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Yeshua -> “I Am the Light of the World”: The Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophesy

IN THE FOURTH Gospel [John], the word “light” is used twenty-three times—twice as often as it is used in the rest of the New Testament.[1] The next closest is in the book of Acts where it is used ten times. When we read the Bible, it is helpful and necessary to understand that every word is “God-breathed” (2 Ti 3:16 NASB) and just as with the “I am the bread of life” statement, here the word “light” also has a rich and symbolic meaning, one that is rooted in Old Testament Prophesy.

       So, why does Yeshua use the word “light?” Consider what Leon Morris says, “Light is a natural figure of speech for what is good and upright, and it is often found in contrast to darkness, equally natural as a symbol of evil; John makes this contrast from time to time” (Morris, Jesus is the Christ, 112). Yeshua wasn’t interested in using “five dollar” words. His purpose was/is to “seek and save that which was lost” (Lk 19:10 NASB).

       The easiest way to communicate between people’s is to use the people’s language, i.e., words that they will understand. For the 1st century Jew, they would immediately conclude that the use of the word “light” was a direct allusion to the Old Testament Messiah.[2] In reflecting on this usage John MacArthur states, “Jesus’ metaphor here is steeped in OT allusions…the phrase highlights Jesus’ role as Messiah and Son of God” and that “the OT indicates that the coming age of Messiah would be a time when the Lord would be a light for His people as well as for the whole earth” (MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible, 1564).

       The occasion of Yeshua making this statement follows the “snare” that the scribes and Pharisees tried to catch Him in.[3] Upon bringing the adulterous to Yeshua the Pharisees said, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say” (Jn 8:5 NASB). Yeshua responds, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her” (Jn 8:7 NASB). Confounded by Yeshua's response, the Bible tells us that the Pharisees “began to go out one by one” until Yeshua and the woman were “left alone.”[4]

       Yeshua had won this retort on the Pharisees own terms by refusing to condemn the woman. Only Yahweh has the ability to forgive sin and the Pharisees knew that. What is interesting to note is that with forgiveness—comes responsibility. After Yeshua answers the Pharisees and they scurry away, defeated, we read, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Yeshua said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more” (Jn 8:10-11 NASB).

       The Old Testament is clear—the New Testament is clear—Jesus Christ is clear! He is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophesy. No amount of planning, manipulation, and/or collusion can account for the accuracy of the Old Testament, finding its claims fulfilled, in the reality of Jesus Christ. Consider the following passages in the Old Testament:


“They pierced my hands and feet” (Ps 22:16 HCSB)…“You shall not break any of its bones.” (Ex 12:46 ESV)…“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Ps 22:1 NKJV)…“They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” (Ps 69:21 KJV)…“He poured out Himself to death” (Is 53:12 NASB)…“He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before here shearers, He did not open His mouth” (Is 53:7 HCSB).


       The “case for Yeshua” claiming to be Yahweh…….has been settled!


- Prepare Today | Prevail Tomorrow -


Lee

Psalm 91


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Sources:

MacArthur, John. The MacArthur Study Bible. Thomas Nelson Inc, 2006.

Morris, Leon. Jesus Is The Christ. Grand Rapids: Erdmann’s Publishing Company, 1989.

Towns, Elmer. The Gospel of John: Believe and Live. Tennessee: AMG Publishers, 2002.


[1] Leon Morris. Jesus Is The Christ. (Grand Rapids: Erdmann’s Publishing Company), 1989, 112.

[2] John MacArthur. The MacArthur Study Bible. (Thomas Nelson, Inc), 2006, 1564.

[3] Elmer Towns. The Gospel of John: Believe and Live. (Tennessee: AMG Publishers), 2002, 78.

[4] MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible, 1564.




NOTE: Photo credits go to Istockphoto.com.
NOTE: Photo credits go to Istockphoto.com.

 
 
 

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In Congress, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of

Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

 

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

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       He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

       He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

       He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

       He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

       He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

       He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

       He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

       He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

       He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

       He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

       He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

       He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

       He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

       For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

       For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

       For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

       For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

       For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

       For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences

       For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

       For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

       For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

       He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

       He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

       He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

       He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

       He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

 

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

 

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

 

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

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