The Gospel of John

John 8:12-59: Light and Credibility

If anyone came up to you and said "I am the light of the world," you'd probably say he was nuts. We live in an age of skepticism.

Nobody really believes anything, at least not after it becomes inconvenient. Especially if it's true, and leads to nothing in the way of self-aggrandizement. So, of course the Pharisees, then and now, respond "You are making false claims about yourself."

How do we know Jesus is credible? Can I trust his light to guide my life? Will he really illuminate what I need to see, or is this just another of the many ways to mislead me? "Be wise as serpents," Paul says, regarding checking stories. The Bereans were known for this, searching the scriptures to find what was true.

Jesus says that his witness is true. Why? Because there are two witnesses: himself, and his Father. Now, on the face of it, this sounds like the good-ol'-boy system: "I'll back you up if you'll back me up, and we'll bamboozle the whole bunch and drag 'em down where we are."

Look at what Jesus did. "Go and sin no more," he said to a known prostitute. "Come and see," he said to some men who asked where he lived. Peter watched all of this from his rather extreme viewpoint, and when asked "Are you too wanting to go away?" said "Lord, who else should we go to? Your words have the ring of eternal life! And we believe and are convinced that you are the holy one of God."

They had seen the light with their inner sight. The Holy Spirit had spoken to them, but even he couldn't make headway with the Pharisees who already knew everything. When you live within the cone of your own light, what need have you of more? The hardest thing for Jesus to do is get our attention.

So, what about all this of Jesus and his Father supporting each other? Depends on how you see the character of God. The disciples had lived with him long enough to get a piece of the true picture, and realized that the situation wasn't a mutual back-scratching session. Jesus and his father are the only reliable witnesses we have. Just because we've been burned by others who say they're reliable doesn't mean to reject this seeming self-reverence.

In our world, it's hard to recognize truth. TV, radio, movies, Blogs, all these words blaring forth, all of them claiming to be truth. We really do have to be wise as serpents, and use good tools to separate the great wad of chaff from the few grains of wheat.

Jesus said "If you are faithful to what I have said, you are truly my disciples. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." We, echoing the Pharisees, say "We've never been in bondage to anyone." Oh, the bonds are soft and comfortable, and we've grown up with them. If all the trees on the mountain are twisted, no one knows the difference. Once one tries to stand up, however, rather than emulate this new freedom everyone else gangs up on the one who dared to be difference. Cut 'im off at the knees.

We grow up in a world so raddled by sin that we don't know anything else. It has become normal. We accept all the brutality of our modern world, thinking that this is the way life should be. But it isn't truth! And it sure as Hell isn't freedom.

We fight tooth and nail against freedom. Past broken promises, history, a whole long list of reasons. When Jesus comes along and we begin to scent freedom, well, who knows what will happen? Churches try to tame this impulse, to make it fit in with their system, but Jesus says nothing about systems. He talks much of community.

"Before there was an Abraham, I AM!" Jesus said. Jesus made Abraham, and Abraham was overjoyed at Jesus' coming. He saw the freedom, saw the ending of the old, law-based covenant and the coming of the new. He thought "This is where it's at! Where everything I did was leading! Oh, come the day when all this turmoil is ended. Yay, Jesus!"

Light, folks. That's where it's at. "In the beginning was the word was with God and the word was God. In him appeared life and this life was the light of mankind. This light still shines in the darkness and the darkness has never put it out."

Satan and the Pharisees have no chance. Go where the light is.

posted by Larry @ 9:25 AM