Johns Gospel: Light of the World

John 8 continues the brilliant, creative teaching of Jesus, through the eyes of his disciples. Throughout our series, we’ve seen how Jesus continually broke down the cultural and religious barriers of the people around him by revealing how tradition and ritual can be useful if it leads to knowing and understanding - but can be dangerous if it leads to entitlement and privilege. Jesus used a continuing metaphor of light and darkness to describe to the Pharisees and teachers off the law the very real nature of sin in rejecting truth. Similarly, how we understand and discern between light and dark, and “truth” and “alternative facts”, are ultimately a matter of the heart. Jesus’ claim, that the Pharisees did not know the light and the truth, is a message that fits well within our own culture and is an important message for everyone. The harsh truth is that when we seek only news and information and testimony to reinforce our own distorted perspectives of truth, continuing to live in the bias and fictional rhetoric, then we are deceived and become slaves to sin. In brilliant contrast however, when we seek ultimate truth in Jesus, we are set free. So how do we discern when the night has set in? How then can the light infiltrate the darkness? How do we recognise truth in a world of a million media and news outlets, where you are either uninformed if you don’t listen, or you are misinformed if you do? Join with us as Lead Pastor Stuart Starr continues this series in Johns Gospel to reveal the one hope we all have for freedom, in Jesus.   ​ [bible passage="John 8:12-59" heading="h3"]