Jesus The Light Of The World
JESUS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
JOHN 8:12-20
As Jesus himself is the source of light, we are to allow his light to reflect from us.
The scene continues in the temple at the Feast of Tabernacles. This festival commemorated, amongst other things, the pillar of fire which had been given as light to the Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21f.), and one of its most impressive ceremonies was the lighting of the golden candelabrum. The light was said to be so brilliant as to illuminate every courtyard in Jerusalem. It was a festival of light. And the Law was also held to be light (Psalm 119:105; Proverbs 6:23). But neither ceremonial nor even Scripture is the true light. It was God who was the light of his people (Psalm 27:1), and Jesus therefore comes to direct men’s attention away from the symbols to the reality—God’s own presence in his person in their midst.
His great claim to be the Light of the World is challenged on the ground that it is testimony in his own case. Jesus replies that there is a validity about such evidence in this instance because he had a knowledge of his origin and destination which they did not share. Their idea of judgment was governed by purely human rules. He had in fact the testimony of his Father in support of him, a fact which they could not understand because they did not know him.
Notes 8:12: “the light of life”—the light which has and gives life (cf. 1:4f.). This is given not to those who simply gaze in admiration but to those who follow. It was the destiny of the Servant of the Lord to be a light to the nations (Isaiah 49:6). The theme of light is forgotten until the next chapter. 8:13: the argument concerning evidence is similar in many ways to that in 5:31-39. 8:15: the question of judgment is one of the most paradoxical themes in the Gospel. It was not Jesus’ purpose to judge men (3:17; 12:47), and yet it was (3:18; 12:48; 5:22; 9:39). 8:17: “your law” perhaps implies that they had treated it as their own preserve. Such spiritual possessiveness is still with us. 8:19: “Your Father”—they may think he is speaking of Joseph. 8:20: the treasury was just beside where the Sanhedrin met, but even so because of the divine purpose they could not arrest him.