The Gospel
Jesus spoke to the people, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Then the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.” Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is valid; for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. I testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me testifies on my behalf.” Then they said to him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” He spoke these words while he was teaching in the treasury of the temple, but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.
The Offering
From Pat Nakamura
In this passage Jesus makes the astounding claim (at least at the time) that “I AM the light of the world” (emphasis supplied) In other words, that he is GOD!
The response of the Pharisees is basically “Prove It!—and we know you can’t because under our Law of Evidence proof requires the testimony of two witnesses and you’re the only one making the claim.” (and perhaps they were thinking, “not only that, you’re a liar”)
In reply, Jesus points out the fallacy in using the law and “human standards” to judge God. Can you imagine a Roy-Moore-type defamation lawsuit to decide whether Jesus is telling the truth? (Would you like to be on that jury?) Jesus and the Pharisees were talking in two different worlds.
Of course what Jesus suffered was much worse than a lawsuit, But we are blessed for it.