Light of the World

John 8:12 NIV

12 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.”

“I am.” Two simple words that point directly to the identity of the person making the declaration. They leave no room for argument, no room for wondering, and no room for question.

This is a claim, a statement… something said to clarify a person’s character, nature, purpose, etc. When the statement is made, the fruit or the life of that person will do one of two things:

It will verify the claim as being true. How that person walks and talks will confirm the truth of the “I am” statement.

OR, it will deny the claim. The fruit or life of the person reveals the claim as being false. The line simply does not line up with the life.

This evening, we continue our look at the book of John - specifically at the seven “I am” declarations made by Jesus throughout His ministry.

Jesus was and is EVERYTHING Scripture say He is.

In His earthly ministry days, Jesus did and was everything the OT said the Messiah would be. Yet He was not recognized by those the Word calls “His own.”

John 1:11 says it this way,

John 1:11 NIV

11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

The lack of reception was NOT because Jesus did things that were out of character for the Messiah, they simply could not see past their own personal preferences, bias, and preconceived ideas.

I’m curious… have you ever met someone you knew… but they struggled in their recollection of you? In others words, they did not remember or recognize you?

Maybe a significant amount of time had passed. Maybe something about you had changed. Maybe you had lost touch with each other.

These encounters can be awkward, uncomfortable, and maybe even embarrassing.

However, for those who fail to recognize who Jesus truly is, the result is worse than awkward… it is tragic. The person who chooses not to believe and receive Christ as Lord and Savior WILL PERISH. Darkness WILL overcome them in their unbelief.

Jesus had come into the world He helped create! A world that had received word from God that He was coming… yet those who should have recognized Him… struggled the most. It was in this struggle… in this lack of belief… that caused them to question.

This was a struggle then… and it is a struggle now. So how does a person move from the struggle of unbelief to a place of faith and full submission to Jesus?

The answer is both simple and complex at the same time: A PERSON MUST CHOOSE TO FOLLOW THE LIGHT.

Light is something we really don’t think about, until it is not there. We depend on light more than we depend on most other resources around us. Why? Without it, we cannot see where we are going and we are left unaware of the dangers that surround us. I want you to stop for a moment… and think about how much light… physical light… impacts your world.

Think about it:

When the lights go out in the middle of a storm at night, there is nothing more comforting than a candle burning in the middle of the room.

When checking fields and livestock at night, there is nothing more valuable than the spotlight in hand of fixed to the top of the truck.

When working under a vehicle, a little bit of light can go a LONG way.

I was trying to get a bolt started and struggled to do so. I was too lazy to get up and get my work light. I thought I could get the job done without it. After wasting 30 mins of time, I got the light and realized things weren’t lined up. One quick adjustment and the bolt went in in a matter of seconds. I couldn’t see what I was fighting against until I had a little bit of light.

When touring a cave, the light helps keep us on the right path. When the lights go out… nobody moves! You cannot see the way forward nor can you see the dangers around you.

The “I am” statement made by Jesus in John 8 is a BIG one. He IS the light of the world.

Now, we know our physical light comes from the sun… but what about the spiritual light we need in life?

This world needs the light of Christ. Let me say this is a more personal way… I need, we need the light of Christ.

Where would we be tonight without His light? We would be left in darkness. A kind of darkness we cannot overcome with a candle, spotlight, work light, etc.

Jesus alone is the source of light that can break through the spiritual darkness of the world.

The world was “dark” then, the world is “dark” now. At least it is for those who deny Christ… and I want to dig into why that is.

As we do so, I pray we are reminded of just how important His light is to our lives.

Jesus is the TRUE and COMPLETE Revelation of God’s Light.

Let’s look at some more of the conversation in John 8 as we unpack this.

John 8:13–19 NIV

13 The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. 18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.” 19 Then they asked him, “Where is your father?” “You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

The Pharisees challenge the testimony of Jesus because He is His own witness. In His answer, He reveals a couple of important truths.

One, Jesus is fully aware of what He was sent to do and who it was that sent Him.

His purpose is clear - He knows where He came from and where He is going.

He stands with the Father - WHO SENT HIM.

Two, the Father who sent Jesus also testifies of Jesus’ identity. AND, if the Pharisees knew the Father, they would also know the Son.

Our children carry similar attributes of their parents. This includes looks, mannerisms, vocal expressions and tones, talents, interests, lifestyles, etc.

Jesus was no exception. He carried the same loving, compassionate attributes of His Father. The Father’s love was in Him, the Father’s truth was in Him. If the Pharisees really knew the Father, then they should have also recognized the Son.

Everything Jesus did throughout His ministry was in accordance to the Father’s plan for His life. Jesus came to reveal the way back to the Father.

Spiritual darkness is a result of the universal sin problem… and it has impacted EVERY aspect of the world around us. Sin brings corruption to all things.

And the results are clear of what happens to a world that is immersed in this kind of darkness - things and live begin to fall apart.

They way we think, live, and operate become tainted with darkness.

Look at the world’s system of morality for a moment.

We have written laws that protect the practice of aborting babies all the way up to the day of birth. We call it a choice… we call it a right. We call it freedom. The Bible calls this… darkness.

We have allowed in some states for children to receive gender altering treatments without parents consent - while not allowing them to get something as superficial as a tattoo until they are 18. We call it a right. We call it health care. The Bible calls this… darkness.

The traditional family, husband that is a man, wife that is a woman, has become old fashioned and the effects have been devastating. Children are growing up without parents and the emotional and psychological tole is undeniable. We call it a right. We call it the pursuit of happiness. The Bible calls it darkness.

We tolerated the teaching of “theories” that remove God from creation. We have allowed for generations of students to be fed this material that says something came from nothing, that life is an accident. We call it science. We call it knowledge. The Bible calls it darkness.

These are but a few examples of how the folly of man has tried to upend the truth of God’s Word. This sort of things has been going on since the day sin entered this world. Darkness has infiltrated everything.

And maybe you feel far removed from anything like the examples given… but do not underestimate how the darkness of this world may be impacting you.

We look down on someone because they look different, sound different, and live different from us. We choose to not engage for fear of what someone might think if we do. We call it wisdom. We call it boundaries. The Bible calls it darkness.

We ignore a need or choose not to give as such is too costly or inconvenient. We overlook or ignore… hoping someone else will answer with generosity and sacrifice. We call it justified. We call it reckless. The Bible calls it darkness.

We create a controversy because our preference wasn’t meant. We become critical and defiant, sow seeds of discord or division for the sake of our agenda or desire. We call it relevant. We call it sacred or tradition. The Bible calls it… darkness.

This is why the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. Jesus came as the living embodiment of God’s Word to BE THE LIGHT to a world living in Darkness.

WE ALL NEED THE LIGHT OF CHRIST! Especially in those moments when His light might be making us uncomfortable or even convicted.

That means His light is revealing a bit of darkness that need to be dealt with.

Jesus spoke the Word, lived the Word, and was a fulfillment to many prophecies in the Word. Jesus reminds the world and reveals to the world who God is. He reminds us that God is perfect… and we are not. Jesus reveals to us just how dark the world is… He reveals to us just how dark our world is.

Here is the GOOD NEWS: Jesus not only came to reveal, He came to redeem. Jesus did not come to show us the light and leave us in darkness, Jesus came to lead us back to the Father!

As He leads, As He reveals, we have a choice to make. It is the same choice the Pharisees were presented with in Jesus’ ministry.

We must choose to accept Christ for who He is OR Deny Him as the light of the world. To deny Him is to remain in darkness… but to accept Him is to ABANDON the darkness and enter into His light!

Abandon the Darkness, Come into the Light.

Jesus wasn’t just making an empty claim with His “I am” declaration. Jesus IS the light of the world. As We make the choice to come into the light, this means we must leave any and all darkness behind.

In doing so, we enter into what I call an instantaneous process - something known as Sanctification.

What is sanctification? What does it mean to be sanctified?

Sanctification is the process of God’s grace by which the believer is separated from sin and becomes dedicated to God’s righteousness. The result of sanctification is holiness, or purification from the guilt and power of sin.

At salvation, a person is instantaneously separated from sin through the forgiveness found in Jesus. Think of the thief on the cross. The thief expressed belief in Christ which gained him access to heaven through forgiveness. He was instantly set free!

In life, sanctification is also a process. Yes, we are instantly set free. However, we need to take continued steps in drawing closer to the Lord and further from the sin and darkness of this world. WE MUST ABANDON THE OLD as we come alive in the new.

This happens by doing things like attending services, studying the Word, being a part of small groups like Sunday School, Men’s group, Women’s group, etc., pursuing God through prayer and so forth.

Our journey begins at salvation… it doesn’t end there. This process continues until we reach the other side of life!

As we choose to abandon the darkness and come into the light, it results in the purification of sin and freedom from the corruption of this world.

Look at what 1 John 1:7 says about life in the light.

1 John 1:7 NIV

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.

When we fully abandon the darkness it means we no longer have fellowship with the darkness. We no longer entertain its ways, we do not listen to what it has to say, we do not conform, we do not compromise, we do not bend or sway. It means, we now walk in fellowship with God who IS light - NO darkness is found in Him!

In this fellowship, we are purified. In this fellowship we are made righteous. In this fellowship, we are FOLLOWERS of the Word and we LIVE OUT the truth.

Now look what happens when the fellowship with the light is nothing more than a claim.

1 John 1:6 NIV

6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.

Our words and actions will reveal the truth. Our claim is nothing more than a lie, a deception, an empty claim. The worst part is, the person behind the claim might think they are living for Christ, yet all they are doing is living a lie.

In order to abandon, we must be transformed. In order to abandon we must turn from the ways of the world to the ways of the Word.

We sing the song that says, “The cross before me, the world behind me, no turning back, no turning back.” The name of this song is “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.”

When we make this decision, we decide to turn our back on the world and to turn our eyes upon Jesus.

We make the choice, to no longer conform… to no longer compromise… and to be transformed.

We know Romans 12:2 well. A verse that says this:

Romans 12:2 NIV

2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

This might seem easy on the surface, but remember the examples I gave a moment ago… a person might find it easier to conform than the might think.

This is why the PROCESS side of sanctification is so important.

We MUST choose to follow Jesus - to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior.

We MUST choose to FOLLOW Jesus - to actively pursue Jesus EVERY DAY.

As He leads, we must follow. As we follow, our minds will be renewed - darkness will no longer be the main influence. As minds are renewed, God’s plan becomes more clear.

Will you… Believe?

The Pharisees struggled to get there. Our world continues to get there. Where are you tonight? Do you believe that Jesus is the light of the world? Do you believe that Jesus is who He says He is?

This might sound silly as I preach to the home team… but do you find any area in your life where darkness has more influence than light?

Jesus has come that we might be set free… that we might be sanctified in ALL areas of our lives. If we have ANY place where we have restricted the light of God to shine… we need to give it over to Jesus.

Here’s the reality… if you restrict His light from shining over your entire life… you aren’t really following Jesus. Seem harsh? Look at Jesus’ words again.

John 8:12 NIV

12 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.”

Those who FOLLOW Jesus will NEVER walk in darkness. Why? Because Jesus will NEVER lead you to darkness. He came here to lead you OUT OF DARKNESS, to call you out of darkness and into His marvelous light of life!

So are you ready to fully surrender all to Him? Two things must happen in order for us to do so.

First, we must recognize any and all darkness for what it is. We have to ask the Holy Spirit to guide us in this and to expose anything that is not of God in our lives.

Secondly, we must abandon any and all darkness.

We need to ask God to forgive us AND to change us. Be sanctified through forgiveness AND in the journey of drawing closer to Him.

Leave it all behind… abandon the old as Jesus pours in the new. Jesus is the light of the world… of your world, and He wants to lead you this evening.