John's Gospel: John 8:12-30 - Pastor Tom Wood (02/09/2025)

·36 min·3 clips

Why would early Christians lie about seeing the resurrected Jesus when it cost them their lives and offered no gain?

The episode is a sermon by Pastor Tom Wood from the Word of Life AG Podcast, part of a series on John's Gospel that he predicts will take three years. He introduces the passage John 8:12-30, highlighting key words: light, life, and believe. Pastor Tom sets the context by referencing John 7:34, where Jesus says 'you will search for me, but not find me,' explaining this as a critique of religious leaders missing the Messiah despite their scriptural knowledge. He notes that some Pharisees, like Nicodemus and Paul, did come to faith. The sermon transitions to a discussion on the Trinity, suggesting John's Gospel is the best way to understand God as three persons, with quotes from verses 16, 19, 26, and 28. Pastor Tom shares a personal anecdote about studying the Trinity in college with his wife Megan. He then focuses on Jesus' statement 'I am the light of the world,' describing the historical setting of the Feast of Tabernacles, including 75-foot candelabras and water ceremonies. He cites commentator Don Carson on Old Testament allusions to light. The episode argues for the resurrection's reliability, emphasizing that New Testament eyewitnesses had no motive to lie as they faced persecution and death, referencing the Watergate scandal as a contrast. Pastor Tom cautions against reducing abundant life to material blessings, quoting Proverbs 15:16. He concludes by stressing that belief in Jesus should lead to complete devotion, reading John 20:31 and Ephesians 3:19 to underscore the promise of life in Christ.

As heard by us

A steady John 8 sermon that turns resurrection testimony into a direct argument for Christian trust.

Pastor Tom Wood returns to John 8 at verse 12 and frames Jesus' language of light, life, and belief around a larger question: why Christian faith can speak with confidence.

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Why you'd press play

You want John 8, Jesus as light, and a hard question about why resurrection belief deserves confidence.

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