Week 42 John 8
I’d been thinking about The Word being Light so right away I noticed when Jesus said I am the light of the world.
Whatever-all they took that to mean the religious leaders didn’t like it and told him: you are making those claims about yourself! (which was true). And they went on to say: such testimony is not valid (which wasn’t necessarily true). Since when was it not permissible to say something about yourself? Let’s say for instance that a guy tells me “I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro”. Maybe he did or maybe he didn’t. But I’m not going to tell him it can’t possibly be true because he told me about it himself.
I think the problem for the Lord’s opponents was that they really had no solid basis for knowing whether the Lord was or wasn’t the Light of the World. Even if it was an extravagant claim that couldn’t be the reason to deny it.
That’s why the Lord’s reply made pretty good sense: even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going…You have no idea where I came from or where I am going. You judge by human standards.
No disrespect to human standards – I think they’re a big help and can get me a far piece. But the question is can they take me as far as I need to go?
Note: quotes from John 8:12-15 (NLT NIV)