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."

- John 12:44-50

Yesterday we read that Jesus taught:  "While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light."  These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.  But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke:  "Lord, who has believed our report?  And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"  Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again:  "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."  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.   I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness."   Again, John's Gospel repeatedly goes to themes of light and darkness, echoing from its Prologue:  "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it"  (1:4,5).  This light is the light of the Father; Christ is "Light of Light, true God of true God" (Nicene Creed). 

"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."  My study bible says here that Christ does not judge with favoritism or partiality.  Rather, it notes, He has spoken the words of life, words of love  forgiveness, repentance, virtue, and mercy.  Christ's words will be the standard by which all people are judged on 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."   If the Father's command is everlasting life, then to reject the words given as command is to reject that everlasting life. 

Christ says that He does not judge.  These words are important; there are so many different ideas about just what Judgment means.  But what He tells us is illuminating in terms of how this judgment works.  It is the words given by God which are themselves everlasting life.  Therefore, if one rejects those words, those commands, then one rejects that life that is offered.  From the earliest chapters of John's Gospel, this rejection leading to judgment has been implied.  In chapter 3, Jesus tells Nicodemus:  "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God" (3:17-21).  What is the name of the only begotten Son of God?  Why does Christ use this terminology?  The name is an extension of the person -- He is again speaking of something akin to the commands given as the words of the Father He is told to speak.   These words are like rays of light, coming from the true source of light.  To reject that light is to live in darkness.  If the rays of light are rejected, then the source of the light is also rejected.  Through the Holy Spirit, we also receive God's words at work in the world.  God's energies have often been likened to the rays of light from the sun.  We do not experience God in God's full presence, just as we cannot dwell on the sun.  But we can receive its light and live in that light, knowing that this light is the support for all life in our world and that without it there will be no life.  So it is with the "name" of God, the things which we are capable of receiving, in which we truly are offered a gift and so we make a choice for ourselves.  In these words are the light of life; Christ says they are everlasting life.  So let us understand what it means to reject His words, to turn our backs on them, and what we reject when we do so.  It is important to know those words come from love, and are spoken through love.  The real question is why one would reject that love.