September 8, 2020 -- John 8:12 -- Living in the Light of Life

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.

John 8:12 English Standard Version

The context is so important here. Jesus is speaking to the crowds of people who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Booths. Each year there was a week-long Festival where the people of Israel remembered that the LORD their God by His might and power rescued them from Egypt. He proved Himself greater than any and all earthly rulers. The people made booths, or a lean to of branches, to commemorate their journey through the wilderness from Egypt to the Promised Land. During those forty years God the Provider fed them mana, provided water in the arid wilderness and led them by a fiery pillar of cloud. God showed them the way they should go by the light of that fiery pillar of cloud.

It was foreshadowing of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus is the bread come down from heaven, the new mana, which feeds our souls so that we live for God. Jesus is the water which wells us to eternal life. Jesus is the Light—not just for the people of Israel and those Egyptians, who convinced of the glory of God by the sequence of plagues which ravaged their land joined with the Israelites—listen again to Jesus’s declaration: “I AM the Light of the World”. Jesus is Light for all people every tribe, every people, in every age, everywhere across this celestial globe

All who believe in Him receive the light of life. All who believe in Him do not walk in the darkness of this world or its obtuse philosophies. All who believe in Him know right from wrong, life from death, light from darkness. All who believe in Jesus receive from His Spirit direction and leading. The Spirit takes the Word of Jesus and makes it shine into us. The Spirit points us to the Person of Jesus in the Bible so that we are not merely reading words or gleaning facts—we are meeting Jesus, the True Light that gives Light to every one who believes.

Ah, Blessed Jesus, we recognize You as the world’s True Light. Your Word is as true today as the moment it was written—we can perceive “people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works are evil”. We confess how often our own words and thoughts betray the evil inclinations of our dark inner thought life. Rescue us. As we walk in Your Light, we bless You and praise You for the work of the Spirit Who applies to us the cleansing blood. As by the light of Scripture and the work of Your Spirit we recognize our sinful thoughts and dark actions, enable us to confess our sins, strengthen us to turn from them and hate evil more and more. Thank You, Father in heaven, for Your great love which flows through generation upon generation so that the Son You love has become for us the Light of Life and Salvation. Amen.

The song selection today is Psalm 27 set to music. Look up Psalm 27 and you’ll read along as the choir sings, celebrating the LORD as our Light and Salvation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE51e2rKpUk