text today, the focus is different. In our text the problem IS the light.

Jesus said: “I am the light of the world…” and automatically, the Pharisees jump down His throat.
What is the deal? Why are these men so upset?

Well… they’re upset because Jesus has been consistently poking holes in their fairly obvious hypocrisy. They wanted to look righteous but not be righteous – and Jesus called them on it. He has challenged their hypocrisy in their fasting and praying and tithing. He has pointed out the emptiness of their fancy rules and regulations. He has exposed all their pretense and hautiness.
Jesus exposed them as light should expose darkness…

Why would Jesus do that? Because He was light and they were darkness - and they couldn’t stand it.

John 3:19-20 says "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed

Question: How many Pharisees does it take to change the light
Answer: Doesn’t matter - It can’t be done… but that didn’t mean they didn’t intend to try.

II. Look to John 8:2-6
Here the Pharisess brought to Jesus a woman caught in adultery. And it’s clear that this is a trap. I don’t know how they intended to trap Him in this. But this much I do know:
They didn’t like what Jesus had been doing. They didn’t like Him exposing their dark inner selves. And their intention was to discredit Him. To cover Him over with the mud of accusations – to dim the brightness of His light. Then, they could back to life as usual without Jesus harping at them about their need to repent.

Their theology was: If you don’t like the intensity of the light - change it… remove it…destroy it… do whatever’s necessary - BUT GET THAT LIGHT CHANGED!

III. They should have known better…They SHOULD have known better.

You don’t go messing with someone like Jesus. When they tried to dim His light… He just turned up the wattage. Look at what He did: John 8:6-8
"The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, ’Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’
They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ’If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there."

Some think what Jesus was writing in the dirt was the sins of each man present. I suspect Jesus was writing down not only their sins... but the things of which they were ashamed. Matters they thought they’d hidden well out of the sight of prying eyes.

* I can visualize Ben Jacob watching from the edge of the crowd, and seeing his name written in the dirt… and then beside his name Jesus was writing the names of family members he’d cheated out of their inheritance because he’d been the executor of the will.

*