“Ah, now I get it”, we say when confusion is cleared up with true facts that make sense and bring clarity to any given circumstance. We humans love for questions to be answered. We want “closure” to any give situation that arises that we don’t understand. We humans are famous for trying to explain every detail that happens to us or to our family members because of our insistent need to know why. Even in sickness that leads to death, as pastoral leaders, we hear people standing nearby explaining why they probably got sick and why it led to death. We seem driven to give reasons and explanations to what is happening because we seek peace. Human peace alludes us. Our self-made peace is a false sense of security doesn’t last long. So, we create more explanations to life stuff we don’t understand. Peace is fleeting, comes and goes, when we do this.
Then, the Light “dawns” on us–we’re missing God in all of this human thinking. Jesus clears up our thinking.
Jesus begins with WHO He really is and leads us back to the One who sent Him—God. Jesus is the Light that dispels all darkness brought on by evil. Jesus is the Light of the entire created World. Satan is the Prince of Darkness who leads us to destructive thinking and behaving which leads us ultimately to death. Following Jesus illuminates our path as boldly as a flight runway with plenty of light to navigate our earthly journey. Trusting His well-lit path, following without needing to know why, brings clarity in the end. Knowing the Father—God is with us, in control of all we don’t understand, has our best interest at heart—brings peace that is not of this world. Jesus in the Prince of Peace in a confused world. Jesus provides “plenty of light to live”. He said so.
John—God’s Love
John 8:12-30, The Message
You’re Missing God in All This
12 Jesus once again addressed them: “I am the world’s Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.”
13 The Pharisees objected, “All we have is your word on this. We need more than this to go on.”
14-18 Jesus replied, “You’re right that you only have my word. But you can depend on it being true. I know where I’ve come from and where I go next. You don’t know where I’m from or where I’m headed. You decide according to what you can see and touch. I don’t make judgments like that. But even if I did, my judgment would be true because I wouldn’t make it out of the narrowness of my experience but in the largeness of the One who sent me, the Father. That fulfills the conditions set down in God’s Law: that you can count on the testimony of two witnesses. And that is what you have: You have my word and you have the word of the Father who sent me.”
19 They said, “Where is this so-called Father of yours?”
Jesus said, “You’re looking right at me and you don’t see me. How do you expect to see the Father? If you knew me, you would at the same time know the Father.”
20 He gave this speech in the Treasury while teaching in the Temple. No one arrested him because his time wasn’t yet up.
21 Then he went over the same ground again. “I’m leaving and you are going to look for me, but you’re missing God in this and are headed for a dead end. There is no way you can come with me.”
22 The Jews said, “So, is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means by ‘You can’t come with me’?”
23-24 Jesus said, “You’re tied down to the mundane; I’m in touch with what is beyond your horizons. You live in terms of what you see and touch. I’m living on other terms. I told you that you were missing God in all this. You’re at a dead end. If you won’t believe I am who I say I am, you’re at the dead end of sins. You’re missing God in your lives.”
25-26 They said to him, “Just who are you anyway?”
Jesus said, “What I’ve said from the start. I have so many things to say that concern you, judgments to make that affect you, but if you don’t accept the trustworthiness of the One who commanded my words and acts, none of it matters. That is who you are questioning—not me but the One who sent me.”
27-29 They still didn’t get it, didn’t realize that he was referring to the Father. So Jesus tried again. “When you raise up the Son of Man, then you will know who I am—that I’m not making this up, but speaking only what the Father taught me. The One who sent me stays with me. He doesn’t abandon me. He sees how much joy I take in pleasing him.”
30 When he put it in these terms, many people decided to believe.
THINK ABOUT IT
Let’s read those last few words one more time, “The One who sent me stays with me. He doesn’t abandon me. He sees how much joy I take in pleasing him.” When he put it in these terms, many people decided to believe.
Do we really believe what we believe about God really real? If yes, we have plenty of Light to navigate this world. So, leave worry behind and trust in Him. No matter what.
Lord,
You bring clarity this morning to all the things of this world that try to distract us from knowing and following you. I love how you do that! Continue to help us all to lay down our own opinions and explanations of what is happening around us so we don’t miss out on You. You are the Light that leads to Life everlasting. You are God and we are not. You will see us through all troubles of this world while preparing the best for us with you forever. I repent of wanting to know why. I trust you with all of my life. The final victory has already been won. These earthly battles are mere skirmishes to get to where you are as the Victor as we trust and obey. Thank you, Lord for fighting my battles with evil’s roadblocks and distractions by lighting the way to Truth. Your light has dawned on me! Continue your transformation in me.
In Jesus Name, Amen
Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus) 