John 8:12-30
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12b
If you’ve watched historical dramas, you might have seen ancient emperors or high officials who hide their identities in order to observe the people’s every day lives or monitor government officials. They dress as ordinary citizens and mingle with the crowd for secret investigations. This act of hiding one’s identity often comes with risks, and in moments of danger, they may need to reveal their identity to avoid trouble.
The King of Kings and Lord of Lords entered human history in the form of a man, and His actions shook the entire hierarchical and conservative Jewish power. He performed many acts of great authority, such as cleansing the temple, healing the sick, casting out demons, accepting marginalised people, and feeding five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish. He also spoke many authoritative words, to the point that even the officers of the chief priests said, “No one ever spoke like this man!” (John 7:46). Yet, the Pharisees still did not believe that Jesus came from God.
In today’s passage, Jesus revealing and defending His identity. This follows the Jewish Feast of Booths in Ch. 7, where Jesus said to the people, “I am the Light of the world” (v.12). The Feast of Booths is when the Israelites remember the 40 years their ancestors spent in the wilderness, during which God led them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. The “I am” sayings is a unique characteristic of the Gospel of John, a common expression Jesus used to declare His divinity.
But the Pharisees rejected saying, “You are testifying about yourself; your testimony is not true” (verse 13). According to the law, only the testimony corroborated by two people was considered true (Deut 19:15), so they did not accept Jesus’ self-testimony. Jesus’ identity transcends the law, but He still obeyed the law, just as He said, “I did not come to abolish, but to fulfil” (Matt 5:17). In response to the Jewish leaders’ questioning, He replied, “I testify about myself, and the Father who sent me also testifies about me” (verse 18).
After several rounds of dialogue it was still clear that “they did not understand that He was speaking to them about the Father” (v.27). To help them understand the unique significance of the “I am” identity, Jesus further points out that He is certain that the One who sent Him has not left Him alone. Even in the face of the cross and suffering, Jesus believed that the Father was always with Him (vv. 28-29). Reflection: Today, many have heard Jesus’ declaration. Will we choose to accept or reject the Light of the world? The world still may not accept the existence of the Light, but Jesus was certain that the Father had not abandoned Him. Does this certainty also become our assurance? Is the foundation of our faith that the Son will never forsake those who follow Him?
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, You once promised, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Please give me the faith and courage to follow You steadfastly and believe that You are always with us, even until the end of the world. In the name of the Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen!
If you’ve watched historical dramas, you might have seen ancient emperors or high officials who hide their identities in order to observe the people’s every day lives or monitor government officials. They dress as ordinary citizens and mingle with the crowd for secret investigations. This act of hiding one’s identity often comes with risks, and in moments of danger, they may need to reveal their identity to avoid trouble.
The King of Kings and Lord of Lords entered human history in the form of a man, and His actions shook the entire hierarchical and conservative Jewish power. He performed many acts of great authority, such as cleansing the temple, healing the sick, casting out demons, accepting marginalised people, and feeding five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish. He also spoke many authoritative words, to the point that even the officers of the chief priests said, “No one ever spoke like this man!” (John 7:46). Yet, the Pharisees still did not believe that Jesus came from God.
In today’s passage, Jesus revealing and defending His identity. This follows the Jewish Feast of Booths in Ch. 7, where Jesus said to the people, “I am the Light of the world” (v.12). The Feast of Booths is when the Israelites remember the 40 years their ancestors spent in the wilderness, during which God led them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. The “I am” sayings is a unique characteristic of the Gospel of John, a common expression Jesus used to declare His divinity.
But the Pharisees rejected saying, “You are testifying about yourself; your testimony is not true” (verse 13). According to the law, only the testimony corroborated by two people was considered true (Deut 19:15), so they did not accept Jesus’ self-testimony. Jesus’ identity transcends the law, but He still obeyed the law, just as He said, “I did not come to abolish, but to fulfil” (Matt 5:17). In response to the Jewish leaders’ questioning, He replied, “I testify about myself, and the Father who sent me also testifies about me” (verse 18).
After several rounds of dialogue it was still clear that “they did not understand that He was speaking to them about the Father” (v.27). To help them understand the unique significance of the “I am” identity, Jesus further points out that He is certain that the One who sent Him has not left Him alone. Even in the face of the cross and suffering, Jesus believed that the Father was always with Him (vv. 28-29). Reflection: Today, many have heard Jesus’ declaration. Will we choose to accept or reject the Light of the world? The world still may not accept the existence of the Light, but Jesus was certain that the Father had not abandoned Him. Does this certainty also become our assurance? Is the foundation of our faith that the Son will never forsake those who follow Him?
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, You once promised, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Please give me the faith and courage to follow You steadfastly and believe that You are always with us, even until the end of the world. In the name of the Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen!