I recently began to notice a word that keeps popping up these days. This word can have several meanings, I guess, but it seems to be used primarily to end discussions.

At first, I thought it was used only by teen-agers, but I have since heard it on the lips of people of all generations. Increasingly, it is used to say, “It doesn’t matter enough to talk about any further.” The word is “whatever.”

A parent says to a child, “You should do this!” and the child replies, “Whatever.”

A teenage girl encourages her friend to “do the right thing” in a situation, and the answer is “Whatever.”

Two adults argue over politics until one of them has had enough, so he shrugs his shoulders and says, “Whatever.”

On a more significant level, “whatever” can mean that truth does not matter to people It can communicate that you are entitled to your view of truth, I am entitled to my view of truth, and we can assume that we are both equally right.

In the United States in the 1990s, “whatever” is more than a cultural fad; it is a oneword indicator of the way a nation is thinking.

What do you think about my evaluation of this interesting word? Did I hear you say, “Whatever?”

In our text, Jesus challenged the spirit of “whatever.” His message is bold, and His claims cannot be ignored. In the end, you may respond to Him with a joyous “Yes!” or a defiant “No!”–but He will not allow you to answer, “Whatever.”

The Setting

If you consult the commentaries on this text, you will see that many understand the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles as the background to our Lord’s teaching, to which He constantly refers:

‘He who has not seen the joy of the place of water-drawing has never in his life seen joy’: This extravagant claim stands just before the description of the lighting of the four huge lamps in the temple’s court of women and of the exuberant celebration that took place under the light (Mishnah Sukkah 5:1-4). ‘Men of piety and good works’ danced through the night, holding burning torches in their hands and singing songs and praises. The Levitical orchestras cut loose, and some sources attest that this went on every night of the Feast of Tabernacles, with the light from the temple area shedding its glow all over Jerusalem. In this context Jesus declares to the people, I am the light of the world.[1]

I am more inclined to view our text in the “light” of what we find in the Scriptures than upon historical information obtained elsewhere. Leon Morris appears to take this same approach, focusing on the “pillar of fire” which separated the Israelites from the Egyptians and led God’s people through the wilderness:

Many draw attention to the ceremonies with lights at the Feast of Tabernacles and suggest that Jesus was consciously fulfilling the symbolism suggested by them. There is nothing unlikely in this, especially if the words were uttered reasonably close to the time of the Feast. The feasts were very important to the Jews. They delighted in their observance and rejoiced in their symbolism. And it was important to the Christians that the Christ fulfilled all the spiritual truths to which the feasts pointed. Now the brilliant candelabra were lit only at the beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles. There is a dispute as to the number of nights on which the illumination took place, but none as to the fact that at the close of the Feast it did not. In the absence of the lights Jesus’ claim to be the Light would stand out the more impressively. In favor of this view there is also the fact that the candelabra were lit in the Court of the Women, the most frequented part of the temple, and the very place in which Jesus delivered His address.

Yet, just as the reference to the water in ch. 7 seems to point us back to the rock in the wilderness rather than to the pouring of water from the golden pitcher, so the light may refer us to the pillar of fire in the wilderness. We have noted the reference to the manna in ch. 6, so that in three successive chapters the wilderness imagery seems consistently used to illustrate aspects of Jesus’ Person and work. It must always be borne in mind that light is a common theme in both Old and New Testaments, so that it is not necessary for us to find the source of Jesus’ great saying in any non-biblical place. Elsewhere we read that God is light (I John 1:5) and Jesus Himself said that His followers were ‘the light of the world’ (Matt. 5:14; the expression is identical with that used here). Paul can also speak of Christians as ‘lights in the world’ (Phil. 2:15). It is, of course, plain that such terms must be applied to believers in a sense different from that in which they are applied to Christ. He is the fundamental source of the world’s illumination. They, having kindled their torches at His bright flame, show to the world something of His light.[2]

1. A. Carson summarizes the symbolism of “light” throughout the Bible:

Of the incarnate Word we have already learned that the life ‘was the light of men’ (cf. notes on 1:4). The light metaphor is steeped in Old Testament allusions. The glory of the very presence of God in the cloud led the people to the promised land (Ex. 13:21-22) and protected them from those who would destroy them (Ex. 14:19-25). The Israelites were trained to sing, ‘The LORD is my light and my salvation’ (Ps. 27:1). The word of God, the law of God, is a light to guide the path of those who cherish instruction (Ps. 119:105; Pr. 6:23); God’s light is shed abroad in revelation (Ezk. 1:4, 13, 26-28) and salvation (Hab. 3:3-4). ‘Light is Yahweh in action, Ps. 44:3’ (H. Conzelmann, TDNT 9, 320). Isaiah tells us that the servant of the LORD was appointed as a light to the Gentiles, that he might bring God’s salvation to the ends of the earth (Is. 49:6). The coming eschatological age would be a time when the LORD himself would be the light for his people (Is. 60:19-22; cf. Rev. 21:23-24). Perhaps Zechariah 14:5b-7 is especially significant, with its promise of continual light on the last day, followed by the promise of living waters flowing from Jerusalem—this passage probably forming part of the liturgical readings of this Feast.…[3]

 THE “I AM” PHRASE

In this passage Jesus talks of “following” himself. We often speak of following Jesus; we often urge men to do so. What do we mean?

The Greek word for “to follow” is “akolouthein” and its meanings combine to shed a flood of light on what it means to follow Jesus.

It has at least five different but closely meanings:

– It is often used of a soldier following his captain.

On the long route marches, into battle, in campaigns in strange lands, the soldier follows whereever the captain may lead. The Christian is the soldier whose conlmander is Christ.

– It is often used of a slave accompanying his master.

Wherever the master goes the slave is in attendance upon him, always ready to spring to his service and to carry out the tasks he gives him to do. He is literally at his master’s beck and call. The Christian is the slave whose joy it is always to serve Christ.

– It is often used of accepting a wise counselor’s opinion.

When a man is in doubt he goes to the expert, and if he is wise he accepts the judgment he receives. The Christian is the man who guides his life and conduct by the counsel of Christ.

– It is often used of giving obedience to the laws of a city or a state.

    If a man is to be a useful member of any society or citizen of any commuaity, he must agree to abide by its laws. The Christian, being a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, accepts the law of the kingdom and of Christ as the law which governs his life.

– It is often used of following a teacher’s line of argument, or of following the gist of someone’s speech.

The Christian is the man who has understood the meaning of the teaching of Christ. He has not listened in dull incomprehension or with slack inattention. He takes the message into his mind and understands, receives the words into his memory and remembers, and hides them in his heart and obeys.

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will  never walk in darkness, hut will have the Iight of life.”

It would seem that the Feast of Tabernacles has just recently concluded when our Lord speaks out in the temple, “I am the light of the world. The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” It is interesting to me that as often as simple statements of our Lord were misunderstood (see 8:21ff.), this is one time His audience seems to understand something of what Jesus means when He calls Himself the “light of the world.” Later on, Paul will use the term “light” when he challenges the Jewish religious leaders concerning their own sin:

17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relationship to God 18 and know his will and approve the superior things because you receive instruction from the law, 19 and if you are convinced that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an educator of the senseless, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the essential features of knowledge and of the truth—21 therefore you who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by transgressing the law. 24 For just as it is written, “the name of God is being blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you” (Romans 2:17-24, emphasis mine).

I am inclined to interpret our Lord’s words in the light of texts like these, found in the prophecy of Isaiah:

6 “I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, 7 To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house” (Isaiah 42:6-7, NKJV, emphasis mine).

“Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth’” (Isaiah 49:6, NKJV, emphasis mine).

I believe Israel failed to fulfill her mission as God’s “son” (see Exodus 4:22-23), as did Israel’s kings fail in this same role (see 2 Samuel 7:13-14). What men could not fulfill as God’s “son,” the “Son” did fulfill. And so the Lord Jesus was the perfect “Son.” What Israel failed to do as the “servant of the Lord,” Jesus did as the “Suffering Servant.” Israel was to carry the “good news” of God’s salvation to the Gentiles, but, like the prodigal prophet Jonah, they refused to do so. And so our Lord Jesus came as the “Light of the world.” It was this part of our Lord’s “gospel” which the Jews hated (see Luke 4:16-30; Acts 22:1-24f.).

None of our Lord’s audience chooses to argue about who He claims to be.[4] They quibble with Him over a technicality—His credibility as a witness in His own defense. This is indeed ironic, especially in the light of the story of the woman caught in adultery at the beginning of this chapter. The scribes and Pharisees insisted that this woman be stoned, in order to fulfill the Law of Moses. Jesus did not disagree about her guilt or even her punishment under the law. What He did (which caught His adversaries completely off guard) was to appeal to the Law of Moses as to how they should proceed with the stoning. Under the law, there must be two eye witnesses. When Jesus required that the two witnesses be innocent and that they “cast the first stone,” no one was willing to do so, and the case was dropped for lack of any witnesses who would testify against this woman.

You would think that anyone who opposed Jesus would stay away from the “witness question,” but instead we find our Lord’s opponents attacking Him on this same issue. Does He claim that He testifies for the Father, and the Father testifies about Him? That means there are only two witnesses, and that Jesus is one of the witnesses. Under the law, a man cannot be a witness for himself because of his own interests in the case. Earlier in the Gospel of John, Jesus seems to have conceded this point: “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true” (John 5:31).

Now, it would seem that this apparent concession is going to be used against Him. Do the Jews finally have Jesus trapped? We should know better than that.

The most important thing about any witness is that he or she is, in fact, a witness. Imagine a car accident in which one person is seriously injured. The injured person seeks damages from the driver of the other car. His attorney needs to prove that the other driver was negligent or in error. A witness is called, but when cross examined it becomes apparent that this “witness” was not even at the scene of the accident. This person simply wants to give their own opinion about something they never saw. This “witness” is not a witness at all! Now, Jesus is a witness. He speaks of those things which He has seen and heard from His Father: “No one has ever seen God. The only One, himself God, who is in the presence of the Father, has made God known” (John 1:18).

9 Nicodemus replied, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don’t understand these things? 11 I tell you the solemn truth, we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. 12 If I have told you people about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things. 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven—the Son of Man” (John 3:9-13).

31 “The one who comes from above is superior to all. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is superior to all. 32 He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 The one who has accepted his testimony has confirmed clearly that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he does not give the Spirit sparingly” (John 3:31-34).

36 “But I have a testimony greater than that from John. For the deeds that the Father has assigned me to complete—the deeds I am now doing—testify about me that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified about me. You people have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time, 38 nor do you have his word residing in you, because you do not believe the one whom he sent” (John 5:36-38).

45 “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who hears and learns from the Father comes to me. 46 (Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God—he has seen the Father.) 47 I tell you the solemn truth, the one who believes has eternal life” (John 6:45-47).

“I am telling you the things I have seen while with my Father, but you are practicing the things you have heard from your father” (John 8:38).

The defense of our Lord is awesome. The first qualification of a witness is that they be a witness—that they must have personally experienced that of which they testify. The Jewish religious leaders spoke with great authority about things they never experienced. Now, they seek to challenge our Lord’s authority and credibility as a witness. Only He and the Father can testify about heavenly things because they have firsthand knowledge of them. Who else is qualified as a witness if not our Lord?[5] He knows where He has come from and where He is going. His opponents do not know where He has come from nor where He is going.

But they think they know where He is from—Galilee. On the basis of this assumption, they reject Jesus as the promised Messiah:

25 Then some of the residents of Jerusalem began to say, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? 26 Yet here he is, speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to him. Do the rulers really know that this man is the Christ? 27 But we know where this man comes from. Whenever the Christ comes, no one will know where he comes from” (John 7:25-27).

41 Others said, “This is the Christ!” But still others said, “No, for the Christ doesn’t come from Galilee, does he? 42 Don’t the scriptures say that the Christ is a descendant of David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?” (John 7:41-42)

50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before and who was one of the rulers, said, 51 “Our law doesn’t condemn a man unless it first hears from him and learns what he is doing, does it?” 52 They replied, “You aren’t from Galilee too, are you? Investigate carefully and you will see that no prophet comes from Galilee!” (John 7:50-52)

Obviously, no one checked out the actual birthplace of our Lord. They assume it, simply on the basis of appearances. His parents were Galileans, though providentially He was born in Bethlehem of Judah (Luke 2:2-7). He grew up in Nazareth and was called a Nazarene, thus fulfilling prophecy (Matthew 2:23). Many of His disciples and followers were Galileans (Matthew 27:55; Mark 15:40-41). He was raised in Galilee and probably had a Galilean accent (see Mark 14:70). Had anyone done even a little inquiring, they would have known that Jesus was actually born in Bethlehem, and that He was a descendant of David. Had they asked Mary and believed her testimony, they would have known that He was born of a virgin and that He was conceived through the Holy Spirit of God.

These Jews who are judging Jesus are not doing a very good job. They accuse Him of being disqualified as a witness, and yet He alone is qualified to witness about heavenly things. They think they are qualified to judge Him, yet He is the One who is uniquely qualified to judge them. This is not His mission in His first coming, and thus He speaks of judging no one (verse 15). But His judgment is true, because He and the Father are united in this activity as well. The “witnesses” are not only those who alone have “seen” heaven, they are also the ultimate “judges” of all mankind. Jesus can say with complete confidence, as He does, that His witness is true.

Unfortunately, those who are resisting Jesus just don’t seem to get the point. They just can’t stop, and so they ask what I perceive to be a very ugly question: “Where is your father?” (verse 19). I believe this question is intended to be a very cruel blow to Jesus, one that His adversaries hope will silence Him and give those listening to this interchange a chance to have a good laugh at His expense. If they think Jesus is talking about Joseph as His father, they know he has been dead for some time. How then can Jesus speak of His “father” (Joseph) when he is dead? Is there something Jesus has not told them? Is He in communication with the dead? Is Jesus working with a dead man?

Or, worse yet (and more likely in my opinion), they are accusing Jesus of being an illegitimate child, as they do again later in this same chapter: “Then they said to Jesus, ‘We were not born as a result of immorality! We have only one Father, God himself’” (John 8:41b). Their cutting words are intended to embarrass Jesus for being the illegitimate child of Mary and some unknown “lover.” Jesus dares to speak of His Father? Then they will press Him on this point, reminding Him and others that He has no right to speak about having a father.

Jesus is not taken back by this challenge. They are as ignorant on this point as they are on all other counts. They do not know Him; they most certainly do not know His Father. These Jews are the religious elite, the teachers and rulers of the nation, and yet they do not know the most fundamental things about their religion. If they know Jesus, they would know His Father as well. But they do not know Jesus as Messiah nor His Father as God.

In all of this, someone might be inclined to look upon Jesus as the One under fire, the One trying desperately to defend Himself against these powerful leaders. Does anyone look upon Jesus as the victim here? Anyone who does is wrong. In verse 20, John makes a most significant parenthetical remark. It is as though John is a photographer. His camera zooms in on Jesus, then on His accusers, then back to Jesus. Now John gives us a wide-angle shot of this same scene. Jesus is teaching in the temple. He is in the temple courts where the offering boxes are kept:

The place where the offerings were put probably refers to the thirteen ‘shofar-chests’ (probably so named because the ‘chests’ were shaped like shofars … , a trumpet; cf. Mishnah Shekalim 2:1; 6:1, 5). Each was inscribed with the use to which the money collected in it was ostensibly put. Nowhere do we learn explicitly where they were placed, but probably they were located in the Court of the Women, if we may judge from access women had to them (cf. Mk. 12:41-42; cf. SB 2. 37-45). John’s principal point is that no-one seized him, because his time (hora) had not yet come.[6]

I especially enjoy the insight of William Hendriksen here:

Against the wall in the Court of Women stood thirteen trumpet-shaped chests in which the people deposited their gifts for various causes. Hence, taking the part for the whole, this court was sometimes called the Treasury. Here Jesus was teaching, in the immediate proximity of the hall in which the Sanhedrin held (or: used to hold) its sessions. And, though it is possible that this august body, so thoroughly hostile to Jesus, could almost hear the echo of his voice, no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet arrived.[7]

Can you imagine this? The Jews think they are the authorities, the ones in charge. Yet here stands Jesus, the One they are determined to silence by killing Him. He is there in the temple, teaching the people. And He is doing so literally outside the door of the room where the Sanhedrin meets. You can almost hear the hushed whispers inside that room, the voices of men plotting to kill Jesus, while outside can be heard the booming voice of the Savior, proclaiming that He is the “Light of the world.” They cannot even lay a hand on Him whom they reject, on Him whom they purpose to kill—even though He is in easy reach—because it is not yet His time. I ask you this question, “Who is in charge here?”

In John 8 Jesus moves about the temple preaching. His message(s) expands the discussion in chapter 7. We find him first in the court of the women where thirteen trumpet-shaped vessels lined one wall. On the other side of the wall was the meeting room of the Sanhedrin.

This court was reserved for the Pharisees. Here they taught their disciples. Jesus took over their spot. Yet no one stopped him even though he was within earshot of the Sanhedrin. Oh, they wanted to, but his time had not yet come (cf. Jn 2:4; 7:6, 30; 12:23, 27; 17:1). From here Jesus moves out to the porches of the temple. Outside the sanctuary the crowds would be free to ask questions and enter into the conversation. Unfortunately they didn’t much like what he said out there. In fact, they picked up stones from the construction site to kill him (Jn 8:59).

This is the second of Jesus’ “I AM” statements (cf. Jn 6:35; 8:12; 10:7, 9, 11, 14; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1, 5). Perhaps it is the richest. Light is used to represent truth because it exposes what is actually there, and purity because of its own essence.

In the NT these two qualities of light are personified in: (1) God (1 Tim 6:16; 1 John 1:5). (2) Jesus—God’s envoy (Mt 4:16 [Isa 9:1-2]; Lk 2:32; Jn 1:4-5, 9; 3:19; 8:12; 9:5; 12:36, 46-47). (3) Christians—as envoys of Jesus (Mt 5:14; Lk 16:8; Jn 12:36; 1 Thess 5:5). (4) The gospel—as proclaimed by Christians (Acts 26:23; 2 Cor 4:4; Titus 1:3; 2 Pet 1:19). There is a fierce conflict between light and darkness (Jn 1:5; 3:19-21; 12:35; Acts 26:18; Rom 13:12; 2 Cor 6:14; Eph 5:8; 1 Thess 5:5; 1 Pet 2:9; 1 John 2:9).

Darkness hates the light because it exposes and thereby judges its evil deeds (Jn 3:19-21; 1 Cor 3:13; 4:5; Eph 5:13-14). This competition between darkness and light (i.e., God and Satan) will end with the consummation of the kingdom (Col 1:12; 1 John 2:8). Finally, all this “light” theology is embodied in the New Jerusalem which will have as its light the Lord Jesus (Rev 21:23-24; 22:5).

The light of the menorah (candlestick) played a prominent role in the Feast of Tabernacles. Its light spreads across the court of women where Jesus is presently teaching. Perhaps this allusion connects directly with God’s light of the tabernacle. Nonetheless, when Jesus applies to himself the metaphor of “light,” the Pharisees can hardly miss its Messianic implication. They challenge him on such an audacious claim. Again they call him a misguided maverick, speaking on his own behalf. According to the Mosaic law of testimony, any statement required at least two or three witnesses. Twice already Jesus has delineated his supporting witnesses (Jn 5:30-47; 7:16-19). He hardly needs to cover that ground again here.

In fact, John has combined three “wilderness images:” the manna (cpt. 6), the water from the rock (cpt. 7), and the pillar of tire (cpt. 8).

To “follow” the Lord means to believe and trust Him; and the results are life and light for the believer. We follow His words (John 10:4) and His example (1 Peter 2:21; John 13:15, 34-35).

There are some who say they believe on Christ, but they walk contrary to their belief. One who sincerely believes on Christ will “walk in the light”.

There are two things we must do with the gospel of Christ: believe it and behave it. If a man is soundly converted, he will not only believe in his heart, but follow the Lord with his feet.

It may sound like Jesus is contradicting himself in v. 14 (cf. Jn 5:31, and notes). But since the Pharisees have rejected or ignored all of Jesus’ supporting witnesses, what can he do but simply verify his own testimony? Truly, he is the only one who can testify about his heavenly origin (v. 14), his unity with the Father (vv. 15-16), and the consistency between what he says and what God says (vv. 17-18).

No one else has been to heaven and back who can verify the truth of what Jesus says. John and Moses received divine revelation about Jesus, but the Pharisees have rejected their testimony. Jesus’ miracles indicate supernatural power, but the Pharisees have relegated them to a demonic power. The only two witnesses left are Jesus and the Father. The Pharisees have demonstrated a resolute refusal to listen to Jesus. And since they know not the Father, they have no way to receive his testimony. Sadly, Jesus is their only way to the Father, but they have cut him off. They have now burned every bridge out of the valley of the shadow of death.

All that is left is judgment and certain death. Jesus came not to judge the world but to save it (Jn 3:16-17). However, in the process of preaching the gospel of salvation, his words set some parameters around who would and who would not be saved (Jn 5:24). In this slice of time we call the incarnation, it is not the Son of Man who judges, but his words most certainly do. The future nonincarnate Christ will, indeed, pass judgment on this world and all evil men who refuse to accept God’s messenger (Jn 5:26-30).

The unsaved are walking in darkness because they love darkness (3: 17ff). One of the major messages in this gospel is that the spiritual light is now shining, but people cannot comprehend it–and they try to put it out (1:4-5).

Jesus declared, “I am the light of the world” in 8:12. Although modern readers tend to focus on the “light of the world” part of His statement, the most important aspect of what Jesus was saying is found in the first two words: “I am.”

That small phrase has a rich Old Testament background; and to Jesus’ first-century Jewish audience, it probably was the most controversial statement He had ever made. To them it sounded as if He were saying, “I am God.” In the context of the Gospel of John, that is exactly what He was saying!

“I am” is the way God spoke of Himself in the Old Testament. When God met Moses in the burning bush, Moses asked about His name. He was told, “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14).

 “The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid. “

Not all the Jewish leaders had left the group, and others had no doubt come along after the woman left. As usual, they debated with Jesus. This time, they accused Him of bearing witness to Himself by claiming to be the Light of the world; and Jewish courts would not permit a person to bear witness to himself.

Their attitude progressively and heatedly escalates from contradiction (vs. 13) to insinuation (vs. 19) to denial (vs. 33) to insult (vs. 48) to sarcasm (vs. 53) and, finally and climactically, to violence (vs. 59).

 “Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. {15} You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. {16} But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.”

   There were many reasons why the Pharisees rejected Jesus, but the main one was their ignorance..and also because their zeal (Romans 10:1) lacked knowledge. And it was consistent with their ancestors.  

   Hosea 4:1-3:  “Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites, because the LORD has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. {2} There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. {3} Because of this the land mourns, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the fish of the sea are dying.”

   Hosea 4:6:  “…my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.”

Light has to bear witness to itself! The only people who cannot see the light are blind people.

I recall the first time I flew in an airplane at night. I was fascinated by the changing textures of colored lights in the cities below me. 1 then understood why it was necessary to have blackouts during the war…the enemy pilots could see the smallest evidence of light and thus find the target.

Light bears witness to itself; it tells you it is here.

One of the key words in this section is witness; it’s

used seven times. Jesus made It clear that their witness was not dependable because their judgment was faulty. They judged on the basis of externals, mere human judgment, but He judged on the basis of spiritual knowledge.

They way they judged the woman taken in adultery proved that they neither understood the Law or their own sinful hearts!

They also suffered from a lack of perception: they drew their conclusions from the wrong standard. Looking at externals, they saw only a carpenter’s son. They didn’t have the discernment to see beneath the flesh and blood into the spiritual dimension. His meekness, poverty and apparent powerlessness did wt fulfill their ideal.

John 8:17-20: “In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. {18} I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.” {19} Then they asked him, “Where is your father?” “You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” {20} He spoke these words while teaching in the temple area near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his time had not yet come.”

   Because they knew but abused the law, Jesus quotes from it: the testimony of two men was required to validate a judgment.

  Numbers 35:30: “”‘Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.”

   Deuteronomy 19:15:  “One witness is not enough to convict a man accused of any crime or offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”

 

How does God hear witness to the supreme authority of Jesus?

– The witness of God is in Jesus’ words.

No man could speak with such wisdom unless God had given him knowledge.

 

– The witness of God in Jesus’ deeds.

No man could do such things unless God was acting through him.

 

– The witness of God in the effect God had upon men.

He works changes in men which are obviously beyond human power to work. The very fact that Jesus can make bad men good is proof that his power is not simply a man’s power, but God’s.

Wherever and whenever Jesus has been fully displayed (and the cross has been preached), there has been an immediate and overwhelming response in the hearts of men.

Jesus never really answered their question, “Where is your Father?” The word father is used 21 times in

this chapter, so Jesus did not avoid the issue but faced it honestly. He knew that “their father” was not God–but the devil!

These men were religious, and yet they were the children of the devil. Their further attempts to arrest Jesus were again thwarted by the Father, for it was not yet our Lord’s our when He should give His life. When the servant of God is in the will of God, he can have courage and peace as he does his duty.

Why would John mention the fact that Jesus was near the Treasury when He said these words? Because the temple treasury was very near the council chambers of the Sanhedrin.

(8:22)  “This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?””

   Jesus had already mentioned His leaving them (7:34), but the Jews had misunderstood what He said once again, He warned them: He would leave them, they would not be able to follow Him, and they would die in their sins.

They were wasting their God-given opportunities by arguing with Him instead of trusting Him; and one day soon, their opportunities would end

 

This verse implies several things:

   – There are certain opportunities which come and do not return. To every man is given the opportunity  to accept Christ; but that opportunity can be refused and lost.

– Truth and life are limited. The time to make a decision is limited–and none of us knows what his limit is. There is every reason for making that time now.

 – There is judgment . The greater the opportunity, the more clearly it beckons, the oftener it comes, the greater the judgment if it is refused or missed.

Luke 12:47-48:  “”That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. {48} But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”

    Make no mistake about it…Jesus said they would “die in their sins.” The word for sin is ”hamartia” which onginally had to do with shooting and literally means “a missing of the target.” The man who walks in his sin has missed the target in life.

The other idea is that sin separates us from God. When Adam committed the first sin, his first instinct was to hide himself from God:  

   Genesis 3:8-10:  “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. {9} But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” {10} He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.””

   John 8:22-24)  “This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?” {23} But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. {24} I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.””

   Once again, the people misunderstood His teaching. They thought He was planning to kill Himself! Suicide was an abhorrent thing to a Jew, for the Jews taught to honor all life. If Jesus committed suicide,  then He would go to a place of judgment. And if this were true, whyu would they want to follow Him?

The Christian has his citizenship in heaven; his affection and attention are fixed heavenward.

Philippians 3:20-21: “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, {21} who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”

 

 (John 8:25-27)  “”Who are you?” they asked. “Just what I have been claiming all along,” Jesus replied. {26} “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.” {27} They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.”

It seems incredible that these religious “experts” should ask, “Who are You?” He had given them every evidence that He is the Son of God, yet they deliberately rejected the evidence.

Jesus replied as if to say, “If you don’t believe what I’ve already said and done, I’m not going to give you any new evidence.”

 

Jesus boldly made several claims to deity:

– He said He would judge, and judgment to the Jews belonged only to God

– He claimed to be sent by God

– He claimed to have heard from God the things that He taught

John 8:28-30: “So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. {29} The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” {30} Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him.”

   Certainly, it is clear here that Jesus spoke about His own death, when He would be “lifted up” on the cross (3: 14; 12:32). He would be lifted up in crucifixion and in exaltation and giorification!

It would be His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension that would reveal Himself finally to the Jewish nation. This was the message Peter preached at Pentecost in Acts 2.

Even a Roman soldier, who saw the events of the cross, would say, “truly this man was the Son of God” (Mark 15:29).

The early church, following the example of their Lord (Luke 24:25-27), would show from the Old Testament prophecies both the sufferings and the glory of the Messiah.

Jesus made another stupendous claim: not only was He sent by the Father…but the Father was also pleased with Him.

Salvation is a matter of life or death. People who live in their sins and reject the Savior must die in their sins There is no alternative!

We either receive salvation by grace or experience condemnation under God’s law. We either walk in the light would have eternal life, or walk in die dark-

ness and experience eternal death.

 

JESUS’ CLAIMS TODAY

What are we to think about Jesus today? Most people are willing to accept that Jesus lived and that He was a good man, but many are not willing to accept that He is, indeed, the Son of God.

Jesus made such a view absurd. He did not claim to be just a good man; He claimed to be “I am.” He did not present Himself as a great philosopher; He presented Himself as the only way to the Father. He did not teach that He had special insight into God; He claimed that He was one with the Father.

His bold claims force us to make a choice to believe or reject His true identity. When it comes to Jesus, “whatever” is not an option. In this matter, the furious Jewish leaders with stones in their hands understood what Jesus was saying better than do unbelievers today who talk about how Jesus was “a good man.”

Concerning this, Josh McDowell wrote:

“To Jesus, who men and women believed him to be was of fundamental importance. To say what Jesus said and to claim what he claimed about himself, one couldn’t conclude he was just a good moral man or prophet. That alternative isn’t open to an individual, and Jesus never intended it to be.’

 

Years earlier, C. S. Lewis came to a similar conclusion:

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say

about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His

claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man

and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would

either be a lunatic  on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg–or else he

would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is,

the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool,

you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him

Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great

human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

 

CONCLUSION

What does all of this mean for us today? First, for those who have grown up in the Christian faith, it forces us to move beyond the “Jesus was a nice man” phase of our own spiritual development. As my children grow up, I want them to be impressed at an early age by Jesus’ kindness and gentleness toward children and people who are hurting. Having such a picture of Jesus is good.

However, if my children never grow beyond that picture of Jesus, if they never realize that Jesus was not only gentle but also bold and demanding, then their faith will fail to mature. Jesus claimed to be “I am.” The old saying is true: “Either Jesus is Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all!”

The encounter with Jesus in John 8 hits sleepy, apathetic Christians like a cold slap in the face. Is He who He says He is? If He is not, then why are we still “playing church”? If He is, then why are we not living and working as if nothing else in life matters as much as the Lord Jesus?

To the man or woman who still attends worship services but is not living as a Christian Monday through Saturday, this meeting with Jesus is a call to make a decision. Each of us must stand on the side of faith or on the side of disbelief.

What do you think about Jesus? Was He a blasphemer? Was He a liar? Was He a lunatic? Is He Lord? You must decide! “Whatever” is not an option!

 

Jesus as the “I Am”

Of all the Gospel writers, John places the most emphasis upon the deity of Christ through recording His actual claims about Himself.

When Christ said, “Before Abraham was born, I am” (8:58), the people knew that He was claiming the very name of God that was revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14).

This is why the people tried to stone Him for alleged blasphemy. Christ was and is the eternal I Am. In a series of assertions, He amplified that claim:

 

1. I am the bread of life (6:35).
2. I am the light of the world (8:12; 9:5).
3. I am the door (10:7).
4. I am the good shepherd (10:11, 14).
5. I am the resurrection and the life (11:25).
6. I am the way, the truth, and the life (14:6).
7. I am the true vine (15:1).

Other supporting statements in John include “I and the Father are one” (10:30) and “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (14:9).

Jesus as the One Sent

As Jesus worked to establish His identity and His purpose in the minds of His listeners, He emphasized that He was “sent” from God:

1. Jesus stated plainly that He was sent from the Father (6:57; 7:29; 8:42; 10:36).
2. He said, “He who sent Me is with Me;…” (8:29).
3. He spoke the words of the Father who sent Him (3:34; 7:16; 12:49; 14:24).
4. He did the will, or the works, of the One who sent Him (4:34; 5:30, 36; 6:38, 39; 9:4).
5. The world is called to believe in the One who was sent (6:29; 11:42; 17:8, 21, 23, 25).
6. Jesus said, “No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him;…” (6:44).
7. He said that the Father who sent Him has borne witness of Him (5:37; 8:18).
8. He said, “He who beholds Me beholds the One who sent Me” (12:45).
9. To accept or reject Jesus is to accept or reject the One who sent Him (5:23, 38; 12:44; 13:20).
10. Jesus said that He would go to Him who sent Him (7:33; 16:5).
11. He promised that eternal life would come through knowing the One who was sent (5:24; 17:3).
12. He said that as the Father sent Him, He was sending His disciples (17:18; 20:21).
13. Jesus warned His followers that they would be rejected by those who do not know the One who sent Him (15:21).
14. He said that He and the One who sent Him are true (7:18, 28; 8:16, 26).

[1] D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), p. 337.

[2] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), pp. 436-438.

[3] Carson, pp. 337-338.

[4] This may be due to the fact that up until now they don’t understand who He is claiming to be, strange though this may seem to us (see John 8:27).

[5] “If Jesus really stands in the relationship to God in which He says He does, then no mere man is in a position to bear witness. No human witness can authenticate a divine relationship. Jesus therefore appeals to the Father and Himself, and there is no other to whom He can appeal.” Morris, p. 443.

[6] Carson, p. 341.

[7] William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-1954), vol. 2, p. 44.