Ep 434 | "I Am The Light Of The World" - Frank Brancato 2/6/2022

It's wonderful to be with all of you.

Today, we have a wonderful crowd and we appreciate you for being

here. We have visitors from other

places, other congregations and even perhaps from the community

and we want to say, welcome and we're so glad you're here.

The last time that I spoke, I announced that on that day I had

planned to start a series on the 7.

I am statements, of Jesus, as found in the Gospel of John and

on that particular. Day.

We had 36 folks that were missing because of covid.

So I thought I would hold off until the next time that I

taught and everybody would be back and I'll start this series

and I do that today on the seven, I am statements of Jesus

and the first one that we want to notice is I am the light of

the world. Now this is not the first one

that Jesus actually said. In fact, I believe the first one

is when Jesus said I am the bread of life.

So I'll just say this in advance, I'm not sure the order

that I will take these and I may not talk on all seven.

But at this point in time I am actually planning on doing so.

But today, I want to talk about the one that we all know, the

one that is very familiar to us. The one that said, I am the

light of the world in John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again

John 8:12

saying I am the light of the world he who follows me shall

not walk in darkness, but have the light of life just to kind

of set this up just before Jesus made this statement, this great

statement. You remember that Jesus was

standing there or kneeling there, we don't know exactly as

it All Began but the Bible says the scribes and Pharisees took a

woman to him that was caught in the very Act of adultery.

I'm not Go into that story in great detail.

Want to make a couple of points because this happened right

before. Jesus said, I am the light of

the world. And they brought a woman to him.

And says, what are you gonna do about this woman?

They said, in our law, it states that caught in the act of

adultery. She was an adulterous, she

should be stoned to death. What are you going to do about

it? Jesus, and Jesus, knelt down and

I don't know what he wrote nobody does, but he took his

finger and he wrote something in the dirt and then he said, let

him who is without sin cast the first stone.

Now, the reason I bring that up is because sometimes people,

often times people use that statement in a general sense.

In other words, everybody sins everybody makes mistakes.

So after all, don't worry about this person or that person

because, you know, he who is without sin, Let Him cast the

first stone. But that's not the context, it's

found in the original. That's not what Jesus meant the

context in the original language, literally Stakes.

Let him who is without this sin cast.

The first stone I made that point because I want to make

another one. Isn't it true?

That it's kind of fitting aren't sometimes.

We in that category. We fall under that category, we

fall under that idea that sometimes were the most critical

and the hardest on people who are guilty of the very same

things that were guilty of It's kind of like you can't handle

your own guilt. The guilt is overwhelming

because of something that you're struggling with a sin that

you're struggling with. So you become extra harsh, and

extra critical on someone else, that's guilty of the very same

things. That is true.

All right. Well, at some point after this,

Jesus gave this, I am statement. He said, I am the light of the

world, now, going back to that. Phrase I am we must go back to

the Old Testament for just a moment.

And remember when God said I am, when God said that in Exodus

Exodus 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3, it was a very pivotal point in Redemptive history.

You remember that Moses was to be the deliverer and Moses was

to be the one to deliver the children of Israel.

Out of Egyptian bondage. And you remember what Moses?

But Moses said when God instructs him and tells him what

he's going to do. Moses says to Things number one.

He says, who am I? That I should go to Pharaoh.

That's number one. But number two, he said, when I

go to your people and I say to them the god of our fathers has

brought me to you when they say, what is his name what am I going

to say? And this is what God said in

response. And God said to Moses, I am who

I am and he said thus you shall say to the children of Israel.

I am has sent me. To you.

I am is his name. and it making that statement, God discloses,

who he is, and what he's like, what is God like, He is eternal.

He is unchanging. He is self-existent, he's

infinite. He's glorious in every way and

above and beyond all created things.

Yes, he is. God, all right, we understand

that they understood that. But what about when Jesus uses

that term? What about when Jesus applies

the statement or the name, I am to himself.

What is he saying? In John chapter 8 and verse 56.

John 8 · chapter mention

Jesus says your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day and he

saw it and was glad They said this in response in verse 57.

Wait a minute. You're not even 50 years old and

you're saying, you've seen Abraham and then Jesus says,

before Abraham was I am I got to tell you, I don't know how many

times in my lifetime I've referred to this passage to

prove that Jesus has always existed.

That Jesus was not a created being that he has always

existed. And that is 100% true.

But when Jesus says before Abraham was, I am, it means more

than just always existed. What does it mean?

It actually means he's Divine. He's saying, I am Eternal.

I am pre-existed. I am infinite, I am perfect.

He's saying the words. I am God.

Now, I want to make a point to you about the godhead, sometimes

people have a hard time grasping the concept of how God says he

is God. And Jesus says, he is God.

And also grasping the concept. When the Bible says, there's

three that bear record in heaven, and we know who they

are. There is God, the Father God,

the son, and God, the Holy Spirit, and sometimes people say

what it is, it's one great big being in three parks.

No, it's three separate percentages working together as

13 in the godhead. They would have understood

though. When Jesus says I am, they knew

he was saying, I am God, he's saying I'm greater than Moses

because I'm the god of Moses. I have life in myself and I give

life to others. And the Jews knew that they were

he was making such a claim and that's why in John, chapter 8

John 8 · chapter mention

and verse 59, it says they immediately took up stones to

kill him. So the seven I am statements and

John May best be understood as falling under and echoing.

This ultimate claim that God or that Jesus Christ.

Is also the god of Israel. I am the light of the world,

they knew exactly what he meant. All right?

So to understand all of this, I know that we're very familiar

with the statement. I am the light of the world but

maybe we might be a little unfamiliar and how it was that

it was received by those religious leaders.

In doing. So let's talk about the

location. Let's go back to what happened

that the specific setting where Jesus spoke these words.

And what we do is we go to John chapter 8 and verse 20, these

John 8 · chapter mention

words Jesus spoke in the treasury.

Now, this sets up everything because Jesus doesn't just speak

these words, just out of thin air, or out of nowhere.

He's capturing the moment. I love that about.

The preaching of Jesus. He's unlike us, he can go to a

setting. He could cease things.

He can notice the people that are there and preach the perfect

sermon. There were people in the

treasury. Now the treasury is the part of

the temple that's found in one of the courtyards called the

court of the women. And in this, when people would

come to the temple, they would give money.

And there were 13 receptacles in the treasury area in the court

of the women. Now, they were open historians.

Say they were a big opening at the top they funneled down into

a narrow opening and people would go to the treasury area.

And they would drop their money down into that receptacle and it

would go into a particular container.

That's how people gave in the treasury.

So we're talking about in the courtyard of the court of the

women. Fowler says this, there was a

system of Courtyards that surrounded, the temple facing,

the sanctuary, and facing the court of the priest or the one,

we always refer to, as the outer Court.

Beyond that, there was the court of men.

Beyond that was the court of the women and beyond that was the

court of the Gentiles. Now, you know, what's

interesting about the court of the Gentiles, people would go

there and actually, I've read historians say this, there were

Merchants there, and basically, those Merchants were there so

people can do their religious shopping.

Why would they do that? If they were coming for an

animal sacrifice, so they needed an animal for the sacrifice.

It was purchased in the court of the Gentiles.

Also, something else there were money changers there because

people that came from everywhere.

They couldn't take foreign currency and put it in the

treasury. So there had to be money

changers to exchange that currency and have it in the

proper denominations. Therefore, they could put it in

the treasury that was in the court of the Gentiles.

But what we're talking about is we're talking about the Court of

the women. It was a place also where the

Widow was there that Jesus remarked and you remember that?

She gave her last two coins and Jesus said, when she gave two

mites, that what she gave was greater than all the others

combined because they gave out of their abundance.

But she gave out of her necessity that was in the court

of women that was in the treasury.

That's where Jesus is standing right now.

Okay, historians. Tell us all.

So there would have been tens of thousands of people right there

in that courtyard during this time.

I tried to wrap my mind around tens of thousands of people and

the reason they were there was they were there for the Feast of

the Tabernacles. And by the way, we'll get back

to Feast of the Tabernacles and just a moment.

I don't know how what it looked like.

I'm just saying this it was a jam packed audience of people.

I don't know how many were there historians say tens of thousands

but there's a ton of people. He's got this enormous audience

and Jesus is going to preach. This sermon.

So here's where they were in the treasury that Jesus is going to

say these works. All right, here we go.

In John chapter 8, and verse 12. At some point in time after he

John 8 · chapter mention

had dealt with that situation with the adulterous woman in

John 8 and verse 12. Then Jesus spoke to them again

saying I am the light of the world.

You know, Jesus never said, I am a light in the world.

He said, I am the light. In the world.

You know, a rabbi could have said a light in the world.

And somebody that leads, somebody out of Darkness.

Also, you as a child of God, you as a Christian, you know what

you are? You are a light in the world.

In fact, Jesus calls us salt of the earth and lights of the

world. Here's the difference.

The True Light is Jesus, not us. We are luminaries broadcasting

the Light of Christ to the world so they could see their way out

of Darkness. That's the difference.

We don't make the statement that we are the light.

Only Jesus can do that. Jesus said, I am the light of

the world and the amazing thing is this they knew exactly what

he meant. When he said I am, he saying I

am God and they got that and infuriated them they wanted to

Stone him to death. Okay?

Number two, he says the light of the world.

You know what he's saying? I'm the Messiah I am God and I

am the Messiah. And that's what that means,

those two things and they hated him for it, those, that rejected

him. He is the Messiah, he is the

true light. And, you know, they would have

understood about the Messianic promises about Jesus Christ and

about the Messiah and incidentally, as a side note

here, they believe that there would be a messiah.

They just rejected the one that got.

They rejected the one that God sent, they rejected Jesus, but

they believed in a messiah. How did they do that?

How do I know that? Isaiah chapter 42 and verse 1?

Isaiah 42 · chapter mention

Behold my servant whom I uphold my elect one in whom, my soul

Delights. I have put my spirit upon Him.

He will bring forth Justice to the Gentiles.

That is the prophetic account in the book of Isaiah about the

Messiah that specific passage is fulfilled and in the New

Testament. In Matthew chapter 12 and verse

Matthew 12 · chapter mention

18 behold my servant whom I have chosen my beloved in whom my

soul. Soul is well pleased.

I will put my spirit upon Him and He will declare Justice to

the Gentiles. Incidentally, who are the

Gentiles? What is meant by Gentiles

plural? The world.

That's what Jesus was claiming. He's the Fulfillment of what

they already knew and always have known.

Interestingly though, you know, Isaiah calls him, the servant a

servant Jesus refers to him also as a servant, in Matthew, 20,

and 28, just as the son of, man, did not come to be served, but

to serve and to give life a give his life a ransom for many.

This passage here is the prophetic fulfillment.

That Jesus would be a servant. He would die for the sins of the

world as The Messiah, but also he wouldn't be empowered by the

Holy Spirit. You know, I don't really

understand everything. It means when we've made the

statement over our lifetimes over and over again, that Jesus

had the Holy Spirit without measure.

Now, the apostles had the miraculous measure of the Holy

Spirit, but they had it within measure.

Jesus had it without measure our Messiah.

When he came to this Earth was going to be a servant and died

for the sins of the world, but he had his Spirit, he had the

spirit, the holy spirit of God without measure.

He was empowered by such to do what to be a light to the world.

Isaiah chapter, 42, and verse 5. The says God, the Lord who

created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread

forth the Earth and that which comes from it, who gives breath

to the people on it and spirit to those who walk on it.

I the Lord have called you into 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.

Again, the light of the world eyes.

Isaiah, 42 and verse 8. I am the Lord, that is my name

and my glory. I will not give to another nor

my praise to carved images. So the Messiah would be a light

plural to the nation's, or to the world.

He would be the Messiah. One more passage Isaiah, 49 and

6. Indeed, he says it's 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.

And by the way, the very next verse says, this, In the King

James version, Isaiah 49 and seven.

It says the Redeemer of Israel and His holy one.

So, He's God, I am. He's infinite, he's unchanging.

He has always existed. He will continue to always

exist. He is all of that.

What else though, when he was on the earth, and before his

sacrifice, when Jesus came to be the servant, to be sacrificed

for the people, he became Our Savior.

Jesus Is Our Savior now, but he's not a servant.

Anymore. He was a servant while he was on

the earth. Now, he is the king and we honor

him, and we serve him. He is our Shepherd, and we are

the sheep and we follow him. That's what Jesus is.

But Jesus Is Only Our Savior while the life still exists in

Us in the world. Because on that last day, when

God puts an end to all of it, he no longer will be the savior.

He will be the judge. So that's why Christians.

That's why we serve him as our King.

Now, we have obeyed. The gospel he died for our sins,

but he's not the servant anymore.

He's the king and we honor him. So, let's talk about light, for

example, like is a magnificent metaphor and it's the active

power that dispels Darkness. So, let's notice Jesus is the

light of Truth. That dispels, the darkness of

falsehood. He is the light of wisdom that

dispels the darkness of ignorance.

He's the light of Holiness that dispels the darkness of

impurity, he is the light of joy that dispels the darkness of

Sorrow. He is the light of life that

dispels the darkness of death. That is a wonderful picture of

Jesus, and he has the name, I am, I am the light of the world

claiming to be God. And also the Messiah, Psalm 27

and verse 1. The Lord is my light and my

salvation first John chapter 1 and verse 5, God is light and in

1 John 1 · chapter mention

him is no Darkness at all, okay? So they understood that They

understood what he meant. My question is this?

When he calls himself the light of the world.

Why here, why now? Not out of the blue.

I think he was seizing the moment.

I think he was capitalizing on the moment.

What do I mean by that? You know, Jesus had done that

many times. Like for example, can't you just

picture in your mind's eye? When Jesus is preaching and all

of a sudden he gives the parable of the sower, maybe he looked

over there and saw a cornfield and said, behold A sower goes

forth to sow and then he says and he talks about the various

kinds of soil, they could look exactly to that place and know

exactly what he meant. What was he doing?

Seizing the opportunity. He was capturing the moment like

he did so many times and that's exactly what he's doing right

now. I said we get back to this.

Here we go. The time was the Feast of the

Tabernacles, that was the ritual feasts that happen back under

the law of Moses and what they did and at the Feast of the

Tabernacles began. And by the way, I don't know

what it looked like. So this picture that I'm going

to show you for what it's worth, just gives you an idea.

Idea of the descriptive historians words about it.

I don't know what it looked like, but there were candelabras

that were placed throughout the court.

And what they would do is they would like them and they would

burn all night long. In fact, historians say, they

literally filled the court of women with the capability of

light every night. They would go around and like

these large candles. In fact, it was also called by

the Jews. The illumination of the temple

and Reason they did this was because the Feast of the

Tabernacles was a celebration of the 40 years that the children

of Israel were in the wilderness.

How were they LED? By light, they were led by light

a pillar of fire, and also a lighted Cloud.

That's how they knew where to go.

That's how they were Guided by God.

So, the Feast of the Tabernacles, it was a particular

celebration of that time. So, how did they do it?

They would put these candelabras up and they would like them and

they would burn and it would give light Illuminating Light in

the area. There's some interesting

descriptions by historians listen to this ancient

historians who described it as a stunning Vision, described it as

a diamond in the midst of the city of Jerusalem.

Another said it was like floodlights coming across its

perimeter walls. Another said, every night they

were lit and the temple became a flashing Diamond.

A symbol of the pillar of the fiery light and Cloud that led

them in the wilderness and some even said, That they could be

heard by quoting the words of Isaiah 42 and 6 and Isaiah 49 +

6, which says I will be a light to the Gentiles.

All right. I can just picture Jesus

standing there. I don't know, maybe at the time

that they were lighting. Those candelabras. and maybe he

said, he saw him lighting and he says, oh, I'm the light of the

world. Or maybe it's even better.

Maybe he was there earlier when they were lighting them, but

maybe now they've gone out, maybe they're extinguished.

And maybe Jesus looks at one of those extinguished candelabras

and says, I am the light of the world and I never go out.

And if you follow me, you will have the light of life.

Maybe that was the setting. Maybe that's what how it was.

When Jesus said those words, I am the light of the world and I

don't go out. If you follow me, the light will

never go out. You will never walk in darkness,

but you will have the light of life.

It's truly a profound moment. So what does it mean to follow

me? What did Jesus mean by that?

I got to tell you there's folks in the world to have All manner

of ideas of what it means to follow.

Jesus. I'm going to do something

though. I've never really done this.

I'm going to just look at the word and its ancient usage.

The word follow. The same word that Jesus used.

Let's look at the ancient usage of this word.

It's used as a soldier follows a commander, it's used as a slave

follows his master, it's used as a sinner turns to follow the

law. It's used as a student follows,

a teacher to be a follower of Jesus means to give your life

totally to him. That's what it means to follow

Jesus. you know, the antagonism when Jesus said this arises

immediately, He says I am the light of the world, I'm God.

And I'm the Messiah. I'm the Fulfillment of all the

prophetic accounts about the Messiah.

That's me. I'm the light of the world, not

just a light in the world. I am the light of the world and

I never go out. And you know, what they said,

look at what they said in response to this the Pharisees

therefore said to him, you bear witness of yourself.

Your witness is not true. Interesting.

You know what they were referring to, they were

referring to their law. That states, you can't make an

assertion, you can't make a statement and you can't make a

claim. If it could not be substantiated

by two witnesses. At least that's what they're

saying. Wait a minute.

You say that you're God, you say that you're the Messiah.

No, we're not going to believe that because you bear witness of

yourself and you can't do that. Your witness is not true because

no one else can confirm it. Had to be confirmed by at least

two witnesses. Notice the Lord's response

though in John chapter 8, 14 through 18.

John 8 · chapter mention

Listen to this. Jesus answered and said to them.

Even if I bear witness of myself, my witness is true.

For I know where I came and where I am going but you do not

know where I come from or where I'm going.

You judge according to the flesh.

I judge no one and yet, if I do judge, my judgment is true for.

I am not alone but I am with the father who sent me.

It is also written in your law that the testimony of man of

two. Men is true.

Notice I am Who Bears witness of myself and the father who sent

me bear with bears witness of me, there's your two right

there. There's your two right there.

What's amazing to me is their response.

Then they said to him, where's your father?

And Jesus answered, you know, neither me, nor my father, if

you had known me, you would have known my father.

Also, these words spoke in the treasury as he taught in the

temple and no one laid hands on him for his hour had.

Not yet come folks. This is how unbelief operates

please get this. This is how unbelief operates.

It's really true. Unbelief operates in this way

because unbelief never has enough proof never.

It never has enough proof. If somebody is going to say, I

don't believe because of rejection.

There's never enough proof to change that.

Never Unbelief. Never has enough prove.

It should have been enough. Jesus had power over sickness

and death and blind eyes. He had powers over nature.

He had all the wonderful things in, which he said, in fact, the

Bible says he spoke as one with authority.

Like, no one had ever spoke before.

They should have known. But they didn't believe.

You know why? Again, because unbelief never

has enough proof. It just doesn't And John 7:17.

John 7:17

if anyone Wills to do his will He shall know concerning the

doctrine, whether it's from God, or whether I speak on my own.

Notice that phrase right there. If anyone Wills to do his will

he shall know the he shall know concerning the doctrine.

Now, I'm going to tell you, this tells me that you will know the

doctrine, and you will know it's true.

If you are willing to know that it's true, Have you ever heard

somebody say? How do, you know for sure?

There's all kinds of opinions out there and all kinds of

different beliefs out there. How do you know how do I know

how do I know that I'm following the word of God?

Jesus said these words, you're going to know.

The will of God, you're going to know the doctrine and you're

going to know that. It's true.

If what you're willing, you got to be willing.

You have to go into it with a willing mind that when the word

of God tells us something about Jesus and tells us something

about which we should do in practice.

If we have a desire and a will to know, we will know You know,

it's a safer condition if unbelief is because of

ignorance. Okay.

In other words, if I'm a person that doesn't know anything about

the scriptures and my unbelief is because of ignorance because

I've never heard it before, and the evidence has not been

brought to me, guess what? No problem. if my unbelief is

because of ignorance, I still have hope because I just need

the information and then therefore, I can change and I

can believe, but If a person's ignorance is because of

unbelief. Oh, not good.

Because you know what? That is.

That's willful ignorance, and willful rejection.

So if a person doesn't believe yet, they just need the

information, that's great. But you have to be willing and

Jesus is speaking to a pharisaic audience that were not willing.

They were absolutely not willing.

You know, I'm going to tell you we could pick up the Bible.

We could pick up the scriptures and we know it to be true.

I've had people say to me. How do you know it's true?

Well, it's in the Bible. Yeah.

But how do you know? It's just a book because it's in

the Bible. And by faith, I know, that's

fact. No problem, right?

but, Think about this. I did not stand in the midst of

Jesus himself and see him. Perform these miracles.

I don't really know for absolute certain but this is just kind of

my assumption. I would imagine if I had a

willing heart and I had the right heart, I would have

believed in Jesus, right? Then?

And there he too had me. You like, my dad used to say,

you know, he had all the votes. Absolutely, if I saw that with

my own eyes, I think I would have followed him.

I think it would have been easy to follow Jesus when he would

raise the dead and perform the Miracles that he performed, I

would think that's enough. But those people back then.

They saw all that evidence. They heard all of his teaching.

And they said, no. Their unbelief was not because

of ignorance, their ignorance was because of unbelief that's

willfully ignorant. That is Willful rejection.

So where does that leave us today?

I'm so thankful for all that Jesus has done.

I'm so thankful for the sacrifice that he made.

I'm so thankful that he was willing to empty himself as the

Bible, says, emptied himself. I'm so thankful to Hebrews 12

and 2 says looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our

faith. Who for the joy that was set

before him, endured the cross despising, the shame and is set

down at the right hand of the Throne of God.

I'm so thankful for that too. Where does that leave us?

Where that leaves us is our obedience to the word of God.

So, are you willing? If you are willing, Jesus said

himself, you will know the doctrine.

You will know the truth, if you're willing Are you hearing

the sound of my voice and you're not a Christian?

Let me ask you this. Are you willing got to have a

willing heart? Jesus has brought all the

evidence and what did Jesus say when he was here?

Jesus gave us the Plan of Salvation.

Jesus says that a man must first believe he that believeth and is

baptized shall be saved. But he that believeth not shall

be damned. You have to believe with the

forced to obey. That's not just accepting facts

about Jesus. That's saying, I believe to the

point that I'm going to follow him and do exactly what he says.

What else did he say? Luke 13 and 3.

I tell you. No, but except you repent, you

will all likewise perish. We have to change our life.

It begins with the changing mind, we change our life and it

leads to the best part. It changes.

Our relationship with the Lord. That's great stuff.

What else did Jesus say? Jesus said, if you confess me

before men, I will confess you before my Father, which is in

heaven and the Bible tells us what that confession is.

I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God.

Those things are leading up to pointing toward the point of

salvation, but it's when we go down to the Waters of baptism

that we contact the blood of Jesus and have our sins washed

away. First, Peter 3:21 says, the like

figure whereunto even baptism doth also.

Now, save us, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh,

but the answer of a good conscience toward God, by the

resurrection of. Jesus Christ to be baptized into

Jesus Christ. Have your sins washed away and

secondly, and wonderfully. Jesus himself will add you to

his church. The one that died for your sins.

The one that now is our King and savior.

You've never taken those steps. We would encourage you to do

that. We'd love to assist you in that.

Maybe you have and maybe there are things in your life that

aren't what they should be. Maybe you have some things that

you need to correct public things.

Perhaps if that's the case, then repent of those things confess,

those things and we'll pray with you and for you, and God will

forgive and restore. We thank you for listening to

our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.

Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional

information, or you would like to receive a free Bible

correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at her

Church of Christ Bakersfield.com.

Our service times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and

Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us.

We would love for you to be our honored guest.