The following is an excerpt from The Gospel of John - Savoring the Peace of Jesus in a Chaotic World.
I recently discovered that more than four hundred types of phobias exist! (1) Some sound strange, like fear of cheese or fear of developing a phobia. Others, like fear of heights or public speaking, don’t surprise me. I did a quick personal inventory to determine if I have any phobias and realized my tendency toward claustrophobia. If a family member puts his or her arm or leg on me while we are watching a movie, I have to get it off so I can breathe. I know it’s weird, but it’s one of the areas where I crave freedom.
In our culture, freedom is often defined as the ability to do anything we want. Today we will discover that true freedom includes the ability to say no to the short-term pleasures of sin and yes to the long-term peace found only through Christ.
"Rather than concentrate on areas of past failure, focus on future freedom."
Melissa Spoelstra
I write those words understanding the tension of how hard it is to overcome sin—especially the repetitive ones. It can feel like a game of Whac-A-Mole™. We experience freedom in one area only to find ourselves enslaved in another. As we get into the text, be gentle with yourself. Rather than concentrate on areas of past failure, focus on future freedom.
During the Festival of Tabernacles, four massive lamps in the temple’s court of women provided light where a great celebration took place every evening. (2) This illumination served as a reminder for the people of the pillar of fire that led their ancestors in the wilderness. (3) Jesus used the illustration of light—a common metaphor in the Old Testament (Ps. 89:15; Prov. 13:9; Isa. 5:20; 51:4) to reveal that while the lamps would be extinguished after the festival, His light would continue forever. (4)
This is the second of seven I am statements recorded in John’s Gospel. The first was Jesus’s revelation as the Bread of Life. As the Light of the world, Jesus brings brightness but also exposure. Light reveals what sinners like to hide in the darkness.
Jesus came to bring us light and life—not just for a temporary event or experience—but forever. However, many in the crowd had questions about His bold claims.
Jesus modeled what it meant to live in dependence on the Father. If He—fully man but also God incarnate—totally relied on the Father, how much more should we lean on Him in our neediness?
The crowd believed Jesus as long as He didn’t clash with their prejudices and religious bias. The Jews grasped for freedom in their ancestry to Abraham, but real freedom is found only in Christ, because as He said, He Himself is the God of Abraham (v. 58).
Taking the time to evaluate our thoughts is important because truth gets muddy in our chaotic world. Culture attempts to reshape our worldview and ultimately our values. We struggle to live in the truth that brings freedom. When I first read this passage, I was discouraged by the disparity I confronted: Jesus’s light, my darkness; His dependence on the Father, my independence; His call to truth, my clinging to lies that lead to bondage. I identified with the crowd, full of excuses and questions. Perhaps you relate.
"As we repent and obey, God continues to conform us to the image of His Son."
Melissa Spoelstra
The good news is that our struggles don’t condemn us and we don’t have to fix our failures on our own. Jesus reminds us we were created for connection with our Creator—a connection He established through His sacrifice. As we repent and obey, God continues to conform us to the image of His Son.
We won’t find peace in defending our positions or arguing over nuances. Peace is found in the light. Today we can embrace afresh our neediness of Him and grow in the truth that brings freedom.
“Surprising facts about phobias,” Aruma, accessed Oct. 20, 2023. Available at www.aruma.com.au/about-us/blog/ surprising-facts-about-phobias.
D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), 337.
Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Alive (Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 2009), 126.
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, vol. 9, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein (Grand Rapids, MI: The Zondervan Corporation, 1981), 92.
In this 7-session study on the Gospel of John, Melissa Spoelstra will encourage you to slow down and linger with the living Word. You’ll appreciate the pace of the Savior who never hurried but completed all that the Father called Him to accomplish. As you turn the pages of John’s Gospel, you’ll be challenged to take on the posture of a learner—understanding that the peace Jesus offers is not an ease of circumstances, but a stillness of the soul. As a result, you’ll grow in intimacy with Him and learn to live, serve, and rest in His peace.