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By Mrs. Robert Hammond

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will walk not in darkness, but will have the light of life.”    John 8:12

Listen closely as you read and hear the Gospel of John. It is the gospel that reveals Jesus as the Son of God. I remember distinctly as a child hearing a Sunday school teacher say that Jesus never admitted to being God. Just recently, in a religious discussion with a Muslim nurse practitioner at work, I found that this is what they are taught as well. It is a lie the devil has told Christians and non-Christians alike.  And it is just that. A lie.

As I stood there listening to a man whose knowledge I greatly respect in the area of healthcare, I realized he was so indoctrinated that there was a very real danger of leading those baby Christians astray who were standing nearby as he and another dear one discussed religion. Some conversations need to be shut down. We need to get on our knees and pray because no amount of rhetoric is going to convince someone like that of the deity of our Lord.  Only an anointed Word direct from the LORD HIMSELF will get through to this precious soul.

Lately, as I read the Holy Scriptures, I have been in awe of how sure of Himself Christ was, and is. He KNEW Who He was. He KNOWS Who He is.

If I mentioned John chapter eight to you, my guess is most would think of the very famous portion of scripture in which the woman caught in the very act of adultery is brought before Jesus and he tells them that he who is without sin may cast the first stone. As we read it we feel like we have the inside scoop because Jesus is the only one who fits the bill and He does not condemn her. This passage is also retold by many who want to remain in their sin. They forget the part where Jesus admonishes her to go and sin no more. And then there is the question as to whether it is a part of the canon of scripture.  In all the discussions on this we practically miss the most important part of the chapter (in my very humble opinion). This last half of the chapter is indisputably the very WORD OF GOD.

In this part of the eighth chapter of John, Jesus very plainly states that He is God. He begins with “I am the light of the World,” and ends with “Before Abraham was, I AM.” This is a very definite reference to the name given to Moses on the holy mountain when he asked God what His name was. This is the name that many Jews will not utter to this day because it is so very holy. No wonder they tried to stone Him right then and there.

Let me explain a little of where I am trying to go with all of this.  I have been on a quest of sorts. I want to know how to tap into the miraculous that I believe is a part of the end-time move of God and is very needed in our times. Jesus said that Sodom and Gomorrah would have repented if they had seen the miracles that Jesus did in His day. As we look at the spiritual landscape of our world, I would say we are living in Sodom. If we are ever going to see the awakening our world so desperately needs, we need to have indisputable evidence and not just rhetoric and theory.  Elijah had evidence. Elisha had evidence.  Jesus commanded His followers to wait until they were endued with power.

I believe a prerequisite to empowerment is a realization of Who Christ is and that He is in us. If you read carefully the Gospels you will notice that Jesus never doubted. Remember what astounded everyone? His authority. He knew that when He walked into the city of Nain and stopped the funeral procession, the widow’s only son would wake up. He knew that when they rolled away the stone of Lazarus’ tomb, the dead man would come forth. He knew that Jairus’ daughter would arise. He just knew.  He knew the waves would be stilled and when Peter walked on the water and began to sink, His faith didn’t falter. He reached out and helped Peter back up to his feet and back to the boat.

I want a fresh vision of who Christ is and who I am in Him. I want that, for myself and for everyone in the Body of Christ. For so many years, I have seen people try. They have tried to walk in the miraculous. They have tried to prophesy. They have tried to be super-spiritual. But, if you are something, you don’t have to try!

There is a story about Jean Arthur, the actress who played opposite Jimmy Stewart in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”(1939). She taught acting in her later years, and it is said that she stopped some students in the middle of a rather over-acted scene and told them to look outside at a tree. The tree was a tree. It knew it was a tree and didn’t have to try to be a tree. Because it was a tree, it just naturally did what trees do. 

When Jesus was walking this earth as a man, He knew He was the Messiah. He knew He was God’s Son. No one could convince Him otherwise. He knew. And because He knew, He simply did what the Messiah was supposed to do naturally.  He preached the gospel to the poor. He healed the brokenhearted. He proclaimed liberty to the captive, and recovery of sight to the blind. He set at liberty those who were oppressed and proclaimed the acceptable year of the LORD.

And, so, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is time that we stop trying so hard and just become who we are.  We are in Christ Jesus. He said we would do greater works. He said we would be glorious. He said we would live in Him and He would live in us. He said we would have peace, joy and love. He said that we would have rivers of living water flowing out of us.

Let us learn to rest in His forever-settled word. Let us meditate and pray until we no longer have to try to be in Christ. Jesus said His yoke is easy and His burden light.

Let us just simply be who we are.