Jesus, The Light Of The World (10/22/2000)

The Feast of Tabernacles and the Lighting of the Temple

Let's turn to John chapter 7 this morning. That was the Lord's Prayer pattern that he taught us and then by his holy spirit. He teaches us each moment how to pray. He gave us the pattern. And then he gives us the words.

For the specific needs for his purpose. I want to speak to you this morning about the lighting of the temple. We talked a little bit last sunday about the feast of the tabernacles. And so we continue that theme this morning.

And if you remember last time there were two important aspects of that Time of the year when all of the men of israel were required to come to jerusalem. One was called the pouring of the water. And if you remember they mixed the water with wine.

And picturing the blood and the water. I believe it came from the side of the lord. Jesus christ At his crucifixion. And we talked about that last time there is a second event that takes place During this festival every year and it's called the lighting of the temple.

In fact that they light the temple so bright that it almost lights the whole city. And so let's talk about that part of this feast this morning. Um, let's look at john chapter 7 in verse 1 and 2 just to Introduce this again in case you weren't here last time.

It'll kind of show you Where this all begins and we're going to end up over here in john chapter 8 and verse 12 for this morning's message. But first of all john 7 1 and 2 after these things jesus walked in galilee.

For he would not walk in jury. Because the jews sought to kill him. Now the jews feast of tabernacles Was at hand and so that's the time period. The very time period of this feast. It's in the seventh month, which is now it was uh Just in the last past week.

The feast of the tabernacles is this time of the year. It's there. It's the fall festival that god gave his people. Let me read you this little description of it from last sunday's message the festive pilgrims Come to the temple bearing lights and torches while in the temple.

Itself the golden candlesticks were lighted transforming the temple into a brilliant focus of light which illuminated most of jerusalem. And i've read that there were four enormous golden candlesticks 50 cubits In height each isn't a cubit about as far as from here to here.

So it's more than 50 feet tall. And four youth would climb ladders with 10 gallons each Of pure oil and fill the lamps with oil and i've also read that They would use the old worn-out liturgical clothing.

And they wadded it up and used that for wicks and So it would light The temple area. In fact, there were more lights than this and it lit the whole city. And so you can imagine these people remember there were little tents put up everywhere.

The people were dwelling in tents because the lord had told them to do that To commemorate the wandering in the wilderness and god's provision and it also pictures The coming millennial period. Even the rabbis believe that because when the 70 Bullocks are offered they say that that represents the 70 gentile nations of the world.

And how someday god will bring them into the fold. Although they probably didn't like that part too much. They did understand it and they Talked about it at this time of the year. Now let's go and look at just a couple more verses in chapter 7 and that'll bring us uh A good introduction into chapter 8 where we're going to be this morning.

John 7 in verse 10. But when his brethren were gone up. Then went he also up into the feast not openly but as it were in secret. Then the jews sought him at the feast and said where is he? And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him for some said he is a good man.

Others said nay, but he deceives the people. And then look at verse 37. In the last day that great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me as the scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

And there's no reason to believe anything other than that this took place at the uh climax of the pouring of the water. That they did every year at this time and jesus stood and perhaps pointed at the water and said I am the water.

And then in verse 43 There was division among the people because of him. You have to understand the jews knew what jesus meant because they're thinking with the jewish mind and when he would claim To be the son of god.

When he would say things like I am the water. They didn't have to guess what he was saying. So there was great division among the people in verse 46. They asked the officers. Why didn't you arrest him as we told you to?

And look what the officer's answer was in verse 46. The officers answered never a man spake like this man. They heard his words and it affected their lives. They couldn't arrest him. And then verse 50 nicodemus Dealt with these pharisees.

Now the pharisees went and met behind closed doors at this point. And began to debate what they should do about this awful fix that they were in. There's a man out here claiming to be the water of life.

And uh, so they're debating about this they're wanting to have him killed and so forth. Nicodemus is an interesting character. He was dealt with in chapter 3 of john. In fact the whole chapter he's the one jesus was speaking to God's working in his heart.

By the time we get to verse 50. It's quite a few days later. Than chapter 3. He may already be saved if he's not at least we know the lord's working in his heart towards that end. And nicodemus said unto them He that came to jesus by night being one of them.

Doth our law judge any man before it hear him and know what he doeth? And they answered and said to him art thou also of galilee search and look for out of galilee ariseth no prophet. Did anyone ever?

Read and determine where jonah came from one of the greatest prophets of israel. So these pharisees were inaccurate when they made this statement. Every man went unto his own house is how the chapter closed in verse 53.

Now that's a sad ending to this episode the curtain falls. And everyone goes to their own house, which means they have now nationally rejected the messiah. The one that they had spoken of through all their history presented himself in public and said I am he.

And they all just walked away. And that brings us now to Chapter 8 and to another day. The next day there are some people who have tried to claim that the first Verses verses 1 through 11 are not really in the scriptures.

And that can easily be proven false by the internal evidence of this passage. But I don't have time to get into that this morning and i'm not really preaching about this part about the woman taken in adultery but when you start with Chapter 8 verse 1. It says jesus went unto the mount of olives.

And early in the morning he came again into the temple and all the people came unto him and he sat down and taught them. And the scribes and the pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery. Now I'm not going to teach on this story this morning many of you are familiar with it.

But one thing i'll tell you Is that this story is so different? That there have been many people throughout the ages who have tried to remove it from this passage of scripture and say it doesn't belong there.

The reason they said that in the early days is because they were trying to make a prudish Effort to keep a story like this from creating immorality among the people. That's what their fear was. But anyone who reads this passage In the spirit of god will understand that no human pen could have written this story.

There's no way this story would have ended this way if a man had written it. And so this story is divinely inspired of god. In fact, it's used as a perfect backdrop against The spiritual lesson jesus is about to teach.

He's about to proclaim himself to be the light of the world. Now remember you have to picture yourselves being in jerusalem. They've just done the pouring of the water. In fact, they've done that every day for seven days and the last day they circled seven times and they Poured the water and mixed the water with the wine.

And he stood and said I am the water of life. And then they went home. And then he comes back the next day and we find ourselves at the first part of chapter eight. And he begins to teach the people again and they have this temple.

So beautifully lighted they all have been thinking about the light. And he proclaims that he is the light of the world against that backdrop. So let's look down at verse 12. Let's start with verse 11 that kind of closes out the um Physical example that jesus used to teach about light.

And you see the men the religious men of his day could not understand what took place between verses 1 and 11. He says in verse 11. She said well, let's look at verse 10 when jesus had lifted himself and Saw none, but the woman He said unto her woman.

Where are those thine accusers hath no man condemned thee? She She said no man lord. And jesus said unto her neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more. There's no way that the physical fleshly heart could understand that light.

There's no way that a carnal man whether he be religious or not could have understood what jesus just said. It appeared to them to violate their own law. And yet it did not. But only with the light of god.

Could you have that understanding? And today we still have a problem with the last phrase in verse 11 where he said Go and sin no more because we're so used to seeing people. Come to evangelistic crusades and go down the front and get quote saved.

And then go back and live a life of sin for the rest of their lives and we say well you know, they just I don't know what's happening here, but uh, it's really sad. But you know when jesus saved somebody I like the old testament word for salvation is the word deliver.

He delivered them. And that's why he could tell her go and do that sin no more the sin of adultery. Don't do that anymore. And i'll guarantee you one thing. I know one person I can name in the scriptures that never committed that sin again.

I can really name two, but here's one right here this lady. She never did that sin again, I don't think king david did either after about psalm 52 was over. And uh, so you see salvation is not just the exchange from the destiny of Going from hell and then going to heaven.

That's what's been taught the last. What 25 years? In fact, if one really understands the scripture one understands that no one that goes to heaven was ever really headed for hell. But yet that's what's been taught.

And People have talked that the whole idea of salvation is a one-time experience when I got saved and it meant that my ticket Changed from hell and now it's going to heaven never has been the truth about it.

But that's what's been taught. And so all of the emphasis is on the one-time experience. Stand up and tell me when and where. Tell me when you got saved and where you were. Glory, hallelujah. Well, that is wonderful.

Because there couldn't be a life without a birth and I understand that. But our salvation experience was a birth. Into a new life of living a life for eternity for our lord. And it was also a deliverance from sin and from slavery and from the habits of the past.

They couldn't understand this without light and people today in churches all over this country can't understand it today. Especially the last part where it says go and sin no more. That's why our churches are filled with fornication and adultery and i'll tell you what.

You almost cringe to send a young couple to any church because that might be the very place where the man loses his wife to another man. Right there in church. And there's a lot of wife swapping going on in churches across this country and a lot of them are deacons.

And they remain deacons. It's because there's no light. Now let's go into verse 12. 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. The pharisees therefore said to him thou barest record of thyself thy record is not true. Jesus answered and said to them though I bear record of myself yet My record is true for I know whence I came and whether I go but you cannot tell whence I came And whether I go.

Now I want to stop there. We're going to read some more of the scriptures. But I don't want to read through the whole passage for sake of time. But let's look at verse 12. In verse 12, there are two kinds of light spoken of and That's not seen just by reading at one time, but through study of the whole passage.

You will see this i'm sure. He starts off saying I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness But shall have the light of life. Now This divides pretty easily into three sections, I believe.

When he says on the light of the world, he's speaking of one kind of light. He's speaking of the kind of light that shines on every man that comes into the world. It is the light of intellect. It is the light of Being able to tell moral differences between things.

It is the light of conscience. And every human being has this light. And it is he is jesus christ is obviously that light. And then he comes in and gives us a second point we could discuss and that is he says he that followeth me shall not Walk in darkness, which implies very clearly that those who don't follow him Do walk in darkness.

So we speak of the light that comes on every man in the world, which is the light of intellect and conscience. And then we speak of a certain form of darkness that is upon all those who don't follow jesus.

And then the third point we see is a different kind of light which he calls the light of life. Which only those who belong to him have? So I think we could discuss those things uh this morning. Maybe not all of them, but we'll get started.

Now i've got a little lesson. I want to do some other time. On the internal evidence that verses 1 through 11 belong in your bible. I'm, not going to take time to to do that this morning. But there are many modern scholars who say this is not found in the best and oldest manuscripts.

You got to watch that phrase anywhere you see it. Because one of the best manuscripts that they call the best oldest manuscript is called the Sinaticus. Which was found in the sinai peninsula. In an ancient monastery and it was found in the room where they kept their trash.

It was on the trash heap. And that's supposed to be one of the greatest and oldest manuscripts. Well augustine made this he declared that. This portion of scripture was stricken from many copies of the sacred story.

Because of a prudish fear that it might teach immorality. So augustine gives us a little history. Going back to oh, I guess ad 300 or so. He gives us some history that uh, this portion really was in the originals.

But it had been stricken by people who didn't want it because they were afraid it taught immorality. So i'm not going to go into that any further today. Let's get into this concept of light. First of all let's talk about Where jesus says I am the light of the world.

The first type of light that's spoken of it's on the backdrop of the story of the woman caught in adultery. And and that story teaches the grace of god. As well as any story in the whole bible. He says neither do I condemn thee.

Go and sin no more. It is a perfect introduction to understanding the light of christ. There are three places in the scripture. That I can find where the bible says god is something. God is something.

Other than the place in exodus 3 14 when he says he is the great is he says I am I am if he if he had been saying that in texan if the king james were written in texan, he'd say I is. But he said I am.

But there are three other places besides this one is found in john 4 24. And it says god is a spirit. Another one is found in first john 4 8 and it says for god is love. And then we have this one. It's also echoed in first john 1 5.

It simply says god is light. Light. So god is spirit. God is love. God is light. Speaks of the very essence of god. It's kind of an interesting thing to note that the first three gospels Speak of jesus against the backdrop of the jewish nation.

But john is not that way. John speaks of jesus as who he is in essence the son of god. And it makes a little bit of difference in some of the things that are taught. Because the emphasis is on jesus the person jesus christ and who he is in essence the very son of god.

In the book of john matthew mark and luke primarily deal with him with how he relates to the jewish nation and. So we get these little backdrops and let's go and let's look at the first idea the light of the world.

I believe this means Moral and intellectual light. As well as the light of conscience. I am the light of the world. He is saying I am the one who has bestowed intelligence and moral sensibility on all men.

The jew and the gentile the whole world the entire human race. And this is one of the things of course that makes man be different than the animals. And so jesus is the light of the world in that sense in john 1 4.

It says in him was life and the life was the light of men. In john 1 5 it says and the light shineth in darkness and the darkness Comprehended it not. In john 1 9 it says that was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

We speak of this Light of sensibility or intellect or conscience in romans chapter 1 verse 19. It says because that which may be known of god is manifest in them. That means everyone lost and saved every human being every part of the human race.

For god hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made by his creation. Even his eternal power and godhead so that they are without excuse.

Romans 2 15 says which show the work of the law written in their hearts their conscience also Bearing witness and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing One another. So we see this type of light talked about in other places in scripture and.

Now let's look at the phrase where it says. I am the light of the world. Let's look at the phrase of the world for a minute. And I want you to Take some notes on this part if you would this morning. There's an awful lot of confusion out there in religious circles and especially Among the preachers.

I believe I think the preachers are more confused about this than the people are. And so the people get confused by listening to different voices. What does the bible mean when it says the world? Have you ever wondered I mean we've spoken about it from here before.

But I want to try to make it simple this morning because I don't think it's difficult. I think the most difficult problem that we have today is that we have lost good interpretative measures. We have not been taught how to properly interpret the scriptures.

How to use the context how to use the grammar? How to use parallel passages in the bible other passages that teach the same thing the same truth. So that we can be sure what a certain word means there are many words that Have different meanings in the english language and certainly in the greek language.

And the only way we can tell the meaning meaning is by the context that the word is found in. And this word world Certainly is such a word. So I want to give you Several uses of this word that are found in the scriptures.

Because it comes to play in understanding this particular passage that we're in today. Let me give you five different usages. And the only way you can tell which the true meaning of the word is is by the context.

Now there is another word that can be translated world. And that is the word aeon which sounds like eon in english. And uh that could be translated age. So i'm not talking about that word that makes it easy if you go to the greek and you find out the word world means Aeon, it just means the age.

But most of the places in the new testament. It's from the word cosmos. And this becomes difficult because this word can have several different meanings. Let me tell you what they are and i'll give you some scriptural examples.

And then I want to come back to our verse here. Where jesus says I am the light of the world and we'll see if we can figure out which word it means here. First of all, it can mean the ungodly lost world world.

Um, it can mean the seed of satan the ungodly lost world. Let me give you an excellent example of that second peter chapter 2 verse 5. And he spared not the old world. But saved noah the eighth person a preacher of righteousness bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly.

Another one. So you we might call this the world of the ungodly. Now sometimes in scripture all you'll see is a verse it'll say the word world in there. And you don't know what it means, but it means the world of the ungodly it can mean that.

And the only way you know it is by the context whereas other verses make it very obvious such as second peter 2 5. It literally says the world of the ungodly. So that's one kind of world that's spoken of in the bible.

You find that same world spoken of very clearly in first john 5 19. And the interesting thing about first john 5 19 is it uses the modifier whole world. It says the whole world and you would think by normal rules of grammar that that has to mean every human being in the world.

But it does not mean every human being in the world and it's clear from the context. The only way you can tell is by the context first. John 5 19 and we know that we are of god. And the whole world lieth in wickedness.

Now if whole world meant every human being then it would also mean that all of god's children lie in the wicked one. And we know that's not true. So the context teaches us that the word world in first john 5 19 is the world of the wicked the world of the ungodly.

Matthew i'm, sorry first john 3 and verse 1. Behold what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of god therefore the world Knoweth us not. What world would you think that is?

Is that every human? Well what humans does this refer to someone tell me the lost world. The world knoweth us not because it knew him not so this world of people don't know god. Now it's interesting to put matthew 7 23 together with it because turns around and says he doesn't know them either.

In matthew 7 23 it says. And then will I profess unto them? I never knew you. Depart from me ye that work iniquity. So this is a part of the world that never knew god. And god never knew them or at least jesus says I never knew them.

Never for all eternity past all eternity future and the present. He doesn't know them. Now this is the lost world. So that's one now. Let me give you a second one. A second meaning for the word world in the bible can mean the world of the elect.

Just like we can mean the world of the lost. The word world can mean only the world of the elect now. The word itself may not say that it may just say world. But the context is what happened. We have to go by to understand the difference.

Uh the world of the elect christ's seed or abraham's seed. Let me give you some examples that are clear first john 4 14. And we have seen and do testify that the father sent the son to be the savior of the world.

Whosoever shall confess that jesus is the son of god god dwelleth in him and he in him. And we have known and believed the love that god hath to us. God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwells in god and he in him.

Now this defines very clearly who it is. That dwells in god and he in him uh. We have known and believed the love that god hath to us the word us is very clearly born again people. Verse 17 herein is our love made perfect.

That we may have boldness in the day of judgment because as he is so are we in this world. Now verse 18 is very peculiar verse. It's difficult to understand sometimes. But it when you start taking it in the light of what we're studying this morning, it makes a lot of sense.

In fact what we're studying helps it make sense. There is no fear in love. But perfect love casteth out fear because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. Do you know that the lost world is not made perfect in love?

Because they don't have god's love. And so therefore they have fear and they have fear of torment. And they sense within their hearts if they ever do give it any thought at all. That they don't have god's love upon their life and that they are not his.

And verse 19 says we love him because he first loved us. The only reason we as his own children love him because he loved us. Now when you see a verse like john 4 14 where it says that the father sent the son to be the savior of the world.

How do we know what the word world means? It could mean the lost world. It could mean the elect world. And then there are several others we'll get to in a minute that it could mean let me read to you.

What arthur pink says about this a great writer um. He's probably written the very best exposition on the book of john if you ever want a commentary just for the book of john. It's about that thick. And it you go on a vacation sometime when you have time to read and just sit and read and it's like bathing in the scriptures.

It's just an amazing. This man's an amazingly clear writer, but arthur pink says this about this particular passage. It is true that in a number of instances the world has a restricted meaning. But these are not difficult to determine.

Either the context or parallel passages show us when the term is to be understood in its narrower sense. The principle of interpretation Is not an arbitrary one. Um. When something is predicated of the world, which is true only of the redeemed.

Then we know it is only the world of believers which is in view. So he makes it very simple. He says if the topic is a topic That can only obviously be applied to saved people from all the other scriptures that you know in the bible.

Then the word world means the world of the elect. And uh many many great scholars of the past including arthur pink write. Have much to say about this, but there are some today who mock these phrases.

And uh, they say no, it's not that way. But I like to go back to the older writers. I think they had a little more sense now. Look at second corinthians 5 19. I'll give you another one. To wit that god was in christ reconciling the world unto himself.

Not imputing their trespasses unto them. Now many people in modern times have taken this to say That jesus christ god was in christ. Reconciling the world to himself not imputing their trespasses to them now that part not imputing their trespasses to them is very important.

Because if you take the word world to mean every human being. Then it means that jesus christ's death Literally removed the sins of every human being and that their sin is no more imputed to them. Do you remember what imputed means from earlier studies we've done?

It's kind of like an accounting term. And what jesus does with his own is he takes our sins and imputes them to himself and takes his righteousness imputes it to us. There's an exchange there. Therefore we end up with the very righteousness of christ and he ended up with our very Sinfulness and was crucified because of that.

There's an exchange an imputation. And so in second corinthians 5 19 many modern scholars believe this means that in christ God reconciled the world. They mean every human being the whole world and that their sins are not imputed to them.

Well the problem with that. As as we could we'll see later in our passage in john chapter 8 jesus actually Makes a statement that proves that to be wrong. The problem with it is that if jesus died literally for the sins of every human being.

And that therefore their sins were not imputed to them, but were in fact imputed to him while he was on the cross. Then if that human ever ends up in hell there has been a great breaking of the law and god himself broke it.

Because that would be double jeopardy. Now I know this is theological and and uh, that's not always the time sunday morning to get into that. But i'm just saying If jesus christ died for every human being in the world, I don't believe he did.

I believe he died for the elect. There's no problem for god to know who they are since he chose them. I believe he died for the elect. But if as the modern world teaches he loved everybody and he died for everybody.

We have a major problem with that because those people are going to be in hell. In fact, jesus said most of them. He said narrow is the way and few there be that enter into the gates of heaven. The great vast majority of the human race is going to end up in hell.

And if jesus died for those people. And their sins were not imputed to themselves. But to him on the cross then he died in vain for those people because they went to hell. So they had jesus paid for their sin once and then they had to go pay for it again.

That ain't gonna happen. If there's anything we know about our father he is just. If there's anything we know about him is that he keeps his own rules because he chooses to and it pleases him to do so.

And so there's a great theological problem. By saying that jesus died for the whole world if what you mean by the world is every single human being. But it's not difficult if you understand as as most of the older writers understood that sometimes the world means the world of the lost.

Sometimes it means the world of the elect. Now, let me give you another one a third meaning for the word world is the cosmos in its literal meaning. Now cosmos means primarily order and arrangement it can be Translated ornament or adornment.

But it always carries the idea of order and arrangement. It can speak of the earth and it can speak of the universe. In matthew 13 35 is a great example of this. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet saying I will open my mouth in parables I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

That obviously means the beginning of the earth or it could mean the foundation of god's universe including the earth. W .e vine the great greek scholar who wrote the book the expository dictionary of new testament words said this.

It had this meaning among the greeks. Owing to the order observable in it so if you read greek literature Not scripture, but I mean just profane greek literature when you see the word cosmos used. It always means the universe.

Or the order of the universe or the order of the world the earth. And so that is the more more literal rendering of it and sometimes in the scripture. That's what it means not all the time. You have to tell the only way you can tell is by the context.

Let me give you a fourth meaning. It can mean the entire human race now. This is where I want you to begin to pay attention because I think I can Uh teach you some things this morning that will eliminate any problem in your minds about some of these More difficult verses that have the word world in them and who that means and who it replies who it applies to.

It can mean the human race according to vine once again. And vine gives these examples of places where it means the entire human race. Matthew 5 14 you are the light of the world. Okay um. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.