The Light of the World (John 8:12)
Sometimes we hear someone say something startling. When we look at them, we might think they are confused, even self-deceived. They may only say such a comment once. That is how some people reacted to Jesus, except in his case he continued to make unusual, indeed unheard off, claims about himself, which inevitably caused strong reactions. The ‘I am’ sayings are a set of unusual personal claims, except in his case they are true assertions that reveal who he is. While these sayings may be startling, they are also simple statements in the sense that in most of them Jesus as the master communicator used straightforward illustrations and word pictures to say who he is and what he had come to do. When he said them, people could work out what he meant, although that did not mean that they believed him. The important aspect of his teaching, whatever the topic, is that his words were spiritual. He taught about the things of the kingdom of God, including entering it as well as living in it i