Read:

John 8:12-20

¹² Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.  ¹³ The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.  ¹⁴ Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.  ¹⁵ Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.  ¹⁶ And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.  17  It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.  ¹⁸ I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.  ¹⁹ Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.  ²⁰ These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.

Isaiah 42:6-7

⁶ I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;  ⁷ To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

Exhortation:

IJesus was in the section of the Temple where the receptacles for the gifts of the worshippers were placed. Each night during the Feast of Tabernacles it was lit with a candelabra, to commemorate the pillar of fire over the Israelites in the wilderness. Now the lights were extinguished, as the Feast was ended. And Jesus reacted accordingly. Thus a second time Jesus applied to Himself the spiritual reality of the symbolism of the Feast of Tabernacles (v.12, cf. 7:37–38).

He said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” Jesus’ claim that He is the light points to the fact that He is the Messiah. Daniel 2:22 declares that “the light dwelleth with Him.” God is light, and Christ is the image of the invisible God. He was expected to be a light to enlighten the Gentiles (Lk 2:32), and so He is the Light of the world, and not of the Jewish church only. The visible light of the world is the sun. Christ is the Sun of righteousness. Christ in calling Himself the Light expresses (i) what He is in Himself — most excellent, glorious and holy, and (ii) what He is to the world — the fountain of light, enlightening every man who comes to Him. What a dungeon the world would be without the bright sun! So would it be for a man without Christ.

This statement prompted the Pharisees to question His authority to bear such a witness. Their objection was that self-testimony is inadmissible. Jesus then replied that according to the Mosaic code, the testimony of two men is true; and both He and His Father bore witness of Him.

Jesus also told them that “Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also” (v.19). It is significant that Jesus said that knowing Him is to know the Father. This is yet another claim of His deity. He is the true expression of the Father. Though they rejected His words with sneering contempt, they could not arrest Him (v.20).

Thought:

“One sun enlightens the whole world, so does one Christ, and there needs no more.” (Matthew Henry)

PRAYER

O Eternal Light, fill my soul with Your radiance.