Sunday, January 31, 2021 ~ The Book Of John ~ Series: LOVED BY JESUS ~ Message: The Light ~ Scripture: John 8:12-30 ESV ~ Pastor Philip Miller

Would you join me for Care40? You can sign up to participate at this link.

Every week throughout Lent, I will be sending you an email with specific ideas for how we can reflect Christ’s care through tangible acts of love to those the Lord has placed in our lives.

On February 14, we’ll be kicking off our Care40 campaign to show the love of Jesus to Chicago over the 40 days leading up to Easter. Each day we’ll choose specific ways we’ll extend care to our family, friends, and neighbors in the name of Jesus. I can’t imagine a better way to help us navigate this pandemic, than a deliberate cultivation of the habits of care and service for one another.

One way to do that as a church family is to focus our attention on others, seeking ways to show and share with them the love of Jesus.

Believe it or not, Easter is approaching quickly. Down through the years, followers of Jesus have used the season of Lent to deliberately focus attention on the things of God. The season is meant to remind us of Christ’s sacrifice and his suffering on our behalf—the greatest act of love and care the world has ever seen.

I Am the Light of the World

12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13 So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. 17 In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. 18 I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” 19 They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet coke.

21 So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23 He said to them, “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, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” 25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning.26 I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” 27 They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. 28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. 29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” 30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

SERMON NOTES

Sunday, January 31, 2021

The Book Of John 

Series: LOVED BY JESUS

Message: The Light

Scripture: John 8:12-30 ESV

Pastor Philip Miller

The Light: Bad Things Grow in the Dark

In this sermon, we explore Jesus' second "I Am" statement: "I am the light of the world."  This is important analogy helps us unpack Jesus' true identity. Light is a theme that runs clear across the pages of Scripture, from very beginning to very end. It’s within this Biblical narrative, this arc of light, that we begin to see the brilliance of what Jesus is doing here in John 8. 

The passage is broken down in three parts:

A Dazzling Claim (v. 12–20)

• Jesus is the new glory cloud blazing the way of life.

1) A Dazzling Claim: In the ancient world, light was a much bigger deal than now. Without lights, the darkness wasn’t just inconvenient, it was deadly dangerous. Light equals warmth, protection, guidance, and hope. Light is life. So when Jesus says “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life, ” he is saying, essentially, “I am life itself.” If you want life – true, real, abundant LIFE – follow him. 

Jesus is the new glory cloud blazing the way of life. He presents himself as the light, the fiery glory cloud come to lead the whole world into life, and yet the Pharisees are looking for a way to snuff him out. And Jesus says the reason they can’t see the light is that they’re blinded to who he is and blind to who the Father is.

12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13 So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. 17 In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. 18 I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” 19 They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet coke.

 A Piercing Danger (vs. 21–27)

• The glory cloud is about to depart, follow while you can.

2) A Piercing Danger:  So, what if you don’t believe in the fiery cloud? What if you’re trying to catch it in a contradiction? What if it’s standing right in front of you and you’re so blinded you can’t even see it? Well then, when it departs, all hope is lost. Jesus proclaims a warning to those who don't want to see him for who he is: the glory cloud is about to depart, follow while you can. But they again misunderstand him. So Jesus must clarify for them again that he is the "I AM" of scripture, and unless you believe that I AM, you will die in your sins. This is a piercing warning.

21 So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23 He said to them, “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, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” 25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning.26 I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” 27 They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. 

A Blazing Proof (vs. 28–30)

• Jesus’ glory will shine in unmistakable radiance.

3) A Blazing Proof: Whenever Jesus uses this language of being “lifted up” he is always referring to the cross; when he is lifted up and will draw all people to himself. And here’s the irony; they will do it. “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I AM.” (John 8:28​) Here, Jesus is saying that his glory will shine in unmistakable radiance when they kill him. Then his glory be revealed for all the world to see. 

28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. 29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” 30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

Takeaways:

• Come to the Light

• Walk in the Light

• Share the Light

PASTOR TO PEOPLE

John 8 ESV and Audio

Scripture: John 8:12-30 ESV

The Book Of John 

Series: LOVED BY JESUS

Message: The Light

Scripture: John 8:12-30 ESV

Pastor Philip Miller

Message: The Light

Sunday, January 31, 2021

 “The Light of the World is Jesus” 1875 Philip P. Bliss

Image: “Jesus The Light of the World”

WELCOME

Sunday, January 31, 2021

The Book Of John 

Series: LOVED BY JESUS

Message: The Light

Scripture: John 8:12-30 ESV

Pastor Philip Miller

Scripture Reading John 1:1-14 ESV

John 1 ESV

Audio: John 1 ESV

The Word Became Flesh

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.