Tuesday, November 23, 2021

Jesus the Light of the World

Jesus gave a promise that Jesus' followers would receive the Holy Spirit:
"'If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" This he said about the Holy Spirit, whom those who believes in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit hadn't been given, because Jesus wasn't yet glorified." (John 7:37b–39). 

That is, he hadn't yet been crucified, see The Crucifixion of Jesus.

Before Jesus was crucified, the Holy Spirit had never come indwelling individuals. The Holy Spirit had only come with and upon people. Living inside us is a concept in the New Testament. The promise is that living water will flow from God's people.
The condition for that promise is to receive Jesus as Savior, see Salvation. 
As a result, the Holy Spirit indwells that person (John 14:16–17, 1 Cor 6:17). 
When we are saved, we become a temple for the Holy Spirit who indwells us
(1 Cor 3:16–17, 6:19, 2 Cor 6:16) with Jesus as the cornerstone (Eph 2:19–22). 

We are also promised to be baptized (to be empowered) with the Holy Spirit, see 
The Great Commission in The Great Commission. Then the Holy Spirit comes upon that person. It can occur some time after a person is saved, or at the same time the person is saved. In the latter case, the Holy Spirit also indwells that person. We can be repeatedly filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18b). The purpose is to empower to be able to be witnesses to the gospel (Acts 1:8). See more about this at:

See its difference from being saved at:

My personal opinion is that speaking in tongues in most cases is proof that one is baptized with the Holy Spirit, see The Gift of Tongues. In some rare cases, a person who wants to be empowered but doesn't want to speak in tongues, for example, can be baptized with the Holy Spirit without speaking in tongues.

Jesus said of  himself: 

  • "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12). 
  • "I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness." (John 12:46).

We need the illumination of Jesus Christ in our lives.

The promise is that we will have Jesus in our lives through the Holy Spirit.
The condition is that we follow Jesus and let him lead us through the Holy Spirit 
(Psalm 43:3a), see the end part of Blind People in Miracles of Jesus. See also 
Jesus and Nicodemus where Jesus speaks of himself as the light. 

Apostle John said about Jesus: 

  • "In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:4–5).
  • "The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world." (John 1:9).
  • "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5b).
  • ". . .  the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining." (1 John 2:8).
  • "For God, who said: 'Let light shine out of darkness', has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Cor 4:6).

When we read the Bible we need the illumination of the Holy Spirit to better understand what we read. To lead us in the way he wants us to go. We then need to rely on him even when we are outside our comfort zones. (Proverbs 3:5).

We shouldn't reject the Lord's discipline (Heb 12:5–7a). We should endure all hardship as discipline, see the first part of The Book of James. I may not have the power in myself to take care of problems and hardship that I face in my life. But God has, the Holy Spirit who is indwelling me has the power to face the hardship. God also wants to empower us with the Holy Spirit, by baptizing us with the Holy Spirit.

The Pharisees told Jesus that his testimony wasn't true, because he was testifying about himself (John 8:13). Jesus answered them: "Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me." 
(John 8:14–18). 

God the Father is a witness of Jesus. Jesus speaks of the fact that God the Father in the miracles he performed clearly testified to the truth of his Son by enabling him to do those kinds of miracles (John 5:1–18), see also 
The Order between Jesus and the Father in the Trinity. Jesus was attested to them by God the Father with mighty works and wonders and signs that God the Father did through him in their midst (Acts 2:22), see Miracles of Jesus.

Jesus knew his origin and destiny. God the Father hadn't sent his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him (John 3:17). Jesus knew that he would give his life on the cross, see
2) Passover (Jewish Easter) in When Did Jesus Die and when Was He Born?
There will be a judgement later when Jesus returns, see The Sheep and the Goats.

Jesus said to the Pharisees: "You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also. If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say: 'He is our God'." (John 8:19, 54).

Jesus also said to these Pharisees: 

  • "I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come." (John 8:21). 
  • "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins." (John 8:23–24). 

The sin that Jesus is talking about is the sin of rejecting Jesus (John 3:18b). The only way for us to be saved is to confess that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. There is no other way to take away our sin, Jesus had to die on the cross
(Mat 26:39, 42, 44–45), see also Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Jesus also declared that he is God, see Jesus – I AM: 

  • "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father
    taught me. And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone,
    for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.    " (John 8:28–29). 
  • "Very truly I tell you, before Abraham was born, I am!" (John 8:58).

See also Some stories in the gospels at the bottom of The Four Gospels.

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