Bible Studies
The time for the Festival of Shelters was near …his brothers had gone to the festival, Jesus also went; however, he did not go openly, but secretly…the festival was nearly half over when Jesus went to the Temple and began teaching. The Jewish authorities were greatly surprised and said, "How does this man know so much when he has never been to school?" Jesus answered, "What I teach is not my own teaching, but it comes from God, who sent me …many in the crowd believed in him and said, "When the Messiah comes, will he perform more miracles than this man has?" …On the last and most important day of the festival Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice, "Whoever is thirsty should come to me, and whoever believes in me should drink. As the scripture says, 'Streams of life-giving water will pour out from his side…Early the next morning he went back to the Temple. All the people gathered around him, and he sat down and began to teach them…"I am the light of the world," he said. "Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness." …Many who heard Jesus say these things believed in him. So Jesus said to those who believed in him, "If you obey my teaching, you are really my disciples; you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free…your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see the time of my coming; he saw it and was glad." They said to him, "You are not even fifty years old---and you have seen Abraham?" "I am telling you the truth," Jesus replied. "Before Abraham was born, 'I Am'."
(John 7:1-8:59)
If I were to give you the task of finding out: “Who is Glenn?” …Where would you begin? Maybe you would try to remember all the things that you have observed since you have known me. Maybe you could talk to other people that know me, people I work with and spend time with. You could talk to my daughter Kara to get her perspective. Of course, you would want to talk to my wife Ellen, and has she got some stories to tell. On second thought, don’t talk to Ellen. If you knew how to reach them, you would certainly want to talk to family and friends that were part of my life growing up. But in the end if you really want to answer the question “Who is Glenn”, you’ll have to talk to me. You’re going to want to know how I would answer the question.
In the previous text, Jesus invited all in and around the temple to do just that. And he invites us, the readers, to come along for the ride. Jesus says, “You’ve heard the rumors, you’ve read the stories, you’ve seen the movie…now come and sit and I’ll tell you who Jesus really is. Forget what you’ve heard…forget what you think you know and I’ll tell you who I really am. And what he says will produce a dramatic reaction in all who hear it. With two words He will blow away the middle ground and they and us will have to decide which way to jump: away from Jesus or toward Him. In uttering those two words, Jesus unleashes a light so brilliant that all who hear those words and are exposed to that light are compelled to react. We will either be pulled into the light or run screaming from it. He does not allow us to stand still…just as He did not allow the first audience that luxury.
Let’s set the scene: It is the feast of Tabernacles (shelters). Together with Passover and Pentecost, it is one of the three major Jewish festivals. It was associated with the harvest, but it also commemorated the years of wilderness wandering. It was an eight-day celebration that had among its key elements: water, fire (light) and twigs/branches (tabernacle). Jesus began teaching about halfway through the festival, amazing the people with His authority. But then He begins an amazing teaching on the last day. He is about to confound the people and enrage the elders. He is about to proclaim that He, Jesus, is the fulfillment of one of their most sacred and wonderful festivals. It is on this last, great day of the celebration that Jesus issues a dramatic invitation.
Every morning during the festival, there has been a procession to the fountain of Gihon, which supplied the water for the pool of Siloam. Here the priest has filled his golden pitcher with water during which time we can well imagine the choir singing: “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” (Isaiah 12:3) Then the crowd made its way to the temple carrying twigs and branches in their right hand to remind them of the tabernacles their forefathers dwelt in during the wilderness wandering and a citron in their left hand, which stood for the harvest. They proceeded to the alter waving their branches and singing, “Save now I pray O Lord, O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity.” Psalm 118:25 Then the priest went to the altar and poured water through a silver funnel and onto the ground as an offering to the Lord.
On this last great day, the crowd marched around the altar to celebrate God’s gift of water when Moses struck the rock in the wilderness at Mirabah. It may well have been at this time when Jesus stood and cried, “If anyone thirsts…let him come to me and drink.” The implication was clear. In the desert the people thirst and call out to Moses who calls out to God and He provides the water. Here Jesus eliminates the middleman: the people thirst and call out to Jesus and He provides the water. He eliminates the role of Moses and steps into the role of God.
But Jesus wasn’t done. The next day He returns to the temple to continue His teaching. During the festival there was the lighting of the enormous candles in the court of the women, an outer part of the temple. There were four great golden candlesticks, each with a golden bowl on top that could only be reached by ladder. Floating in the oil were wicks made from the girdles of the priests. When the wicks were lit the burnished bowls would slowly but steadily burn brighter until the entire temple and outer courts were lit up. There was said to be no place in Jerusalem where its light could not be seen. Imagine, the people all gathered about listening to Jesus teach. Still fresh in their minds is the memory of the great candles lighting up the night sky just hours earlier. Here Jesus makes a second startling proclamation, “I am the light of the world, he who follows me will not walk in darkness but have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
Certainly, heads must have turned on this one. Having previously been awed by the lights of Jerusalem the people suddenly hear an itinerant rabbi proclaiming that He possesses a brighter light…and with divine authority! He literally says, “I am that I am is the light of the world.” Then He says, “…anyone who comes to Me…” I doubt there were many who failed to make the connection.
He has declared himself the fulfillment of water and light in the festival…now comes His third proclamation. “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” (John 8:31,32) Here Jesus speaks to the very center of their festival. He literally says, “If you tabernacle in my word…” He is to be their water(life), their light and now their dwelling place. His word their home…His teaching their comfort.
The Pharisees certainly must counter, for the authority of Jesus’ teaching is moving the people. They certainly can’t let this go unchallenged. And their argument runs something like this:
1. We know God’s law better than anyone. You may fool the people
but you don’t fool us.
2. You bear witness to yourself…therefore your witness is invalid
3. We are descendants of Abraham & children of God…you have
nothing to offer us.
4. You are clearly out of your mind
I’m sure they thought they had made a pretty strong case against Jesus. Except for one small problem: He was who He said He was. Jesus’ response ran something like this:
1. I am unable to convince you because you are unable to understand.
2. My miracles prove that the Father also bears witness with Me
3. You are not children of Abraham because you ignore what he rejoiced to see
4. You are not children of God because you want to kill me
5. I do what I see the Father doing…If I’m mad than so is my Father
Now the stage is set for the final and most startling proclamation of the festival. Jesus declares there is power of life in the very word He speaks. Anyone who “keeps” His whole teaching and does not let it slip away will never see death. He will never face the horror of eternal separation from God. Jesus could only make this claim if He was the source of life. His enemies are now convinced that He is demon-possessed. Who is He making himself out to be? But the question isn’t, who is he making himself out to be? It is who is He? Jesus plays to their use of Abraham and says, “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see the time of my coming; he saw it and was glad." (John 8:56) The religious leaders are baffled. Jesus isn’t even 50 years old and Abraham died centuries ago. “What are you talking about?” Then the bomb drops.
“Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM!” Jesus is saying that Abraham died but He is the giver of life… Abraham was created and He is uncreated…”You say Abraham was your father, but I am. The “I am” He uses is the sacred name that God told to Moses in Exodus 3:14. Jesus was saying it as clearly as He possibly could: “The Father and I are one…I am God.”
Now there is no way that the religious leaders can miss the startling meaning of Jesus’ claims. With Jesus’ proclamation of these two words, “I AM”, it is time to leap. They pick up stones to kill Him…they have chosen…they will leap away from Jesus.
But what of us? We have been silent observers of this scene. What does this mean for us? We need to ask ourselves some questions. First, what well are we drinking from? If we want to stop our spiritual thirst there can be only one…if we want to be a blessing to others…if we want to be healed, there can be only one.
Second, what light are we using to guide our way? All around us are lights blinking brightly with a promise of easier and more comfortable paths to the left and right. They are not His light. Look, there’s a spotlight to help us see farther down the path so our journey could be safer and more predictable. It is not His light. Jesus is a light to guide us…a lamp unto our feet. It is not a light we use for our purposes…it is a light we follow for His purposes.
Third, where are we abiding? Jesus said we must abide in Him and His word. It must be our place of comfort…our place of rest. This world is not our home. We lose our purpose and our identity when we fall for this lie. We are passing through this world and while we are here we are ambassadors for our real home: heaven. We are foreigners here representing our King always as we bear the stamp of our true citizenship proudly.
So, which way will you leap? He waits to receive you…to welcome you home. Jesus is the great “I AM”…He could be the well you drink from, the light that guides you, your home, your Lord and your God. He is the same…Yesterday…Today…And Forever!
Go ahead…take the leap!
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