Morning. Well, you know, this time of year is
always crazy, isn't it? Especially this summer
when there's a little sunshine, everybody scatters,
and it just so happens to fall when all the fish
are running, and yeah, that's where we're at
right now. Hey, how many of you are just tired?
Let me ask what I thought. I kind of feel it
today. And that's always what happens. And so...
You're okay. You'll get there. Here's my hope
for us today. That no matter where you're at
when here, that you will look to Jesus. And what
I mean when we say look to Jesus, that's set
your mind and your attention and your gaze upon
him. My wife yesterday, and this really kind
of relates to where we're going in this text.
But I don't know how many times she just kept
saying, I got to go sit out on the deck to get
some sunshine. She just kept going out there
to sit in the sunshine since she needed to get
her vitamin D. And it's much like what we need
with Jesus right now. If he was a big ball of
sun, we need to go sit under it. And so I'm going
to pray that as we get into this, that that's
where... your heart, your affections, your mind,
when you walk out of here today, your attention
and your gaze will be refocused on Jesus. Because
I know, I'm just like you, that if I take my
gaze off of Jesus, it starts falling apart. One
more thing, and then we're going to pray. If
you haven't read this book, especially if you're
out and about, it's a great audio book, by the
way. It's called Run Over by the Grace Train.
If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.
It's just straight up good news of Jesus in your
face over and over again. Who has read this?
Anybody? I have. So anyway, I just shameless
plug. Go get it. It's a really good book. All
right, let's pray and we'll jump into God's word
together. Lord, we need you this morning. desperately
need your involvement, your spirit to work through
what I'm going to say. I'm just a dude. And Lord,
will you by your spirit speak to our hearts?
Kind of help us let go of the craziness of summer,
the busyness, and just kind of focus in our gaze
upon you. So help us this morning. as we open
your word. Amen. So if you've been tracking with
us as we're working our way through John, you
probably noticed, in fact Jess mentioned it today
when she was getting ready to read up here, so
she's been reading that text, but you probably
noticed that it's kind of getting intense. There's
a bit of intensity going on in the life of Jesus,
and A lot of, as we get into these chapters,
we're going to see that intensity just continue
to increase. And it's going to take us right
up to his crucifixion. So things are getting
tense. And it's probably, the reason is, it's
probably because of the statement that Jesus,
that's causing the biggest stir in Jesus when
he says, it's these I am statements. There are
like, when Jesus says, I am, he is literally
saying, I have equality. I'm claiming equality
with God. So there are seven of these I am statements
in John, and we're going to look at one of them
today. But before, let me just, before we jump
into this, into this story today, let's just
catch up a little bit on our story. If you remember
back two weeks ago, the last two weeks, it's
been centered around this big celebration. It
was a yearly celebration that was done in Jerusalem
that was called the Feast of the Booths or Festival
of the Shelters. If you remember what that was
all about, it was this time that they would come
in and they'd set up these little tents and they
would pretend, in a sense, to go back to their
time when they were in the wilderness. wandering
of the children of Israel, wandering in the wilderness
because they'd been freed out of Egypt. So the
book of Exodus is where this is referencing.
But it was a time that they would celebrate this
journey where God provided for them over and
over. And they would remember back to the children
of Israel and their time frame and what happened
in the desert. So if you remember in John 7,
verse 37, when Jesus stood up and cried out,
if anyone's thirsty, let him come to me and drink.
Remember when that happened? Two weeks ago, I
explained this, where part of this festival was
pouring the water and they would raise this basin
up of water after they had drawn it. They made
this procession back to the temple and they're
going to dump water onto the altar. It's a remembrance
of how God provided water. And Jesus stands up
and says, if any of them is thirsty, let them
come to me and drink. Like he cries this out
in the temple. And the one who believes in me,
as the scripture said, will have streams of living
water flow deep within him. And Jesus says, I'm
that water. And I'm going to be poured out for
you. I'm the picture. All that stuff that happened
in Exodus is pointing to me. And I'm that. And
so now we enter in chapter 8, we see the same
festivals is still going on. And according to
John chapter 8 verse 20, we see that where they're
at, where this whole story takes place is in
a place called the court of the women. It's the
largest court in the temple. Now it means the
court of the women is the women were allowed
to come to this place, but they couldn't go beyond
it. But it was... The court of the women was
the biggest gathering place in the temple. I've
got a picture of it up here. It's kind of hard
to see a little bit, but it's kind of the big
area in the temple. It was the busiest part of
the whole temple. On the sides of that court
would be big offering baskets or chests, they
call them. They look like an upside -down trumpet.
And they were there, and there was 13 of these
on the wings. And this is where you would bring
your tithes and your offerings and you would
put it in. And each one of them kind of represented
a different part of the church budget, in a sense.
And so people were bustling in there and they
were, you know, this was actively a massive,
this was an active place. So there were two great
ceremonies that happened during this festival.
First was the one we talked about was the pouring
out of the water, where Jesus cries out. The
second, though, is called the illumination of
the temple. And it took place in this location.
The illumination of the temple took place in
the court of the women. So there's kind of the
treasury slash, this is the hangout, okay? So
in the center of the court are these four great
torches. You kind of see them there. One of the
young... A young guy would scurry up, have a
ladder system. They'd go up and they would light
off these torches. And the torches actually were,
the wicks on the torches were old priest's garments
that were used. And so they, I mean, this was,
but it was, it would torch off these big torches.
And then as the night set in, as these torches
were going, you got to understand, like, there
was no electricity. And so when it got dark,
everything ceases to stop, right? Except now.
Torches were everywhere. Big torches that lit
up the place. So if there's light, everybody's
going to come to that center point where there's
light. And now at that place, when that light
was lit off, they begin to dance and they would
sing. And in particular, the men would dance
and they'd be burning. They'd have torches in
their hand and they're dancing and singing songs
of praise. Countless Levites would be playing
harps and lyres and cymbals and trumpets and
every kind of musical instrument. It was a massive
music fest. It was a time of celebration. And
they're all celebrating the great pillar of fire
that led the people of Israel during the time
in the wilderness. This is really cool. They're
celebrating God's presence. And how he was there
and they're so, God, this is so good. You're
so good. You provided light for us, a fire pillar
at night. It's in this place that Jesus chose
to raise his voice again. Remember how he raised
his voice when they dumped the water? Jesus chooses
to raise his voice again to the crowd and he
proclaims another one of these very offensive
I am statements, showing equality with God. Look
what he says in verse 12. Jesus spoke to them
again. I am the light of the world. Anyone who
follows me will never walk in darkness, but will
have the light of life. See, this statement by
Jesus is absolutely massive. Like a big rock
dropped into a lake and the splash hits. but
then the ripples go from that. This is what the
effect of that statement is. Verse 12 is this
rock hitting the water and everything else ripples
from it. So let's just unpack these claims. There's
two claims, two things that are happening in
verse 12. First is that Jesus makes this claim
about himself. He says, I am the light of the
world. Now, I'm just going to warn you, you need
to be okay to be in elementary school brain right
now. You need to be okay with the metaphor just
kind of setting in this very basic metaphor.
And this is because I think Jesus wants us to
see how basic this is. He says, I am the light
of the world. These great torches symbolized
for the people what we call the Shekinah glory.
Kind of a weird word. The Shekinah glory refers
to the visible, tangible manifestation of God's
presence dwelling in humanity. And so every time
you'd see those four torches up there, you're
going, oh yeah, that's a picture of God among
us. His presence being visual and tangible. His
presence dwelling in humanity. Crazy. And so
they're celebrating his God come to them. It
represents the moment where the transcendent
God steps into the physical world so that human
eyes can behold his closeness. The dwelling radiance
of God. That's what it is. And so why were they
singing and dancing? Because God had come to
them. We see this appearance in the Old Testament,
most notably with the Israelites in the wilderness,
with the fire at night. God's presence was with
them, protecting them, or this brilliant light
and this heavy cloud that would be there that
would shield them from the Egyptians, but also
would feel a sense of, okay, we're not alone.
So the Jews were celebrating this dwelling radiance
of God among them. as these torches are lit.
John 1 verse 14 says, the word became flesh and
dwelt among us. We observed his glory as the
one and only son from the father full of grace
and truth. So John has already told us what Jesus
has done. And now Jesus is declaring, I am here.
I am the light of the world. I am the Shekinah
glory that's come. My presence, the God of the
universe has come to you and I am him. So as
Jesus stands up and declares, I am the light
of the world, in effect he's saying, do you remember
that pillar that came between you and the Egyptians?
Do you remember that in the Red Sea? That protected
you. And led you through the wilderness. That
was me. That was me. Wait a minute. What? You're
a physical human being. And he's saying no. Yes
I am. But I am also God. And I was there. Guiding
your people through the wilderness. I'm he. I
am God incarnate. I am the light of the world.
The opposite of light, though, is darkness. Think
for a minute about darkness. Darkness of this
broken world. See, sin has turned out the lights.
I want you to think, and we're going to have
a discussion here, and I want you, it's okay,
these questions may sound really basic, but we
need to go there because this metaphor begins
to come alive. That Jesus is talking about. And
he says this. So here's the question. What happens
in darkness church? What are the effects of darkness?
What's that? Depression. What else? What's that?
Say it again. Uncertainty. Confusion. What are
the effects of darkness? Blindness. You can't
see. What? Worry? Okay, you guys are going deep
right away, but some of the basic ones are what?
What happens if it's dark and you can't see where
you're going? Stumble. What else? What's that?
Weariness. Hopelessness. Fear. I mean, how many
kids are, is it when it's light out and you're
trying to go to sleep, go, I'm afraid. No, it's
when it's dark. I'm afraid of the dark. No, you're
afraid of what's in the dark or what you think
is in the dark. But darkness brings a sense of
fear. Now, if that's true, now Jesus says, I
claim to be the light. When Jesus claims to be
this light, what is he saying about himself?
What is he saying about himself? What do you
think? Let the metaphor run. He wants it to.
What's that? Okay. What else? Vision. All of
a sudden you can see. I said these are basic,
but let's go with it, okay? Because he wants
us to go with it. What else? What does light
do for you? Warms you. Safety. Direction. How
about it shows you the path. It makes things
grow. How well does a garden grow, Grandpa George,
if there's no light? It doesn't. What was that?
I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. Happiness? Oh my
goodness, yes. It's like my wife going out like,
I just got to get in the sun. It makes me feel
so good. What's that? Wakes you up. It exposes
what's in the dark. It exposes the darkness,
doesn't it? But you know what? Light can also
hurt your eyes at times. You're like, ooh. Or
we've been talking about all the good things
about it, but light also can expose what's in
the dark. Like, eee, I didn't see that. It's
kind of like somebody turned on the light switch
and went, oh, the house is dirty. There's an
exposure that happens. It burns those heads.
Watch out, Chase. That's why I started wearing
a hat. Exactly. So Jesus is the light of life
in every way, is what he's saying. I am that.
So here's the question. As we think about this,
how are we, when we look at our lives every day,
like, are we actually looking to Jesus in those
things? Because what he provides is life. I don't
want to sound so basic here, but that's the reality
of it. Because how well do we do at running to
Jesus? I don't do very well. It's usually when
I slam into the wall a few too many times and
realize, ah, man, I have just not been paying
attention to Jesus. And Jesus says, no, look,
hey, stop walking in darkness. Come toward me.
I am the light. I bring light to this jacked
up dark world. Don't run into the world. I am
the light of life. And in verse 12, Jesus also
makes a claim, not only about himself, but those
who follow him. Look, he says, anyone who follows
me will never, underline that word, never walk
in darkness, but will have, underline have, the
light of life. Okay. For the Israelites in the
desert, if they kept their eyes on the pillar
of fire at night and the cloud during the day,
there was no confusion and no stumbling and no
fear. It's when they took it off and they started
doing things their own way that confusion and
fear happened. The word here in that statement
is really important. Not only do we have the
light of Christ come into us, but we in a sense
become a radiant reflection of him. That's what
it means to have. You have it. It's come to you.
It's not just boom. It's actually changing you.
And the effects are in you. Ephesians 5 verse
8 says this. For you were once in darkness, but
now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children
of light. Matthew. Verse 5, chapter 5, verse
14 says, you are the light of the world. A city
situated on a hill cannot be hidden. That's you,
church. He talks about a lampstand in that same
section. He says, don't cover it. This is you.
It's in you. So we have this incredible claim
by Jesus. For those who follow Jesus, it is absolutely
life -changing. If somebody's walking around
and there is no light, even if they go to church,
even if they claim to be a follower, there's
no light, something's going on. Something's wrong.
Jesus says, look, the light affects you. But
sadly, not all those who heard Jesus claim thought
it was wonderful. Some rejected his words, and
this is what happens now in the rest of this
little chunk of Scripture. is there's a battle
for surrendering to the lordship of Jesus, just
like we struggle with today, right? Jesus says,
I make this claim, this is who I am, and this
is who you are as my followers, and others go,
I don't like that. That's what starting in verse
13 and on is about, okay? So Jesus, look at verse
13. Here we go, Caleb. Okay. He says this. So
the Pharisees said to him, you are testifying
about yourself. Your testimony is not valid.
Even if I testify about myself, Jesus replied,
my testimony is true because I know where I come
from and where I'm going, but you don't know
where I come from or where I'm going. You judge
by human standards. I judge no one. And if I
do judge, my judgment is true because it is not
I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent
me. All right, what's going on here? Jesus is
responding to those who don't believe. What consistently
got Jesus into so much trouble is that he would
say that he is the Son of God. And that he and
the Father are one. And that is the authority,
he's saying, that I stand on that authority.
These claims about being the light of the world
is because I and the Father are one. I claim
quality with God. Now, if you looked at Jesus
and you couldn't get your head wrapped around
that, you would think he's a heretic. A pretty
offensive statement. Jesus just doesn't back
down. Anybody thinks Jesus is kind of a wimp?
Ever heard those? They don't get that. This is
some serious confrontation that begins to happen
right here. Now look at verse 17. Even in our
law, in your law, it is written that the testimony
of two witnesses, and they're going back to Old
Testament structure here, that the testimony
of two witnesses is true. I am the one who testifies
about myself and the father who sent me testifies
about me. I believe Jesus is referring in this
statement to his baptism. So think back to when
Jesus, John the baptizer is baptizing, Jesus
comes in and he said, and John baptizes Jesus
and two things happen in his baptism. The first
thing that happens is the heavens open up and
God the father speaks out loud, behold my son.
in whom I am well pleased, witness number one.
And then the second, the Spirit of God descends
on Jesus like a dove, witness number two. Verse
19, then they said to him, where is your father?
You know neither me nor my father, Jesus answered.
If you knew me, you would also know my Father.
What Jesus does when he encounters this very
religious people who say they serve God, he says,
you cannot simultaneously claim to serve God
and reject Jesus. You can't do it. Jesus is God.
And this is what the tension is. And this is
very offensive to them. He says that this is
the truth. To know God is to know Jesus. Verse
20. He spoke these words by the treasury while
teaching in the temple, but no one seized him
because his hour had not yet come. Now, John
is telling us in this that Jesus is still in
control. Even when he gets... Even when he gets
arrested, tried, and crucified, he's in control.
Verse 21. Then he said to them again, I am going
away. You will look for me, and you will die
in your sin. Where I'm going, you cannot come.
Jesus is telling the best of the best. You remember
his audience. These are the really good, church
people. These are the most religious, the best
rule -keeping, Sunday -going people. He says,
unless you surrender to Jesus, you're going to
hell. It doesn't matter how good you think you
are. Unless you're fully surrendered, unless
you say yes to the lordship of Jesus, you could
be the priest in the temple. But if you don't
surrender to Jesus, you're going to hell. The
gospel tells us that we are only saved by what
Jesus did on the cross. Not our good works. Your
good works will not save you. Verse 22. So, the
Jews said again, he won't kill himself, will
he? Since he says, where I'm going, you cannot
come. You are from below, he told them. I am
from above. You are of this world, and I am not
of this world. Jesus is saying, we're not even
playing the same game here. Your rules are from
down here. Mine are from up there, verse 24.
Therefore I told you. that you will die in your
sins. For if you do not believe that I am He,
you will die in your sins. Apart from Jesus,
you are going to die in your sins. Apart from
Jesus substituting Himself for you and for His
atoning or paying for your sins by taking your
place in his death. Unless you surrender to Jesus
as Savior and Lord, you're not going to heaven.
You're going to hell. That's what he's saying.
I've heard this, Pastor Caleb. He's talking to
church people. Verse 25. Who are you, they questioned.
You just feel this tension. Like there's just
a battle going on here about whether they will
surrender to Jesus or not. And there's this battle.
Who are you, they questioned. Exactly what I'm
telling you from the very beginning, Jesus told
them. I have many things to say and to judge
about you, but the one who sent me is true. What
I have heard from him, these things I tell the
world. They did not know he was speaking to them
about the Father, so Jesus said to them, When
you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know
that I am he, and I do nothing on my own. But
just as the Father taught me, I say these things,
the one who sent me is with me. He has not left
me alone because I always do what pleases him.
As he was saying these things, many believed.
Okay, Jesus is basically saying, he says this,
you don't get me right now. I know you don't
understand, but when I go to the cross, you will
then make sense to you. When I go to the cross,
what I've come for, when I substitute myself
for you, when I hang upon that tree that you
will send me to, your sin sent me there, then
you'll make sense. Then you'll understand. And
I love this last part of verse 30. He says this
in verse 30. As he was saying these things, many
believed in him. Many believed in him. Do you
believe in Jesus or that he exists? That's the
difference. Remember when Craig was getting baptized,
he said that was because we've mentioned this
before. He says that was what changed for him.
He had always believed in God. Or that there
was a God. He always believed that Jesus existed,
but he hadn't fully placed his faith in him.
Like Jesus, you're central. You're number one
in my life. That's what believing in Jesus meant.
Is he your Savior and your Lord? Are you following
the light of the world? Do you believe, yeah,
I believe that he's light. No, but do you believe
in him as light? Verse 12 again. Jesus spoke
to them. I am the light of the world. Anyone
who follows me will never walk in darkness, but
will have the light of life. I don't know where
you sit today. I don't know. I don't know where
you're at. The most important question you'll
ever answer is what do I do with this Jesus?
What do I do with him? Let's pray. From those
in this room, Lord, that have been walking with
you for a long time, the call to keep their eyes
fixed on you, to see you as the light of the
world never stops. To many of us in this room
who are struggling to walk out what it means
to follow you, Jesus, it's getting our gaze back
on who you are as the light of life. And for
those, if there's anyone in this room this morning
that don't yet know you, pray that they will
believe in you as Savior and Lord of their life.
I just ask today, Lord, that you will draw them
to yourself. You're so good. Thank you for lighting
up our jacked up, dark world. Bringing hope for
us in a world that's so hopeless. Thank you for
a text like this that just gives us hope when
we think about who you are. In your name we pray.
Amen.