Who Is Your Father? (John 8:12-59)

[Sung Psalm: 47]

The Pharisees said that "no prophet arises from Galilee." Jesus doesn't bother to correct them. It would serve no practical purpose to tell them that he was from Bethlehem. So instead Jesus says "I am the light of the world"

We are still on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Earlier Jesus has said that he was the fountain of living water – he is the rock in the wilderness that provides rivers of living water for his people. He did this on the same day that the priests in the temple were preparing their annual water ceremony.

Another ceremony that the priests had developed was focused around reminding the people of the pillar of fire. And so, in our text today Jesus calls himself "the light of the world."

Jesus claims to be the pillar of fire and cloud that Israel is to follow. "Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

I am the pillar of fire. Follow me!

This echoes John's statement in 1:4-5 "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."

The light of the world has come. The one who follows him will never walk in darkness, because the light of life will shine before his path...