Week 19 Day 4

The Daily Take 10

The Gospel of John

Week 19 Day 4

Introduction…Jesus bluntly told the religious leaders that they had no real knowledge of God. Imagine. Religious leaders without God. What a travesty! What a sham! But it is not uncommon even today when in the name of religion, people are killing others and call evil good and good evil. The judgment of Jesus and the Father is perfect. Stay tuned.

Read John 8:12-20 “So Jesus again continued to speak to them. ‘I am the Light of the World,’ he said. ‘He that follows me will not walk in darkness, but he will have the light of life.’ So the Pharisees said to him: ‘You are bearing witness of yourself. Your witness is not true.’ Jesus answered: ‘Even if I do bear witness about myself, my witness is true because I know where I came from and where I am going to. You form your judgments on purely human grounds. I do not judge anyone. But if I do form a judgment, my judgment is true because I am not alone in my judgment, but I and the Father who sent me join in such a judgment. It stands written in your law that the witness of 2 persons is to be accepted as true. It is I who witness about myself and the Father who sent me also witnesses about me.’ They said to him: ‘where is your Father? ‘ Jesus answered: ‘you neither know me nor my Father. If you had known me you would know my Father too.’ He spoke these words in the treasury while he was teaching in the Temple precints and no one laid violent hands upon him because his hour had not yet come.”

Bible Study

• Jesus was teaching in the Temple in Jerusalem where many people came daily to worship, pay their tithes and offerings and it is there most likely with the lighting of the 4 great candelabras, a ceremony called The Illumination of the Temple, that He makes the true claim that He is the Light of the World.
• In other words, the lighting ceremony is impressive and the pomp and circumstance is a ‘grabber’, but it only lasts a while. What you see is religion and form, but what you hear and see in me has the power to save and is lasting.
• Jesus makes clear that He is the light come from God to mankind and that He gives light, or life to those who follow Him.
• Jesus speaks in this passage about following Him. The word in Greek, akolouthien has deep meaning:
  • This word depicts a soldier following his officer. Christ is our commander in life.
  • This word depicts a slave accompanying his master. Wherever the master goes the servant attends and springs into action to serve his master.
  • This word is used when accepting wise counsel. Following the wise counsel of our Lord and Counselor, Prince of Peace.
  • This word is used when giving obedience to the governing laws. Abiding by the laws of God and His Kingdom.
  • This word is used when following a teacher’s thought process or training. The words go deep and penetrate the thinking and flow into action.

• Jesus made a bold claim to be the Light of the World, since that describes God.
  • Psalms 27:1 says, “The Lord is my light.”
  • Isaiah 60:19 says, “The Lord will be your everlasting light.”
  • Job 29:3 says, “By His light I walked through darkness.”
  • Micah 7:8 says, “When I sit in darkness the Lord will be a light to me.”
• Living in the Light of His Presence makes us smarter and wiser in life than we really are or would ever be on our own. “Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path.” Psalms 119:105

Application

• “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young, page 41

“I am above all things: your problems, your pain and the swirling events in this ever changing world. When you behold My Face, you rise above circumstances and rest with Me in heavenly realms. This is the way of Peace, living in the Light of My Presence. I guarantee that you will always have problems in this life, but they must not become your focus. When you feel yourself sinking in the sea of circumstances, say “Help me Jesus!” and I will draw you back to Me. If you have to say that thousands of times daily, don’t be discouraged. I know your weakness and I meet you in that very place.”

Tags: Take 10

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