Light of the World

Light of the World

By Pastor Gary Wayne

Text: Luke 11:34-35, Matthew 5:14-16, John 8:12
Question – double answer – Who is the light of the world?

The book of John is unique in how John covers a lot of what Jesus said and taught at the very end of His ministry.

Just before Jesus went to the cross, you can see where Jesus amped up His message as to whom He was and His purpose.

Last March on Resurrection Sunday, I started talking about the 7 feasts God. The last feast we looked was Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). At this Feast, Jesus stood up and cried out, that He was the living water. Joh.7:37-38

Joh 12:44-46 Then Jesus cried out and said, "…. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.”
So He was making some major public statements.

There is a lot that happened in these few chapters.
A scripture I hadn’t noticed before is: John 10: 22 “Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter.”

The Feast of Tabernacles, and the Feast of Dedication had MAJOR light ceremonies. What is the “Feast of Dedication?”

Josephus a historian called it "Feast of Lights." But you won’t find it mentioned or celebrated in the O.T. because the origin of this feast took place in between the OT and NT. It is what is known as Hanukkah – which means "dedication."

In 165 BC, the Syrians defeated Jerusalem. They went into the temple and deconsecrated the alter by sacrificing pigs, - much more. 3 years later some people took Jerusalem back. They restored the temple and it’s alter.

In the Temple, the priests would light the lamps using special oil that God had given them a recipe for. But when they went to light the lamps, they only had enough oil for one day. It would take at least 8 days to make a new batch.
They lit the lamps any way, and a miracle happened in that that 1 day of oil lasted 8 days - long enough for the new oil to be prepared.

Today that is the main emphasis Jewish people use to celebrate Hanukkah.

It appears as though Jesus used what was physically being celebrated to emphasize that He was the light they were celebrating.

Many believe that Jesus used Hanukkah occasion to reveal Himself as the Messiah..

This is fascinating, but what does this history have to do with you and me?
Where does this becomes personal and relevant for today?

As we started out, Jesus said He was the light of the world, and then He said that we also are the light of the world.

Where I feel God wants to deal with is in Luke 11:34-35

Ver.35 “Watch out that you do not mistake your opinions for revelation-light.” Passion Translation

Christmas Eve service - Have you ever been around a bunch of JH camping – each one having their own flash light? It’s blinding.

I grew up with a lot of religious traditions passed on as scripture.
Women can’t wear makeup - jewelry, can’t dance, can’t go to bowling allies because they sell booze, face cards were evil, movie theaters – etc..

When we take the light we have been given and begin to use it as a spotlight to look at each other’s problems, our light is darkness.

If I represent God to my neighbors with my tainted opinions, that’s religion, and they really don’t want what I have.

But if I represent God in the demonstration of His love, that’s life changing.

In Mat.5 where Jesus says we are the light of the world, He also says we are the salt of the earth.

There is a warning with this teaching – NASB “If the salt has become tasteless, how can it be restored?”

In that last year, what have I done with the light Jesus gave me?

Have I been like a JH playing with the light?

Have I become tasteless to those around me?