I Am the Light of the World John 8:12
Notes
Transcript
Introduction: Genesis 1:1-5
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
4 God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.
5 God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
Wikipedia definition of light.
Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye.[1] Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 terahertz, between the infrared (with longer wavelengths) and the ultraviolet (with shorter wavelengths).[2][3]
In physics, the term "light" may refer more broadly to electromagnetic radiation of any wavelength, whether visible or not.[4][5] In this sense, gamma rays, X-rays, microwaves and radio waves are also light. The primary properties of light are intensity, propagation direction, frequency or wavelength spectrum, and polarization. The main source of natural light on Earth is the Sun. Historically, another important source of light for humans has been fire, from ancient campfires to modern kerosene lamps. With the development of electric lights and power systems, electric lighting has effectively replaced firelight.
Our need for light - real and spiritual.
But what does light have to do with Jesus?
12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
Transitional Sentence: There is light all around us, but darkness fights to keep it;s grip on what it has, but Jesus is the Light of the world and drives away all darkness.
So that brings up the question of what does Jesus and light have to do with you?
Jesus is the light of life and He wants get inside of you so that you may have spiritual life. He wants to drive away the darkness of spiritual death.
1. So, how does the light get in? Before we talk about how the light gets in let’s talk about who the light gets into.
First of all the healthy don’t need Jesus, the healthy don’t need the light. Matthew 9:12
12 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.
The healthy have no need of healing. The healthy don’t see their own pains and struggles as a problem. Or maybe the healthy don’t even see their pain. Their pain is put away never to be dealt with, seen or worried about. The healthy say I got this, I can do it all on my own. The problem is the healthy are dead and don’t even know it. They are full of darkness, pretty and all together on the outside but full of old bones and every sort of evil on the inside. The healthy are physically alive but spiritually dead. The healthy will probably never accept Jesus. They don’t need Him. But the broken, the downhearted, the cast aside, the ones who know they are not healthy. They are the ones who will let the light in.
The healthy people are like this box:
b. The healthy box: No light inside (Spiritually dead)
c. The busted box: The wounds are where the light gets in! (Broken and hurting) Isaiah 53:5
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.
Let Jesus heal the wound - don’t do it yourself. Heal the wounds of the box (opaque tape and clear tape)
So what do we do with the light once it is inside of us? Well we let it out.
2. So, how does the light get out of us:
a. Well Jesus filled the box and healed the wounds, at least the ones I didn’t try to heal myself.
b. The wounds are where the light gets out: 2 Cor 1:3-5
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.
We can use our experiences to help others.
c. Light will shine in your life - use it for God’s glory.
When the light is shining inside of you and you begin letting the light out you will glorify God. When people hear your testimony they will know how Christ Jesus worked in your life. You can tell others how the light got inside you and as the light shines out of you then the light has a chance to enter their wounds. That’s when those who are living in darkness can see the light. That’s when people who think they are healthy can learn the truth about just how unhealthy they are. That’s when the process can start in someone else. The light can enter their wounds and begin to heal them. Don’t keep your wounds to yourself. Share the comfort that Christ shared with you so that someone in your life may be comforted.
3. So what does it mean for the light to get in:
a. Well for starters Jesus can show us the way to live: Psalm 27:1
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?
Jesus lived the perfect life and taught us how to live in a way that honors and glorifies God. I know following everything that is written in the Bible is hard. I struggle regularly and mess up regularly. But I don’t quit trying. Neither should you. If the light is inside you then you have everything you need to be able to obey what He says.
b. Speaking of obeying. Our verse today tells us that we need to obey what He says: John 8:12
12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
Jesus is saying that whoever follows Him will have the Light of Life. But what does that mean to follow Him. The Greek word used here is akoloutheo. It can be translated as, follow, go after, or obey. Since the act of following or going after carries the intent of obedience then obeying His commands becomes a necessity. The great thing about His word is that it is the Light of Life. Psalm 119:105
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
A lamp has a flame in it and flames make light, so His word shows us the path as we walk along. His word leads us to the Father. His word leads us to eternal life.
Just remember one thing about a lamp; It only lights up the ground a few feet ahead of you. You will never get all the answers all at once. We get just enough for the immediate future. We only get to see a little way down the path. Walk in the path as it comes and keep looking for and listening for the next few feet. He will keep you moving in the right direction.
c. Speaking of eternal life, do not die in your sins. Do not be separated from God for eternity because you failed to make the one biggest decision you can make in this life. To follow and obey Jesus, the light of life. That one big decision is to go to the light. Have you ever been in a really dark room - there’s no light. Well that’s you when you are dead in your sins. All of a sudden someone outside the door turns on a light and you can see a little bit of light under the door. It’s a beacon drawing you to the door. That’s Jesus standing at the door knocking, drawing you to the light. If you see the light don’t hide in the darkness any more. Akoloutheo - open the door and let Him in.
Exit: We all need Jesus. We are broken and messed up. He is the light that draws us to God. He is the light that will fill us with life and truth. He is the light that can illuminate every thing in us and lead us out of darkness as we give our aches and pains to Him.
If you don’t know Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior than now is the time to walk out of the darkness and be filled with the light of life.
Pray
