Fancy any of us uttering such words as these: "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life!" (John 8:12.)
Or this, "If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." (John 8:24.)
We take them seriously; indeed, we do not question them. Our opinion of him is based upon just such statements. We cannot separate them from the rest of the record, for they are inextricably woven into its very mesh and fiber: indeed, the entire record is in perfect harmony with such statements.
Jesus says of his life, that which no one else dares to say of his own life, a challenge that in itself is astounding, and yet which we, as well as his enemies who watched him with keenly criticizing eyes, cannot take up: "Which of you convicteth me of sin?" (John 8:46.)
Which of us can say, in any special sense: "I proceeded and came from [literally "out of"] God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me?" (John 8:42.)
Or who can call his own words God's words, thus, that he is God speaking? "He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God?"
