A Word about the Proven Light

 

Today we will continue a series of sermons based on our 2026 VBS theme that I am calling The Light of the World. In this episode, we will see that Jesus is The Proven Light.

How do people prove a thing? That will vary depending upon what realm of life we are considering. For example, in social media, a common meme is, “Pictures or it didn’t happen!” That goes along with the idea of, “Seeing is believing” or the motto of Missouri, which is the “Show Me State.”

In legal realms, a person might submit an affidavit which is attested to by a notary public. During trials, evidence is testified to by witnesses, some of whom relate to the court what they saw in eyewitness testimony, while other swear to the reliability and veracity of physical or circumstantial evidence.

Scientists look to empirical evidence to support their hypothesis, and in sports we play the game or run the race to prove who is the better team or athlete. All manner of contests are conducted each year in all manner of professions, crafts, and hobbies, and each of them will establish the criteria by which the products of the contestants are judged. Industries around the world have established standards which their quality control offices are expected to enforce. The list of how we prove a thing is almost endless.

As extensive as the list of proofs may be, none of them are perfect. Jesus, however, perfectly proved that He is the Light of the World, however, and that proof is the subject of our message for today. Let’s begin with Mark 14:22-31.

As they were eating, he took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will fall away, because it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.  But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” Peter told him, “Even if everyone falls away, I will not.”  “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to him, “today, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” But he kept insisting, “If I have to die with you, I will never deny you.” And they all said the same thing.

How do we know that Jesus is The Proven Light? Let’s begin by understanding the Biblical standards to prove a spiritual fact.

The Need to Prove:

What is the Biblical guidance to prove whether someone has come from God with a message from God? The Bible gives is clear guidance about this but before we take up the task of discerning those standards, we should ask why we should apply those standards. After all, didn’t Jesus say in the Sermon on the Mount, “Do not Judge?”

Yes, Jesus did say that, but He said more than that. This is what He actually said in Matthew 7:1-2, 

Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. For you will be judged by the same standard with which you judge others, and you will be measured by the same measure you use.

This type of judgment is for condemnation, not evaluation. All of us are sinners, and when we condemn others, we are also condemning ourselves. Jesus also said in Matthew 7:15-20,

Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit.  Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.

 Far from prohibiting us from evaluating the truthfulness of a spiritual leader, Jesus actually commanded us to do so. Later, in 1John 4:1, the Apostle John reminded believers of that need. He said,

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Long before there was fake news, false prophets led God’s people astray and undermined their faith and their witness for God. When they do this people get hurt, and God is dishonored. Even in modern times, this continues to happen. Two obvious examples of this would be Jim Jones and the Jonestown Massacre in Guyana, and David Koresh and the Mount Carmel siege and disaster. Other, less notorious, examples can be found which also have hurt untold numbers of people.

Not only are we commanded to evaluate our spiritual leaders, but God invites His people to put Him to the test also. In Malachi 3:10, God challenges us to test Him and see what He will do in our lives. What are the Biblical standards for such an evaluation? Let’s read Deuteronomy 18:17-22,

Then the Lord said to me, ‘They have spoken well. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. I will hold accountable whoever does not listen to my words that he speaks in my name. But the prophet who presumes to speak a message in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods—that prophet must die.’ You may say to yourself, ‘How can we recognize a message the Lord has not spoken?’ When a prophet speaks in the Lord’s name, and the message does not come true or is not fulfilled, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.

How to Prove:

What is the Biblical guidance to prove whether someone has come from God with a message from God? The Bible gives us clear guidance, the most basic of which is simply this: if the Lord promises something He will do it, and if a prophet announces God’s plans, they will come true. On the other hand, if what a leader of God’s people says does not come true, that statement and that person were not sent from God. This is a very digital standard: a predicted thing happened or it didn’t happen. This is black and white, with no shades of gray, but what about things whose time has not yet come? The Bible gives us more guidance that will help us discern the truth.

First, a true prophet’s message will never contradict the teachings and character of God as revealed in the Scriptures. God’s Word is congruent, and it never contradicts itself. Deuteronomy 13:1-3 says,

If a prophet or someone who has dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, and that sign or wonder he has promised you comes about, but he says, ‘Let’s follow other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let’s worship them,’ do not listen to that prophet’s words or to that dreamer. For the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul.

In the New Testament church, Apollos was a powerful orator who had a great power of influence. The problem was that He was preaching an incorrect Gospel. He could have wrecked the early church, had not Pricilla and Aquilla taken him aside and helped him to understand the whole counsel of the Word of God.

The Bible also tells us to evaluate a prophet’s life and character. That’s What Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount when He said that we will know them by the fruit of their lives. A true prophet will exhibit a life of righteousness and integrity, reflecting the holiness of God. A problem that has arisen with some Christian leaders today is that their maturity and integrity have not kept pace with their talents and their ability to influence people. If they are not careful, they might lead people astray. The lives led by cult leaders Jim Jones and David Koresh would not have met this standard, and that should have been a warning for more trouble to come. And trouble certainly came to their followers.

I once knew a pastor of a small church who was convicted in Federal court of swindling dozens of elderly people out of tens of thousands of dollars. He was sent to prison for nearly a year, but he told the members of his church that he was leaving on an extended mission trip! When he was discharged from prison, he went back to the church and began preaching again! The true facts of his absence were discovered before more people were harmed.

Another test of a true prophet is that their ministry edifies the church. In 1 Corinthians 14:3, Paul wrote that, “the person who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement, and consolation.” A true prophet's message will build up the body of Christ, promoting spiritual growth and unity.

Finally, a true prophet operates under the influence and power of the Holy Spirit. His fruit and His gifting are apparent in their ministry.

So, we have seen the need to prove a spiritual proclamation, and we have also seen how to prove it. What did Jesus say that He would also later prove? Let’s consider Mark 10:32-40,

They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were astonished, but those who followed him were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them the things that would happen to him. “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death. Then they will hand him over to the Gentiles, and they will mock him, spit on him, flog him, and kill him, and he will rise after three days.” James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached him and said, “Teacher, we want you to do whatever we ask you.”  “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked them. They answered him, “Allow us to sit at your right and at your left in your glory.” Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you’re asking. Are you able to drink the cup I drink or to be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” “We are able,” they told him.  Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with. But to sit at my right or left is not mine to give; instead, it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

What To Prove:

In this passage we see Jesus opening up to His disciples about what the future held for His ministry. He was predicting some very specific events would take place, events that would radically affect their lives. Let’s review a simplified list of these events:

• He and the Disciples would go to Jerusalem.
• He would be betrayed and placed in the hands of the Jewish leaders.
• The Jews would hand Him over to the Gentiles
• He will be condemned to death
• He would be mocked and abused, and then He’d be killed.
• He would rise again the third day.
• Jesus would drink this cup willingly.

This passage is short and it contains few details, but the impact on His disciples was significant. All of them knew something big was about to happen. This surprised them all and it frightened most of them. Somehow, James and John mistakenly saw this as an opportunity to gain higher positions and more authority. Regardless, all of His followers believed what Jesus had told them and they took His words seriously. Were they being naïve, or would Jesus prove to be true in what He said would happen? Let’s read Mark 14:32-37

Then they came to a place named Gethsemane, and he told his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. He said to them, “I am deeply grieved[g] to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake.” He went a little farther, fell to the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will.”  Then he came and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you stay awake one hour?

What Was Proven:

In short, the next two chapters of Mark prove that what Jesus said would happen, did happen and that Jesus did what He said that He would do. 

First, we see clearly that Jesus and His followers were in Jerusalem, and that He willingly drank of the cup of His sacrifice in accordance with the will of the Father. What else happened that Jesus had predicted?  Mark 14:42-50 tells us,

While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, suddenly arrived. With him was a mob, with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. His betrayer had given them a signal. “The one I kiss,” he said, “he’s the one; arrest him and take him away under guard.” So when he came, immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. They took hold of him and arrested him. One of those who stood by drew his sword, struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his ear. Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as if I were a criminal, to capture me? Every day I was among you, teaching in the temple, and you didn’t arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” Then they all deserted him and ran away.

Obviously, Jesus was handed over to the Jewish authorities, and He was betrayed by Judas and the rest of His disciples. How was He treated by them?  Mark 14:55-65 says,

The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they could not find any. For many were giving false testimony against him, and the testimonies did not agree. Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, stating, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands, and in three days I will build another not made by hands.’” Yet their testimony did not agree even on this. Then the high priest stood up before them all and questioned Jesus, “Don’t you have an answer to what these men are testifying against you?” But he kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest questioned him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”  “I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy. What is your decision?” They all condemned him as deserving death. Then some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to beat him, saying, “Prophesy!” The temple servants also took him and slapped him.

Even this was not the limit of what happened to Jesus. Mark 15:1-3 says,

As soon as it was morning, having held a meeting with the elders, scribes, and the whole Sanhedrin, the chief priests tied Jesus up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.  So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” He answered him, “You say so.” And the chief priests accused him of many things.

Mark 15:15-20 tells us what happened next:

Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them; and after having Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified. The soldiers led him away into the palace (that is, the governor’s residence) and called the whole company together. They dressed him in a purple robe, twisted together a crown of thorns, and put it on him. And they began to salute him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” They were hitting him on the head with a stick and spitting on him. Getting down on their knees, they were paying him homage. After they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple robe and put his clothes on him. They led him out to crucify him.

So, again, so far everything that Jesus had predicted came to pass. These were just the warm-up acts, however. The main event was yet to come, because if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, the fact that the rest of His prophecies came true would not have any meaning. Prophecy is an “all or nothing” affair, so we must ask, did Jesus finish the job? Of course He did. Let’s read Mark 16:1-7,

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they could go and anoint him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they went to the tomb at sunrise. They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us?” Looking up, they noticed that the stone—which was very large—had been rolled away. When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side; they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he told them. “You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they put him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there just as he told you.’”

So, everything Jesus predicted came to pass, proving that He was the Light of the World and the Son of God. Because of this we can agree with the centurion who stood at the foot of the cross an said, “Truly this man was the Son of God.”

Conclusion:

 When David volunteered to confront Goliath, Saul gave David his own armor and sword to use in the encounter, but David rejected them because he had not proven them. Instead, he chose to go out armed with his tried-and-true sling and five smooth stones. In these Scriptures we have seen that Jesus is the Proven Light, and we have no need for any substitutes. In fact, only the original will do!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about the Powerful Light

 

Today we will continue a series of sermons based on our 2026 VBS theme that I am calling The Light of the World. In this episode, we will see that Jesus is The Powerful Light.

So far in this series we have seen that Jesus is The Perpetual Light and The Promised Light, for whom people waited centuries for His coming. We have also seen that He is The Perfect Light, without sin or mistake and who is one with His Father in Heaven. These are key aspects to the nature and character of Jesus which make Him able, as God, to be the Light of the World. However, He can only be The Light Of Our Lives if He can affect us and our circumstances. Blessedly for us, He has that power.

The power of physical light is often underestimated, but it is real. We have already noted in this series that light is a powerful disinfectant, but it is also an effective treatment for Newborn Jaundice. Light also has the power to change the behavior of people: one of the most common security measures against burglary is security lighting, which drives criminals to other, less illuminated locales. Lazers, which are a highly concentrated light form, have been used in medicine and industry for decades, and they have now become so powerful that they are a weapon of war. 

A theme of all these human developments is the destructive power of light. Naturally, however, light is a key to the process of photosynthesis, which produces and sustains all the life on our planet. Without light, life would cease to exist here.

As powerful as light can be, no physical light can be as powerful as the Light of the World, however, and The Powerful Light is the subject of our message for today. Let’s read Matthew 15: 29-39,

Moving on from there, Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee. He went up on a mountain and sat there, and large crowds came to him, including the lame, the blind, the crippled, those unable to speak, and many others. They put them at his feet, and he healed them. So the crowd was amazed when they saw those unable to speak talking, the crippled restored, the lame walking, and the blind seeing, and they gave glory to the God of Israel. Jesus called his disciples and said, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with me three days and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, otherwise they might collapse on the way.”  The disciples said to him, “Where could we get enough bread in this desolate place to feed such a crowd?”  “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked them. “Seven,” they said, “and a few small fish.” After commanding the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied. They collected the leftover pieces—seven large baskets full. Now there were four thousand men who had eaten, besides women and children. After dismissing the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.

From this passage of Scripture, we see two dimensions of the Light’s power in our lives and two reasons why God has decided to exert His power to give us the Light of Life.

The Power of The Word:

The Bible is a collection of masterfully crafted books, poems, songs, and letters which contain many straightforward facts and descriptions of events. It also includes many subtle features and contexts which we will miss if we don’t pay close attention to them. This is one reason why we must read the Word regularly. When we watch our favorite movie again, or listen to our favorite song another time, we find new facets to them which we overlooked at first glance. The same holds true with the Bible.

The ostensible focus of this passage is the miracle of Jesus in which he fed the four thousand. It is easy, then, to gloss over or miss entirely the posture of Jesus when this event began. Jesus was sitting down. This is not a minor detail, but it is quite significant.

In the Jewish synagogue of the First Century, rabbis sat to teach. Jesus, of course, was the master teacher and the greatest rabbi, and He prioritized the teaching of the Word. This, of course, was the right path to follow, and being The Perfect Light, and one with God the Father, Jesus would know that. So, why should the Word have priority? Because its power is eternal and it has an eternal impact upon us. In Mark 8:34-38, Jesus taught His followers,

Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it. For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life? What can anyone give in exchange for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

In Ephesians 6, during Paul’s discussion of the Whole Armor of God, every item he described was defensive in nature except one, “the sword of the spirit which is the Word of God.”  In Hebrews 4:12, we read that,

For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Paul also counseled his protégé, Timothy, to allow the Word to have power in his life, saying in 2 Timothy 3:14-17, 

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you, and you know that from infancy you have  known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

The greatest power found in the Light of the World is the power of God’s Word, which will transform our lives from the inside out and give us both an abundant life here on earth, and eternal life in the hereafter. This is the most important power of the Light of the World, but not the only one. 

The Power of Provision:

The most obvious use of power in our focal passage is the power to provide for the needs of people. Amazingly, even that, however, was not apparent to some on that mountain on that day, although, as we look back upon those events, we should not be surprised.

We know from God’s Word that Jesus was the agent of creation. The Bible tells us that nothing was created which was created without Jesus. If Jesus was Creator, and He was, then Jesus is the Owner. As the owner, Jesus has the authority to do as He wills with His creation. As the Powerful Light, Jesus has the ability to do what He wills with His creation. Thus, it makes total sense to us today, that Jesus could use His power to provide for human needs, and He did.

As we see in the beginning of this passage, Jesus had power over disease. Here we see Him exercising His power, because everyone there saw, “those unable to speak talking, the crippled restored, the lame walking, and the blind seeing.” In other places in the Scripture, we know that Jesus healed lepers and people with fevers and chronic bleeding as well. And power over disease is only the beginning of how Jesus provided for the daily needs of people in the Bible. 

* In Matthew 14 Jesus demonstrated power over storms.

* In Matthew 14 Jesus also demonstrated power over the Laws of Physics when He and Peter walked on the Water.

* In Matthew 4 Jesus demonstrated power over temptation.

* In Matthew 9 and 12 Jesus demonstrated power over religion.

* In Matthew 22 Jesus demonstrated power over politics.

* In John 11 Jesus demonstrated power over death.

* In this passage and others, Jesus demonstrated power over hunger.

This last point is interesting, because when Jesus wanted to feed the people, His disciples were doubtful. Jesus had just been demonstrating His power, and He literally had done some amazing things. Plus, the previous chapter in Matthew recorded that He had already just fed five thousand people, and in this case, He even had more supplies to work with. Why did they doubt?

First, we must remember that the Holy Spirit had not yet come. We know that “the Spirit bears witness with our spirit,” and so we have a great advantage that the followers of Jesus didn’t have on that day on the mountain. We say that “seeing is believing,” but that is not necessarily true, as we can see here. We should give the disciples the benefit of the doubt.

On the other hand, what about us? Why do we doubt the power of Jesus in our lives? We have the testimony of the Bible to His power in people’s lives. We have the testimony of our fellow church members to His power in their lives. We have the testimony of our experiences to His power in our lives. We have the testimony of the Holy Spirit to His power in all of our lives. So, why do we doubt?  Maybe we wonder why Jesus would bother with us?

The Power of Compassion:

Why would Jesus devote Himself to blessing and ministering to frail, sinful, and rebellious people? Why would He be kind to those who rejected His Father? Why would He spend His time, attention, and effort to help us? Paul also asked this question in Romans 5:6-7,

For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die

Of course, in our natural state we are the ungodly and we are not good. So, that leaves us out, right? In the human economy that is true, but not in God’s economy. Paul went on to say, in Romans 5:8-9,

But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. How much more then, since we have now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath.

John told us that God is love, and Paul told us that God proved that by offering Jesus to be the sacrifice for our sin. And, as Jesus said himself, “I have compassion on the crowd . . .”  So, compassion was the motivation of The Powerful Light to bless people, even when we were in rebellion against Him and His Father.

Although we know that compassion was the motivation for Jesus to act in our lives, He, like John the Baptist, had a specific mission. John’s mission was to testify to The Light. What was Jesus born to do? Jesus, Himself, described His mission clearly for us in Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”

Make no mistake, Jesus came to save people from their sins and to provide them eternal life. Jesus always kept this mission in the forefront, to the point that He pushed back against His own mother, Mary, at the Wedding at Cana, and also calling Peter Satan when Peter pushed back against Him after Jesus told His disciples about His coming death, burial, and resurrection. When Jesus was at a place and all the people there wanted was for Him to perform miracles, Jesus would leave that place and move on. Why then did He attend to human needs of people at all?

The answer is that Jesus had both compassion and power. He could help people, and He loved people, and so out of His powerful compassion He acted. He turned water into wine so that a wedding would not be ruined. He healed the sick, blind, and lame so that people’s lives on earth would not be ruined. He died for us on the cross and He rose again so that our eternity would not be ruined.

I often share stories of my Father, but I had a wonderful mother also. I clearly remember a number of occasions, after I was an adult and had my own family, she would buy me a nice present or pay for a repair for my automobile. I would tell her, “Mama, you didn’t have to do that.” She’d just smile and say, “I know I didn’t. I wanted to. And I could.”  The same is true for Jesus. He doesn’t have to bless us, but He wants to. And He can. So, He does.

The Powerful Light becomes the Light of Our Life by giving us His Word and satisfying our human needs by His compassion. But there’s more.

The Power of God’s Glory:

Another, almost hidden, statement in our focal passage gives us the second reason Jesus uses His power to bless us. Let’s read Matthew 15:31,

So the crowd was amazed when they saw those unable to speak talking, the crippled restored, the lame walking, and the blind seeing, and they gave glory to the God of Israel.

Jesus wanted to exercise His power in the lives of people because of His love, but also because He wanted to enjoy receiving the glory that is due Him as the Almighty God of the Universe. He taught this principle from the very beginning of His ministry. In the Sermon on the Mount, in Mathew 5:14-16, He said this,

You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

As a former colleague used to tell me, “You can’t hide money!” Jesus is glorious and He deserves all the praise and the honor that He is due. One way to gain that praise, one way to receive the honor that He is due, is by “Showing up and showing out.” He did that in this passage, and He does that when He works in our lives, showering us with His power and His blessings. He has done that through out His relationship with His people.

* In 2 Chronicle 5:14, the glory of the Lord filled God’s temple on the day it was dedicated to Him.

* In Mark 2:12, a lame man was healed by Jesus and then, “Immediately he got up, took the mat, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astounded and gave glory to God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’”

* In Luke 17:15-6, a leper healed by Jesus, “. . . seeing that he was healed, returned and, with a loud voice, gave glory to God. He fell facedown at his feet, thanking him. And he was a Samaritan.”

* In John 11, Jesus delayed going to heal Lazarus, and told Martha, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”

* In Acts 7:55, as Stephen was beings stoned to death, “[he] gazed into heaven. He saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”

* In Acts 12, when Herod was called a god after he had addressed a crowd, “At once an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give the glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died.”

* In Romans 15:5-6, Paul said, “Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.”

* In I Corinthians 10:31, Paul said, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.”

* In 2 Corinthians 4:14-15, Paul said, “For we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you. Indeed, everything is for your benefit so that, as grace extends through more and more people, it may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God.”

* John, in Revelation 14:7 wrote, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship the one who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

Artists create paintings so others can appreciate them. Athletes play to demonstrate their abilities to those in the stands. Entertainers take the stage to hear the applause of the crowd. God acts through The Powerful Light to gain the praise and honor and glory that only He deserves!

Conclusion:

 Our focal passage for today gives us great insight into actions and attitudes of The Powerful Light. We’ve seen how His power is applied to the lives of people and also why His power is applied to the lives of people. The only question remaining is, will we let The Powerful Light shine on us, in us, and through us?

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about the Perfect Light

Today we will continue a series of sermons based on our 2026 VBS theme that I am calling The Light of the World. In this episode, we will see that Jesus is The Perfect Light.

Having just the right amount of light is often an important quality of life factor. As I get older, and as my eyes get weaker, I find that the more light I have, the better it is for my vision. That is not necessarily the case in every aspect of life. For example, in photography, it is important to have the right amount of light in the right tone for a photograph or video to have its best appearance.

My son is a news photographer, and he shoots video both day and night, and in all kinds of real-world lighting conditions. He does not have the luxury of shooting in a studio where the lighting never changes. One of the settings on his camera he must adjust is its white balance. In this procedure, a control item with a known shade of white is placed in front of the camera lens in the current environment where he is about to shoot video. He can then adjust the camera’s white balance to match the shade of the known object. He must do this before every shot for the video to be perfect.

Once he was offered the choice of color for a new work vehicle by his television station. Several options were available, but he asked for the plain white car. When asked why, he had a practical reason, “That way I aways have something with me I can use to set my camera’s white balance.”  That’s good thinking in my book.

As good as modern cameras are, none ever get the light perfect, and even modern editing software is not perfect either. One Perfect Light has existed, however, and He is the subject of our message for today.

Let’s read John 1:6-9 and 19-31,

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world . . . This was John’s testimony when the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?” He didn’t deny it but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” “What then?” they asked him. “Are you Elijah?” “I am not,” he said. “Are you the Prophet?” “No,” he answered. “Who are you, then?” they asked. “We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What can you tell us about yourself?” He said, “I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord—just as Isaiah the prophet said.” Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. So they asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you aren’t the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?” “I baptize with water,” John answered them. “Someone stands among you, but you don’t know him. He is the one coming after me, whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to untie.” All this happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I told you about: ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ I didn’t know him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.”

The Testimony of John:

It is always good to remember your purpose in life. It is possible to make a square peg fit a round hole, but a great deal of damage can occur in the process. I remember, sadly, the day I used a socket wrench given to me by my father as an impromptu hammer. Yes, it broke, because I forgot its purpose. What we see in John’s testimony was that he never forgot his purpose.

John the Baptist was born to Zechariah the priest and Elizabeth, his wife. They were a righteous couple who served God faithfully. They were also childless, and they were too old, humanly, to have a baby. That all changed when the Angel Gabriel came to them and announced that they would have a son, named John, and that he would be set apart and that he would have a special task. 

Later, John came to know that his only purpose was to proclaim the coming of the Perfect Light. This Perfect Light was greater than he was, and indeed, He had even existed before time. John testified to these things and even more while he called people to repentance.

Then, one day, John saw the Perfect Light, and he had the opportunity to proclaim the Perfect Light to the world. At this, the most important moment of his life, John didn’t fail. He pointed out the Perfect Light, and he loudly proclaimed, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

If anyone ever completely fulfilled his assigned purpose in the world, it was John; however, he was not the only one who testified about Jesus. God, Himself did also as we will see in Mark 1:9-11,

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. As soon as he came up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.”

The Testimony of God:

When scholars do research to write a book or to prepare a lecture for class, they consult two types of sources: primary sources and secondary sources. A secondary source is a book or an article written by another scholar which includes interpretation, analysis, or summaries of primary sources, offering second-hand information and commentary from other researchers. A primary source is a firsthand account or an original record of an event.  Scholars believe that the best information is found in primary sources, which are the closest sources to the actual event.

What then, would be a better source than God the Father Himself? No better source can exist, and we see in this passage His own testimony about Jesus as the Perfect Light. First, He claimed Jesus as His own Son. An old saying is that “apples don’t fall far from the tree.” If the Father is perfect, then it must be true that the Son is also perfect.

Second, and equally important. God the Father testified that He was “well pleased” in Jesus. Again, God is perfect and His standard is perfection. Could God be “well pleased” in a person who is not perfect? This is logically, practically, and spiritually impossible. Clearly, God testified that Jesus is the Perfect Light.

So, John and God the Father both testified to Jesus. What did Jesus say about himself? Let’s read Matthew 5:17-20,

“Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

The Testimony of Jesus:

Most people who have been charged with a crime or who have been charged with a mission, either one, will try to explain themselves. Jesus was no different, and He testified to Himself as the Perfect Light on several occasions.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that He came to fulfill the Mosaic Law. This would be an amazing feat, and a humanly impossible one. No human ever fulfilled the Law, but Jesus did, and not only that, He fulfilled it down to the smallest and most precise details. Only the Perfect Light could do that, but in John 8:46ff, Jesus made this claim even more plainly, saying,

Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Who among you can convict me of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? The one who is from God listens to God’s words. This is why you don’t listen, because you are not from God.

Here, Jesus tells us that His teachings are from God above, who is perfect, and that not only is Jesus telling the truth, but also, no one could convict Him of any sin. To be sinless is to be perfect, and this is more testimony that Jesus is the Perfect Light.

Later, in John 10:27-30, Jesus became even more explicit, saying,

My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.

Here we see Jesus making a logical argument. God the Father is perfect, and Jesus is one with the Father. Therefore, Jesus is the Perfect Light.

One last time, before Jesus went to the Cross, He testified to Himself in John 14:6-7, saying,

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.

In this moment, Jesus made the connection between His identity as the Perfect Light and His identity as our Perfect Savior. To save us, Jesus had to be perfect, and He is.

So, John and God the Father and Jesus all testified that Jesus was the Perfect Light. What did the Apostles say? Let’s read 1 John 3:2-5,

Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is. And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure. Everyone who commits sin practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed so that he might take away sins, and there is no sin in him. 

The Testimony of the Apostles:

Jesus claimed that He had committed no sin. His followers, the ones who lived with Him day and night throughout His ministry, were the ones who were best positioned to comment on that claim. The saying that you never really know a person until you live with them is true, and so the Apostles certainly knew Jesus. What did they say?

John, who was one of the inner circle, along with his brother James and also Peter, testified that “there was no sin in Him,” and “He is pure.” Because of that, not only do those who trust Him have hope, they also become “God’s children.” All of this could happen because Jesus is the Perfect Light.

What about Peter, the other member of the inner circle of Jesus who wrote an epistle included in the canon of Scripture? What did he say about the sinlessness of Jesus? Let’s read 1 Peter 2:21-25,

For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth; when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but you have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Peter, too, testified to Jesus as the Perfect Light, and he said that because Jesus was sinless, He could heal us by His wounds. He also could bring us back from going astray, and He not only modeled a righteous life, but he also empowered us to live righteously. Again, this could happen because Jesus is the Perfect Light.

What about Paul? Paul met Jesus on the Damascus Road, and later, God took him aside for three years to teach him about Jesus. Paul also testified to the Perfect Light in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21,

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Because of Christ’s perfection we are made new, and we are reconciled with God. Not only that, but we are also made His ambassadors, with the ministry of leading others to be reconciled with God as well. Once again, this is only possible because of Christ’s perfection.

What about the writer of Hebrews? His argument was that Jesus is the Greatest of All Time. What testimony does Hebrews provide us? Let’s read Hebrews 4:14-16,

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God—let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.

The testimony of Hebrews is that Jesus was tempted, like we are, but that He did not fail, the way that we do. Therefore, He understands our situation and He identifies with us. More than that, He allows us to come to the throne of grace with boldness and find the grace and mercy we need. As we have seen above, this can only happen because Jesus is the Perfect Light.

We have seen the testimony of John the Baptist, the testimony of God the Father, the testimony of Jesus about Himself, and the testimony of the Apostles about the Perfect Light. Now, let’s remember our testimony, the witness of the church. Let’s read Acts 1:4-8,

While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 

The Testimony of the Church:

One of the great privileges of being a member of God’s church is to work alongside Him. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:9, we “are God’s coworkers.” It is hard to believe that God has chosen us to work alongside Him, but He has, and we must step up to then plate and do our part. Most of our work is to testify to the Perfect Light.

Why is it important that the members of God’s church testify about Jesus? We are the only beings who have been redeemed by His perfect sacrifice. Another old saying is that the “Proof of the pudding is in the eating.”  

• Angels have never been redeemed.
• Demons have never been redeemed. 
• Animals have never been redeemed. 
• The earth has never been redeemed.

Members of God’s church perform all types of service to Him, but the one service no other part of creation can do is to testify to Christ’s redeeming work. As we witness to God’s work in our lives, we testify to the Perfect Light.

Conclusion:

Hanlon's Razor says, "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." In the context of our study of the Perfect Light, we must realize that more people are hurt by mistakes than by malice.

For example, during the Cold War our Armed Forces almost detonated nuclear warheads twice by accident. Once, a technician dropped a wrench down an Arkansas missile silo and caused the rocket to explode. Fortunately, all the safety devices on the warhead worked as designed. Another time, a U.S. bomber broke apart in midair over North Carolina accidently dropping two nuclear bombs. One buried itself in mud so deep it has never been recovered. The other was recovered, and it was found that all but one safety device had failed and the bomb was only one switch away from exploding. These accidents could have killed an untold number of people.

Mistakes and failures are dangerous, but the Light of the World is the Perfect Light. He never makes mistakes, and He will never fail us!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about the Promised Light

Today we will continue a series of sermons based on our 2026 VBS theme that I am calling The Light of the World. In this episode, we will see that Jesus is The Promised Light.

Our modern electrical grid is an amazing way to provide electricity across our land. Not only is access to electrical power almost universal, but it is also very reliable. This is in sharp contrast to when my family lived in Africa. At one point we lived in a house with no access to the electrical grid, and we relied on solar power and a generator for all our electrical needs. Later, when we were connected to the power grid, we only had power two days out of three, and you never knew when, or if, the power would come back on. Because of that, we retained our solar panels and generator. We really appreciated the reliable power grid in the U.S. when we returned home.

Our power grid is very reliable, but it is not perfect. From time to time, particularly in the hot and stormy summer months, we will still experience a power outage. The experience of sitting in a dark, rapidly heating house, is not pleasant, but for those who require the use of electrically powered medical devices, it can be quite dangerous. In America, unlike many places around the world, we know that power will be restored, but sitting in the darkness, wondering when, can be quite frustrating and uncomfortable

One difference in the U.S. is that our electrical utilities all have mobile phone applications which keep customers apprised of the status of repairs. While technically not promising anything but their best efforts to resolve the outage, these applications, and also automated text messages, endeavor to keep customers informed of the progress of the work, and the anticipated repair time. This is encouraging to those looking towards the restoration of power.

In many ways, God’s Old Testament people were sitting in darkness waiting for the promised Light of the World to come and light up their lives. Sadly, much confusion existed about who this might be, or when he would make his appearance. Jesus shed some much-needed light on this issue in Matthew 16:13 and following.

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 

Who Did People Say That Jesus Is?

The Jews in the days of Jesus were looking for the Messiah to come from God. The problem was this: which Messiah were they looking for? Like in the days of the Judges, when “every man did what was right in his own eyes,” the individual visions that people had developed about the promised Messiah clouded their spiritual sight.

Some people were looking for a revolutionary figure who was not afraid to speak truth to power. In our modern world they would have been followers of George Washington, or Fidel Castro, or Martin Luther King, Jr. John the Baptist was such a man, one who was not afraid to confront King Herod Antipas with his sinful behavior. This cost John the Baptist his head, but some people may have thought that Jesus was John raised from the dead. 

Some people were looking for a miracle worker who would meet the human needs of people. In our modern world they would have been followers of figures like Franklin Delano Roosevelt, or Bill, “I feel your pain,” Clinton, or Mother Theresa. They would be just as happy if someone cured cancer as if someone could cure their soul. People with this vision of the Messiah thought that Jesus might be the prophet Elijah whom Malachi had said would return to the earth someday.

Others may have been looking for a religious leader who would come and reform Judaism and also discipline those who had led it astray. In our modern world they would have been followers of figures like Martin Luther, or L. Ron Hubbard, or Jim Jones, the cult leader responsible for the Jonestown Massacre in Guyana. In my home church, a considerable part of our church leadership were followers of Bill Gothard and his Institute of Basic Youth Conflicts, so much so that I began thinking of them as “Gothardites.” I became concerned that some were elevating Bill Gothard far beyond a mere Bible teacher. Gothard taught many good things, but he was not the Messiah, and neither was Jesus a reincarnation of the prophet Jeremiah, either.

It was not surprising that different ideas about the Messiah would spread among the Jews. People have loved to spread rumors since the beginning of humanity. Missionaries to Vietnam in the 1960’s learned a local saying that expresses this well:

What is whispered in Da Nang in the morning will be shouted in Saigon in the afternoon.

This was decades before the advent of social media, but centuries before that time, Jesus Himself commented about the Last Days, saying, “There will be wars and rumors of wars.” Even in such an agricultural society as First Century Palestine, urban legends were a thing.

So, that is what the “man on the street” thought. What did the Disciples think? Jesus asked them, beginning in Matthew 16:15:

“But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus responded, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed  in heaven.” 

Who Did The Disciples Say Jesus Is?

Jesus probably did not expect very much from the ordinary Jewish person of His day. The Jewish faith had been in decline since Solomon died. Half of the Jewish leadership, the Sadducees, did not even believe in an afterlife, and so their understanding of the Messiah would be solely focused on the “here and now.” The other half of the Jewish leadership, the Pharisees, did believe in eternal life, but they believed that only they knew how to find it.  If the ordinary people of that day were confused, that was not unexpected, considering how confused their leaders were. It was sad, but not surprising.

Jesus expected more of His disciples, however. They had walked with Him daily and He had taught them by both word and deed. They had seen His miracles, and they had seen him leave places that only wanted miracles, and which did not receive His teaching. He explained His parables to them, and they had also faced opposition from both sides of the Jewish leadership together. He expected a better answer, and He got one from Peter.

It was clear that Peter wanted to show that he had been listening carefully in class. He proclaimed that Jesus was the promised Messiah, and also that Jesus was the Son of God. The Messiah was the one God’s People waited for who would come to save the people from themselves and the fact that the Messiah was the Son of God gave Him the power and authority to do that. Jesus was the Savior of the World who had a divine origin, a divine power, a divine authority, a divine message, and a divine love for His people. Peter, who was rarely short of words, said a great deal more in that short answer than he ever had before.

Jesus approved of Peter’s answer, and then he told Peter why he had gotten it correct. He said that Peter had been blessed from a power outside of himself, and in fact, God had revealed that to him, the way that God reveals Himself today through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus went on to say, literally, that Peter had been “supremely blessed.” This blessing came from God, of course, and it came in a multidimensional form. Some of these applied only to Peter, but some of these still apply today, when lost souls make a confession of faith in Christ as their Lord.

• Peter was blessed to have God reveal Himself to him.
• Peter was blessed to be given a new name by God. 
• Peter was blessed to have his spiritual eyes opened.
• Peter was blessed because he gave Jesus the perfect opportunity to announce the founding of the church.
• Peter was blessed to participate in the eternal ministry of the church.
• Peter was blessed to be welcomed into God’s Kingdom.

A much more positive outcome was available for Peter, and for us today, than simply repeating the tired old false rumors and fake news about Jesus.

So, we have seen who the people said that Jesus is, and we have also seen who the disciples said that Jesus is. So, what did Jesus say about Himself? Let’s read Matthew 16:20 and following:

Then he gave the disciples orders to tell no one that he was the Messiah. From then on Jesus began to point out to his disciples that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “Oh no, Lord! This will never happen to you!” Jesus turned and told Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns but human concerns.”

Who Did The Word Say That Jesus Is?

First, Jesus is the one who was promised to come as the Messiah, and as the Light of the World, in God’s timing. It is important to notice here that Jesus told His followers not to tell people that He was the Messiah, at least not yet. An old saying is that “timing is everything,” and in fact when it comes to the supply of electricity, that is a very true statement. When the power goes out, it won’t come back until all the repairs are made, otherwise more damage to the transmission equipment may occur. Spiritually it is also a true statement. God’s timing is not our timing. Two Greek words for time apply here.

The first word is kronos, from which we get our English terms chronometer and chronological. This is the passing of time as recorded by clocks and the movement of the Sun and Moon. God created this type of time, and it is good, but He is not bound by it the way that people are.

The other Greek word is kairos, which implies the right time, the correct time, the perfect time. In Romans 5:6, Paul told us, 

For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. 

Also, in 1 Peter 5:6-7, Peter himself taught us to,

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.

In God’s timing, not before and not after, Jesus came to be the Light of the World. As Jesus spoke to His disciples, a day would come when that Light would be revealed to the world, but it was not yet time.

Also, the Bible tells us that Jesus is the Head of the Church. He started it, He designed it, He bought it with His own blood on the Cross, and so He owns it. Because He owns it, He guides it, He controls it, and he establishes its purpose. And, in addition to all that, He helps it accomplish the purpose which He set out for it. Because He created it, and He owns it, and He guided it, Jesus is the Governor of the church.

People who should know better say that Baptist churches are “independent.” Many of them are, to be honest, but that is not what our doctrines say that we are. Baptist churches are self-governing to be sure, but under the Lordship of Christ. Baptist churches are not empowered to do whatever the membership feels like doing, instead, Baptist churches are empowered to do what the leadership of our Lord and Savior wants us to do. 

The Word also tells us that Jesus is the sacrifice for our sins. Hebrews 9:22 reminds us that,

According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Although Peter didn’t understand it, only one perfect and permanent sacrifice for human sins exists, and He is Jesus. Jesus was willing to humble Himself in a way that is beyond human comprehension, to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. As Paul wrote in Philippians 2:5 and following,

Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

One last thing that this passage tells us about Jesus is that He was focused on fulfilling His Father’s priorities. Jesus was unwilling to allow anything, or anyone, to prevent Him from being obedient to His Father, or to prevent Him from accomplishing God’s will in His life. He was even willing to rebuke the very first person who recognized who Jesus was, Peter, but who also didn’t fully understand what Jesus had to do.

So, we have seen who the people said Jesus is, as well as who the disciples say He is, and even who the Bible says that He is. One group of people remains, however, who need to be asked that all important question. Let’s read Matthew 16:24 and following:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it. For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each according to what he has done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Who Do We Say That Jesus Is?

So, who is Jesus to us? We have seen the people in the time of Jesus got the answer wrong. We also have seen Peter get the answer right, before he got it wrong. What about us? Who do we say Jesus is? Our answer may depend on where we are looking for victory in our lives.

• If we have health problems, Jesus is the Great Physician.
• If we have emotional problems, Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor.
• If we have faith problems, Jesus is the Everlasting Father.
• If we have relationship problems, Jesus is the Prince of Peace.
• If we have obedience problems, Jesus is the Lord of Lords.
• If we have spiritual problems, Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
• If we have vision problems, Jesus is the Light of the World.

The real issue is not who Jesus is, but what are we willing for Jesus to do in us? Are we willing for Him to change our hearts?  Are we willing for Him to change our attitudes? Are we willing for Him to change our actions? Are we willing for Him to change our priorities? It does no good to have a light and not turn it on when the Sun goes down!

Another question to ask is what are we willing to do so that Jesus can act in our lives? Are we willing to confess Him to the world? Are we willing to obey Him? Are we willing to worship Him? Are we willing to give Him control? Are we willing to engage Him in prayer?  When the power is restored after an outage, what do we do? We take it for granted again. We must not do this with the Light of the World!

Conclusion:

An old saying is, “A promise kept is a trust fulfilled.” Jesus was the Promised Light, and God fulfilled the promise He’d made with humanity to send us a Messiah, the Savior of the World. God has not changed, and He will not change. He is just as trustworthy today as He was when Jesus came. 

Trust God’s promises. He will never fail us!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about the Perpetual Light

Today we will begin a series of sermons based on our 2026 VBS theme that I am calling The Light of the World. In this episode, we will see that Jesus is The Perpetual Light.

One summer when I was in elementary school, I went on a school-sponsored trip to Washington D.C. We saw all the sights and went to all the monuments, and we did all the things that school trips do. Memorably, we visited several places that involved people dying, which seems rather depressing in hindsight. For example, we visited Ford’s Theater, where President Lincoln was shot, and we also visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In addition, we saw President Kenedy’s grave. Looking back, I am surprised that I didn’t come home with PTSD!

One of the most impressive sights was the Eternal Flame at President Kennedy’s grave. This flame is fed by natural gas, and it has an automatic lighter designed the rekindle the flame should it ever get extinguished for some reason. Reportedly this flame symbolizes everlasting remembrance, unending hope, and eternal life. It is a beautiful and impressive sight to behold.

The thing is, that flame, that light, isn’t eternal. It relies on a local utility company to provide the fuel, which it donates to the monument. The Eternal Flame also requires maintenance, and it was refurbished in 2013. Ironically, the Eternal Flame was accidentally extinguished in December of 1963 by some Catholic schoolchildren who sprinkled it with Holy water! It was also put out by a heavy rain in 1967. A great memorial it is, but eternal it isn’t!

So, if something so important as the Eternal Flame is not eternal, what is? John 8:12-20 tells us,

Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.” So the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying about yourself. Your testimony is not valid.” “Even if I testify about myself,” Jesus replied, “my testimony is true, because I know where I came from and where I’m going. But you don’t know where I come from or where I’m going. You judge by human standards. I judge no one. And if I do judge, my judgment is true, because it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. Even in your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. I am the one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.” Then they asked him, “Where is your Father?” “You know neither me nor my Father,” Jesus answered. “If you knew me, you would also know my Father.” He spoke these words by the treasury, while teaching in the temple. But no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.

The Perpetual Light Has No Beginning:

In our human world, everything has a beginning:

• Life begins when a child is conceived.
• A baseball game begins when the first pitch is thrown.
• A football game begins with the kick-off.
• A school day may begin with the Pledge of Allegiance.
• A ceremony may begin with the National Anthem.
• A worship service begins with prayer.

Even the Eternal Flame had a beginning. We know exactly when the first, temporary, flame was installed at President Kennedy’s grave. We also know who designed and installed the permanent flame and when it was first kindled. We know the dates of the instances when the flame went out, and we know who rebuilt the monument in 2013. We know all these things about the Eternal Flame, but we know none of these about the Perpetual Light.

We must remember that God’s revelation of Himself to us begins with the assumption that God was. In Genesis 1:1 we read,

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

This was the beginning of Creation, but not the beginning of God. God existed before He created the world. He was there when nothing else was.

We see that fact again later in Genesis also. When Abraham met the Priest Melchizedek, neither he, nor we, knew where he came from, yet Abraham gave him a tithe offering. Even later, in the New Testament, the writer of Hebrews compared Jesus to Melchizedek, and even implied that He actually was Melchizedek, who had no earthly beginning. He also said that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

This same fact was revealed when Moses came upon the burning bush, God spoke to him and told him to go and free the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt.  Moses asked God what he should say when the Hebrews asked him who sent Moses to them, and God replied in Exodus 3:14 saying,

God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.”

The Jewish authorities thought they knew from whence Jesus came. He was a carpenter’s son from Nazarath, a place that had such a bad reputation that Nathanael asked, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” While this was true about Nazareth, humanly, it was not true spiritually because that was where Jesus was raised. Yet, that was not where Jesus was from, as Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:8,

The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.

So, we see that the Perpetual Light has no beginning.  What we also see from John 3:8, and from John 8:14, is that the Perpetual Light has no ending.

The Perpetual Light Has No Ending:

In our human world, everything has an ending:

• Unless the Lord returns, we will all come to the end of our lives.
• A baseball game ends after nine innings.
• A football game ends after four quarters.
• An opera isn’t over until the fat lady sings, but . . . then it is over.
• Yogi Berra said, “It ain’t over ‘till it’s over.” But then, it’s over.
• A worship service ends with prayer.

Even the Eternal Flame will someday go out. The world has a finite supply of natural gas, and the earth itself will someday be burned up by God. It is also possible that someday, like what happened to the Israelites in Egypt, a generation may come along that has no regard for the personalities of the past. Regardless, like every human life, like every human event, like every human program, and like every human endeavor, the Eternal Flame will be extinguished, permanently. One thing will continue: the Perpetual Light.

It is essential for us that the Light of the World is a Perpetual Light. The fact that the Perpetual Light has no beginning, means that only God can take credit for what He has done, for what He is doing, and for what He will do. And blessedly for us, He invests all the credit He is due from His eternal nature into His relationship with us! Hebrews 13:5-6 says,

Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you. Therefore, we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

One of the great marketing tools for an expensive product is a lifetime warranty. This gives buyers the confidence to expend a large amount of their hard-earned money on an expensive item because the maker stands by their product and they will be there to help you if needed. Of course, that lifetime warranty is voided when either the buyer dies or the company does, whichever comes first. 

When my dad passed away, we found a small life insurance policy that had been issued when he was a child. That company had gone out of business, and we could not find which company had taken over its accounts. The account certificate was worthless, because no one stood behind it.

Because the Light of the World is the Perpetual Light, we know that He will always stand by His promises to us. We can have confidence in whatever we face, because we know He will be there to stand by what Romans 8:28 tells us, 

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

Again, the lines of the old hymn still ring true,

For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto Him against that day! 

So, we see that the Perpetual Light has no beginning and also that He has no ending.  If this all sounds too good to be true, it isn’t, because the Perpetual Light has no doubts.

The Perpetual Light Has No Doubts:

It is interesting to observe in our focal passage that the Pharisees were arguing with Jesus about legal procedure. The Jewish law stated that the facts of an event must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. They told Jesus, in effect, “You have no witnesses, so you can’t prove anything.” This assertion did not defeat Jesus, however.

Jesus knew how legalistic the Pharisees were, and He trapped them with their own procedures. He told them that He did have two witnesses, saying,

Even in your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. I am the one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.

If that was all the testimony we had about Jesus, it would be more than enough, but there is more: much, much, more.

First, we have the very Creation itself. Paul told us in Romans 1 that we have sufficient testimony in nature to prove that God exists. Then God’s revelation of Himself through the Word testifies that Jesus was the Agent of Creation.  

John 1:1-5 testifies,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.

Not only do we have the testimony of Creation, but we also have the testimony of the Old Testament prophets.  Scholars have found over three hundred prophecies in the Old Testament that Jesus fulfilled. If the prophets were there at the treasury that day, they, too, would have testified to who Jesus is. 

So, we have the testimony of the Creation and the testimony of the prophets, and we also have the testimony of the miracles that Jesus performed. At least thirty-seven miracles of Jesus are recorded in the Bible, and all of them were witnessed by someone who could testify as well. Who else but God can raise the dead? No one else ever has, and no one else ever will. This is a powerful testimony, but there is even more available to us.

We also have the testimony of the disciples. They walked with Jesus daily, and although they did not understand everything about Him at that time, they, with one voice, testified to the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. Also, don’t forget the hundreds of other followers of Jesus that saw Him after the resurrection, including the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. 

In our world today, we also have the witness of the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:16-17 says,

The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

So, there can be no doubt that Jesus is the Perpetual Light, for, as the old hymn testifies. “He walks with me and talks with me, along life’s narrow way.”  Finally, we also see that the Perpetual Light has no limits.

The Perpetual Light Has No Limits:

When a light in a home or office must be replaced, a key question to ask is what the manufacture’s specifications of the fixture for the light bulb are. If a bulb is used that requires too much current, it will not provide sufficient light, or the fixture might be damaged. On the other hand, if the fixture provides more current than the bulb is designed to handle, a bright, but very temporary light will be provided, just before the bulb self-destructs. When amateur radio operators burn up a device by providing too much current, they call it, “letting out the magic smoke.”  Lights, like all other man-made objects, have inherent limitations. This is not true of the Perpetual Light.

The Perpetual Light reveals everything. Not only does He reveal the truth about God, but He also reveals the truth about us, and about our lives. God knows things about us that we don’t even know ourselves, and in particular, when we don’t know what to do or how to pray, God does.

The Perpetual Light illuminates everything. Not only are all things revealed by the Perpetual Light, all things are explained by Him as well. He allows us to understand who we are, and who He is, and how we can live the abundant life that He has promised us.

The Perpetual Light purifies everything. Natural sunlight is a powerful disinfectant. The crews of sailing ships in the 1700’s and 1800’s would hang their bedding in the rigging so that sunlight would disinfect it. Of course, natural disinfectants are only efficacious for a short time. The Perpetual Light can disinfect our souls and make us suitable for heaven. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:53 that the “corruptible body must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal body must be clothed with immortality,” The Perpetual Light allows us to do that.

Finally, the Perpetual Light empowers everything. The reason our world is inhabitable is that it is placed at precisely the right distance from the Sun. Any closer, and we would burn; any further, and we would freeze. The rest of the planets in our solar system suffer from being the wrong distance from the Sun. The Perpetual Light is right here among us today, however, giving us the spiritual power to make everything in our lives work!

Conclusion:

The longest lasting lightbulb in the world is the Centennial Light, which can be found at Fire Station Six in Livermore, CA. It was powered up for the first time in 1901, and it still burns today, 125 years later. This is a remarkable feat, but time has taken its toll. It was designed to be a sixty-watt bulb, but today it only emits about four watts. 

As wonderful as the Centennial Light is, even this light cannot exceed the Perpetual Light. The Perpetual Light has shined for over 2,000 years, and it is as bright today as it ever was. It can light up our lives and transform them, if only we let it in, and don’t shut it out!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about the Greatest Shepherd

Today we will finish a series of sermons from the Book of Hebrews that I am calling the Greatest of All Time. In this episode, we will see that Jesus is the Greatest Shepherd.

Sheep and shepherds play prominent roles in the story of God’s relationship with His people, for example:

• Abraham, Isaac, and the ram that God provided as a sacrifice.
• Jacob was a shepherd for Laban for 14 years so he could marry Leah and Rachel.
• Moses was a shepherd for his father-in-law after he had to flee Egypt.
• David was the little shepherd boy who later wrote the Shepherd’s Psalm (Psalm 23).
• The shepherds at Christmas were the first to hear of the birth of Jesus.

While we romanticize shepherds, in reality, their task was a dirty, smelly, and lonely one. As Luke tells us, they would “abide in the field” with their charges, almost living like animals themselves.

I once met a paniolo, a Hawaiian cowboy, who told me that people had the wrong idea about such work. He told me, “People don’t realize that cowboys work hard from before sunup to after sundown, and they come home wet, cold, tired, and covered in muck.”

Not only was being a shepherd difficult, but it also involved a great deal of responsibility. They were responsible for feeding, watering, healing, and protecting the sheep, which were valuable commodities. Some shepherds failed at their task, neglecting the sheep, or failing to protect them. The consequences were severe for all concerned.

As we will see in our passage today, Jesus is the Greatest Shepherd. Let’s begin by reading Hebrews 13:20-25,

Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep—through the blood of the everlasting covenant, equip you with everything good to do his will, working in us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Brothers and sisters, I urge you to receive this message of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly.  Be aware that our brother Timothy has been released. If he comes soon enough, he will be with me when I see you. Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those who are from Italy send you greetings. Grace be with you all.

The Greatest Shepherd Purchased His Flock:

For a flock to exist, it must first be established. Creatures, whether they be sheep or goats, or some other herd creature, must be brought together from other places to create a new entity, a new herd. That can happen naturally, but the Hebrews whom the writer was addressing knew about agriculture, and everything about agriculture is intentional. To keep from starving or going bankrupt, or both, farmers must know what works and what doesn’t.

A great example of this in modern farming is the distribution of fertilizer. Farmers know that fertilizer is expensive, and so they do soil tests to discover what type of coverage is needed. Then they use GPS-guided vehicles to put the right amount of fertilizer on the right part of their fields to get the right yield. They don’t want to have to spend a penny more than they need to so that they can get a good yield. A wise farmer watches the cost of their inputs like a hawk because they know a penny saved is a penny earned.

If farming land that you already own is expensive, starting a farm from scratch costs an eye-watering amount of money. Twenty-five years ago, a friend who raised chickens and cows estimated it would cost over $1 million to replicate his machinery, buildings, and animals. Today, I cannot imagine what the price would be. I do know what it cost Jesus to establish His flock, however.

It was so important to Jesus to establish His flock, that He was willing to pay any price. He told a parable that revealed His mindset and His heart in Matthew 13:44-46,

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.

Jesus sought us out, and then He paid the ultimate price so that we could become part of His flock. As a result, what should our attitude be? Paul told us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20,

Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.

So, Jesus paid it all that we might be the sheep of His pasture.  What does the Greatest Shepherd do with His flock? Let’s read Hebrews 13:7 and 17-19:

Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith . . . Obey your leaders and submit to them, since they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. Pray for us, for we are convinced that we have a clear conscience, wanting to conduct ourselves honorably in everything. And I urge you all the more to pray that I may be restored to you very soon.

The Greatest Shepherd Leads His Flock:

One of the key roles of a shepherd is to lead the flock. This is a vital role because without a leader, the flock will get into trouble. The Parable of the Lost Sheep clearly illustrates this.  Without a leader, a flock will go places it should not go and eat things it should not eat. When the sheep have a shepherd, however, they have a leader to prevent bad things from happening to the sheep by leading them towards the things that are good for them. The 23rd Psalm gives us some great examples of how a shepherd should lead the sheep. Psalm 23:1-3 tells us,

The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

According to David, a shepherd leads the sheep to green pastures and to still waters. These are the basic elements of life, but when the sheep partake of them, it restores their life. This makes sense, but how do they get there? 

Psalm 23 also tells us that the sheep arrive at what they need by taking the right path. If you have no goal, or no destination, any road will do. But, if you are trying to find what you need, only the road which will take you there will do. Since we know from the Parable of the Lost Sheep that creatures are prone to take the wrong path, who will lead them? The shepherd, of course.

As the Greatest Shepherd, Jesus provides all that we need. He gives us the Bread of Life and the Living Water, and He will lead us into paths of righteousness. He has also called out under-shepherds to help Him with that task. Ephesians 4:10-13 tells us,

The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things. And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.

So, do the sheep have a role in this process?  Yes! Yes, they do!  Just like children are instructed by God to honor their fathers and mothers, the sheep are instructed to follow their leaders, the ones whom God has appointed as the under-shepherds of the flock. In fact, the writer of Hebrews specifically tells the members of God’s flock to cooperate with their leaders and to avoid discouraging them. Why is that?

No pastor, teacher, or minister exercises their own authority. They only exercise the authority delegated to them by God. In human terms, however, it is easy to ignore or disrespect a local leader, which is discouraging to them. It is so discouraging that some will give-up. That of course, leaves the flock without an under-shepherd, which is a bad thing. The answer to that is to recognize that the true authority is the Greatest Shepherd, who appoints the under-shepherds to lead and benefit the flock.

So, Jesus leads the sheep of His pasture to everything that they need.  What else does the Greatest Shepherd do with His flock? Let’s read Hebrews 13:1-5 and 8-9,

Let brotherly love continue. Don’t neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as guests without knowing it. Remember those in prison, as though you were in prison with them, and the mistreated, as though you yourselves were suffering bodily. Marriage is to be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, because God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you . . . Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Don’t be led astray by various kinds of strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established by grace and not by food regulations, since those who observe them have not benefited.

The Greatest Shepherd Instructs His Flock:

In previous episodes, we saw how the writer of Hebrews identified Our Lord as the Greatest Mentor and also as the Greatest Coach. We also saw Him presented as the Greatest Parent, and we know that His disciples considered Him to be their Rabbi. All of these roles involved teaching, and so does being the Greatest Shepherd. Before we consider the details of what He is teaching in the final chapter of Hebrews, we should consider two important points.

First, as a teacher, the Greatest Shepherd realizes that His job is easier if He can help make the members of His flock more self-sufficient. It is easier on parents when their children can walk on their own, and when they can dress themselves, and when they can tie their own shoes. Helping others help themselves is always a good thing.

Second, the Greatest Shepherd has a skill that others don’t have: He can teach unteachable creatures. We all know of the fictional character, Dr. Doolittle, who could talk to the animals, and so it is with the Greatest Shepherd according to John 10:1-5,

Truly I tell you, anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t know the voice of strangers. 

So, the Greatest Shepherd can talk with His sheep, but in our Scripture above we know that the Greatest Shepherd does more than just converse with the members of His flock. He is able to instruct them as well, which shows just how great that He is. So, what does He teach His flock?

First, He taught them to treat one another with kindness and respect. This kind of attitude will prevent many problems from arising within the flock. Ephesians 4:31-32 tells us,

Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.

Romans 12:18 also teaches us,

If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Notice that this is the first thing the flock is taught. I believe that this establishes the foundation upon which we can build the other concepts that Greatest Shepherd teaches further down in Chapter 13. Remember, in 1 Corinthians 13, Paul told us that anything we do without love hurts God’s ears like a clanging cymbal!

I recently saw a slogan on a T shirt which is the opposite of the attitude we should take as members of flock. It read: "I’m Not Arguing with You . . . I’m Just Trying To Explain Why I’m Right"

Along with treating each other well, the sheep of God’s flock must also share that love with others. In this case, that includes travelers in need and those in prison. Our outreach should not be limited to people in these situations only, but to all who need the loving touch of God.

A final lesson that the Greatest Shepherd wants His flock to learn is to avoid being ensnared by both the lusts of the flesh and the greed for possessions. The Greatest Shepherd knows that these failings will destroy our lives and they will destroy our testimonies as well. If we follow His guidance in these areas, we will never know the troubles we missed; if we don’t, we will be like children who were told the stove was hot, but who touch it anyway. It is much better to learn these types of lessons vicariously rather than through our mistakes!

The Greatest Shepherd purchased His flock, and He both leads it and instructs it. Let’s close by seeing His Intention for His flock as we consider Hebrews 13: 5b-6 and 20-21,

. . .  He himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you. Therefore, we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?  . . . Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep—through the blood of the everlasting covenant, equip you with everything good to do his will, working in us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.  Amen.

The Greatest Shepherd Blesses His Flock:

Although the writer of Hebrews compared our Lord to a human shepherd, and although the writer of Hebrews compared God’s people to a flock, and although the relationship between God and His people is like that of a shepherd to a flock, one huge difference remains. The Greatest Shepherd has a totally different purpose for creating His flock than does a human shepherd.

The reason that a flock of sheep exists is purely economic. The shepherds operate their flock as a business. In the final analysis, the animals are a product, and while some fondness for the animals may develop, in the end they are all sacrificed for the good of the business. Every action taken to care for the flock is designed to increase the bottom line, and if an action does not boost the profits of the flock’s owner it is not taken. 

In God’s economy, however, the flock exists to foster the sheep’s relationship with the Greatest Shepherd. The flock is not a business, but rather it is a ministry. The members of the flock are not a product to be bought or sold, but precious ones who are deeply loved, and for whom God has sacrificed His Precious, Uniquely Begotten Son. Every action taken to care for the flock is designed simply to bless it, and if an action does not boost the relationship of the members of the flock to its owner, it is not taken. 

In the world’s economy, the flock’s purpose is to bless the shepherd. In God’s economy, the flock exists to bless its members.

Conclusion:

We began our study of Hebrews by learning that Jesus is the Greatest Revelation of God. It is comforting to conclude our study by observing that Jesus is the Greatest Shepherd. The writer of Hebrews devoted many words of helping us realize this essential truth of God, one which David also recorded many years before in Psalms 23:1:

The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need.

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt