• Hebrews 5:1 For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
• Hebrews 5:3 Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people.
• Hebrews 7:27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
• Hebrews 8:3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer.
• Hebrews 9:9 (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper,

This God they seek to know understands how man feels about the choices they made that produced a guilty conscience. Nothing they have tried has eased their conscience. We all knew we were guilty and were helpless to do anything about it. They will not draw near to God if they feel His righteous wrath of condemnation.

Genesis 22:2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

Genesis 22:8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.

Genesis 22:10-14 English Standard Version

10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

A substitute was provided by God for Abraham at that time, and now for us, God has sent His only Son to be our acceptable substitute.

John 3:16-17 English Standard Version

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Now ask “Do you want to be saved?”

• John 1:9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
• John 3:19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
• John 3:20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
• John 3:21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
• John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

These are just some of the words about the light. Trying to explain what this light is will be difficult to a lost generation that lives in darkness and are afraid of the light. For them it has to be something tangible, something they can experience. Once we have earned their trust they will be able to open up about the things they have done and how they feel about themselves.

Verse 3:19 implies that they loved the darkness but if that is all they have ever known then their concept for the meaning of love is skewed. They know in their hearts they have done wrong and do not want to suffer judgment. As we mentioned before, we were like them and now our life is different because we have Jesus who is the light of life.

There was a soap opera titled “The Guiding Light”. This is the purpose of the true light, to guide everyone on the path set before us by the will of the Father. They will have to believe in that light in order to come out of the darkness and we are there to show them that it is possible.

Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

In Jesus’ sermon on the mount He declared to His followers that they would be a shining example to look up to, like a city on a hill. The opening scene of “The Guiding Light” was a lighthouse that rotated, shining its light everywhere. Lighthouses shine light on the ships at sea and then light the safe harbor and the rocks that the ships needed to avoid.

That is a fair example of what the light of life accomplishes, helping us to avoid destruction.

My life was a wreck. I needed to set a new course. That is something many will relate to from their own lives. Tell them how to get the light for themselves.