Sermon Cloud

John 8:12-30.  The I AM statements reveal who Jesus is touching upon the deepest human needs.  They are Jesus’ radical claim that He above all others is of Ultimate significance for all of humanity and these claims provoke all of us to a judgment. 

Jesus is Revelation – Jewish ears, light is the symbol of God’s presence. Psalm 27:1. Context of Feast of the Tabernacles - near the offerings. Two giant candelabras that lit up temple area. Represented the glory cloud of the Exodus - cloud of God’s presence; daytime shaded them from the heat and at night a fire that illuminated their way. Jesus is the divine presence; the radiance of the Father’s glory, showing us exactly what the Father is like. 8:16, 19 sent from the Father; to know Jesus is to know the Father; seen me, seen the Father.  Jesus bears the divine name (24, 28, 56-58) claiming to be co-equal/co-eternal with the Father. As Light he reveals what the Father is like. Good news/bad news. Good: Light reveals what God is like - we don't have to be in the dark about ultimate reality; Jesus shows us God and his intention for humanity. Bad: Light reveals what we are like; exposes us. Jesus shows us the Father’s intention for humanity and we are devastated by our failure to achieve it. Jesus shows us how dark humanity is; we are brought to grips with our own personal darkness (our anger, envy, selfishness, greed, dishonesty, pride). We can compare ourselves to darker darkness (all the darkness around us and appear as light, as moral and good), but when we see ourselves in the light of Jesus, the very shining forth of the beauty and perfection of God, are darkness is exposed and we know that deep down, we are not right; there is darkness in all of us. In this sense, the light condemns us because it reveals to us everything God intends us to be and it reveals our failure to be it.

Jesus is Salvation – Jewish ears; light symbol for God’s Salvation – just like the glory cloud saved them from the deadly heat of the wilderness and from the danger and cold of the dark, Jesus has come to save us. If only revelation, we stand guilty and condemned and Christ is not good news. We are robbed of our claims that we are good and left nursing  a guilty conscience and living with the fear of condemnation. But, Jesus has come to rescue us from our darkness; light dispels darkness.  Jesus rescues us from the darkness of a guilty conscience, our fear of condemnation... Illus: Clint Eastwood – Unforgiven “Well, I guess he had it coming.” “We all have it coming kid.” Our consciousness condemns us; 8:24 Unless we have this light, we will die in our darkness, we will die in our sins. This is the worst prospect imaginable - to die in our sins, in our guilt, under God's displeasure, under his judgment, to die and be swallowed up in darkness. Jesus says he saves us from this danger. He is the light that dispels this darkness. He has come to save us from the darkness of our personal sin, to bring forgiveness, removing our guilt and liberating us from condemning conscience. We all have it coming to us and deep down we know it, but Jesus took it for us.  8:28 You have to see him lifted up before you understand who He is and what he has come to be and do for us. Jesus gets abandoned to the dark so you could have the light of life. Until you see him lifted up you’re in darkness; If you only see him as the revealer, teacher, moral example, you are still in your sins, trying in vain to save yourself from a condemning conscience. But when you see him lifted up, dying for your darkness so you could have the light of his salvation you are free from condemnation. **Believing in the Light: One must  receive this light (believe and come to Jesus to follow him). **Walking in the light. To come to Jesus is to cease walking in darkness and to now walk in light. Darkness is dangerous. Illus- London padding poles for texters; worst than mere distraction, it is darkness - in the dark, stumbling, tripping, bruising yourself. But light banishes darkness; walking in reality, walking with clear understanding of what is real and true and what brings life. CS Lewis in his essay “Is Theology Poetry?” I believe in Christianity, as I believe the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it, I see everything else. CS Lewis was saying that Christ brings clarity to all of life. He not only saves us from the condemnation of our darkness but the confusion of it as well. He helps us to see reality and how to live right-side up, to live with fullness of life. So many of us are bruised and broken and bleeding from walking in the dark – we keep making decisions in relationship, and morals, and with money, that hurt us and others. Eventually you get tired and wounded and start asking yourself, is there another way to do this? Is there another way to live?  Yes! Jesus brings Flourishing - Light brings life. Light is the food of life. Jesus says, "I bring human flourishing." When you turn to Jesus you are turning from darkness and death to light and life. Jesus and his indwelling Spirit and his instruction bring us ultimate life. His wisdom is not of this world. He is light from above. He is all knowing, all wise, brilliant. He is saying, "I will illumine your way. I will be the cloud by day and the fire by night that shelters you from the heat of this broken world and that gives you warmth and light in this dark life. He is showing us truth and life and how to walk in light and leave the darkness. Trust:
“Our commitment to Jesus can stand on no other foundation than a recognition that he is the one who knows the truth about our lives and our universe…Could we seriously imagine that Jesus could be Lord if he were not smart? If he were divine, would he be dumb? Or uninformed? Once you stop to think about it, how could he be what we take him to be in all other respects and not be the best-informed and most intelligent person of all, the smartest person that ever lived? He is not just nice, he is brilliant…‘Jesus is Lord’ can mean little in practice for anyone who has to hesitate before saying ‘Jesus is smart.’ He always has the best information on everything and certainly also on the things that matter most in human life.” Dallas Willard.  -  Jesus has wisdom from above…
Response: Jesus is saying he is of ultimate significance and we must determine how we will respond to him. He is the Light that reveals our darkness and rescues us from it. Will we come into the light, forsaking our darkness or will we stay in the dark? Light has come and it provokes a judgment from us John 3:19-21. Jesus says many people will stay in dark, not because the light was unbelievable or not bright enough,– but because they love the dark. Affections not Intellect. Illus: diet of pizza, burgers, and Marlboro will kill you, but if you love them its hard to walk away… Some profess the light but prefer the dark. For all who believe in him, they become “children of the light” (Eph 5). A community that follows Jesus and shines in a dark world – resisting darkness and overcoming darkness, shining the light of righteousness, justice, peace; inviting others to know this One who is Light and bring Life. (Objection: darkness perpetrated by Xns in history. Not less Xnty, but deeper Xnty.)