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Light matters. We need light for different reasons at different times. Ambient light for a room, task lighting for closer uses, a porch light after dark, a flashlight while camping... the list goes on, right?? Have you ever chosen the wrong light for your needs?? My Pastor shared about choosing a 600 watt halogen light for a 12x12 bedroom!! LOL Talk about overkill!!
The point is, there are different kinds of light and if we don't have the right information, we will still have a problem. Whether it's understanding that you only need a 60 watt bulb for ambient lighting in small space or gaining proper insight into other situations in life; we need light.
In John 8:12, Jesus tells the people "I am the Light of the world..." The Jews related this back to Creation and The Exodus when God created light and led them by light at night. We can relate it today to the beginning of John's writing where we read that Jesus was with/part of God at the Creation. John 1:4 says "In him was life, and that life was the light of men." We can also look back at Is. 49:1-6 Where it prophesies about Jesus as being "a light for the Gentiles".
Our original reference in John 8:12 tells us 4 basic truths about Jesus as Light --
1) Wisdom and Understanding - Prov. 6:23 describes these as lamps, lights, and life. Proper levels of light reveal truth. Too much, and you are overwhelmed as in my Pastor's story above; too little and you're still in trouble. (a nightlight would not have done the trick) The fact is, anytime we try to "fix things" on our own, we end up in chaos.
2) Correction - Light exposes things that may be wrong. A stain on the rug won't show up in the dark, but turn the light on, and it may stare you in the face. God's light exposes our sins to give us an opportunity to ask forgiveness and change our behavior or fix our mistakes.
- We need to start by asking "What is God exposing in me?" Individual accounting.
- Next, ask "What is God exposing in the World?" Corruption of systems/power.
- Finally, "What is God exposing the Church?" Consumerism (what's in it for me/time spent) or False Teachings, Abuse (spiritual and/or physical)
3) Salvation - Ps. 27:1 "The Lord is my light and salvation, whom shall I fear?" Jesus recues us from the lies of the Devil and the World. His Salvation is complete, anchored, and steadfast.
4) Direction - Ps. 119:105 "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Jesus gives us just enough light for the next step as we learn to trust in Him for guidance. This reveals our need for control and desire to see farther ahead.
Looking further through verses 13-20, we see the Pharisees challenging Jesus' authority after making such an audacious claim. Jesus simply throws their laws back at them saying that he and the Father comprise 2 witnesses and that's all that's required. As humans, we tend to build, defend, control, and manipulate to prove our opinions. (guilty as charged) But the truth is, Jesus doesn't need our permission to be Who He is. We just need to believe in Him and reflect His light by forgiveness, humility, and kindness as the moon reflects the sun.
Side note - Once Jesus arrived, it set things up so that we no longer relate to God through the Jewish Laws, but through grace. Not that we have permission to do as we please, but that we simply try to be decent people living in faith. We are saved BY grace, not TO it. We can also look at Acts 15 where James was asked to give guidelines for the Gentiles. Jesus came to fulfill the Law under a New Covenant, so we don't need to be bogged down by the original rules. Nor do we need to strive every second like some places preach. Look at Matt. 11:28-30 notice the words Come, take, learn, rest, easy, and light. -- God Bless!!
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