Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

There are some people who have a gift of using common experiences to teach significant truths

Ric Edelman - “Squirrel Manifesto” - uses a fictitious squirrel to explain the ways that we use money (or in their case acorns) - spend or enjoy , save for the future, give or share, tax - it’s a fun way to let kids relate to the story and learn financial literacy

Jesus used every day elements to teach as well

Children - come like a child (Mark 10:13-16)

vineyard - vine and branches - (John 15)

Cities on a hill - referencing our influence in the world (Matthew 5)

Festival activities - to point to him - maybe those activities are actually about him.

Today, we’re continuing our look at the Gospel of John - focusing on John 8:12-30.

Before we dive into these verses, let’s consider...

The Scene

Feast of Tabernacles

one of three annual feasts where people were expected to go to Jerusalem

Here, they would be dwelling in tents as a reminder of what their ancestors went through in the exodus

Throughout the festival, there have been times of singing and rejoicing - Singing the Hallal or Praise Psalms (Ps.

113-118).

Jesus arrived late and began teaching in the middle of the feast - which Pastor Armal discussed a few weeks ago.

There are also two significant object lessons.

The first is...

Water - in some ways, this is actually - water and wine - where Levites would pour water into a large basin with holes in it.

There was another basin with wine in it.

As the water is poured in, it begins to leak out through the holes - bringing a reminder when God told Moses to strike the rock at Massah and Meribah (which means “testing and quarreling”) in order to make water flow (Exodus 17:6).

It’s in relation to this that Jesus calls people to come to him for living water (John 7:37-38).

Light - during the Exodus, God would lead the people of Israel with a pillar of fire at night and a pillar of clouds during the day (Ex.

13:21).

In order to remember the light - there was an elaborate ceremony at the beginning of the week.

Let’s consider a brief glimpse of this from the Mishnah which provided instruction and commentary from the Jewish Rabbi’s for how the festival should be celebrated (for clarity, I have removed some of the markers that divide the Mishnah - in order to allow it to read a bit more clearly):

The Mishnah (Sukkah)

At the end of the first festival day of the Festival [the priests and Levites] went down to the women’s courtyard.

And they made a major enactment [by putting men below and women above].

And there were golden candleholders there, with four gold bowls on their tops, and four ladders for each candlestick.

And four young priests with jars of oil containing a hundred and twenty logs, [would climb up the ladders and] pour [the oil] into each bowl.

Out of the worn-out undergarments and girdles of the priests they made wicks, and with them they lit the candlesticks.

And there was not a courtyard in Jerusalem which was not lit up from the light of bet hashshoebah.

The pious men and wonder workers would dance before them with flaming torches in their hand, and they would sing before them songs and praises.

And the Levites beyond counting played on harps, lyres, cymbals, trumpets, and [other] musical instruments, [standing, as they played] on the fifteen steps which go down from the Israelites’ court to the women’s court—corresponding to the fifteen Songs of Ascents which are in the Book of Psalms—on these the Levites stand with their instruments and sing their song.

(for reference 120 logs is about 58 liters - it seems each of the four priests carried one of these)

So this first day would be marked by this tremendous celebration.

It would happen in near the women’s courtyard.

Let me show you a couple of illustrations to give you a feel for what this might have looked like.

(Herod’s Temple - on the temple mount)

Herod’s Temple - model) - It’s difficult to see, but there are steps going from the women’s courtyard up to the main - fifteen steps corresponding with the Songs of Ascents (Ps.

120-134)

(Herod’s Temple - comparison) - note the women’s court

So you can imagine, they have four large bowls of oil, with wicks made from holy garments - because everything has to be holy - perched high - high enough for ladders to be needed.

Throughout the week, these candles or torches would remain lit.

Each night, the fire from these torches would be used a part of the celebration.

The light from these fires were so bright that they would illumine every courtyard in the city.

So, in the passage we’re considering this week, we find Jesus in the temple on the final day of the festival.

It’s a big day, a holy convocation.

I would guess it may have even been in the evening and seeing the immense light from these torches or huge candles, Jesus makes two bold claims - one about his ministry, the other about his destination - each followed by a vigorous conversation.

As we review His claims, we’ll also consider a bit of the conversation and the implications for us.

In light of the setting, Jesus seems to make his first claim about...

His Ministry - Light of the World (8:12-20)

Light is a major theme in John’s gospel.

It is directly referenced some 24 times.

When we think about the use of light in this festival, it was designed to remind people of how God guided them at night during the exodus.

They needed his light to keep them from stumbling.

They needed His light to guide their way.

In much the same way - Jesus, as the light of the world, demonstrates how we should live, how to keep from stumbling.

But he also guides us to eternal life.

Showing us by his sacrifice that eternal life is only achieved by faith in Him through his sacrificial death, but that life in the kingdom of God is marked by service and sacrifice, even suffering.

But there is another element to light, in that it illumines or reveals.

Things become much clearer in the light.

As my eyes age, I find that I need light more light to read.

The contrasts are simply not there without sufficient light.

In much the same way, the pure light of Jesus’ life reveals darkness in us and by default casts a sort of judgment.

In response to Jesus comment, some of the religious leaders that were around him push back and question Jesus.

they begin by questioning...

His Witness

It seems odd for them to hear this claim from Jesus - after all it is a big, bold claim.

But they want proof.

They want validation.

We saw this a few weeks ago in the encounter with the woman caught in adultery that no one could be accused of something on the testimony of only one person - there needed to be at least two.

So these people want validation - and yet this is not the first time.

In fact, they may be referencing a prior encounter with Jesus:

And yet - they already had other witness testimony:

John the Baptist - who was well known among the religious leaders had already testified that Jesus was the Son of God (John 1:34; John 5:33-35).

In addition to that, there are the multiple signs (water to wine, healing the official’s child, feeding 5000, healing on the sabbath, walking on water…) that Jesus has done which demonstrate that He is something more than just an ordinary Jewish man.

And yet they refused to believe the testimony of His works.

Now, when he makes a claim about Himself, they want more proof, more evidence, more testimony.

To which Jesus replies...

Jesus contrasts their perspective and his.

He introduced the idea of a different origin and destination - which we will see again in a few moments.

He also introduces a difference between their perspective and his.

Flesh vs. ?

- Jesus judges and discerns according to a different standard.

But notice how Jesus addresses the matter of the witness testimony.

He says that both He and the Father are witnesses in defense of each other.

The OT Law clearly required the testimony of more than one person for a capital offense, but it seems that the application of that was expanded to include other legal situations (Carson).

Again the Mishnah says:

“A person cannot give testimony in his own behalf.”

This then begs the question - how would they know the testimony of His Father?

His Father

This side of the cross, we can recognize that they should have known, but they ask anyways...

Don Carson commented on this exchange saying, “Not infrequently in John, Jesus says something profound only to have it misinterpreted by others.”

They had the law which spoke of a coming one.

They had the Prophets who repeatedly talked about the Messiah in multiple ways.

These are all the testimony of the Father.

And yet they don’t understand the Father’s testimony.

But, I wonder, how often are we like that?

How often do we misinterpret the testimony of God?

These religious leaders found comfort in their traditions, in their ceremonies, in their celebrations.