Jesus – The Light of the World
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
In the Old Testament, Jehovah is the “… I AM THAT I AM …” (Exod. 3:14).
Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
Colossians 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
Whatever we can know about God we know because it is represented and demonstrated in the person of Jesus
- Jesus greatly expands our understanding by using the commonplace things like bread, light, and water to symbolize Himself.
- He uses the ordinary to speak of the extraordinary, the physical to speak of the spiritual, the temporal to speak of the eternal, the here–and–now to speak of the hereafter, the earthly to speak of the heavenly, the limited to speak of the unlimited, and the finite to speak of the infinite.
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world.
Every Jew, especially the religious leaders, would have instantly and clearly understand what Jesus as saying when he said “I AM”
Exodus 3:13–15 (NKJV) 13 Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” 15 Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’
I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE – John 6:35
I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD – John 8:12
I AM THE DOOR – John 10:7, 9
I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD – John 10:11
I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE – John 11:25
I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE – John 14:6
I AM THE TRUE VINE – John 15:1, 5
John 8:12 12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
Here Jesus is saying, “I am the light of the world.”
Light exposes sin, which is the reason the scribes and the Pharisees had to leave.
One of the definitions of God is that He is Light.
1 John 1:5 (NKJV) 5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
- God is PURE light, PURE HOLINESS.. His presence exposes all impurity and will ultimately destroy all impurity
The Hebrew Scriptures often spoke of God’s Word as light.
- Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me (Psalm 43:3).
- Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105).
- Since Jesus is the Word (John 1:1 (NKJV) 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.), it makes perfect sense that He is also the light.
Jesus Christ is the Light of the World.
- Just as the sun is the physical light of this world, He is spiritual Light.
Those who deny that Christ is the Light of the World CHOOSE to walk in a lesser light.
During this Feast of Tabernacles, Israel was remembering the deliverance when the pillar of fire led the children of Israel through the wilderness.
- When the feast of tabernacles began, candelabras were set up all through the Court of the Women, they literally filled the Court of the Women with the capability of light.
- This was called “the illumination of the temple”.
Jesus made a direct claim to be the Messiah, and they knew it. They were very, very familiar with the Messianic promises that came through the Prophet Isaiah:
Isaiah 42:6 (NKJV) 6 “I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, , As a light to the nations
7 To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness …
- He was referring to the pillar of fire that led the Israelites; he was referring to the prophecies of the Messiah who would be the light of the world
Jesus was declaring publicly: I AM GOD, I AM THE MESSIAH, I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.
- It would have seriously startled and enraged the Pharisees and challenged their ruling authority (THEY were the light as far as they were concerned).
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
He who follows Me. The word “follows” conveys the idea of someone who gives himself completely to the person followed. The way it’s used in ancient usage:
- it’s used of a soldier following his commander
- of a slave following his master
- of someone following a wise counselor
- of someone following the law obediently
- of a student following a trusted teachers instruction.
Matthew 16:24 (NKJV) Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”
No half-hearted followers exist in Jesus’ mind (cf. Matt. 8:18–22; 10:38, 39).
What is “the cross”? It is the cost of following Christ.
- It is the sacrifice required to make Him Lord.
- In Biblical times, the Romans required the condemned prisoner to carry his cross to the place of execution.
- The cross was the instrument of death that meant the end of the prisoner’s life.
Taking up your cross means giving up control of your life.
You won’t carry the cross if you’re worried about what it will do to you.
Romans 12:1 (NKJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
- A sacrifice gives up its rights; its desires; its plans; its choices.
- A sacrifice offers itself freely to the fire and has no purpose other than being given up and consumed for another’s benefit.
John 10:27 (NKJV) My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
- “take up your cross”… surrender all; sacrifice your life for mine. Follow Me.
Luke 16:13 (NKJV) “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
- You have no choice but to deny either yourself or Christ; you cannot serve two masters.
Most people have just enough of the world in them to make them miserable at church,
and just enough church in them to make them miserable out in the world.
Revelation 3:16 (NKJV) So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
“The cross” is an all or nothing proposition.
- We are not worthy to follow if we do not dedicate and commit our whole being to it.
Matthew 10:38-39 (NKJV) And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
Have you taken up your cross for good? Or do you put it down occasionally in order to pursue your own interests?
Jesus said, “If you follow me, I will lead out of darkness”, “If you follow me, I will lead out of worry and anxiety” “If you follow me, I will lead out of death”, Jesus said, “If you follow me, I will lead out of sin”, Jesus said, “If you follow me, I will lead out of sorrow”, “If you follow me, I will lead you to eternal life.”