The Light of the World is Jesus: Follow Him!

“The Light of the World is Jesus: Follow Him!”
John 8:12I still recall an experience growing up when we stopped at a cave near Cumberland Gap, where Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee come together. A guide led us with a small group of tourists down into a cavern that ran deep inside the mountain. Then he told us we were going to now experience absolute darkness. He then hit a switch and the lights went out. There was nothing, it was so black you literally could not see your hand in front of your face. I tried it. Nothing but black. Then he struck a match. And the light from that match might as well have been a flare it seemed so bright. The light flickered off the walls of the cavern all around us! Have you ever been in absolute darkness? There was another vacation about 25 years ago that presented an opportunity to experience light and darkness when we decided to take a vacation up to the Canadian Maritimes, the first leg was to drive from New Jersey where we lived, to New Brunswick. It was longer than we expected, I am not sure what route we took but we drove for hours, in darkness, only the headlights of our car illuminating the way. If there were any humans along that path they must have had the blinds closed or the lights out, because it was dark. Finally we began to see a slight glow on the horizon ahead. Too early for dawn. Aurora Borealis? No, that wasn’t it. As it gradually began to get brighter we realized that we were seeing the lights of the city we were heading to, like a beacon shining in the darkness of northern Maine or Canada or wherever we were! That is a metaphor for the condition of the world, and the light shining into darkness in the incarnation of the Son.
We’ve been spending some weeks with Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem (John 7:2). It was a time to celebrate God’s provision in the harvest and to remember his preservation through the Wilderness wandering. From our perspective Jesus fulfills every aspect – he is our Passover, he has saved us from bondage, he is our protector and provider in the wilderness, and he is Lord of the coming harvest… He is the light that dispels the darkness… So he declares in John 8:12, “I AM the LIGHT of the world…” (cf. John 1:3-5). *When a woman gives birth in Brazil, we use the expression, “dar à luz,” which, literally translated means “to give to the light.” That is an interesting contrast to what we see in John: When Mary gave birth to Jesus the One who is the Light came into the darkness of this sinned cursed world.
The historical background: For centuries the Old Testament prophets used the metaphor of “Light” to describe the Coming One: For example, Isaiah 9:2 says “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them.” Also in Isaiah 42:6-7 we read,

"I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, 7 To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.”

In John 8:12 Jesus reveals that He is that Light… “I AM the Light of the world…”
The literary context: John uses “light” 23 times. The contrast between “darkness” and “light” is a major theme. In the broader context of the Gospel, we’ve already seen John 1:4,5,8,9; 3:19-21. In the coming chapters we’ll see 9:5; 12:35,36,46. The Light dispels darkness and exposes sin. It reveals truth and leads the way (see Psalm 119:105).
Immediate Context: Chapter 7 begins by telling us it was the feast of tabernacles… At the end of the chapter, Nicodemus (who had come to him by night) seems to be coming out of the darkness into the light [compare 19:39]. In chapter 9, Jesus heals the man born blind, and announces again that while He is in the world, He is the “Light of the world”, in the process exposing the blindness of the Pharisees. Not all “see” the Light, they don’t come to the Light and believe in Him. God revealed himself in His Son to show the world the only way to forgiveness and life with meaning. So we follow Him, and urge others to come out of the darkness and to join us in the journey.

I. “I AM the Light of the World”: God became a man. John affirmed in his prologue that “the Word became flesh and dwelled among us...”
“...I am...” In John, there is no question that “I am...” on the lips of Jesus is a claim to deity. He is God!
We’ve looked at the Old Testament background in the call of Moses in Exodus 3:2-14. Moses meets God and when he asks Him His name, God replies, “I AM THAT I AM… tell them I AM has you…” As you know, the Old Testament was written in the Hebrew language, but as Jews were scattered more and more away from Palestine, they gradually lost competency in Hebrew. Soon in the majority of synagogues outside of Judea, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures known as the Septuagint came into use. Now this is important: after Exodus 3 and God’s revelation to Moses as the “I AM”, the Greek phrase “I AM,” [Ego eimi] is only used by God, Yahweh, in referring to himself. John picks up on this, and emphasizes Jesus as the “I AM” 23 times! We’ve seen John 4:26; 6:20, 6:35ff… He is God Incarnate. Martin Luther said: “The mystery of the humanity of Christ, that He sunk Himself into our flesh, is beyond all human understanding.” Paul refers to this in Philippians 2 then he says:

“…who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; 8 and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross.”

I have a famous quote from the Sermons on Liturgical Seasons of Augustine written in my Bible:

“The Word of the Father, by whom all time was created, was made flesh and was born in time for us. He, without whose divine permission no day completes its course, wished to have one day for his human birth. In the bosom of the Father He exisited before all cycles of the ages; born of an earthly mother, he entered upon the course of the years on this day.
Maker of man became man that He, the Ruler of the stars, might be nourished at the breast; that He, the Light, might sleep, that He, the fountain. Might thirst; that He, Way, might be wearied by the journey; that He, the Truth, might be accused by false witnesses; that He, the Judge of the living and the dead might be brought to trial by a mortal judge; that He, Justice, might be condemned by the unjust, that He Discipline, might be scourged by whips; that He, the Foundation, might be suspended on a cross; that Courage might be weakened; that Security might be wounded; that Life might die.
To endure these and similar indignities for us, to free us, unworthy creatures, He who existed as the Son of God before all ages, without a beginning, deigned to become the Son of Man in these recent years. He did this although He who submitted to such great evils for our sake had done no evil and although we, who were recipients of so much good at His hands had done nothing to merit these benefits.”

God revealed himself in His Son to show the world the only way to forgiveness and life with meaning. So we follow Him, and urge others to come out of the darkness and to join us in the journey.

II. “I am the LIGHT of the world.” The only one who can forgive us and give us life with meaning, became a man. “...the Light...” In John’s Gospel we see that Light dispels darkness, it exposes sin, it leads the way...
Darkness was a symbol of sin (Isa 9:2; Mt 4:16; 27:45; John 3:19). Light exposes sin, illuminates truth, and shows us the way. Isaiah had prophesied that “The people who walk in darkness shall see a great light…” (9:2). In the fullness of time that light shined into human history. Even so John observed in 3:19, “And this is the condemnation: that the Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because there deeds were evil.”
NB. Jesus was not simply “light” or a light, one option among many, he is the Light. ***The context of this discourse of Jesus is important: it was the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). A time when the Jews looked back and remembered God’s provision for his people in the Wilderness. He brought them out of Egypt, gave them water and food in the desert, and guided them toward the promised Land in a Pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. In the last book of Moses we have The Shema, Dt 6:4… I like the NIV marginal translation as fitting the context best: “Hear O Israel, Yahweh is our God, Yahweh alone!”
Today it is popular to imagine that there are many paths to God. Our GPS is an illustration of how we like to have choices… We can choose the fastest route, the shortest, one that avoids tolls, etc.
There are many different ways to get there from here. People are often offended by the Christian message exactly at this point: there is only one true Light – there is only one way to have our sins forgiven, there is only one true God and only one way that we can know him. Jesus does not only say that he came to be “light”, or “a light”, he boldly asserts “I am THE Light of the World” (c.f. Acts 4:12) Later in this Gospel He will make a very exclusive statement when He says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father but by me” (John 14:6). Here Jesus said: “I AM the Light…” NOT “a” light! God revealed himself in His Son to show the world the only way to forgiveness and life with meaning. So we follow Him, and urge others to come out of the darkness and to join us in the journey.

III. God, the only one who can forgive sin and give life with meaning became a man, so that he could die for people from every nation. He is the Light of the world.
“...of the World...” If I was a theologian I might say this is “missional Christology.” Jesus is affirming who he is and what he came to do. He is saying what the entire Bible really teaches: the whole world is God’s world, and world evangelization is God’s work. Isaiah had predicted as much, he was to be a “Light to the Gentiles...” We see this unfolding in the book of Acts, look at 1:1, “...all that Jesus began both to do and to teach...” Jesus is not physically present in Acts, but he is building his church. He tells them a few verses later, in 1:8. “You will be my witnesses, in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the Earth.” He is the Light of the World.
Jesus came not only as the Messiah of Israel, but also as the Lamb, the one who would be the savior of all who would come to him in faith, from every race and nation. The whole world is God’s world, and world evangelization is God’s work. We see it unfolding in Acts: Jews and proselytes from every nation in Acts 2, Samaritans in Acts 8, and an Ethiopian eunuch, in Chapter 10 Cornelius and his household are included in the new people of God. The missionary journeys start in chapter 13 and the Gospel goes out to Asia minor and later to Europe. At the end of Acts 28 Paul is a prisoner in Rome, preaching without impediment the Gospel. Jesus is building his worldwide church, composed of people from every race and nation. God revealed himself in His Son to show the world the only way to forgiveness and life with meaning. So we follow Him, and urge others to come out of the darkness and to join us in the journey.

IV. And so we are Christ followers, and urge others to join us in the journey (8:12b). “He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
“He who follows Me…” This is the language of discipleship. We’ve seen it in John with the men that Jesus called, they traveled with him, watched Him, listened to Him, learned from Him. It implies a commitment. IF Jesus is the way, the only way, the light, the only light, where else would we look? We have to say with Peter at the end of John 6:68, “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life…” So, as the Jews in the desert followed the Pillar of fire and cloud, we follow the Light of the World, the Light that gives life.
“Will by no means, will absolutely not (an emphatic double negative) walk in darkness…” There is no room for question, no doubt, simply an emphatic statement of what will not happen: IF we follow Jesus, the Light of the World, the darkness that had us lost and blind and fearful before will no longer hinder us. We are in the Light!
BUT, a strong adversative, on the other hand, this will be our experience: we WILL HAVE THE LIGHT OF LIFE.
What is God saying to me in this text? God revealed himself in His Son to show the world the only way to forgiveness and life with meaning. So we follow Him, and urge others to come out of the darkness and to join us in the journey.
What would God have me to do in response to this passage? Jesus said a bit later, in Jn 9:5, “While I am in the World, I am the light of the world…” That statement seems to anticipate his departure, and our responsibility to point people to the LIGHT.
If you have not yet come to the Light, what are you waiting for? All have sinned. You know the truth about yourself. So does God. Even so, he sent the greatest gift imaginable, his Son, to die for you.
One more implication for you who have come to the Light and received life. We are his body in the world. Elsewhere he said to his followers “You are the Light of the Word!” Christ’s mission is our commission. Later in John Jesus says to his disciples, “...as the Father has sent me, so send I you.” …Our task as we walk with him is to point others to the Light of Life. Who is in your sphere of influence that is walking in darkness? Will you consider how you might point that one to the Light of Life? How can you invite him/her to join you on the journey?
1. Invite someone to church? Maybe to a special event (like tonite’s concert at the Fellowship?
2. Bring them to a small group meeting?
3. Invite them into your home and seek to share the reason for the hope that is in you?