It is becoming more and more difficult to find people you can really trust and rely on. (Romans 1:28-32!)
Perhaps you have even got to the stage where you don't know if you can trust anyone anymore! Well there's good news for you here today, and you don't just have to take my word for it - it's on much better authority than that!
The Pharisees, who were a very religious Jewish sect, challenged the authority of an outstanding teacher whom they were unwilling to trust. For them their religion was the "light" that guided them and that taught them how they could please God. But this teacher's message was different! He was saying, "I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life." (verse 12.)
What right had this Teacher, called Jesus, to claim that He was the Light of the world? The Pharisees said to Him, "Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid."
"Jesus answered, 'Even if I testify on My own behalf, My testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going.'" (verses 13-14)
Jesus knew where He came from; but so should everyone else who is interested enough to investigate this wonderful person!
Jesus had begun life on earth by being born to a virgin - a MIRACLE the virgin Mary herself could not understand. (Luke 1:30-38.) She only knew that God had done an impossible thing in order to send His Son from Heaven into this world to become the Saviour. (verse 18. 1st John 4:9-14 ).
The life Jesus lived was further proof that He truly was the sinless, and all-powerful, Son of God. Everything about Jesus' life indicated that He was indeed the promised Messiah the prophets had spoken about hundreds of years before He came to earth. (Luke 24:44-47.)
It was clear for all to see - for all who wanted to see - that Jesus was a Light that should be followed and trusted.(John 3:19.)
Jesus told those Pharisees, "You do not know Me or My Father, if you knew Me, you would know My Father also." (verse 19.)
You see, anyone who does not accept the words and teachings of Jesus is refusing the Light and Truth God has given to the world through His Only Son. (John 1:1-3 & 14. Hebrews 1:1-4:) So, if you refuse Jesus' claim that He is the only Way to God (John 14:6), and that He is the only Priest and Saviour that God will accept for mankind (Hebrews 7:23-28. 10:5-10.), you can be sure God will reject you in the end. (John 3:16-18. & 12:48.)
Be careful you don't make the same mistake these Pharisees made in today's story. They took their religion as the "light" to guide them, instead of taking the message of Jesus - the true GOD-GIVEN LIGHT. They didn't want to believe that Jesus was the only One who could bring them to God. (1st Peter 3:18.) They rejected Him and His message, "yet no
one seized Him, because His time had not yet come." (verse 20.)
Read about those who rejected the GOD-GIVEN LIGHT in John's Gospel chapter 8, verses 12-20.
John Nixon, Cork, Ireland. P31HD98. Contact: jnixonj@gmail.com
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