I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness

Then Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me.  And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.  I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.  And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.  He who rejects me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him -- the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.  For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.  And I know that His command is everlasting life.  Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak."

- John 12:44-50 

Jesus has entered into Jerusalem, and Passion Week has begun.  His dialogue in the temple continues.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus told them, "While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light."  Then He left the temple, and was hidden from them.  We remember that at this time the leadership openly seeks Him, and has given out a command that anyone who sees Him should report Jesus so that they may seize Him.  John the Evangelist tells us that though Jesus had done so many signs before them, they did not believe, so that the words of Isaiah were fulfilled:  "Lord, who has believed our report?  And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?"  Therefore they could not believe, says John, quoting again from Isaiah's prophecy, because "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them."  John tells us:  These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.  Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. 

Then Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me.  And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me."  Jesus' words teach once again of the oneness between Him and the Father.  He emphasizes the very thing the leadership wishes to put Him to death for, which they see as blasphemy.  There are two parts to this claim here:  one is that if you trust in Him, you trust not in Him but in the Father from Whom He's been sent; the second is that if you see Him, you see the One who sent Him.  What follows, logically, is that one's response to Him means one is responding to the One who sent Him.

"I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.  And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world."  Jesus has spoken about Himself as the light several times in John's Gospel.  This image of light is highly important, essential to our understanding in many ways, and will be used as statements in the theology of the Church in future centuries.  In the Nicene Creed, we say that Christ is "light from Light, true God from true God."  Here Jesus makes it clear that His light is for the illumination of all.  He has come to save the world; this is the purpose for which He has been sent. His is a mission of love.

"He who rejects me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him -- the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day."   Here is a powerful statement of authority.  Jesus has also said that it is not the rejection of Himself that will be judged, but the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is that which will be judged.  Here He teaches us where His speech come from, the things He says to us.  In the Greek, the single "word" here that judges is logos.

"For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.  And I know that His command is everlasting life.  Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak."    Here is the oneness with the Father:  whatever He has been given to say or to speak, it was a command from the Father.  So the words with which Jesus teaches are eternal life, because they are the commands told by the Father.  Therefore they will not pass away.

In the Greek, we find many different words for "words" in the English.  There are words that are spoken by Jesus.  There are words that are His sayings.  There are words issued as commands by the Father.  And there is contained in Jesus' sayings the single word that came forth from the Father.  Each of these terms is used in different forms, and separated as different words in the Greek.  They, His audience, hear speech, hear His sayings.  But contained in them is the word, the logos that will judge at the last day.  The commands that are given by the Father are eternal life.  So, in the Greek we have a sense that each note in this speech is important, significant.  What do we learn about Christ?  That His words are the words given Him by the Father, and the Father's command is eternal life.  In this sense, Logos Himself has issued out from the Father, before all ages, and sent to us in love so that we may be saved by His word, given to us in the things He says.  Everlasting life is therefore here on offer.  But how we respond is something to consider deeply.  We aren't merely rejecting Jesus, He says, that would not incur judgment.  But the reality and power of the word He's given, the commands of the Father, those are the things that are eternal life.  They won't pass away when all else will.  And so it depends on what our hearts can hear and receive.  These commands are also given through the work of the Holy Spirit.  Just as Christ was sent, so is the Spirit active in our world:  grace and mercy are in all things and present to us, sent by the Father through the Son.  All are together at work in us and in our world.  Let us remember that to cultivate spiritual eyes and ears is for the living word:  present in the Scriptures from all ages, present in Christ's words, present in our lives.  How do you respond to grace?