Light of the World

If you are a student of the scriptures, you are by now well aware that John 7:53-John 8:11 was not part of John’s original gospel, but was somehow inserted much later, by whom we do not know.

If you are not a student of the scriptures, it’s a safe bet you’ve heard this story referenced throughout your life as an example of the grace our Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated to a lowly sinner. Anytime an opinion is expressed regarding questionable or outright sinful behavior, someone quickly chimes in with “he who is without sin, let him cast the first stone.” That is a nice platitude that makes sense, but was not written by John as part of his gospel account, and we don’t know that Jesus ever said it. In fact, many of the details of the story seem quite contradictory to other things that we know Jesus did say.

In my sojourn through the earthly Christian life, I’ve heard many pastors/teachers whom I respect preface this passage with the information found in the footnotes of all good study Bibles, that these verses are not in the earliest manuscripts. Then they say something like “but it probably did happen,” and proceed to exegete the passage! I can only assume they just like the story. The only one I can remember distinctly who, after that preface, chose to simply skip those verses and move on to John 8:12, was Jim Myers, a former Pastor of Grace Bible Church in Hot Springs, AR. I really appreciated the way he handled that, and that’s also how I choose to handle it.

We resume with John’s narrative as Jesus continued His public discourse after the feast:

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.” John 8:12

Jesus was speaking publicly in the treasury of the Temple, located in the Court of the Women. This coincided with the lighting of the great candelabra in the Court of the Women as the people sang Isaiah 42:6:

“I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations…”

This area was called Court of the Women because that was a far as the women could go in the Temple. (Personal aside: the Lord knew those Jewish males couldn’t concentrate on their worship rituals with women present. See, girls, it was not discrimination; it was to keep priorities in order. Furthermore, per God's instruction, the Israelites' worship was NOT as the heathen, who included all manner of sexual practices in their temple rituals). This doesn’t mean only women were in this court. It was the social gathering place for everyone, and would have been particularly busy during the major feasts of Israel. Families and friends would meet and share common interests. Preachers, prophets, Scribes and scholars would discuss and debate, while others listened.

The candelabra were lit, the scripture was sung. Our Lord stood in the light and spoke.

“I AM the true light” of the kosmos (world organization). Whoever (anyone, everyone) who follows Me (enters into and continues in the plan of God) will not live under the control of the Old Sin Nature (darkness), but will have the light of eternal life.

So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.”  John 8:13 (see Deuteronomy 17:6 – the Mosaic Law required 2 or 3 witness for confirmation of facts)

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. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 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. In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” John 8:14-18

Jesus knows exactly Who He is: eternal, omniscient God. The unregenerate men who challenged Him had no idea. All they could evaluate was what they observed in humanity, and they were deeply prejudiced against what they saw. Jesus had His own divine knowledge as well as the divine judgment of the Father who sent Him. That makes two witnesses with infallible judgment. Two witnesses who judged in perfect truth. Reliable, genuine judgment.

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.” These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come. John 8:19-20

Dead giveaway that these men questioning Jesus were unbelievers: they did not know His Father. Knowing and believing in Jesus is the only way to know the Father. He will be even more blunt about that necessity as He continues in His public ministry (John 14:6).

They so wanted to arrest Him, but could not, because the time for that was not yet.