Jesus, the Light of the World
The Israelites had been in Egypt for many years, with many years as slaves. When the time was right, God sent Moses to lead the people out of their slavery. Then for the next 40 years, the Israelites wandered in the desert, being led by a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night. During those 40 years they lived in tents. But finally, God allowed them to enter the Promised Land.” God gave them cities and houses that they had not built; fields they didn’t plant; wells they hadn’t dug.
God created a special festival for them to observe so they would remember this trying experience. This was the Feast of the Tabernacles (or tents or booths). For seven days in the fall the Israelites came to Jerusalem and live in tents.
Jesus and His disciples came to Jerusalem to celebrate this festival.
Now during the time of Jesus, this had become a very elaborate festival. According to the Mishnah (the Jewish commentary on the Law written later) and the Talmud (the oral traditions also written down later), the priests would erect four large candlesticks in the Court of Women. They were about 75 feet tall each with four bowls at the top that held about ten gallons of oil. Each evening of the seven-day celebration these would be lit. It was rumored that this would light up the city. This ritual was called the “Illumination Of The Temple.”
On the last day of the festival at mid-afternoon, the priest led a procession that would come back to the Temple where a priest would offer a prayer. This prayer included these words: “God in heaven, send Your Messiah soon and in our days. We cry out for our Messiah now.” The Rabbis had long taught that the Messiah was to be referred to as “The Light.”
Many scholars think this was the occasion when Jesus stood up and declared: “I am the Light of the World!” I am the light that was to come into the world. I am the Messiah who had been promised. I have come into a dark world to give you light.
As the light, Jesus came to illuminate our way. In the darkness we need some light—we understand that. But in the world without God, we live in darkness, spiritual darkness. Jesus as the light helps us see; helps us see ...
