Jesus Light of the World
Before I get to my primary text in John, let’s look at the birth of Jesus in Luke.
An angel appears to shepherds at night in a field near Bethlehem and declares,
“10…Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.” 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:10-12 NKJV
Next, a multitude of angels appear, praising God, “Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.” You, along with all of humanity, are favored through the grace of Jesus Christ! The shepherds respond, “Let’s go right now to Bethlehem and see what’s happened…” Luke 2:14-15 CEB
“You and all of humanity are favored!” Why? Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior, and the Light of the world, has been born! He is God’s gift of grace to humanity!
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 NIV
God’s love is never in question. Jesus is the evidence of this love! God has always desired a family, and Jesus came to restore us to our original relationship with God, which was lost in the Garden.
God’s love was demonstrated in the giving of His Son! Jesus represents God’s love, mercy, and grace. He is the greatest gift to humanity. He is the Savior of the world, the hope of the nations, and the light of the world.
My primary text is John 8:12:
Jesus said to them, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” ESV
When hope had faded, at the right moment, God sent forth His Son, born of a virgin, to a confused world that was stumbling in darkness.
The Jewish people waited for centuries for the promised Messiah, who would usher in God’s kingdom on earth. Jesus was not just a teacher, prophet, or healer. He is God’s Son, co-eternal with Father God, and the exact image of Him.
Jesus said, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father!” Jesus isn’t just another way to God; He is the way to God! He is the light and hope of the nations
And yet, His birth, although significant to the shepherds and others, remains hidden and obscure to most of humanity. His life is equally veiled to most, despite all the miraculous signs and the radiance of His being.
In his book Renaissance: The Power of the Gospel, However Dark the Times, respected Christian thinker Os Guinness reminds us of God’s power over evil by writing about the life of Jesus:
“What were the odds that a rural carpenter’s son from an obscure backwater of the Roman Empire would outshine the pride and glory of the greatest emperor and the mightiest warrior captains in history? How likely was it that the birthday of a man viewed as a disgraced and executed provincial criminal would come to mark the year that, for most of the world, divides all history? As Christopher Dawson noted, from the perspective of a secular historian, the life of Jesus “was not only unimportant but actually invisible.” 1 But with God, nothing is impossible! Jesus is the Savior!
Jesus Light of the World
John 8:2-12 ESV
2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So, what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. *Jesus came to fulfill the law, not abolish it.
7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
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.”
I Am the Light of the World
Jesus’ declaration, “I am the light of the world,” is the second of seven “I AM” declarations in John’s gospel that point to His divinity and purpose. By stating this, Jesus openly declares that He is the exclusive source of God’s spiritual light.
He is Israel’s Messiah; the Son of God incarnate. He alone is the “Way, the Truth, and the Life!” Universalism would attempt to convince us that all faiths, beliefs, and practices lead to God and truth. Jesus clearly states that He alone is God’s way for humanity to be restored to the Father and to experience eternal life with Him
There are two types of light in the world. Physical light, like the light a lightbulb or candle gives off, is good. Even a small candle in a dark room dispels the darkness.
And then there is the spiritual light that only God can give. Jesus states plainly that He is that light in our world. Not everyone perceives this as truth, but Jesus declares He is both the light and the truth.
Dr. NT Wright states of John 8:12,
“But the light that God intends to bring illumination to the whole world is the same light that shines relentlessly into the world’s dark corners. And when it does so, it brings judgment. Throughout the gospel, it’s clear that Jesus had not basically come to judge the world, Israel, or individuals, but it’s also clear that the fact of his coming to bring rescue, salvation, life, and hope would inevitably have the effect of condemning those who didn’t want any of those things, those who were so steeped in evil that the coming of light was bad news for them, not good news.2
Not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.
In John’s account, we read how Jesus forgave this woman and declared to the crowd that He is the light of the world. (Forgiveness does not mean sin doesn’t matter; rather, it means God is setting it aside.) He explained to her and the crowd that whoever follows Him will not walk in darkness but in His light. His light invites one to change!
Not only was the woman invited into God’s love, mercy, and grace, but the Pharisees were also. But it seems they chose judgment over mercy, not only for this woman but for themselves.
I’m sure they wanted God’s mercy for themselves, but their religiosity and ignorance of the love of God woven throughout the Law and Judaism, kept them bound in legalism and judgment.
We want mercy but tend not to give mercy to others. We want justice. Mercy for ourselves, but justice for others. The real power of God’s love is His unconditional mercy. Why? Mercy triumphs over judgment.
When we receive God’s mercy (this woman), we are humbled. Perhaps one of the greatest aspects of God’s mercy is how it humbles us. We then experience a depth of understanding of God’s love that is otherwise unknown. Mercy humbles us more effectively than justice. Mercy transforms us into the person Jesus intends for us to be.
Have you ever been humbled by God’s mercy? Do you extend that mercy to others?
But Jesus’ life, and therefore light, creates change within us through faith. When we accept Jesus’ invitation to believe and follow Him, His Spirit transforms us spiritually. We are new creations, born from above by His Spirit. We are no longer in darkness but in His light and life. It is an accomplished fact! He is our mercy, our righteousness!
Jesus states we are to “follow Him” as devoted disciples. It’s not enough to have knowledge that Jesus is the light or Savior of the world; we must turn to Him in genuine faith and follow Him faithfully by obeying His Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Two spiritual kingdoms affect humanity: God’s kingdom, or the kingdom of light, and Satan’s kingdom, or the kingdom of darkness.
We see God’s light and goodness in our world, but we also see the effects of darkness and evil in a fallen world.
Natural disasters, wars, famines, disease, and systemic poverty are a few examples of the darkness humanity faces. Many people are fearful and hopeless. Alcohol and drug addictions are all too common.
Last year, 107,606 people died in the US from drug overdoses; roughly 77,000 of those deaths were caused by fentanyl and other opioids. Meth and fentanyl are inexpensive and widespread in our cities. Hopelessness fuels depression and substance abuse.
Families have struggled for various reasons. Statistics reveal that roughly 25% of our children are being raised in single-parent homes. Not to mention the high number of foster children who need homes and help. This is not a condemnation of these families, just a statistical reality. Jesus isn’t looking to judge but to liberate and heal those oppressed by darkness. We shouldn’t look to judge either but extend His mercy.
Perhaps you are reading this, and you are struggling in some way. Jesus came so that you might have true life and freedom from the bondage of sin, addictions, fear, worry, and depression.
Jesus demonstrates love, acceptance, and forgiveness to this woman.
She feels condemned by the religious leaders and the crowd. Remember, they brought her to Jesus while He was teaching a large crowd! He doesn’t condemn her but loves her, forgives her, and gives her words of truth (“Go and sin no more”) to help her find freedom, wholeness, and transformation.
Mother Teresa, a Catholic nun who gave her life unreservedly in India among the poor, said, “There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.” All of humanity longs to know that they are loved, accepted, and forgiven.
Jesus loved everyone and never rejected anyone. However, He did not condone or affirm sin or sinful behavior. He loved, accepted, and forgave the woman and the Pharisees, by the way, and exhorted her to walk in His light: “Go and sin no more.” Acceptance of and obedience to truth are necessary to experience the saving and transforming power of Christ’s grace. She received grace, the Pharisees hardened their hearts.
Jesus is the light of the world, but He expects us to turn to Him and walk in His light. We are defined by the light of Christ and God’s Word, not our culture’s interpretation of light.
5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:5-7 NIV
Dr. Michael Brown, author of Revival or We Die, wrote,
“Remember, Jesus did not come to improve us or enhance us or make us bigger and better or more successful. He came to save us from our sins, to forgive us and transform us, to transfer us from death to life and from the kingdom of satan to the kingdom of God. That’s the gospel. He came so we could die to our old rebellious ways and live new lives of obedience in Him.” 3
Jesus is inclusive; He died for all. Everyone is welcome in God’s family and house. However, Jesus practiced transformational inclusiveness. While everyone is invited to receive God’s grace, not everyone is willing to allow His grace to transform their lives. Jesus came full of grace and truth.
Once we give our lives to Christ and follow Him faithfully, His light permeates us.
14 You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matt. 5:14-16 NIV
Despite the darkness in our world, the light of Christ shines brightly through those who follow Him and His Church. He has been our hope and the hope of our world throughout the ages. Our nation is not without hope!
Jesus and His Church are still the answer to society’s ills and suffering. Throughout the Church’s history, when societies have struggled with darkness, we read how God answered the prayers and cries of His people to revive, renew, and bring healing with the love and light of Christ. Perhaps our nation is primed for a great move of God!
The world needs a radiant Church that displays the light of Christ—a Church that walks in His light, free from compromise and the deception of darkness.
Final Thoughts
Are you ever tempted to reject the light? As you read John 8, do you ever find yourself siding with the Pharisees? Have we all, perhaps, allowed ourselves to forget just how deep the darkness goes within each of us, not least when we are called to be God’s people for the world but decide to turn this calling into a privilege for ourselves? 4
Jesus is the light of the world! His light dispels the darkness in every generation.
Today, let’s recommit our lives to Jesus. Let’s endeavor to walk in His light and the truth of His Word.
“Father, thank you that you sent your son Jesus, who is the light and savior of the world. Jesus, I recommit my life to you, I choose to follow you. (if you have knowingly committed sin or are living in sin, ask Him to forgive you now) Help me, Lord, to live and walk in your life. I choose to obey your Word and follow your leading Holy Spirit. Thank you for a new beginning and for eternal life in you!”
Through new birth in Jesus, we are saved by God’s grace in a moment, but God’s Word and Spirit transform us over a lifetime!
Footnotes
1 Os Guinness, Renaissance: The Power of the Gospel However Dark the Times (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2014), 64.
2 Tom Wright, John for Everyone, Part 1: Chapters 1-10 (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2004), 116.
3 Brown, PhD, Michael L. Revival or We Die (p. 51). Destiny Image, Inc. Kindle Edition.
4 Tom Wright, John for Everyone, Part 1: Chapters 1-10 (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2004), 117.
