Lent Day 22: The light, hidden from the world
Jesus could be pretty blunt in his word pictures.
The first year of his ministry, he became an influencer, a popular guy who did miracles and healed people. In the second year when he sends out disciples, becomes known, and makes bold claims, he runs into the opposition of the religious and political leaders. By the final (third) year, those leaders hate him, looking for ways to ruin his work and destroy his reputation.
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’
The Pharisees challenged him, ‘Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.’
Jesus answered, ‘Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going.
You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.’
Then they asked him, ‘Where is your father?’
‘You do not know me or my Father,’ Jesus replied. ‘If you knew me, you would know my Father also.’
He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.
> The religious leaders want to kill him. Yet no one can force Jesus to die. No one can take him captive before his time. He will freely offer up his life in God's perfect plan.
Once more Jesus said to them, ‘I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.’
This made the Jews ask, ‘Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, “Where I go, you cannot come”?’
> Jesus was a delight to those who were willing to lay down their own ideas of what God could or couldn't do. To others he was a mystery; an offense to people who were smug and had strong ideas of what God was like, those who valued power and status above humility, and those who were merely curious. For them, Jesus was a novelty.
But he continued, ‘You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.’
‘Who are you?’ they asked.
‘Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,’ Jesus replied. ‘I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.’
They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. So Jesus said, ‘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 but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.’
Even as he spoke, many believed in him.
> Not everyone was against Jesus. After his resurrection, he appears to 500 people including his disciples.
> Are you and I willing to embrace the light of the world? Why or why not?
> That means letting him shine in the dark places, lighting up what is broken and needs healing.
> It means we will follow when the rest of the world is fiercely against him and the salvation God offers.
> Jesus still says, ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.' (Matthew 11:28)
