Grace Bible Church
Basic Training in Doctrine
Guest Speaker: Pastor Joe Sugrue
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
1. Christ is the light of the light of the world, verses 12-20.
2. Christ is the liberator of the world, verses 21-36.
3. Christ is the founder of the Jewish nation, verses 37-51.
4. Christ is the victor over death, 52-59.
He has already taught us that He is the bread of life, that He is the water of life, and now He is the light of life.
According to verse 20 this message was given in the temple treasury which adjoins the court of the women, the largest auditorium in the temple.
In the very middle of the treasury, where Christ is standing now, was the largest candelabra in the temple, and the rabbis claimed that when it was lit in the evening you could actually see the light all over the city of Jerusalem.
They had a special ceremony for lighting this candelabra every evening. It included the singing of Isaiah 42:6-7.
ISA 42:6
I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you,
And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the nations,
ISA 42:7
To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the dungeon,
And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
The candles were to be a light to the nations. The nations were Gentile nations.
At the time of the first advent they were withholding the good news from the world because in their arrogance they assumed they were superior.
They were never superior, they were just chosen, like you and I.
The only thing that is special about any of us is what God has imputed to us. And His desire is to impute those wonderful things to every man.
“I am” – ego plus the present active indicative of the verb for absolute status quo, eimi. Present tense, linear aktionsart – He always was; He always will be. Active voice: speaking of His own person. The indicative mood: the reality of the fact that Christ is the light of the world.
“the light” – there are a number of words for light; this is a very important one: phos, the word from which we getphosphorous.
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The light of the world emphasises the deity of Jesus Christ.
He won’t wrestle you like He did Jacob, but He will give you something far greater – His entire plan that was given to Him as God’s Son.
Jesus Christ is God, and as God He keeps on being the light of the world. As a man He dies for the world and as the God/Man He keeps on being the light of the world.
Where there is incapacity to understand – faith must stand in as a welcome friend.
“of the world” – kosmos, the Satanic organization. The word simply means organization, something that is well organised. It is generally used for the world because of the various laws by which the world operates, and so on.
Luke 1:78-79
Because of the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Sunrise from on high shall visit us,
To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
The unbeliever is sitting in Satan’s world and he lives in darkness. Christ Himself was hanging in darkness when He was bearing our sins – Matthew 27:45,46.
1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
“he who follows me” – present active participle of akolouthon. The word means to follow, but more than that. It means to come after, to go along with a plan. It means more than just simply get in line.
He is also the light of the world because He sets the pattern for the plan, and the pattern for God’s plan is grace. Grace excludes human good, human works.
“the light of life” – the life is eternal life, the light of life is the ministry of the Holy Spirit throwing light on your very own plan.