If I decide it's true, then it must be true.
Now, I want to say, there is some strength found here,
and that is that postmoderns don't wholeheartedly accept everything that's thrown their direction.
Postmodern thinkers, even if they see the experts say or the data shows,
are still going to tend to go, yeah, but is that accurate?
Like, show me the methodology at which we arrived at this given truth.
So there is a strength to be found there, and whether or not you want to accept it,
most of you, myself included, are postmodern thinkers.
It's the way we tend to gather information and arrive at conclusions.
Now, just as a little side note, there also is, people are talking now about the post-postmodern era,
I told you everything revolves around modernism.
Post-postmodern, I can't think of a possible strength to it, but time will tell.
Post-postmoderns tend to think that no truth can possibly be arrived at.
The internet and the way the internet functions feeds this type of thinking.
Now, here is the case that I am seeking to make to you.
Why?
Spend any time thinking about this at all.
If we are to know the things that matter most,
all of these methods fail us.
They all have a weakness.
But what must we ultimately know?
Now, if you were to compress, compress all classical apologetics,
take all of the questions that classical apologetics ask,
and compress them down, you could ask four questions.
First, origin.
Where do we come from?
How did we get here?
Second, meaning.
Why are we here?
What is the purpose for our existence?
Third, morality.
How are we to know right and wrong, right from wrong?
And fourth, destiny.
Where are we going?
What happens after this life?
Origin, meaning, morality, destiny.
Four questions that need answers.
In order to rightly answer any of these questions,
here's what I'm saying,
any of these ways of thinking,
any of these epistemologies are going to fail us.
What we need is revelation.
Now, don't hear me arguing against classical apologetics.
I'm a big fan.
But, at the end of the day,
we need spirit-discerned understanding of the Bible.
We need the spirit to work in us to confirm that it is, in fact, God's Word,
and that everything that it says is true.
It's inerrant in that it doesn't err,
and it's infallible in that it can't err,
because it is God's Word.
If you know the answers to any of my aforementioned questions,
I hope that you did.
I hope that your mind started accessing information to those questions.
Praise God that you do.
We have no reason to boast.
God has taught us any meaningful, right answers to those questions.
If you do not,
pray that God would open the eyes of your heart to discern your origin,
your worth,
God's good commands,
and your final destiny.
I said that we live in a day of post-modernism.
It's the water that we swim in,
and too sadly we've seen lots of what's called deconstruction in the church.
To be clear, the people who deconstruct their faith never really believed in Jesus to begin with.
But this problem is partly a problem of their mind.
They see something that they don't like about Christianity.
Whether fair or not,
there are some fair objections to the Christianity that we can observe,
and they begin to walk it back and to unravel it,
peace by peace by peace.
Pray for spiritual discernment.
Pray for spiritual discernment this morning,
that we might rightly behold the Jesus of the Bible.
So let's pray together to that end.
Father God, we humbly recognize,
that as I have laid out the way in which people have thought,
that the curse of this world has also affected our thinking faculty.
None of us think as clearly as we think we do,
or ought to.
But we also recognize that we need the revelation of your Spirit
to help us understand the words of the Scripture,
to believe that they're true,
and to respond accordingly to them.
We want this morning to rightly understand your Word.
We humbly recognize it was written,
ultimately, for your glory,
and also for our good.
And so pray that you would help us to this end.
Amen.
John 8, beginning in verse 12.
Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying,
I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life.
So the Pharisee said to him,
You are bearing witness about yourself.
Your testimony is not true.
Jesus answered,
Even if I do bear witness about myself,
my testimony is true,
for I know where I came from and where I am going.
But you do not know where I come from or where I am going.
You judge according to the flesh.
I judge no one.
Yet even if I do judge,
my judgment is true,
for it is not I alone who judge,
but I and the Father who sent me.
In your law it is written
that the testimony of two people is true.
I am the one who bears witness about myself,
and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.
They said to him,
Therefore,
Where is your Father?
Jesus answered,
You know neither me nor my Father.
If you knew me,
you would know my Father also.
These words he spoke in the treasury
as he taught in the temple,
but no one arrested him
because his hour had not yet come.
Now let's first take a look
at the setting of this passage.
I made the case some weeks ago
that I do not believe,
and I am in good company
in believing so,
that chapter 7, verse 53,
through chapter 8, verse 11,
belong in the text
as these verses are not
in the early and most reliable manuscripts.
I think they should be footnoted.
I said when we talked about it,
you are welcome to disagree with me,
but I told you why
we would not preach that text.
I only preach the Bible.
So,
that purpose,
but also because
the literary structure
of John's gospel
trends me off
in this direction.
So,
note with me just for a moment
what is happening.
Early in chapter 7,
Jesus has traveled to Jerusalem
and taught in the temple,
causing a stir
amongst the people.
So,
notice in John 7,
and verse 30,
So,
they,
this is the Jews,
John refers to,
were seeking
to arrest him,
but no one laid a hand on him
because his hour
had not yet come.
We see this repeated
as the fervency
of this conflict
over who Jesus is
rises.
There's these attempts
to arrest him,
but his hour
had not yet come.
If you doubt
at any moment
that God governs
over the affairs
of man,
doubt it no more.
Read through John
and see how often
there's a divine timeline
taking place
in the text.
And you can read
a little bit further down
in verse 32,
The Pharisees
heard the crowd
muttering these things
about him,
and the chief priests
and Pharisees
sent officers
to arrest him.
And it's in this setting,
they're seeking him,
we read in verse 37,
On the last day
of the feast,
the great day,
Jesus stood up
and cried out,
If anyone thirsts,
let him come to me
and drink.
And so a division arises
amongst the people
over him,
verse 43.
Some of them
wanted to arrest him,
but no one
laid hands on him.
And we know
contextually why,
because his hour
had not yet come.
But in verse 45,
those officers
that were sent
back in verse 32
come to the chief priests
and Pharisees
who said to them,
Why did you not
bring him?
And their response is,
Because no one speaks
like this man.
They're not sure
what to do
with him.
Now remember,
I'm making the case
that the internal evidence,
the context of what's going on,
I think places Jesus
still in this setting.
This report has gone
to the chief priests
and to the Pharisees.
And then we pick up
verse 20,
These words,
He spoke in the treasury
as he taught
in the temple.
But no one arrested him
because his hour
had not yet come.
Verse 12,
Again Jesus spoke
to them,
saying,
Now we do not get
any indication
of how much
time has passed
from this
last day of the feast
Jesus cries out,
If anyone thirsts,
let him come to me
and drink.
And then verse 12
where he makes
this other statement.
But I think that we are
meant to read it
tightly connected
to all that has
happened previously.
And so,
I want to spend
a little bit of time
reminding you
how culturally charged
this week was.
I don't think
that we need to hear
Jesus saying,
I am the light
of the world
far removed
from this week,
the week of
the Feast of Booths.
So briefly,
this is what I shared
with you previously
about the feast.
The Feast of Booths
was one of three
great pilgrimage
feasts of Israel.
Every Jewish male
was expected
to go up to Jerusalem.
It occurred in the fall
after the harvest
and it lasted
seven days
followed by
a solemn
eighth day.
During his feast,
the people of Israel
lived in temporary
shelters or booths,
some of your Bibles
may say tabernacles,
made of branches.
They did this
to remember
how their fathers
had lived in tents
during the wilderness
wanderings after the Exodus.
But this feast
was more than just
a history lesson.
It was a celebration
of God's provision,
God's presence,
and God's promises.
It looked backward
to the wilderness
where God provided
food from heaven
and water from the rock.
It looked upward
in thanksgiving
for the harvest
God had just given,
this present provision.
And it looked forward
in hope to the day
when God would again
dwell with his people
in glory.
It was a week
just packed full
of meaning.
The Old Testament
gives few instructions
for what this feast
must look like,
but they had developed
some tradition
that had rich
ceremonial meaning.
Two rituals
in particular
dominated
the celebration.
First,
there was the water
ceremony.
Each of the first
six days,
a priest would draw
water from the
pool of Siloam
and lead a procession
back to the temple.
As they approached
the water gate
on the south side
of the inner court,
a shofar would be
blown three times
as a pronouncement
of joy,
and the people
would recite
Isaiah 12,
verse 3.
With joy,
you will draw water
from the wells
of salvation.
Significant text.
While the people
watched,
the priest would
march around the
altar while the
singing of the
Hillel was led
by the temple
choir.
And this is
Psalm 113
through 118.
And back when we
were in that text,
I read the entirety
of that to you.
It was quite an
ordeal that they
went through.
At the conclusion
of the singing,
the people would
all cry out
three times,
give thanks to
the Lord,
and the water
was poured
onto the altar.
This ceremony
commemorated the
water God
provided in the
wilderness and
expressed hope
for the coming
messianic age
when God would
pour out his
spirit.
Second,
there was an
illumination ceremony.
Massive lamps
were lit in the
temple courts,
casting light
over the city,
and people would
dance in the
temple.
This recalled the
pillar of fire that
guided Israel through
the wilderness and
symbolized the hope
that God's glory
would again shine
upon his people.
So the Feast of
Booths was a
celebration of
light, life,
provision, and
divine presence.
And it's into
this setting,
charged with
expectation,
saturated with
symbolism,
overflowing with
religious meaning,
that Jesus
steps.
Jesus.
What makes all of
this so striking
is that Jesus
does not merely
attend the
feast, as his
brothers requested
of him at the
beginning of the
chapter, but he
interprets the
feast.
He says, this is
what all of this
really means.
He takes the
central symbols of
Israel's hope and
claims to be their
fulfillment.
He says, I, I am
actually the hope
that this is all
about.
So, with all of
that, for our
text, I've got a
three-point outline
for you.
Number one,
Jesus is the
light.
We see this in
verse 12, and
we will spend
most of our
time here, so
if you're a
clock watcher,
don't fret.
First point will
take up the
majority of our
time.
Again, Jesus
spoke to them
saying, I am
the light of
the world.
Whoever follows
me will not
walk in darkness,
but will have
the light of
life.
Can you just
imagine him
saying that with
everything that
would have
happened in the
preceding week?
Once again, I
don't think we're
very far away
from that.
So, these
people have been
thinking about
light in a very
particular way,
thinking about
God's presence,
the hope that
will come, and
then Jesus says
this.
This is the
first time that
Jesus has used
the light
metaphor to
speak of
himself in
John's gospel.
This is the
second of
Jesus' seven
I am
statements in
John.
He has
declared, I am
the bread of
life in chapter
six, and
here he says,
I am the
light of the
world.
Now, I want to
read to you
something brief
from D.A.
Carson's
commentary on
this.
If you like to
study things
deeply, I would
really recommend
this particular
commentary to
you.
He says this,
the light
metaphor is
steeped in
Old Testament
allusions.
I'm reading
this to you
because their
minds would
have been very
alive as he
says this.
The glory of
the very
presence of
God in the
cloud led
the people in
the promised
land, Exodus
13, and
protected them
from those who
would destroy
them, Exodus
14.
The Israelites
were trained
to sing,
The Lord is
my light and
my salvation,
Psalm 27,
verse 1.
The word of
God, the law
of God, is a
light to guide
the path of
those who
cherish
instruction,
Psalm 119,
Proverbs 6,
23.
God's light
is shed
abroad in
Revelation,
Ezekiel 1,
verse 4,
verse 13,
and verse 26
through 28,
and salvation,
Habakkuk 3,
verse 3
through 4.
Light is
Yahweh in
action,
Psalm 44,
verse 3.
Isaiah tells
us that the
servant of the
Lord was
appointed as
a light to
the Gentiles,
that he might
bring God's
salvation to
the ends of
all the earth,
Isaiah 49,
verse 6.
The coming
eschatological
age would be
a time when
the Lord
himself would
be the light
for his
people.
Isaiah
chapter 60,
Revelation
chapter 21.
Perhaps
Zechariah
14 is
especially
significant with
its promise
of continual
light on
the last
day,
followed by
the promise
of living
waters flowing
from Jerusalem.
This passage
probably forming
part of the
liturgical
readings of
this feast.
Christ.
The great
burning lights
of the
feast of
tabernacles
resonate with
such
strains.
It's into
that that
Jesus
says this.
But this
is not the
first time
that we have
heard this
metaphor in
John's
writings.
Turn back
to John
chapter 1.
John begins
this work.
In the
beginning
was the
Word,
and the
Word was
with God,
and the
Word was
God.
He was in
the beginning
with God.
All things
were made
through him,
and without
him was not
anything made
that was
made.
In him
was life,
and the
life was
the light
of men.
The light
shines in
the darkness,
and the
darkness has
not overcome
it.
light.
Our minds
ought to be
full as
we hear
Jesus say
that he
is the
light of
the world.
The word
light appears
24 times in
John's
gospel.
Light by
its nature
causes
darkness
to scatter.
Darkness
cannot be
quantifiably
measured.
It is
merely
the absence
of light.
Now,
we tend
to take
light for
granted,
but if you
lived in a
time when
the only
source of
light was
from a
flame,
and it
was dangerous
to not
have light
at night,
this is
when children
were snatched
out of tents
by wild
animals.
This is
when the
marauders
came at
night.
We have
a property
north of
Dahlonega,
and it is
really,
really dark
out there
at night.
And these
days,
I've got
a flashlight
in my
back pocket
all of
the time.
But I can
remember
earlier days
when my
parents owned
the property,
being out
there and
having to
get from
the driveway
to the
top of
our driveway
where I
typically
park,
and I
had to
do it
by shuffling
my feet
on the
gravel,
and if
my feet
stopped
making
gravel
sounds,
I knew
I was
off into
the woods,
and I
had to
go back
to the
gravel
and shuffle
my feet
and just
stumble
toward my
vehicle until
I ran
into it.
It would
be that
dark.
And I
must admit,
there were
times that
things snapped
in the woods,
and I
got a little
scared and
moved a
little quicker
up that
dark,
dark
driveway.
It would
have likely
been more
felt than
it maybe
is felt
for us.
Where there
is light,
there is
not
darkness.
The two
are opposites,
and one
has expulsory
power over
the other.
Now,
if we
back up
in a
bit from
our text,
but go
forward from
John 1
to chapter
3,
we can
see this
idea at
work in
the negative.
John 3
in verse
20.
For
everyone who
does wicked
things,
hates the
light,
and does
not come
to the
light,
lest his
works
should be
exposed.
Wickedness
is associated
with darkness
in this
text.
A darkness
that does
not want
the exposure
of light.
Wickedness
produces shame,
and it
produces
death.
It is the
opposite,
the antithesis
of the
light of
life.
Let's
push the
metaphor just
a bit
further and
a bit
clearer.
Note
especially
who the
light
is.
It's in
our text
that Jesus
says he
is the
light
of
the
world.
Then go
forward to
John chapter
11,
verse 9 and
following.
Jesus said,
are there not
twelve hours in
the day?
If anyone
walks in the
day,
he does not
stumble because
he sees the
light of this
world.
But if anyone
walks in the
night,
he stumbles
because the
light is
not in
him.
I suggest
to you that
the stumbling
that Jesus
here refers
to is not
a slight
trip,
but a
stumble that
causes one
to fall
headlong
and not
rise again.
Back to
John chapter
1,
verse 9 and
following.
John there
writes,
the true
light which
gives light
to everyone
was coming
into the
world.
He was in
the world
and the
world was
made through
him,
yet the
world did
not know
him.
He came
to his
own and
his own
people did
not receive
him.
But to
all who
did receive
him,
who believed
in his
name,
he gave
the right
to become
children of
God,
who were
born,
not of
blood,
nor of
the will
of the
flesh,
nor of
the will
of man,
but of
God.
John at
the outset
sets forth
the problem
of
humanity.
Jesus
Christ came
into the
world,
he is
the light,
and yet
he will
be rejected
by some
and received
by others.
I'm positive
to you that
we see this
pattern exist
all throughout
John.
Those who
receive and
those who
reject.
One to
eternal
damnation,
one to
eternal
glory.
He sets
it out
as a
dichotomous
problem,
as one
or the
other.
No shade
in between.
We have
light and
we have
darkness.
So Jesus
asks people
to come
to him,
and he
gives us
the ability
to come
to him.
He births
in us,
born not
of blood,
or will
of the
flesh,
or the
will of
man,
but of
God.
He makes
these things
spiritually
discernible
to us
that we
would receive
Jesus as
he presents
himself here
in John's
gospel.
He says
in verse
12,
whoever
follows me
will not
walk in
darkness,
but will
have the
light of
life.
And this
is what
Jesus'
words are
pressing us
to,
as original
hearers
hear,
and us
today,
that we
would follow
him,
that we
would walk
in his
ways,
that we
might not
walk in
darkness,
but have
the light
of life.
Spurgeon
once said
this,
this is in
your bulletin
if you
care to
follow along,
as a
preacher,
Jesus
was
luminous.
He
expounded
the spirituality
of the law,
light
penetrated
the precept
through and
through as
he made
the very
essence
of purity
apparent.
His light
cleared the
law of the
mist and
fogs that
the rabbinical
writers had
gathered around
it.
He shed
light,
too,
upon the
covenant
of grace.
He
promulgated
the gospel
of peace
among the
sons of
men.
He told
of God
the Father
willing to
receive his
prodigal
children back
into his
bosom.
His
parables
threw
wondrous
light upon
the
dispensation
of the
kingdom of
heaven.
His
counsels
and his
cautions
brought the
final
destinies
of the
righteous
and the
wicked
into
full
view.
Jesus
says,
I am
the light
of the
world.
Whoever
follows me
will not
walk in
darkness,
but will
have
the
light
of
life.
Secondly,
we see,
and briefly,
Jesus is
the
trustworthy
witness.
We see
this in
verses
13 and
14 as
well as
verses
18 and
19.
If you
are new
to our
study of
John,
the reason
we're
seeing this
point split
apart like
this is
because the
text is
a
chiasm.
It sure
is.
We won't
spend a
lot of
time on
that today.
But you
know,
verse 13
and 14,
so the
Pharisees
said to
him,
you are
bearing
witness
about
yourself.
Your
testimony
is not
true.
This is
their
response
to him
saying,
I am
the light
of the
world.
Whoever
follows
me
will
not
walk
in
darkness,
but
will
have
the
light
of
life.
The
place
that
he's
doing
this
would
have
been
one
of
the
outer
parts
of the
country
and
they
could
likely
overhear
him.
The
council
that's
meeting
and
gathering
can
overhear
him
make
this
claim.
And
their
response
has
nothing
to do
with
what
he's
saying
except
that
he
has
said,
I
am
claiming
equality
with
God.
They
say,
you
are
bearing
witness
about
yourself.
Your
testimony
is
not
true.
And
Jesus
answers
them,
even
if I
do
bear
witness
about
myself,
my
testimony
is
true,
for I
know
where
I
came
from
and
where
I
am
going,
but
you
do
not
know
where
I
come
from
or
where
I
am
going.
The
first
reason
that
Jesus
is
the
trustworthy
witness,
this may
be
unsatisfying
to some
of you
who
may
not
yet
believe
in
Christ,
but
yet
it's
here.
The
reason
is
he
is
God.
He's
a
trustworthy
witness
because
he
is
God.
He
originated
in
heaven
and
he
was
going
to
heaven.
Fully
aware
of
who
he
is.
He
can
bear
witness
to
himself.
He
says
this,
I am
the
one,
verse
18,
who
bears
witness
about
myself
and
the
father
who
sent
me
bears
witness
about
me.
This
is
in
response
to
what
they
were
asking
of
him,
right?
You
can't
just
say
this
about
yourself.
You
need
at
least
two
people
to
say
this
about
yourself.
Jesus
affirms
this
in
verse
17.
So I
do
bear
witness
about
myself,
but also
the
father
who
sent
me
bears
witness
about
me.
This is the
second
reason.
God the
father
is the
second
witness.
God the
to
God the
man
to
God the
man
to
make
a
convincing
argument.
I
want to
twist
somebody's
arm
up
behind
their
back
and
say
accept
Jesus
as
the
Christ.
But
here
is
Jesus'
answer
and
it's
where
my
mind
goes
epistemological.
How do
we
arrive
at
the
truths
that
we
know
we
must
spiritually
discern
them.
The
evidence
is all
here
but we
need
help
to
see
it
and
faith
to
grab
hold
of
it
in
a
saving
way.
His
father
is
the
second
witness.
Last
week
Zachary
preached
from
Matthew
chapter
3
concerning
Jesus'
baptism.
If
you
missed
it
I
really
encourage
you
to
give
it
a
!
listen.
I
think
you'll
really
appreciate
it.
You
did a
great
job
with
that
text.
He
spoke
well
of
God
the
father's
confirmation
that
Jesus
is
the
Christ.
We
see
in
that
text
the
spirit
of
God
descends
like
a
dove
rests
on
Jesus
and
then
from
heaven
the
father
says
this
is
my
beloved
son
with
whom
I
am
well
pleased.
We
find
that
similarly
in
John
although
not
the
details
of
it.
There
we
see
John
the
Baptist
in
verse
32
of
chapter
1
bearing
witness
I
saw
the
spirit
descend
from
heaven
like
a
dove
and
it
remained
on
him.
So
Jesus
makes
this
claim
the
father
who
sent
me
bears
witness
about
me
and
you
may
find
some
sympathy
here
with
the
Pharisees
he
!
can
say
anything
he
wants
to
about
himself
but
this
had
happened
the
spirit
had
descended
God
had
spoken
from
heaven
about
Jesus
and
this
was
known
this
was
traveling
around
in
the
day
they
were
aware
of
this
event
that
had
happened
Jesus
is
trustworthy
witness
to
who
he
is
and
he
should
be
trusted
notice
lastly
that
Jesus
is
the
righteous
judge
verses
15
through
17
he
says
you
judge
according
to
the
flesh
I
judge
no
one
yet
even
if
I
do
judge
my
judgment
is
true
for
it
is
not
I
alone
who
judge
but
I
and
the
father
who
sent
me
now
you
may
find
some
trouble
with
this
on
first
glance
in
fact
I
hope
you
do
I
hope
you're
thinking
I
hope
you're
engaged
enough
to
go
wait
a
second
he
just
said
he
judges
nowhere
but
yet
even
if
he
does
judge
he
has
a
true
judgment
here's
what's
happening
he
says
to
them
you
judge
according
to
the
flesh
you're
looking
at
the
outward
appearance
you're
not
spiritually
discerning
who
I
am
and
I
have
no
part
in
that
kind
of
judgment
it's
what's
being
communicated
in
verse
15
it's
that
sort
of
judgment
the
judgment
that is
according
to the
flesh
that he
does
not
do
but
if
he
does
show
you
why
yet
even
if
I
do
judge
my
judgment
is
true
because
he
is
God
for
it
is
not
I
alone
who
judge
but
I
and
the
father
who
sent
me
so
his
judgment
is
a
spiritual
judgment
spiritually
discerning
judgment
he
and
the
father
who
sent
him
we
know
that
Jesus
was
sent
to
judge
John
chapter
5
verse
27
and
he
has
given
him
authority
to
execute
judgment
because
he
is
the
son
of
man
God
the
father
given
to
the
son
authority
to
execute
judgment
and
then
John
9
in
verse
39
Jesus
says
for
judgment
I
came
into
this
world
that
those
who
do
not
see
may
see
and
those
who
see
may
become
blind
on
the
basis
of
faith
that
he
is
the
Christ
Jesus
is
the
light
of
the
world
would
you
follow
him
that
you
may
have
the
light
of
life
he
is
a
trustworthy
witness
to
who
he
says
he
is
and
he
is
the
righteous
judge
he
will
return
one
day
and
he
will
judge
rightly
based
on
faith
in
him
if
you
have
yet
to
spiritually
discerned
this
pray
that
you
would
ask
for
God's
favor
on
you
that
he
would
help
you
come
alive
and
see
the
Jesus
of
the
scripture
to
know
him
to
come
to
him
for
the
salvation
of
your
soul
if
you
have
already
praise
God
this
was
not
our
own
doing
it's
not
our
wills
that
got
us
there
but
we
were
born
of
him
let's
pray
together