A Higher Story - staff writer

A Higher Story

In John 8:12 Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (Jn. 8:12). For Jesus, life was lived with a higher calling, Tim King claims.

The Pharisees in Jerusalem scoffed at this statement of Jesus because he was testifying on his own behalf. But because of Jesus' higher life, he boldly love those others had discarded—whether set a woman free from adultery or overturn a confrontation with the religious elite of his day.

Jesus didn't act from a position of authority. He wasn't seeking to get in good with the ruling party, he was, instead, just trying to touch the lives and hearts of a people over-burdened from both Roman and Jewish authority.

He claimed, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world.” He saw that world below, the Old Covenant world, passing away, to be replaced by the light from above.

King says, "There was a new world coming, the world promised to Abraham and proclaimed by the prophets. This would be a world where hearts of stone could be replaced with hearts of fleshhearts that would yield to the ways of a God who was for all humanity."

He continues, "Today, we must be the light to our world that Jesus was to his. The way we might best do this is by realizing that like Jesus, we, too, are from a higher world. Like Jesus we are seeking to uplift the lowly, touch the untouchable or embrace the unembraceable."

We are not slaves serving in the house of the Master, but we are children living and loving in the house of the Father! We have before us today the choice to jettison our smaller stories for a much larger one.

This webcast is the twelveth program in a series on "The Gospel of John." Listeners are encourage to read along in the Gospel as a way to delve deeper into this study.

The "Presence Today" show premiered a year ago and quickly became the leading weekly broadcast of the fulfilled prophecy world. Shows are archived, so viewers can watch them anytime. See full story and instructions.

Viewers with slower modems may also download the program to their computer, rather than view the program online. This will help prevent the audio/video from spooling, if you watch it "offline." Either way, viewers need the RealOne Player, a free browser plug-in. Click here to learn how to get the latest player. Click the "Real Media" button below to view our April 14th program.

The Gospel of John, Pt 12, Apr 14, 2004