When we study the 8th chapter of the Gospel of John, we see the response of many people in verse 30: “As he was saying these things, many believed in him.” This is good news. Because Jesus had said in verse 24, “Unless you believe that I am he [literally, that I am] you will die in your sins.” So here we have a picture of people passing from death to life. They will not die in their sins. They will be forgiven. Their sins will not be held against them. And when they die, they will go where Jesus has gone — to the Father — unlike the unrepentant, as Jesus says in verse 21, “Where I am going you cannot come.” And so these believers will live in everlasting light and joy. That is why Jesus came into the world. That is why he spoke these words
Prayer For The Light of Truth: All powerful and ever-living God, cast out from our hearts the darkness of sin and bring us to the light of your truth. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Monday –Psalm 119:101-109, Thy Lamp
What kind of lamp was this? The ancient lamp was a small flat, oil-fed clay lamp. It gave just enough light to see a short distance ahead. Similarly, God’s Word gives sufficient light for each step in life. What’s lighting your ways? Is it sufficient? Is it God?
Tuesday –Matthew 5:13-16, Salt and Light
So what did Jesus mean when He spoke about salt losing its taste or becoming unsalty, becoming useless and thrown out? Salt can’t become less salty, but… impurities can compromise salt, causing it to become worthless. It’s often easier to identify the impurities in other’s lives but take some time and examine what might need removed from our lives. Stay salty and search yourself.
Wednesday –John 1:1-5, The Word Became Flesh
Why did John use “word” as a name of a person? This term has special meaning to both Jew and Greeks, who used the term word (logos) not only to describe spoken word but also to describe the unspoken word. The “word” refers to Jesus the Messiah, emphasizing his unity in the Creation Story in Genesis and the beginning of the Gospel of John.
Thursday –1 John 1:5-9, Light and Darkness, Sin and Forgiveness
In what sense is God light? Light suggests the idea that God is open and honest, that he reveals truth. Light also represents goodness and purity in a moral sense. There are no shadows or dark sides to God. He is perfect and free of sin. No yin and yang with God. There is NO evil or bad. He’s the perfect father.
Friday – Luke 11:33-36, The Lamp of the Body
What does it mean that your eye is the lamp of your body? Like a lamp shining on a path, the eye lets light into the body and allows people to see obstacles in their way. When our eyes are healthy, our whole body navigates well through life. Similarly, when believers make their central focus Jesus and the message of the gospel, their life will be “full of light.
Saturday –John 12:35-37, Belief and Unbelief Among the Jews
Why did Jesus hide? As Jesus’ public ministry drew to a close, so did the opportunity for the Jews to accept him and the Messiah. He may have hidden from them to underscore what he had just told them; soon the light would be taken from them. Are we called to hide too? Or… are there strategic moments when we need to be alone and still?