- Jesus the Light of the world.
Jesus stated, I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have light that leads to life. John 8: 12
Light of the world is in response to a prophecy by Isaiah almost 600 years earlier which states.
Isaiah 9: 2, 6 the people who walk in darkness will see a great light for those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. For a child is born to us a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Confrontation of a woman caught in the act of adultery in John 8.
She deserves to be stoned and killed, but Jesus offers us another chance. by offering he who without sin cast the first stone. John 8: 7
2. Adam and the light
Reading some of this is so obvious to Jewish readers who understand their history, but hard for us to understand coming from a Gentile perspective.
Adam lived in the light of the glory of God.
When he sinned he lost that light and was cast from the presence of God “Guarded by a mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden to keep man from the presence of God.” Genesis 3: 24
Made a temple with a thick curtain separating us from the Holy of Holies where the presence of God inhabits. On that curtain are stitched images of a cherubim which keeps us out of the presence of God.
3. Jewish calendar.
Isaiah stated that those Living in darkness will see a great light.
Jewish calendar works on a lunar cycle of no moon, then 14 days later, a full moon then no moon. So darkness to full moon back to darkness.
Genealogy of Matthew 1: 17 14 generations
Abraham which started the Jewish people until David their high point.
Nation begins to fade until they are extinguished with the Babylonian exile. q4 generations
From Return until Messiah the full expression of the glory of God another 14 generations.
Look at those generations for a moment. All men except for a couple of women.
- Tamar Vs 3 daughter-in-law to Judah. She is mistreated by her family and cast aside. She eventually sleeps with her father-in-law and conceives Perez the next name.
- Rahab. Vs 5 a prostitute from Jericho
- Ruth Vs 5 who is a Moabite a cast off people
- Bathsheba who is and adulterer.
Jesus is from a line of broken people to bring healing to the broken hearted. Isaiah 61: 1
Why he was so kind to a woman caught in the sin of Adultery.
- Who is without sin
- Who isn’t broken
- Who isn’t cut off from he presence of God by the mighty Cherebum, The curtain keeping us from God’s presence.
4. Light and the cross.
Acts 26: 23 Paul stated he preached one message, Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead and in this way announce God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike.
Cost for light to come to the world.
- died and curtain between us and God torn open so we have access.
- Hebrews states that he goes to heaven to put his own blood on the altar in heaven
- When priest goes behind the curtain, he is out of sight of the people until he returns.
- We are living in this hidden time.
- But Israel is a nation again and the light is growing around the world.
- Woman caught in adultery, What do you want of me? Know I am not condemning you, Rise up and walk different, “Sin No More”