John 8:12 -- Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
We come to one of Jesus' great "I am" statements and it's a powerful one for sure. However, when we slow down to understand the historical context of where He is and when it is said we see even more!
If we rewind just a little into John chapter seven, we find Jesus in the middle of things as the Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot, in Hebrew, was wrapping up. It's a seven-day celebration (with an eighth day of rest) of God's deliverance from Egypt and future deliverance which would come from the promised Messiah.
One of the major things is everyone sets up a tent or booth outside and stays in it or eats dinner there. Another part is for seven days things are started with priests drawing water from a pool, then taking it and pouring it in a basin next to the altar. It's at the end of all this when, in John 7:37-38, Jesus stands up and cries out: "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.".
Okay, so where we are now, as we read John 8:12, is either the same day or the very next day from the events in John 7:37. It's right at the end of the Feast, events have just wound down. There is already a stir about Jesus saying come to me if you thirst after the waters being poured out. So now we have Jesus telling everyone "I am the Light of the world.".
Guess what? Oh, don't guess I'll tell you.
Another thing that was done at the Feast of Tabernacles is the lighting of big, bright lamps around the temple. They were so bright they lit up the courtyards and they represented a few things. First was the Shekinah Glory of God. The second was to represent the great light (Messiah) who would come for those spiritually dead and dwelling in darkness.
Here we see Jesus telling all He not only is the fulfillment of the future hope in their pouring out of water, but He is also the fulfillment of their future hope in the lighting of the bright lamps!
Until today I had never fully connected just how powerful Jesus' words and actions are in these two things. Honestly, I had never even really grasped they occurred at the end of the same festival and around same time. He spoke boldly to say here I am, the fulfillment of what you are celebrating and hoping for in these events. Wow!
Are you thirsty and neither you nor the world can quench that thirst? Jesus is here and He is the Living Water that quenches it forever.
Are you hopelessly walking through the darkness of this world and there seems to be no direction, no escape from it, no light at the end of the tunnel? Jesus is here and He is the Light of the world which illuminates the darkest and vilest of darkness.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He saved me for sure. He didn't change all my circumstances, He didn't take away every storm, but He changed me, and He changed what my feet stand upon amid those things. He is my focus, my hope, my joy. He is my rock, my stable and sure footing in this life and beyond.
Well, that's it for today's journey with the Lord in His Word. What an amazing adventure this is!
You are loved. You are prayed over. You are not alone.
Side Note: Today's image was a recreation of Greg Capullo's Batman art. He is one of my all-time favorite comic book artists, and I always loved his Batman style.
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