“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.” (John 8:12 KJV)
This passage tells us that after those accusers of the woman caught in adultery left, the Lord addressed the crowd. The crowd, after all, watched the whole dramatic scene unfolded, which ended with the woman's climactic ordeal touched by grace. The Lord continued His teaching that was interrupted by the religious leaders, who shoved the woman in their midst. He affirmed as earlier revealed that He is the light of the world (John 1:5; John 3:19-21).
This powerful declaration of the Lord, as with many other times in this gospel of John, invoked for the second time the name of God revealed to Moses, "I AM"(Exodus 3:14). This, He revealed earlier during His preaching to the crowd in Capernaum (John 6:35). Yes, this revelation of the Lord affirms that He is the God who appeared to Moses and was written about by Moses pointing to His coming as the Messiah. This unveiling was already layered by the miracles He performed, by the testimony of John the Baptist and by the writings of Moses and the prophets about Him and His coming.
By the timely unfolding of this declaration in the midst of the feast, the Lord is using the rituals of the celebration as a metaphor to bring the message in. As part of this festival's religious rituals, lamps were lighted. The "light" for the religious Jews was the ultimate symbol for salvation they yearned in their physical suffering from the brutal rule of a foreign Roman power, coupled with zealot religious authorities. The Lord's proclamation "I AM the light of the world" was of eternal importance to all humanity.
This is a revelation of great implication then and for us, now. As we come to our Lord Jesus Christ, not by way of religion, but by faith in Him, we are born again and renewed. We'll never walk in darkness. The Psalmist saw it and declared: “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.” (Psalm 36:9 ESV)
And I say, AMEN!
Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
(When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.)
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
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