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The Spirit of Prophecy Volume 2
that he pressed home upon the guilty consciences of the very men who
were seeking to destroy him, were sufficient evidence of his divine
character. Jesus also taught another important lesson in this scene:
That those who are ever forward to accuse others, quick to detect them
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in wrong, and zealous that they should be brought to justice, are often
guiltier in their own lives than those whom they accuse. Many who
beheld the whole scene were led to compare the pardoning compassion
of Jesus with the unrelenting spirit of the Pharisees, to whom mercy
was a stranger; and they turned to the pitying Saviour as unto One who
would lead the repentant sinner into peace and security.
“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the
world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have
the light of life.” Jesus had represented himself, in his relation to fallen
man, as a fountain of living water, to which all who thirst may come
and drink. The brilliant lights in the temple illuminated all Jerusalem,
and he now used these lights to represent his relation to the world. In
clear and thrilling tones he declared: “I am the light of the world.” As
the radiant lamps of the temple lit up the whole city, so Christ, the
source of spiritual light, illuminated the darkness of a world lying in
sin. His manner was so impressive, and his words carried with them
such a weight of truth, that many were there convicted that he was
indeed the Son of God. But the Pharisees, ever ready to contradict him,
accused him of egotism, saying, “Thou bearest record of thyself; thy
record is not true.” Jesus, answering their objections, asserted again
his divine commission:—
“Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true; for I know
whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come
and whither I go.” They were ignorant of his divine character and
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mission because they had not searched the prophecies concerning
the Messiah, as it was their privilege and duty to do. They had no
connection with God and Heaven, and therefore did not comprehend
the work of the Saviour of the world, and, though they had received
the most convincing evidence that Jesus was that Saviour, yet they
refused to open their minds to understand. At first they had set their
hearts against him, and refused to believe the strongest proof of his
divinity, and, as a consequence, their hearts had grown harder until
they were determined not to believe nor accept him.