Scripture to Read: John 8:13
Since Jesus is the “Light of the world,” we must allow Him to shine through us every day in this very dark world. After Jesus had declared Himself to be the Light of the world, the Pharisees challenged Him. The Pharisees said to Jesus in John 8:13, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not true.” The Pharisees thought that Jesus was speaking on His own and that there was no one else to testify of what He declared about Himself. They believed that Jesus couldn’t prove Himself to be the Light because as far as they could see, Jesus didn’t have the witnesses to prove His claim to be the Light of the world. The reason the Pharisees could not see was because they were blinded by the darkness of their hearts and, of course, their love for the darkness (John 3:19–20). The fact is, light does not need to be proven, for as light shines, it is seen by all who are not blind and that is proof enough. But those who are blind can’t see the light, so they ask for more proof, though none is needed. So, since the Pharisees’ hearts were blinded by darkness, they felt empowered to challenge Jesus’ claim to be the Light of the world. God reminds us, as Christians, in Ephesians 5:11, Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them. Since Christ lives in us, we should no longer linger in the darkness. God wants us to expose the darkness so that our lives shine brightly for Him.
Challenge & Application
• What was the Pharisees’ problem, and why could they not see that Christ is the Light of the world?
• Why does God not want us lingering in the darkness as His children?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!