Introduction
Today
is March 8, 2020 Anno Domini (or the Year of Our Lord), the second Sunday in Lent. We celebrate today because Jesus, the Christ,
whom the religious leaders and Roman authorities crucified nearly 2,000 years
ago, rose from the grave on the Third Day.
We mark the passing of time through history by his life, death, and resurrection.
1. I AM the bread of life
2. I AM the light of the world
3. I AM the door
4. I AM the true vine
5. I AM the good shepherd
6. I AM the resurrection and the life
7. I AM the way, the truth, and the life
3. I AM the door
4. I AM the true vine
5. I AM the good shepherd
6. I AM the resurrection and the life
7. I AM the way, the truth, and the life
Last
week we learned that I AM is the proper name of God. When God revealed Himself to Moses through
the burning bush in Exodus chapter 3, He told Moses His name. He said, “Tell them ‘I AM’ has sent you.” And He said, “This is my name forever, the
name you shall call me from generation to generation.”
So
the very first thing we see about Jesus is he claimed to be God. Every time Jesus said, “I AM”, the people
around him gasped. “Did he just say
that?” Saying God’s name out loud (or
even writing it) was a social taboo. Claiming
to be God could get you stoned. And just
in case you thing I’m making more of this phrase I AM, all you have to do is
look at John 8:58-59, which says:
John 8:58-59
58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I
am!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone
him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
Jesus
claimed he was God. He says it plainly John
10:30, “I and the Father are one.” But today,
we consider the second I AM statement of Jesus from John 8:12.
John 8:12
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the
world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the
light of life.”
Being
Judged
This
simple two sentence statement is nestled between two incredible stories that
show Jesus’ character. And it reveals
how Jesus identity and very existence infuriate his enemies. The first story is a very famous one—John 8:1-11.
Jesus' response embodies perfectly both Truth & Love. The first thing he does is stoop down and start writing in the dirt. The Bible doesn't say what he was writing. Some have speculated that, maybe, he was writing out all the sins of the various people in the crowd. I kind of like that idea. Then Jesus stands back up and says, "He who is without sin, cast the first stone." And one by one every begins to drop their stones and walk away. At last, in John 8:10-11, Jesus says, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
And the next time Jesus spoke to the people is in John 8:12 where he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
I’ll get to the second story in a minute, but first I must say how much this statement Jesus said irked the Pharisees. They were like, “You can’t say that! You can't claim to be God. You can't say all these things about yourself without any proof or someone else to backup your testimony.” They were already frustrated that Jesus so perfectly thwarted their attempt to trap him with the woman caught in adultery.
And so the religious leaders argue with Jesus and he plainly tells them they are enslaved by sin. The reason they won't accept him is that sin rules their hearts. John 8:34-38 - 34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you,
everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in
the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So
if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I
know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill
me, because you have no room for my word. 38 I
am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are
doing what you have heard from your father.”
Jesus knew that Abraham would have accepted Jesus because Abraham's greatest desire was to trust and follow God. And now God was standing before the religious leaders and the religious leaders hated
Jesus. They rejected him and would not
accept him no matter what he did. They would
not be convinced no matter what anyone said or did. Even if Abraham were there to testify on behalf of Jesus. The religious leaders were stuck stumbling in darkness. They were slaves to sin. And they refused to be rescued. They said, “You have no proof! Your testimony isn’t valid!”

Now, here is clear, incontrovertible evidence. This miracle is impossible to fake and it has been verified by two independent sources, but the Pharisees and religious leaders still reject it. They berate the man and tell him he is a sinner and Jesus is a sinner and they have no idea where Jesus came from. And I love the blind man's answer in John 9:30 – "The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes."" Clearly, if Jesus can do such a miracle, everyone ought to see that Jesus is very special. But the religious leaders can't or won't see it. The blind man sees, but the religious leaders are blind.
True Light in a Dark World
Jesus,
the Light of the World, not only helps us see, but also reveals the real
motives of people. The Pharisees didn't want to accept Jesus no matter what.
The miracle was obvious, impossible to fake.
But the Pharisees would not accept it because it didn’t fit their
selfish agenda. Sinful people are always like the Pharisees who try to
manipulate the truth and make it say what they want based on their own twisted agendas.
But Jesus is who he is. He is the great I AM.
And those who
follow Jesus, never have to walk in darkness.
He shows the way. It takes some
time to tune your heart to see His light, but with practice and the help of His
Holy Spirit, we can see and follow the light of His love.
Second, read Scripture. The Bible is God's Word. Treasure God’s Word in your heart. Read it. Study it. Meditate on it and soak it in. Absorb the Bible into your heart so that it guides everything you do. That way when you pray, it will bubble up to the surface as God speaks to you.
One more thing--serve. It's not enough to pray and read the Bible; you must also put your faith into action. The religious leaders prayed and knew the Bible, but they weren't willing to serve the way God wanted them to. They were more concerned about their own position and power and agendas. We must have faith in God and willingly set aside our own agendas and obey what God wants. We must act on what we've learned through prayer and Scripture. We musty serve.
In John 8:12, Jesus said, "I am the Light of the world." Jesus also talked about light in the Gospel of Matthew. It's very interesting that in Matthew 5:14, Jesus said, “You are the light of the
world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.” He was saying that we should let our good deeds shine before people so that God receives the glory. We're not bragging or trying to make ourselves look good. We're glorifying God because the light inside us is not ours. It's Christ's light. Jesus is the Light of the world, but when we trust him and follow him, his light lives inside us. And then we obey and serve and his light shines forth from us for all to see and they are amazed.
Is Jesus in you?
In order for the Light to shine, Jesus has to your Lord. Is Jesus your Lord? Are you like the Pharisees and religious leaders who walked in darkness because they had to protect their turf adn their way of life? Are you like the like the woman caught in adultery, whom Jesus refused to condemn? Instead, he told her to leave her life of sin. Or are you like the blind man, whom Jesus healed so he could see clearly and he decided to follow Jesus? I pray you will decide to follow Jesus today.
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