a sudden you can see. I said these are basic, 00:16:06.919 --> 00:16:09.100 but let's go with it, okay? Because he wants 00:16:09.100 --> 00:16:13.019 us to go with it. What else? What does light 00:16:13.019 --> 00:16:26.549 do for you? Warms you. Safety. Direction. How 00:16:26.549 --> 00:16:30.529 about it shows you the path. It makes things 00:16:30.529 --> 00:16:34.129 grow. How well does a garden grow, Grandpa George, 00:16:34.289 --> 00:16:41.629 if there's no light? It doesn't. What was that? 00:16:42.929 --> 00:16:46.330 I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. Happiness? Oh my 00:16:46.330 --> 00:16:49.009 goodness, yes. It's like my wife going out like, 00:16:49.110 --> 00:16:50.710 I just got to get in the sun. It makes me feel 00:16:50.710 --> 00:17:00.649 so good. What's that? Wakes you up. It exposes 00:17:00.649 --> 00:17:03.289 what's in the dark. It exposes the darkness, 00:17:03.450 --> 00:17:06.630 doesn't it? But you know what? Light can also 00:17:06.630 --> 00:17:11.179 hurt your eyes at times. You're like, ooh. Or 00:17:11.179 --> 00:17:12.720 we've been talking about all the good things 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:15.519 about it, but light also can expose what's in 00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:18.519 the dark. Like, eee, I didn't see that. It's 00:17:18.519 --> 00:17:19.960 kind of like somebody turned on the light switch 00:17:19.960 --> 00:17:24.559 and went, oh, the house is dirty. There's an 00:17:24.559 --> 00:17:31.619 exposure that happens. It burns those heads. 00:17:32.259 --> 00:17:33.839 Watch out, Chase. That's why I started wearing 00:17:33.839 --> 00:17:41.549 a hat. Exactly. So Jesus is the light of life 00:17:41.549 --> 00:17:44.970 in every way, is what he's saying. I am that. 00:17:45.069 --> 00:17:47.150 So here's the question. As we think about this, 00:17:47.369 --> 00:17:50.450 how are we, when we look at our lives every day, 00:17:50.549 --> 00:17:52.950 like, are we actually looking to Jesus in those 00:17:52.950 --> 00:17:58.650 things? Because what he provides is life. I don't 00:17:58.650 --> 00:18:00.509 want to sound so basic here, but that's the reality 00:18:00.509 --> 00:18:04.589 of it. Because how well do we do at running to 00:18:04.589 --> 00:18:07.660 Jesus? I don't do very well. It's usually when 00:18:07.660 --> 00:18:10.940 I slam into the wall a few too many times and 00:18:10.940 --> 00:18:13.980 realize, ah, man, I have just not been paying 00:18:13.980 --> 00:18:16.500 attention to Jesus. And Jesus says, no, look, 00:18:16.599 --> 00:18:19.640 hey, stop walking in darkness. Come toward me. 00:18:20.059 --> 00:18:24.960 I am the light. I bring light to this jacked 00:18:24.960 --> 00:18:31.519 up dark world. Don't run into the world. I am 00:18:31.519 --> 00:18:34.890 the light of life. And in verse 12, Jesus also 00:18:34.890 --> 00:18:38.210 makes a claim, not only about himself, but those 00:18:38.210 --> 00:18:41.130 who follow him. Look, he says, anyone who follows 00:18:41.130 --> 00:18:44.849 me will never, underline that word, never walk 00:18:44.849 --> 00:18:49.769 in darkness, but will have, underline have, the 00:18:49.769 --> 00:18:54.690 light of life. Okay. For the Israelites in the 00:18:54.690 --> 00:18:57.390 desert, if they kept their eyes on the pillar 00:18:57.390 --> 00:19:01.130 of fire at night and the cloud during the day, 00:19:01.500 --> 00:19:04.259 there was no confusion and no stumbling and no 00:19:04.259 --> 00:19:07.740 fear. It's when they took it off and they started 00:19:07.740 --> 00:19:11.099 doing things their own way that confusion and 00:19:11.099 --> 00:19:17.059 fear happened. The word here in that statement 00:19:17.059 --> 00:19:20.980 is really important. Not only do we have the 00:19:20.980 --> 00:19:26.420 light of Christ come into us, but we in a sense 00:19:26.420 --> 00:19:29.440 become a radiant reflection of him. That's what 00:19:29.440 --> 00:19:34.609 it means to have. You have it. It's come to you. 00:19:34.650 --> 00:19:38.369 It's not just boom. It's actually changing you. 00:19:38.690 --> 00:19:44.609 And the effects are in you. Ephesians 5 verse 00:19:44.609 --> 00:19:49.609 8 says this. For you were once in darkness, but 00:19:49.609 --> 00:19:53.990 now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children 00:19:53.990 --> 00:20:01.430 of light. Matthew. Verse 5, chapter 5, verse 00:20:01.430 --> 00:20:07.029 14 says, you are the light of the world. A city 00:20:07.029 --> 00:20:11.730 situated on a hill cannot be hidden. That's you, 00:20:11.849 --> 00:20:15.289 church. He talks about a lampstand in that same 00:20:15.289 --> 00:20:17.789 section. He says, don't cover it. This is you. 00:20:17.829 --> 00:20:22.430 It's in you. So we have this incredible claim 00:20:22.430 --> 00:20:26.869 by Jesus. For those who follow Jesus, it is absolutely 00:20:26.869 --> 00:20:29.900 life -changing. If somebody's walking around 00:20:29.900 --> 00:20:32.519 and there is no light, even if they go to church, 00:20:32.599 --> 00:20:34.759 even if they claim to be a follower, there's 00:20:34.759 --> 00:20:37.880 no light, something's going on. Something's wrong. 00:20:38.640 --> 00:20:44.039 Jesus says, look, the light affects you. But 00:20:44.039 --> 00:20:48.660 sadly, not all those who heard Jesus claim thought 00:20:48.660 --> 00:20:52.440 it was wonderful. Some rejected his words, and 00:20:52.440 --> 00:20:54.779 this is what happens now in the rest of this 00:20:54.779 --> 00:20:57.480 little chunk of Scripture. is there's a battle 00:20:57.480 --> 00:21:02.319 for surrendering to the lordship of Jesus, just 00:21:02.319 --> 00:21:05.099 like we struggle with today, right? Jesus says, 00:21:05.140 --> 00:21:07.799 I make this claim, this is who I am, and this 00:21:07.799 --> 00:21:10.559 is who you are as my followers, and others go, 00:21:10.700 --> 00:21:14.759 I don't like that. That's what starting in verse 00:21:14.759 --> 00:21:18.579 13 and on is about, okay? So Jesus, look at verse 00:21:18.579 --> 00:21:29.670 13. Here we go, Caleb. Okay. He says this. So 00:21:29.670 --> 00:21:32.829 the Pharisees said to him, you are testifying 00:21:32.829 --> 00:21:35.690 about yourself. Your testimony is not valid. 00:21:37.190 --> 00:21:40.130 Even if I testify about myself, Jesus replied, 00:21:40.430 --> 00:21:43.789 my testimony is true because I know where I come 00:21:43.789 --> 00:21:47.670 from and where I'm going, but you don't know 00:21:47.670 --> 00:21:52.930 where I come from or where I'm going. You judge 00:21:52.930 --> 00:21:57.609 by human standards. I judge no one. And if I 00:21:57.609 --> 00:22:01.789 do judge, my judgment is true because it is not 00:22:01.789 --> 00:22:06.990 I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent 00:22:06.990 --> 00:22:10.490 me. All right, what's going on here? Jesus is 00:22:10.490 --> 00:22:16.529 responding to those who don't believe. What consistently 00:22:16.529 --> 00:22:21.930 got Jesus into so much trouble is that he would 00:22:21.930 --> 00:22:26.630 say that he is the Son of God. And that he and 00:22:26.630 --> 00:22:30.750 the Father are one. And that is the authority, 00:22:30.829 --> 00:22:33.690 he's saying, that I stand on that authority. 00:22:34.569 --> 00:22:36.710 These claims about being the light of the world 00:22:36.710 --> 00:22:39.009 is because I and the Father are one. I claim 00:22:39.009 --> 00:22:43.829 quality with God. Now, if you looked at Jesus 00:22:43.829 --> 00:22:45.789 and you couldn't get your head wrapped around 00:22:45.789 --> 00:22:50.089 that, you would think he's a heretic. A pretty 00:22:50.089 --> 00:22:53.519 offensive statement. Jesus just doesn't back 00:22:53.519 --> 00:22:56.000 down. Anybody thinks Jesus is kind of a wimp? 00:22:56.480 --> 00:22:58.900 Ever heard those? They don't get that. This is 00:22:58.900 --> 00:23:01.700 some serious confrontation that begins to happen 00:23:01.700 --> 00:23:06.119 right here. Now look at verse 17. Even in our 00:23:06.119 --> 00:23:08.980 law, in your law, it is written that the testimony 00:23:08.980 --> 00:23:11.819 of two witnesses, and they're going back to Old 00:23:11.819 --> 00:23:14.839 Testament structure here, that the testimony 00:23:14.839 --> 00:23:18.640 of two witnesses is true. I am the one who testifies 00:23:18.640 --> 00:23:22.039 about myself and the father who sent me testifies 00:23:22.039 --> 00:23:26.000 about me. I believe Jesus is referring in this 00:23:26.000 --> 00:23:28.539 statement to his baptism. So think back to when 00:23:28.539 --> 00:23:31.339 Jesus, John the baptizer is baptizing, Jesus 00:23:31.339 --> 00:23:34.420 comes in and he said, and John baptizes Jesus 00:23:34.420 --> 00:23:39.220 and two things happen in his baptism. The first 00:23:39.220 --> 00:23:41.900 thing that happens is the heavens open up and 00:23:41.900 --> 00:23:45.759 God the father speaks out loud, behold my son. 00:23:46.440 --> 00:23:48.759 in whom I am well pleased, witness number one. 00:23:50.140 --> 00:23:53.460 And then the second, the Spirit of God descends 00:23:53.460 --> 00:24:02.359 on Jesus like a dove, witness number two. Verse 00:24:02.359 --> 00:24:07.799 19, then they said to him, where is your father? 00:24:09.799 --> 00:24:13.339 You know neither me nor my father, Jesus answered. 00:24:13.930 --> 00:24:17.430 If you knew me, you would also know my Father. 00:24:18.609 --> 00:24:21.630 What Jesus does when he encounters this very 00:24:21.630 --> 00:24:27.230 religious people who say they serve God, he says, 00:24:27.230 --> 00:24:30.990 you cannot simultaneously claim to serve God 00:24:30.990 --> 00:24:36.450 and reject Jesus. You can't do it. Jesus is God. 00:24:36.769 --> 00:24:40.170 And this is what the tension is. And this is 00:24:40.170 --> 00:24:44.880 very offensive to them. He says that this is 00:24:44.880 --> 00:24:51.019 the truth. To know God is to know Jesus. Verse 00:24:51.019 --> 00:24:56.700 20. He spoke these words by the treasury while 00:24:56.700 --> 00:25:00.059 teaching in the temple, but no one seized him 00:25:00.059 --> 00:25:05.240 because his hour had not yet come. Now, John 00:25:05.240 --> 00:25:08.140 is telling us in this that Jesus is still in 00:25:08.140 --> 00:25:12.940 control. Even when he gets... Even when he gets 00:25:12.940 --> 00:25:15.940 arrested, tried, and crucified, he's in control. 00:25:17.740 --> 00:25:23.880 Verse 21. Then he said to them again, I am going 00:25:23.880 --> 00:25:29.059 away. You will look for me, and you will die 00:25:29.059 --> 00:25:32.279 in your sin. Where I'm going, you cannot come. 00:25:34.859 --> 00:25:38.799 Jesus is telling the best of the best. You remember 00:25:38.799 --> 00:25:42.190 his audience. These are the really good, church 00:25:42.190 --> 00:25:47.630 people. These are the most religious, the best 00:25:47.630 --> 00:25:51.089 rule -keeping, Sunday -going people. He says, 00:25:51.150 --> 00:25:55.289 unless you surrender to Jesus, you're going to 00:25:55.289 --> 00:25:59.589 hell. It doesn't matter how good you think you 00:25:59.589 --> 00:26:03.329 are. Unless you're fully surrendered, unless 00:26:03.329 --> 00:26:09.069 you say yes to the lordship of Jesus, you could 00:26:09.069 --> 00:26:12.440 be the priest in the temple. But if you don't 00:26:12.440 --> 00:26:15.660 surrender to Jesus, you're going to hell. The 00:26:15.660 --> 00:26:19.960 gospel tells us that we are only saved by what 00:26:19.960 --> 00:26:23.819 Jesus did on the cross. Not our good works. Your 00:26:23.819 --> 00:26:32.200 good works will not save you. Verse 22. So, the 00:26:32.200 --> 00:26:36.380 Jews said again, he won't kill himself, will 00:26:36.380 --> 00:26:39.680 he? Since he says, where I'm going, you cannot 00:26:39.680 --> 00:26:44.769 come. You are from below, he told them. I am 00:26:44.769 --> 00:26:49.589 from above. You are of this world, and I am not 00:26:49.589 --> 00:26:55.369 of this world. Jesus is saying, we're not even 00:26:55.369 --> 00:27:01.089 playing the same game here. Your rules are from 00:27:01.089 --> 00:27:04.650 down here. Mine are from up there, verse 24. 00:27:06.529 --> 00:27:10.460 Therefore I told you. that you will die in your 00:27:10.460 --> 00:27:15.000 sins. For if you do not believe that I am He, 00:27:15.200 --> 00:27:20.539 you will die in your sins. Apart from Jesus, 00:27:20.660 --> 00:27:26.539 you are going to die in your sins. Apart from 00:27:26.539 --> 00:27:31.960 Jesus substituting Himself for you and for His 00:27:31.960 --> 00:27:38.759 atoning or paying for your sins by taking your 00:27:38.759 --> 00:27:43.019 place in his death. Unless you surrender to Jesus 00:27:43.019 --> 00:27:46.759 as Savior and Lord, you're not going to heaven. 00:27:47.799 --> 00:27:52.460 You're going to hell. That's what he's saying. 00:27:53.640 --> 00:27:58.299 I've heard this, Pastor Caleb. He's talking to 00:27:58.299 --> 00:28:08.440 church people. Verse 25. Who are you, they questioned. 00:28:08.700 --> 00:28:11.480 You just feel this tension. Like there's just 00:28:11.480 --> 00:28:14.539 a battle going on here about whether they will 00:28:14.539 --> 00:28:16.960 surrender to Jesus or not. And there's this battle. 00:28:20.000 --> 00:28:24.220 Who are you, they questioned. Exactly what I'm 00:28:24.220 --> 00:28:27.140 telling you from the very beginning, Jesus told 00:28:27.140 --> 00:28:30.799 them. I have many things to say and to judge 00:28:30.799 --> 00:28:35.940 about you, but the one who sent me is true. What 00:28:35.940 --> 00:28:39.259 I have heard from him, these things I tell the 00:28:39.259 --> 00:28:45.819 world. They did not know he was speaking to them 00:28:45.819 --> 00:28:49.740 about the Father, so Jesus said to them, When 00:28:49.740 --> 00:28:54.319 you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know 00:28:54.319 --> 00:29:02.269 that I am he, and I do nothing on my own. But 00:29:02.269 --> 00:29:05.609 just as the Father taught me, I say these things, 00:29:05.809 --> 00:29:11.589 the one who sent me is with me. He has not left 00:29:11.589 --> 00:29:14.789 me alone because I always do what pleases him. 00:29:16.529 --> 00:29:19.250 As he was saying these things, many believed. 00:29:20.390 --> 00:29:23.250 Okay, Jesus is basically saying, he says this, 00:29:24.069 --> 00:29:27.450 you don't get me right now. I know you don't 00:29:27.450 --> 00:29:31.799 understand, but when I go to the cross, you will 00:29:31.799 --> 00:29:35.839 then make sense to you. When I go to the cross, 00:29:36.000 --> 00:29:39.480 what I've come for, when I substitute myself 00:29:39.480 --> 00:29:43.000 for you, when I hang upon that tree that you 00:29:43.000 --> 00:29:49.460 will send me to, your sin sent me there, then 00:29:49.460 --> 00:29:56.319 you'll make sense. Then you'll understand. And 00:29:56.319 --> 00:30:01.059 I love this last part of verse 30. He says this 00:30:01.059 --> 00:30:04.900 in verse 30. As he was saying these things, many 00:30:04.900 --> 00:30:13.700 believed in him. Many believed in him. Do you 00:30:13.700 --> 00:30:19.599 believe in Jesus or that he exists? That's the 00:30:19.599 --> 00:30:22.079 difference. Remember when Craig was getting baptized, 00:30:22.319 --> 00:30:24.160 he said that was because we've mentioned this 00:30:24.160 --> 00:30:25.779 before. He says that was what changed for him. 00:30:26.119 --> 00:30:29.089 He had always believed in God. Or that there 00:30:29.089 --> 00:30:31.309 was a God. He always believed that Jesus existed, 00:30:31.490 --> 00:30:36.029 but he hadn't fully placed his faith in him. 00:30:37.329 --> 00:30:41.410 Like Jesus, you're central. You're number one 00:30:41.410 --> 00:30:44.890 in my life. That's what believing in Jesus meant. 00:30:48.329 --> 00:30:52.869 Is he your Savior and your Lord? Are you following 00:30:52.869 --> 00:30:56.900 the light of the world? Do you believe, yeah, 00:30:56.900 --> 00:30:59.559 I believe that he's light. No, but do you believe 00:30:59.559 --> 00:31:06.880 in him as light? Verse 12 again. Jesus spoke 00:31:06.880 --> 00:31:13.200 to them. I am the light of the world. Anyone 00:31:13.200 --> 00:31:18.960 who follows me will never walk in darkness, but 00:31:18.960 --> 00:31:23.200 will have the light of life. I don't know where 00:31:23.200 --> 00:31:27.589 you sit today. I don't know. I don't know where 00:31:27.589 --> 00:31:30.549 you're at. The most important question you'll 00:31:30.549 --> 00:31:33.250 ever answer is what do I do with this Jesus? 00:31:35.170 --> 00:31:47.130 What do I do with him? Let's pray. From those 00:31:47.130 --> 00:31:49.349 in this room, Lord, that have been walking with 00:31:49.349 --> 00:31:55.029 you for a long time, the call to keep their eyes 00:31:55.029 --> 00:31:58.029 fixed on you, to see you as the light of the 00:31:58.029 --> 00:32:03.990 world never stops. To many of us in this room 00:32:03.990 --> 00:32:06.069 who are struggling to walk out what it means 00:32:06.069 --> 00:32:08.690 to follow you, Jesus, it's getting our gaze back 00:32:08.690 --> 00:32:13.410 on who you are as the light of life. And for 00:32:13.410 --> 00:32:16.150 those, if there's anyone in this room this morning 00:32:16.150 --> 00:32:21.650 that don't yet know you, pray that they will 00:32:21.650 --> 00:32:24.490 believe in you as Savior and Lord of their life. 00:32:25.519 --> 00:32:28.779 I just ask today, Lord, that you will draw them 00:32:28.779 --> 00:32:34.640 to yourself. You're so good. Thank you for lighting 00:32:34.640 --> 00:32:38.339 up our jacked up, dark world. Bringing hope for 00:32:38.339 --> 00:32:43.960 us in a world that's so hopeless. Thank you for 00:32:43.960 --> 00:32:46.740 a text like this that just gives us hope when 00:32:46.740 --> 00:32:50.339 we think about who you are. In your name we pray. 00:32:50.480 --> 00:32:50.880 Amen.