I AM: The Light of the World
John 8:12 – 20
Friends we are in week two of our Lenten and Easter series on the “I AM” statements of Jesus, as depicted in the Gospel of John. Jesus used metaphors containing the name that God gave himself when he was talking to Moses through the Burning Bush. When Moses asked what his name was, God said “I AM who I AM”. During his ministry, in order that the Jews could come to understand his divine nature and his relevance to them, Jesus used I AM statements along with common necessities of life. For example last week we studied his “I AM: the Bread of Life” declaration. Today in John chapter 8 we encounter Christ declaring “I AM: The Light of the World”.
As we read in our message lesson, “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
In that one verse, in seven simple words Jesus makes a quite remarkable claim and he offers an equally incredible promise. The Claim: I am the light of the world. The Promise: whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
As I always remind you, it is important to have the proper context of what is being said, especially by Jesus, and to whom it is being said. In this case in chapters 7 – 9 of John’s gospel, Jesus is at the temple during what is known as the Feast of the Tabernacles, teaching God’s wisdom to those that would listen to him and in fact many of the Jews were there were amazed by his teaching and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?”
As we all know the Feasts of the Jewish people were and are important. The Feast of Tabernacles was a seven day festival that God had prescribed to celebrate how God had been with Israel during the 40 year of the wilderness. How God gave them a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of Fire by night. God literally provided them a light to help them find their way in darkness.
They delighted in obedience to God, they rejoiced in the symbolism represented. It was an exuberant celebration, resounding with life and with light, with music and with dancing with songs of piety with songs of hope and expectation. The final event of the Feast was taking place in the Temple Court. It was an event referred to as the Illumination of the Temple.
Historians tell us that four large candelabras were lit by the priests, but also others would light their own personal smaller lamp. It is said that light could be seen for miles around. For these individuals this light was a reminder to them of God’s goodness in their past. The light spoke to them about the way in which God had guided their forefathers from Egypt to the Promised Land.
But eventually the lamps flickered and died out. It is in this setting, when the temporal light of candles diminished and darkness began to reassert its’ reign over the world that Jesus makes this stunning declaration; I AM: The Light of the World.
In essence he is saying that those that were there to celebrate the Illumination of the Temple and its’ magnificent light but he says, that light can only last so long. Eventually it will dissipate, it will dim, it will finally burn out, the light of man always does. But God’s light is Eternal and Jesus says my light will never dim, my light will never go out. “I AM: The Light of the World”.
It is interesting that if you will remember, the Apostle John under the guidance of the Spirit, chose to begin his gospel in the way different than Matthew and Luke who both start with the birth narratives. John chose to begin his gospel even further back in time. In fact he chose to begin in Eternity with how God has revealed himself by ridding Eternity from darkness as He sent light into the Universe.
In verse 4 John says of Jesus “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” In verse 9 he says “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world”.
The Gospels all point to the uniqueness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here in this lesson the point is absolutely clear, there is no question, no equivocation on what Jesus is declaring. That is that those who were there, his listeners, they were living in darkness.
Jesus is declaring what the Bible makes clear, a fact that we know all too well, that by our very nature, we live in darkness. Dark and light, the great contrast between them is used throughout the Bible in order to show that man is by his very nature alienated from God, in rebellion against God, and disbelieving in God. Man therefore is living in the darkness of his own rebellious heart and in need of the light which provides the light to change a broken life, to turn it right side up as a result of becoming a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Friends, we by our nature are dark, the world in which will live, controlled by the forces of evil is a dark and unrelenting world. You want evidence look at the front page of just about any newspaper. Watch any news program on TV as they reveal story after story about evil and self-serving people. North Korea wants to set the world ablaze with nuclear weapons. Iran wants to eradicate an entire race of people, our Spiritual forefathers by the way. In fact the virus that has us holed up in our homes brings with it an unholy fear of the unknown.
By any standards it’s dark out there. You would think, wouldn’t you, that if somebody stood on the stage of history as Jesus has done and that he declares that he comes with hope, that he is the light in a dark world, that people would rush to follow him but they simply don’t. As John explains it, man loves darkness because their deeds are evil.
The one that does what is bad seeks the darkness to hide his disobedience but God sees it anyway. Only the one who does good is prepared to come out into the daylight. Dear ones, only those whose torches have been kindled at the bright flame of Jesus can shine light into the darkness of the world.
Have you ever played with a sparkler on the Fourth of July? If you try to light a sparkler with a match it can be a frustrating exercise. It seems almost possible to generate enough heat, for long enough to light the sparkler. But the secret is to hold your sparkler into the heat, the light of one already burning brightly and it lights quickly Soon it’s brilliant rays of light are everywhere, lighting up the darkness. A sparkler in the box is nothing but put it in contact with one burning brightly and its new light spills out everywhere and can then set yet another one ablaze.
What Jesus is the saying is this, that we by our very nature are unlit sparklers even though we want very much to shine. We may hang around with people who shine but until our lives have been illumined through God’s Eternal light, until have been set on fire by the love and the grace and the power of Christ our light will remain dim and in need of God’s renewal.
If you’re sitting there this morning wondering if you are in the dark or the light, let me give you some hope. Jesus illumines our lives when he touches us, when he changes us, when he turns the lights on in our souls there is a radical change in our lives.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Colossian believers to describe what has happened to them since following Jesus. He says you have been rescued from the dominion of darkness, someone who has come and plucked you out of your predicament, rescuing you from the darkness.
He also writes to the Ephesians in the same way, he says once you were darkness now you are light in the Lord. There was a before and now there is an after, once you were was going your own way in the darkness then you found Christ and now you are walking with Christ in the light. Christian you have been changed!
Friends, you have been illumined by the grace of Christ. You have brought your unlit sparkler close to the fire of Jesus and He has touched you and you have become a bright light for Jesus to the others around you, so that you can light their light too.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome. “I AM”, he says “The Light of the World”. Because He is the light of the world, we will never have to walk in darkness but live in the holy, divine light. Jesus did not die on the cross just to forgive you of your sin; He died to free you from your sin. Let your Light shine the darkness cannot overcome it! Amen.