God's Word for Me Today
Sunday, December 2, 2001
Unwrapping a Christ-Centered Christmas!
A note about online study
Introduction to God's Word for Me Today
My Prayer Today
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for this new day of life in which I can live to Your praise and glory! Fill me this day with the light of Your Holy Spirit that I may lead others into Your light in Jesus’ name. As I read Your Word again today give me a deeper understanding of all that You call me to be, and how I can stand firm in faith as people challenge my commitment to Jesus. Thank You for this season of lights, when folks celebrate Jesus’ birth. May I be a true light in the midst of all these lights that You may receive honor and praise. These things I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God's Word for Me Today: John 8:12-20
12 Jesus said to the people, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." 13 The Pharisees replied, "You are making false claims about yourself!" 14 Jesus told them, "These claims are valid even though I make them about myself. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you don't know this about me. 15 You judge me with all your human limitations, but I am not judging anyone. 16 And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone – I have with me the Father who sent me. 17 Your own law says that if two people agree about something, their witness is accepted as fact. 18 I am one witness, and my Father who sent me is the other." 19 "Where is your father?" they asked. Jesus answered, "Since you don't know who I am, you don't know who my Father is. If you knew me, then you would know my Father, too." 20 Jesus made these statements while he was teaching in the section of the Temple known as the Treasury. But he was not arrested, because his time had not yet come.
Questions for Reflection
What are the characteristics of light that make it a great image to describe Jesus and Christians?
Who do you know who best demonstrates the light of Jesus in his or her life? What is it that makes the light so obvious?
What is your favorite kind of Christmas light(s)? Why?
Questions for Exploration
How does Jesus compare Himself to light? (8:12)
What is the Pharisees’ response to Jesus’ claim? (8:13)
What is Jesus’ response to the Pharisees? (8: 14-18)
Why don’t the Pharisees understand Jesus’ claim?
Questions for Understanding
What is Jesus’ main point in this text?
Why didn’t the Pharisees accept Jesus’ teaching about His being the Light of the world?
Questions for Application
What one thing can you do today that will show others the Light of Jesus Christ in you in a practical way? Do it!
Pray for the Holy Spirit to fill you with the Light of Jesus to worship and praise Him fully in worship today.
True or False?
Jesus claimed to be the light of the world, and that if people would follow Him they would stop stumbling through the darkness, because they would have the light that leads to life. The Pharisees didn’t buy it. They said simply and clearly, “You are making false claims about yourself.” The Pharisees realized that the claim of Jesus either had to be true or false. It couldn’t be a matter of indifference. If Jesus IS the light of the world, then He must be followed. If He isn’t the light of the world then He must be stopped. We live in such an age of tolerance and “situational ethics” that absolutes of true and false are seldom put forward. In this matter we must put the absolute forward: either Jesus is who He says He is OR He is not. If He is, then He IS the light of the world and the only way to salvation, the only way to the new life that He promised. If He isn’t who He says He is then all of us must stop wasting our time in following Him. We must stop telling others about Him. We must celebrate “sparkle season” instead of Christmas. The lights, tinsel and glitter of the season are all there is.
Which is it? Is Jesus the light of the world and the only Son of God? Our answer to that question is an emphatic, “Yes!” Therefore, Christmas is more about THE light—Jesus, than about lights. It is CHRISTMAS we’ll be celebrating in a few weeks—the birth of Jesus, not sparkle season or winter holiday. The world wants to know the truth—deep down the world really wants to know. The only way they can know the truth that Jesus IS the light of the world is as we share that light with them through our daily lives. As Jesus put it, “By this will all people know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Jesus IS the light of the world, now it’s our job (and joy) to show the world that light in this blessed season!
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