​Light and Dark (8:12–20)

Light and Dark (8:12–20)

This second big "I am" statement fits in well with the first eleven verses of John 8. It is possible that the sun was rising at that time (John 8:2), and Jesus was comparing Himself to it. This would mean that He was once again saying that He was God, since the sun was a sign of Jehovah God to the Jews (Ps. 84:11; Mal. 4:2). Our galaxy has only one sun, which is the center and source of life. There is only one God, who is the center of everything and the source of all life (John 1:4). “God is light” (1 John 1:5), and wherever the light shines, it shows how wicked people are (Eph. 5:8–14).

The Feast of Tabernacles was also connected to our Lord's "I am" statement. During this time, the big candelabra was lit in the temple at night to remind people of the pillar of fire that led Israel through the desert. John has actually put together three "wilderness images": the manna (John 6), the water from the rock (John 7), and the pillar of fire (John 8).

To "follow" the Lord Jesus means to believe in Him and trust Him. The results are life and light for the person who does. People who are not saved are walking in darkness because they like it (John 3:17ff.). One of the main points of this gospel is that the spiritual light is now shining, but people can't see it and try to put it out (John 1:4–5).

Some of the Jewish leaders had not left the group, and others had probably joined after the woman left. They argued with Jesus, as they always do. This time, they said He was lying when He said He was the Light of the World, which is something that Jewish courts would not allow.

But light has to show itself! Blind people are the only ones who can't see the light!

The Pharisees may have been quoting our Lord's own words (see John 5:31ff.), but He quickly shot down their point. The word "witness" is used seven times in this section. Jesus made it clear that they couldn't trust their testimony because their judgment was wrong. They judged based on what they saw, which was just human judgment, but He judged based on what He knew spiritually. The way they judged the woman who was caught cheating showed that they didn't know the law or their own sinful hearts.

They wanted to use the law to convict the woman and catch the Savior, so Jesus used the law to answer them. He cited a principle from Deuteronomy 17:6 and 19:15, along with Numbers 35:30, which stated that the testimony of two men was necessary to confirm a judgment. Jesus had those two pieces of evidence: His Father and He both gave witness. John 5:37–47 shows us that the Word of God is where we can find the Father's witness.

It is sad that these legal experts didn't even recognize their own Messiah when He was right in front of them. They said they knew God's law, but they didn't know the God who made the law. They didn't have His Word in their hearts (John 5:38) or feel His love (John 5:42). They didn't know the Father, so they didn't know the Son.

Jesus never really answered their question, "Where is your Father?" Jesus didn't avoid the issue; He faced it head-on. The word "father" is used twenty-one times in this chapter. He knew that their "father" wasn't God; it was the devil! These men were religious, but they were also the devil's children!

The Father stopped them again from trying to arrest Jesus because it wasn't yet His time to die. When a servant of God is doing what God wants, he can be brave and at peace while he works.