Chapter 7
JESUS IS OUR LIGHT
(Matthew 4:12-17)
Before we begin our study let us pray,
Dear Heavenly Father, Almighty God,
We come before You in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Father please open our eyes, our ears and our heart so we can see, hear and understand that Jesus is our Light. Cause us to see and receive the fact that Jesus came to lead us out of the darkness of sin and into eternal light and life with You.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
We begin our study by reading a prophecy given to us from the prophet Isaiah. The Scripture of interest is,
Isaiah 9:1-2
"[1] Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan-- [2] The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."
Let us notice the following verse,
1 … Jesus not only came for the Jew but also for the Gentiles, those who are not Jewish.
Let us now read the fulfillment of this prophecy by reading the Scriptures for the theme of this study. They are from,
Matthew 4:12-17
"[12] When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. [13] Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali-- [14] to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: [15] "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-- [16] the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." [17] From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.""
Let us notice the following verses,
13-16 … To insure that we have no doubt that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy given through Isaiah, the Holy Spirit had Matthew use the very same prophecy to explain Jesus' visit to Capernaum.
To expand upon the truth that Jesus Christ was and is the Light that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, we will,
1. Address the question of; “What does it mean that Jesus Christ is the Light?”
2. Discover that not everyone either saw or received the Light of Jesus.
3. Find that the true born again believers in Jesus Christ are sons and daughters of light.
We begin by addressing the question,
WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE LIGHT
To address this question let us first refresh our memory that,
JESUS CHRIST IS GOD WHO CAME DOWN TO EARTH IN HUMAN FLESH
To do this let us read about the birth of Christ according to the Apostle John. It is recorded in,
John 1:1-5
"[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was with God in the beginning. [3] Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. [4] In him was life, and that life was the light of men. [5] The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it."
Let us now read from,
John 1:14
"[14] The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
This truth was clearly revealed to us on the top of the Mount of Transfiguration. To read what occurred we go to,
Mark 9:2-8
"[2] After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. [3] His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. [4] And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. [5] Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." [6] (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) [7] Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" [8] Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus."
Let us notice the following verses,
3 … Jesus became dazzling white. In other words Jesus' true Divine nature was revealed. Specifically, He had no sin or darkness within Him. This is recorded for us in,
1 Peter 2:22
[22] “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;
Let us now return to the Gospel according to Mark and notice verse,
7 … God the Father bore witness to Peter, James and John and now us that Jesus is His Son.
Secondly,
IT IS JESUS CHRIST WORKING THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO GIVES US THE LIGHT TO UNDERSTAND HIS WORD, THE BIBLE
Perhaps another way to put it is that Jesus Christ illuminates the Bible for us. To see this, let us read what Jesus said to His disciples. This was spoken just prior to His ascension into Heaven. The Scripture of interest is in,
Luke 24:44-45
"[44] He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." [45] Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures."
Let us pay particular attention to verse 45 and consider all the time Jesus spent with the disciples teaching them about the Kingdom of God. Yet, it was not until Jesus opened their minds that they could truly understand the Scriptures. So it is with us! In other words, before we read or listen to the Bible we are to come before Jesus and ask Him to open our minds to understand.
As we consider the above, we come to realize that understanding God’s Word and to receive and grow in Godly faith is a gift. It is not something we work up. In fact, this is exactly what the Bible teaches in,
Ephesians 2:8
"[8] For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--"
SUMMARY
Let us summarize this portion of our study by reading from,
John 8:12
"[12] When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.""
Thus, we find that when we receive and follow Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we will have the Light of life living within us.
However, as we read the Scriptures we find that,
NOT EVERYONE SAW OR WILL SEE THE LIGHT OF JESUS
To see this let us return to reread,
John 1:5
"[5] The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it."
Why? Why is it that the darkness does not comprehend or understand the light? To find out let us read about the time when Jesus told His listeners that the Truth would set them free from their bondage to sin. Even though the Scriptures we are about to explore were covered in Chapter 4, for the continuity of this study and their importance it would be beneficial for s to do it again. The Scriptures of interest are recorded for us in,
John 8:31-39
"[31] To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. [32] Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." [33] They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" [34] Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. [35] Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. [36] So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. [37] I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. [38] I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father." [39] "Abraham is our father," they answered. "If you were Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then you would do the things Abraham did.
Let us notice the following verses,
31(a) … Jesus was talking to Jews who believed Him. The same could be true with us. Namely, we too could believe Him. Is it enough to just believe what Jesus says? To find out, let us consider the next portion of this verse,
31(b-32) … If you hold to My teaching. In other words Jesus is telling us that if we do what He says, then we are really His disciples. Specifically, our belief, that is faith, must produce fruits or action. When this occurs, that is we not only hear but do what Jesus says, then, the truth will set us free!
33 … The Jews did not understand. They prided themselves on the fact they were descendants of Abraham. Thus, they believed that they were God’s chosen people. In addition, they were diligent to observe the services of the Temple. Thus, they felt they complied with the required religious commands and traditions. Consequently, they could not understand what they were enslaved to. The same could very well be true with us. Namely, we could be thinking that I was raised in and belong to a Christian family; I regularly attend Church activities, such as Bible studies; “What do I need to be set free from?” Well, Jesus tells us in the following verse.
34 … He who sins, is a slave to sin … pretty sobering, isn't it?
39(a) … Again the Pharisees and Sadducees were relying upon their heritage, i.e. they were children of Abraham. In addition, as we read earlier, they were also relying upon the observances of the Ceremonial Laws and their traditions. This raises the question of; “Why was the Law given?” To find out let us first read from,
Galatians: 3:19
[19] What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; …”
To expand upon this let’s read from,
[24] Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. [25] But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
Let us now return to John chapter 8 and notice the following verse,
39(b) … Jesus told them that if Abraham was truly their father they would do the things that Abraham did. To find out what Abraham did we go to,
Romans 4:3
[3] For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
Not only did Abraham believe in God but he also had faith in God. In other words, Abraham trusted and relied on the fact that God would fulfill His promises. To see this let us read from,
Romans 4:13-22
[13] For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. [14] For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, [15] because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. [16] Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all [17] (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; [18] who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” [19] And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. [20] He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, [21] and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. [22] And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
Let us return to the Gospel of John and continue our reading from,
John 8:40-47
[40] As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. [41] You are doing the things your own father does." "We are not illegitimate children," they protested. "The only Father we have is God himself." [42] Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. [43] Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. [44] You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. [45] Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! [46] Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? [47] He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.""
Let us notice the following verses,
41 … Now the Pharisees and Sadducees claimed that their father was God. In other words, they claimed that they were God's children.
42 … Jesus replied by stating that if they really were God's children they would love Him. It is the same today. If a person claims to believe in God or be a child of God they will then love and follow Jesus.
43-44 … Those who do not love Jesus are motivated by the evil one.
47 … Those who belong to God will hear and obey what God says.
Why? Why could they not hear Him? Why were they not of God? The clue to the answer to this question is what Jesus said back in,
Matthew 4:17
"[17] From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.""
Let us remember in chapter 4 we found this was also the reason John the Baptist was sent to the people of Israel. Specifically, he was sent to prepare the people with the message of repentance for the arrival of Jesus Christ. To refresh our memories let us read from,
Matthew 3:1-3
"[1] In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea [2] and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." [3] This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'""
Let us also recall that the Pharisees and the Sadducees did not truly repent. To refresh our memories let us continue our reading in,
Matthew 3:7-10
"[7] But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? [8] Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. [9] And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. [10] The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."
Consequently, they were not able to see or accept who Jesus really was and is, the Son of the Living God.
This brings us to the questions of: "What about us? Have we truly repented and confessed our sins to God and asked for His forgiveness?" Let us recall that Godly repentance means we are so sorry for our sins that we sincerely want to turn away from those sinful activities. As we check ourselves out, please remember the following promise made to each and every one of us. To read it we go to,
1 John 1:9
"[9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
THE POINT OR MESSAGE
Perhaps the best way to summarize the message of this section is by reading from,
John 1:9-13
"[9] The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. [10] He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. [11] He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. [12] Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- [13] children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God."
Let us notice the following verses,
9 … Jesus Christ is the true Light.
10-11 … As we discovered earlier, not everyone recognized or will recognize and receive Him.
12-13 … Those who do receive Him will be given the right and privilege to be children of God. These are the born again believers in Jesus Christ, who are the true disciples of Jesus.
As we continue our reading of the New Testament we find that the Bible does not stop here. In fact, we discover that the Bible also teaches us that,
THE BORN AGAIN BELIEVERS ARE SONS/DAUGHTERS OF LIGHT
To see this let us read from,
1 Thessalonians 5:4-5
"[4] But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. [5] You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness."
Let us notice the following verses,
4 … The Holy Spirit tells us that we should not be surprised when our Lord returns the second time to earth.
5 … We are the sons/daughters of the light. To amplify upon this let us read from,
Matthew 5:14-16
""[14] You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. [16] In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
Since both the believer and unbeliever can do good works, we find that for the born again believer to be the light of the world much is more involved. Specifically, when we spend quality time reading God's Word and in prayer with our Lord Jesus Christ,
GOD'S LIGHT WILL SHINE THROUGH US
The Bible teaches us that not only does God's light come forth through good works, as we saw in Matthew 5:16, but if we spend good quality time in His Word and with Him, then our whole countenance will change. For some extreme examples of this phenomena we begin with,
The Old Testament
For this period of time let us look to the example of Moses. To see how Moses' countenance changed when he spent time with God, let us read from,
Exodus 34:29-35
"[29] When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. [30] When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. [31] But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. [32] Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai. [33] When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. [34] But whenever he entered the Lord's presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, [35] they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD."
Let us notice the following verses,
29 … The skin of Moses' face became radiant when he talked with God.
30 … Even the children of Israel noticed how Moses' face glowed.
34-35 … Every time Moses spent time with God his face would glow.
Let us now turn our attention to,
The New Testament
For this period of time let us look to the example of Stephen. In particular let us read what happened to his face when the Holy Spirit prepared him to preach the Gospel to the ruling Jewish council. It is recorded for us in,
Acts 6:15
"[15] All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel."
To have a clearer picture of what the Scripture is saying let us read this passage as it is translated in James Moffatt's: "A New Translation of the Bible."
"and His face shone like the face of an angel."
SUMMARY
Before we close our study let us summarize the three main points.
First of all we discovered that Jesus Christ is the Light of the world. To refresh our memories let us read again how Jesus described Himself in,
John 8:12
"[12] … He said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.""
Secondly, we found that those who are truly born again believers in Jesus Christ are the sons/daughters of light. To refresh our memories and read an exhortation we go to,
Matthew 5:14-16
""[14] You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. [16] In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
Finally, to allow Jesus' Light to truly shine forth from within us we must remain in Him and have His Word abide in us. To see this let us close by reading the following parable,
John 15:1-8
""[1] I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. [2] He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. [3] You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. [4] Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. [5] "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. [6] If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. [7] If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. [8] This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."
Now some may ask; "How does a person remain in Christ and have His word abide in them?"
First of all, to have His words abide in us we must faithfully and prayerfully read His word, the Bible.
Secondly, to see how we are to abide in Christ let us read from,
1 John 3:21-24
"[21] Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God [22] and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. [23] And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. [24] Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us."
Let us notice the following verses,
21 … In other words the Scripture is instructing us to have a clear conscience before God, that is all known sin is confessed and repented of.
24 … “Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.”
Blessed be the Lord Forever
Amen and Amen