I AM | The Light of the World | John Lee | March 19, 2023

This morning we are continuing our current sermon series entitled, “I Am..”. and…at the foundation of this series is the concern that many who profess faith in Christ experience a lack of confidence in their salvation and a lingering doubt in God’s love and care for them. And the reality is.... your doubt and your lack of assurance may be due to an impersonal relationship with Jesus. .you see..if we are going to love Jesus, live like Jesus, and lead others to Him then we cant settle for simply knowing about Jesus but we have to know Jesus. And friends....when your intimacy with Jesus grows so will your confidence in what He says and in what he has accomplished. In other words....we need to pause and be with Christ.....we need to set our eyes on Jesus…we need to not only obtain facts about what He has done or check off the boxes from the list of what He has told us to do but we need to pause and take our time to see and savor Jesus.

Now, this morning we’re going to look at one verse and consider what Jesus means when He proclaims, "I am the Light of the World?” So ....If you would…please grab your copy of God’s Word and turn to John 8:12 and when you’re there and if you are able to…I would like to invite you to stand for the reading of God’s Word.

John 8:12 (CSB)

12 Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”

This is the word of the Lord. Let’s pray. You may be seated.

4000 people live in the town of Barrow which is located at the northernmost point of Alaska...and where....for 64 long winter days…the sun does not rise and residents of Barrow live in utter darkness. As you can imagine, living in darkness takes its toll…not only do these residents deal with the effects of a vitamin D deficiency but as their town is plunged into two months of darkness their internal body clock is altered causing people to struggle with severe depression and mood swings. People sleep a lot…they crave carbs and gain weight. And....not only does the lack of sunlight impact their bodies but their divorce rates, suicide, and alcohol consumption are among the highest in the nation.

Roderick …a 58 year old resident of Barrow said, “One winter, I went into complete hibernation. My mind stopped accepting information and my body stopped accepting commands. I just wanted to stay in bed all day with the covers over my head, and for a good part of one winter, that’s just what I did.”

You see....sunlight is important..and so residents of Barrow get creative....many travel south for a few days, airline tickets to Hawaii are sold out years in advance, and many use tanning beds to combat the darkness....light is import ....it’s crucial to our physical, emotional, and mental health and in a similar but in a much more crucial and profound way..... our souls need a spiritual light to survive. But unlike the residents of barrow who only experience the lack of sunlight for a couple of months.....the world we live has been darkened and eclipsed by the shadow of sin since the Garden of Eden in Genesis chapter 3…and there is no tanning bed or trip to Hawaii that can provide the light our souls need. However, that does not prevent the pursuit of light from those who are lost in darkness....in fact…they frantically search for light but have no ability to find it…and because of their spiritual blindness, they only stumble deeper into sin’s hopeless gloom—finding themselves utterly trapped in the snares of darkness.

Our only hope to obtain the light our souls so desperately need is found in Jesus alone.....which means that...... outside of a relationship with Jesus, we are walking blindly in a broken world darkened by evil. So..what do we do? How can we make sense of our life as we live in a fractured world infected by sin? Also, what is the light that Jesus offers and how do we get it?

Well....Light is one of the great biblical images of salvation. We read verses such as

Isaiah 9:2 (CSB)

2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness.

and

Psalm 27:1 (CSB)

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— whom should I dread?

Jesus is the Light to a world consumed by darkness and it was with these verses in mind that Jesus declared, “I am the light!” You see…Jesus is the only remedy for the darkness of this world. And when we depend wholly upon Him, not only will we no longer be blinded by darkness, but we will receive life, and we will reflect God's light to the darkened eyes of the world.

Now....before we can fully understand and appreciate the light and the salvation that Jesus brings we first have to understand ...

1. The Nature of the kingdom of Darkness.

Beginning with the truth that God did not create the world in spiritual darkness but the world in which we live has been darkened by sin and death. In Genesis 3 we see sin enter the world through Adam’s disobedience to God’s good rule and reign.

Because of Adam’s sin…all of mankind has come under the judgement of God…you see......when Adam disobeyed God ....God counted everyone who would follow …including you and me…he has counted us all as guilty…in other words.... all of mankind has inherited Adam’s guilt and corruption.

Consider Romans 5:12

Romans 5:12 (CSB)

12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned.

And…in addition to the legal guilt we have inherited we also inherit a sinful nature. David says in Psalm 51:5

Psalm 51:5 (CSB)

5 Indeed, I was guilty when I was born; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.

In other words....You and I are born in darkness and as a result we are born guilty and we are born sinners who are under the judgement of God. It’s true that God created the world good..and that he created mankind in his image but our sin has distorted God’s image in us and distorted God’s good creation...... which ultimately plunged us into spiritual darkness. A darkness that consists of a lack of knowledge and carries with it a moral, experiential, and a judicial component.

Let’s consider each of these components of darkness beginning with the lack of knowledge.

A. Lack of Knowledge: Ignorance andFoolishness

The Bible describes sinners as those who abandoned the right paths and have chosen to walk in the gloom of darkness (Proverbs 2:13) and as a result of their choice…as the result of their change in direction ....the wicked have no idea what’s making them stumble…they have no clue as to what is tripping them up.( Proverbs 4:19)

Consider Psalm 82:5

Psalm 82:5 (CSB)

5 They do not know or understand; they wander in darkness....

In other words....to say that the world is dark speaks to the fact that those who are walking in the worlds darkness are lost in ignorance and foolishness.

The apostle Paul says it like this in Ephesians 4:18

Ephesians 4:18 (CSB)

18 They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts.

The result of a hardened heart is a foolishness and an ignorance which leads one to walk in darkness (Eccl. 2:14) and those who walk in darkness are excluded form the life of God and they have no idea where they are going.(John 12:35) And friends…this is the constant state of the world…this is the current reality wherever the gospel is not proclaimed and for all who don’t know Jesus

And friends.....we know this to be true maybe more than ever before as we live in the once-enlightened West…where people have access to more information than we have ever had before and we have access to the choicest educations…yet as a people we’re still groping about in a spiritual darkness of the greatest ignorance and foolishness, making decisions, and passing laws that are in direct contradiction to not only wisdom but a general common sense.

Now…the kingdom of darkness is not only defined as foolish and ignorant but it carries with it the moral components of evil and fear.

B. Moral Component:Evil and Fear

My kids are still afraid of the dark. In fact my kids wont go to bed unless their door is open, their closet is shut, and the bathroom light is on. Why? Well…because darkness is where danger lies in wait. Almost every scary movie takes place at night…in the dark…why? because it’s in the dark where evil lurks and fear is birthed. Yet ....despite the fear and the evil that the darkness provides....those who are living in opposition to God not only choose the darkness but they love it!

.

Consider what Jesus says in John 3:19

19 This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.

You would think that sinners who are hopelessly lost in darkness would run to the light....yet…in a strange paradox people love the darkness that ensnares them. Why? Because the dark provides a false feeling of safety to pursue the selfish sinful desires of our flesh…where the light would expose them…It’s like a man who prefers and even cherishes his deadly disease ...those who are in darkness cherish the sins that enslave them but like a disease ...sin will produce in you spiritual death and eternal separation from God. Friend…the light that exposes your sin may seem painful and scary but it is only in the light that you will find freedom and peace.

This leads us now to the experiential component of darkness which is …bondage to sin, and misery that culminates in death.

C. Experiential Component: Bondage to Sin, and Misery that culminates in Death

Throughout the Bible we see the experiential component of darkness. Consider Isaiah 59:9

Isaiah 59:9 (CSB)

9 Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We hope for light, but there is darkness; for brightness, but we live in the night.

In other words......the sea of sin in which we all swim has drowned all hope for light...we yearn for light....but all is darkness. It’s the image of a person walking through the dark....groping along the wall like a blind man....longing and hoping for light…but forever stumbling in the dark.

In the Old Testament we see the picture of darkness being used to describe the Israelite’s suffering during their enslavement to the Egyptians and in the New Testament Paul says that mankind suffers presently as we are enslaved to the cosmic powers over this present darkness. And friends....unless you know Jesus....and not just know about Him…but truly know Him…this is your reality..in fact…this is the condition of everyone who is apart from Christ. And for everyone who walks in darkness they will experience its judicial component which is God’s judgement and wrath.

D. Judicial Component: God’s Judgement and Wrath

Friends, this is the death and the darkness in which Jesus has come to bring the light of life. You and I can do nothing to escape our bondage to the darkness....so God..who is rich in mercy…He promised to send a savior who would shine His light into the darkness providing knowledge of God to the foolish, forgiveness and peace to the miserable and forgiveness to those condemned in judgement for their sins.

In other words.....Jesus has come into a spiritually dark and dying world so that he might shine the light of eternal life.

2. The Light of Eternal Life

Now to understand Jesus’s claim to be the light of the world we first have to understand the setting and the context of his proclamation.

John 8:20 (CSB)

20 He spoke these words by the treasury, while teaching in the temple.

Jesus and his disciples were in the temple treasury in the Court of the Women …but don’t think of a building or a bank but think of 13 trumpet shaped receptacles or money boxes that were located in the section of the temple called the Court of Women. This section of the temple was named the Court of the Women because it was the furthest into the temple that women were allowed to go. So…since this was the busiest …most crowded part of the temple…naturally this is were the money boxes would be…and where Jesus would go to teach.

And Jesus is teaching right after the culmination of the the annual Feast of Tabernacles ...which took place sometime in September or October and about 6 months before Jesus was crucified. The place is Jerusalem and travelers from all over the region had descended upon the the Holy City of Jerusalem to celebrate this annual feast that commemorated the wilderness wanderings under Moses's leadership that is recorded for us in Exodus and Numbers. And as the travelers would come to Jerusalem they were reminded of how for 40 years God led the people of God in their wilderness wanderings with a cloud in which God manifested His presence as a bright light.

The cloud served as a sort of filter so that the bright light of God's glory would not blind the eyes of the Jews. When the cloud and the light would move they were to move and when it stopped they were to stop. At night the cloud of light would become a pillar of fire. Ultimately this bright light provided them with guidance and protection as they wandered through the wilderness. This bright light was the manifestation of the presence of God that was going before them and it was ....in reality.... God with them ....and so to celebrate God’s protection and provision.... the Jews would celebrate once a year.

The celebration lasted for a week, and at the height of the celebration there was a water pouring ceremony that pointed to God's faithfulness to provide water in the desert. They would also light torches and walk through the city of Jerusalem ending their parade in the Temple court where they would light four massive candelabras which each containing four giant bowls of oil from which the light would reflect off of the water and would push light up into the night sky like a searchlight or like the Luxor.

Historians record that this was a magnificently beautiful sight and was meant to remind the people of God's guidance, His presence, and His protection. And... It’s recorded that even the most dignified of Jewish leaders would exuberantly dance around the candelabra throughout the night holding blazing torches in their hands and singings songs of praise.

This is the backdrop to our text...And Jesus....He begins to teach right after the ceremony had just wrapped up ....so Jesus is standing where the 16 bowls of oil ...which moments before had just illuminated the entire temple ... and Jesus says this in John 8:12

John 8:12 (CSB)

12 ...“I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”

Now… in this short proclamation ..Jesus alludes to the Old Testament in two profound ways. First, when Jesus expresses, “I AM” he is pointing everyone back to the great scene of the burning bush, when God tells Moses to tell the Israelites, “I AM has sent me to you.”(Ex 3:14) So…now as Jesus says, I AM” ....he is proclaiming that He is the great I AM…He is proclaiming that He is God.

And by saying that He is “The Light of the World” ..Jesus is proclaiming to be the fulfillment of God’s light that led the Israelites through the wilderness for 40 years. Jesus is proclaiming to be the fulfillment of the candle lighting ritual that had just ended......in other words...He saying…that cloud and that pillar of fire that you just celebrated.....well…it was pointing you to something…and someone so much greater…It has been pointing you to Me......and unlike your temporary celebration of light…I will provide a light that will never go out …a light that will never give way to the darkness. In other words Jesus is proclaiming to be the divine light that shines into our darkness with the invitation of eternal salvation.

Now…look back at v.12 and underline or circle the word “The” .....you Jesus says , “I am THE light”…He did not say, “I am a light”…but rather ....He is the light. Why is this important? Well…over the course of history many people have offered or have claimed to be a light in the darkness.

In ancient Greece..it was Plato and Aristotle…they offered a light that masked the the spiritual darkness in the ancient world but eventually their light went out......later the Western World experienced the great Enlightenment.....in which the truths of the Bible were replaced by the false lights of evolution and progress but the result was further darkness, misery, and a moral collapse. Today the world is offering a false light clothed in the robes of academia which is offering chains masked as liberation and acceptance....but just like every light that has offered freedom from the darkness this will also pass and in darkness the world remain.

The only true light that this world will ever see is the light of Jesus. The only true path to peace, freedom, and wisdom is found in the shadow of the Cross of Christ. And the only way to find real life…eternal life…is found when you kneel at the foot of the cross and allow the light of Christ to graciously expose your darkness....leading you to repentance...to turn from your sin and follow Jesus. Friend, you will never find life in any other light other than the light of Christ.

The light the world needs…the light that you need can not be found in the counterfeit lights of psychology, mystic spiritualism, or political affiliations. You need the light of life… Jesus Christ Himself. Which means ....when we gather as a church we should be intentional in shining the light of Jesus....not consumerism…not self help ideologies....not a subpar concert experience…..those lights are dim and they will only mask the darkness of those who grace our doors. Rather we should continue to be intentional to preach and proclaim and center our gatherings around the only true light and Savior…the Lord Jesus Christ who offers the forgiveness of sins and eternal life to a dark and dying world.

Now..the question is begging to be asked...Who is it exactly that benefits from the Light of Life? In other words..... If Jesus is the only remedy for the darkness of this world then how does one move from walking in darkness to walking in the Light of Life?

And the the answer is simple....

3. Follow the Light

Look back at v.12

John 8:12 (CSB)

12 “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”

Now…it’s helpful to understand Jesus’s invitation to follow Him in light of the context of Israel’s wilderness wanderings. You see.....after God brought the nation of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, they found themselves trapped on the banks of the Red Sea with Pharaoh closing in on them from behind. They began to doubt, to grumble, and to disbelieve the word of God. Moses told them to trust in God and watch his salvation:

Exodus 13:21 (CSB)

21 The Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to lead them on their way during the day and in a pillar of fire to give them light at night, so that they could travel day or night.

Exodus 14:19–20 (CSB)

19 Then the angel of God, who was going in front of the Israelite forces, moved and went behind them. The pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and stood behind them. 20 It came between the Egyptian and Israelite forces. There was cloud and darkness, it lit up the night, and neither group came near the other all night long.

And…from this point forward God led his people through the wilderness and to the promised land with a cloud of light during the day and a pillar of fire at night........They just had to follow him. And now.....when Jesus calls himself the “light of the world,” he is not just identifying himself as God; but he’s commanding us to follow him. Jesus is telling us, that the only way for us to find our way out of the darkness is to submit to him. The only way for us to make it through the desert of this world and into the promised land is to submit to him. Friends…the only way to escape slavery to sin…the only way to walk in the light....and the only way to eternal life is to follow Jesus.

But the question is begging to be asked. What does it mean to follow Jesus?

Following Jesus means that you step out of the darkness by trusting in Him completely as both your savior and Lord....It means ...allowing His light to expose the darkness within you so that He might heal you, forgive , and fill you with His presence....It means that you live as His disciple.

Following Jesus means that we follow Him to his cross were we put to death our sin. Jesus said it like this in Luke 9:23

Luke 9:23 (CSB)

23 Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.

James Montgomery Boice states,

“The path that Jesus walked is the path to crucifixion. It leads to glory, but before that it leads to the cross. Such a path can be walked only by the one who has died to self and who has deliberately taken up the cross of Christ to follow Him.”- James Montgomery Boice, Epistles of John (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979), 60–61.

The original Greek word translated as follow is ἀκολουθέω (akoloutheō) and it caries with it the connotation of complete submission to Jesus as your Lord and it speaks to the truth that God does not accept a half-hearted following of Christ....or receiving Jesus as savior…but refusing to be obedient to follow Him as your Lord. In other words…following Jesus does not mean that you add Jesus your life and keep on going…No!Jesus did not say.. “I will follow you”…He said follow Me!” Jesus will not follow us…we follow Him.

J.C. Ryle is helpful when he says,

“To follow Christ is to commit ourselves wholly and entirely to Him as our only leader and Saviour, and to submit ourselves to Him in every matter both of doctrine and practice.” - J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John, 3 vols. (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1999), 2:85.

Brothers and Sisters....we can not commit to Jesus and never actually follow Him. Doing so would be equal to continuing our journey through the darkness as we have been fooled and deceived into an unbiblical form of Christianity. To have Jesus as savior you must also have him as Lord.

Now…maybe you are thinking, “John…following Jesus sounds hard…it sounds costly..why would should I be his disciple?”

Jesus answers that question for you…look back at v.12

John 8:12 (CSB)

12 ..... Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”

We follow Jesus so that we might escape darkness and find life. One of the most heartbreaking realities that I experience as I pastor this church is seeing Christians who are still walking in the ways of this dark world. …many are accepting the worlds values, living by the world’s priorities, and dreaming the world’s dreams. Many Christians choose to live a life chained to sins…attempting to walk in the light while one foot is still trapped in darkness.

Brothers and sisters…Jesus has clearly told us that whoever follows Him will not walk in darkness. Take a moment and assess your life.....are you walking in darkness? Do your lifestyle choices,…your ambitions, your priorities, your time and money, and your habits reflect the standards of the dark world or the light of Christ’s kingdom? Are you caught up in the darkness of this world? in materialism,?egotism? or sensuality? —

If you are, it can be only because you are not following Jesus. Friends…God in His grace is shining His light of Life into your heart this morning …and he longs to break the chains of darkness that have crept into the patterns of your heart and mind. He is longing for you to come to Him and find freedom, healing, and forgiveness. He is inviting us all to repent…to turn from our sinful dark ways both big and small…and follow him ..and leave the darkness behind.

Friend…Jesus loves you and he proved that love while you were still walking in darkness. He lived a life in perfect obedience to God and died a death that He did not deserve…taking upon Himself all of our darkness....He died…and rose from the grave conquering sin, satan, and death.

If we follow Him..we will walk in the light as He is in the light and the blood of Jesus will cleanse us from all sin....friend…don’t fall into the trap of believing that you have no sin… the Bible would declare that you are deceiving yourself and the truth is not in you. However…if you would come to Jesus and confess your sins…Jesus is just and faithful to forgive you and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness!

Brothers and Sisters.....this morning is a call for us to repent of our sinful ways both large and small…this morning is a call for us to take up our cross, to follow Jesus, to rest in his grace and mercy, and to leave the darkness behind as we walk in the Light of Life!

Let’s pray