The Light of the World

Last week I talked about one of the greatest inventions of mankind: the all-you-can-eat buffet. Today we are going to talk about another invention of mankind you and I would have a hard time living without: the light bulb. I want to remind you that nobody invented electricity. We learned to harness its power and develop something useful. Now electricity powers almost everything in our lives. The lights in this room, the projectors, the microphone I speak into, the internet, everything.

It is hard to imagine that in Jesus’ day, nothing ran on electricity. There were no light bulbs 2,000 years ago, but light has existed since the very first day. Jesus uses light to express another truth about himself in John chapter eight:

John 8:12 NASB95

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.”

This is the second of Jesus’ famous “I am” statements. On this occasion, he uses a metaphor to refer to himself as the light of the world. Light and darkness is a major theme in the book of John. He referred to Jesus as the Light of men in 1:4 and the true light that enlightens every man in 1:9. But Jesus doesn’t make this statement in a vacuum.

If we back up to the previous chapter, we discover that chapter eight takes place within an observance of the Feast of Tabernacles. This feast also goes by other names like booths and ingathering. The festival was observed starting on the fifteenth day of the seventh month on the Jewish calendar, which for us would be late September to late October. It was held just four days after the Day of Atonement, and coincided with harvesttime. The festival lasted eight days and was bookended by Sabbath observations. So day one was a Sabbath rest and day eight was a Sabbath rest. Every Jewish male was required to travel to Jerusalem for this festival. The festival was designed to remind the people of Israel of the time in which their ancestors lived in temporary dwellings as God brought them out of slavery in Egypt during the Exodus.

Some time after the temple was built, it was utilized in part of the observance of the festival. Every night, they would light four large candelabras, one in each corner of the area known as the court of women. This is referred to as a lighting ceremony. These candelabras were described as being about 75 feet tall with four branches. At the top of each branch sat a bowl. Four bowls times four candelabras equals sixteen bowls. Young men would carry large containers of oil up ladders to the top of these candelabras and fill each bowl with the oil and light them. If you have never been to Jerusalem, you may not know that it sits on a hill. The light from these massive candelabras could be seen everywhere in the city. This is the scene in which Jesus makes this statement.

The Pharisees respond to his statement in the next verse:

John 8:13–20 NASB95

So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not true.” Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. “You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone. “But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me. “Even in your law it has been written that the testimony of two men is true. “I am He who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.” So they were saying to Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.” These words He spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come.

There is a battle over the validity of Jesus’ testimony here. The Pharisees don’t want to believe Jesus because he is testifying on his own behalf. They and Jesus are referring to the same law. Deuteronomy 17:6 says,

Deuteronomy 17:6 NASB95

“On the evidence of two witnesses or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put to death; he shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.

This means that if you were living in Israel 2,000 years ago and charges were brought against you, but they could only produce one witness, you could not be put to death for whatever crime was being charged against you. You might still be convicted, but you can’t receive capital punishment as a consequence. However, Deuteronomy 19:15 says,

Deuteronomy 19:15 NASB95

“A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.

So this concept of having two or three witnesses to establish a case is at the center of this exchange. The Pharisees are saying that Jesus can’t make his case on his testimony alone. Jesus is saying that his testimony is true, and that he is not alone. He and his Father both testify that his testimony is true. The Pharisees want to know where Jesus’ father was. Jesus simply said, “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

How can this be, and what does this have to do with Jesus being the light of the world?

Can we really believe something if only one person is saying it? Can we believe it if it is something that person is saying about themselves? The matter at hand is a matter of identity. Is Jesus who he says he is? Three chapters ago, a similar, but more elaborate exchange took place. Jesus had healed a man at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath and this made the Pharisees mad. It made them even angrier when he equated himself with God. Jesus responds by emphasizing that he does not do anything from his own authority. It is all done as he sees the Father doing. In John 5:30-40

John 5:30–40 NASB95

“I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. “If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true. “There is another who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true. “You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. “But the testimony which I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. “He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. “But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me. “And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form. “You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.

Here we see that John the Baptist is a witness to the true identity of Christ. Then you have the testimony of Jesus himself, coupled with the testimony of the miracles he performs, and the testimony of God the Father himself. All these come together to tell the world that Jesus is the light of the world.

Last week we talked about the fact that nobody seeks God left to their own devices. If we frame this through the analogy of darkness and light, then God is light and sin is darkness. Forget about the scientific consequences of not having a Sun in the sky for a minute and imagine how the world would operate if the sun did not shine. The world would be an incredibly dark place. The only reason we see anything at all is because God has made it so.

But we are not talking about physical sight, but rather spiritual perception. We are so used to lights in our lives, it is hard to imagine a completely black room. But just imagine that you are in one. Then all of a sudden, one small hole emerges and a tiny beam of light penetrates the darkness. But then that light gets bigger and bigger and bigger. Before long, you are able to see the room and your relationship to reality has shifted.

The thing is, God has already done exactly that. God has already punched holes in our spiritual darkness with the world he created. Romans 1:18-21 tells us,

Romans 1:18–21 NASB95

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

The rejection of God from the garden of Eden brought darkness into a world that was full of light. Our hearts were darkened. But there is enough light to illumine our darkness that we should see God. His eternal and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made. The creation itself screams of a creator God who says, “I am here!” But we would rather plug the holes and remain in darkness.

As the light of the world, Jesus helps us see the world for what it truly is.

The coming of Christ reveals the world as sinful and broken. The reaction to this is often like when you are in a dark room and someone turns the lights on. For a moment, it hurts your eyes and all you want is for someone to turn the light back off. But if we will respond to the light, we will begin to see our surroundings for what they are.

Don’t trade knowing God for knowing the word of God.

In his conversation with the Pharisees in chapter five, Jesus said they searched the scriptures because in them they thought they had eternal life. But Jesus said it is the scriptures that testify to him. The Pharisees made it their mission to memorize the Law of Moses. They were diligent in trying to keep every command God had given them. However, when God himself stood in front of them, they didn’t know him. There are people all over the world who know a great deal of Bible, but it does not mean that they know Christ. It is entirely possible to study the Bible and yet miss the God of the Bible. God doesn’t want you just to know what he has said. He wants you to know him. The Bible is the vehicle by which we hear from and commune with God.

Christ is the only way in which we see God.

Our eyes work by receiving light, enabling us to see. Jesus, as the light of the world, makes an invisible God visible. Through the life of Jesus, what he taught and did, we see the character of God. He said it a bunch of times. He does what he sees the Father doing. Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus is the exact representation of God’s nature. John 1:18 says that Jesus has explained him.

If you want to know God, study Christ. Read the gospels. Use the resources available on RightNow Media. Remember, Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” The more you study the life of Jesus, the more you will understand God.

Christ exposes the sin in our lives.

Light and darkness cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Light expels darkness. As the light of the world, Jesus reveals that which darkness tries to hide. That’s why people hate him. In his conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus said,

John 3:19–21 NASB95

“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

Can you be categorized as one who practices truth or evil? Do you find yourself trying to conceal the things you know are not right? As believers in Christ, we are called to live a life of transparency, which involves confession of sin. Not that you have to come air out all your dirty laundry at a worship service for the whole congregation to see, but what would it take for you to get real with God right now? What if you spent the invitation time not singing a song, but asking God for forgiveness of specific sins in your life? What actions did you take this week that you know were not in alignment with his word?

We are not right with God unless there is repentance of sin. For some of you, this may mean confessing your sinfulness and asking him to come into your life for the first time. For others, it may be that you have been operating with secret sins that he is not letting you ignore. The truth comes to light eventually. The question is how will you respond to the light of the world?