Stepping Into the Light

Introduction

Hook

Have you ever stumbled in the dark because you refused to flip the switch? We miss the light right there—not because it’s hidden, but because we’re too stubborn to see it. We trip over life, lost, when the way out stares us in the face.

Need

There are a lot of people today who must stop stumbling in spiritual darkness—blinded by pride—and choose Jesus. It is only when they choose Jesus, the Light, that they are able to connect with God and find true life. Too often, many are stuck, like the religious leaders in John 8, missing what could change everything.

Theme

Our theme is “Stepping Into the Light”—opening our eyes to Jesus, following Him from shadows into a real life with God forever. John 8:48-59 shows Jesus confronting blindness and pride. Let’s read it.

John 8:48–59 KJV 1900

48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? 49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. 50 And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. 51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. 52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. 53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? 54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: 55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. 57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. 59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

Purpose

I challenge you—believer or first-timer—to choose Jesus as the Divine Light, let go of pride, and enter an eternal relationship with God today.

Let’s explore this story and see how Jesus flips the switch for us—what it means to stop stumbling and start living.

Embracing the Light Brings You Close to God

Throughout John 8, especially in our text (John 8:48-59), Jesus shows us a clear path to the life God meant for us. The Bible’s theme is this: God created us perfect to live in fellowship with Him, honoring and serving Him. But we fell for Satan’s lie, and Adam’s sin ushered us into spiritual darkness, making us sinful and enemies of God. God planned that He, as Jesus Christ, would rescue us from this darkness. That’s why Christ is the Light of the World. He wants everyone to accept Him as the true Light that dispels spiritual darkness. In our text, He reinforces this: all who embrace Him as the Light are brought back into close fellowship with God.

Remember: every person here who hasn’t accepted Christ as Savior remains in darkness, an enemy of God.

Note this verse and then three things from our text.

Romans 5:10 (KJV) – "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."

We were enemies, but Christ’s death reconciles us—He’s the Light of the World.

Now, let’s look at these three things.

Honoring God

John 8:49 (KJV) – "Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me."

The Jews accused Jesus of being a Samaritan and having a devil, trying to discredit Him. They even wanted to kill Him later in the chapter. But Jesus redirected them to His mission: “I honour my Father.” His life, death, and resurrection glorify God.

How does this relate to us? God created us to honor Him (Isaiah 43:21, "This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise"). Embracing Christ aligns us with that goal. It starts when you accept Him as your Savior and continues as you obey His teachings. Those who follow Christ draw close to God (John 8:54, "It is my Father that honoureth me"). The Jews’ dishonor showed the consequence of rejecting the Light—they weren’t close to God. But those who embrace Him honor God and enjoy intimacy with Him.

Truly Knowing God

John 8:55 (KJV) – "Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying."

The Jews claimed to know God, but their insult in John 8:48 (“thou hast a devil”) showed they didn’t. Jesus, who knows the Father intimately, contrasts their ignorance.

Embracing Him as the Light grants us that knowledge. When you accept Christ as your Savior, you receive the Holy Spirit, who reveals God to us (1 Corinthians 2:11-12, "Now we have received... the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God"). To honestly know God, embrace Jesus, who bridges the gap and brings us closer through our relationship.

Accepting His Divine Nature

John 8:58 (KJV) – "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am."

The Jews’ attack in John 8:48-49 led to this: Jesus is the "I AM" (Exodus 3:14), divine and eternal. His rebuttal—“I have not a devil; but I honour my Father”—asserted His authority, escalating to this clear claim of deity.

Embracing the Light means accepting Jesus as God, not just a man. This belief draws you into God’s presence, uniting you with His divine essence.

Illustration

You might have had this happen to you when you were a kid. The lights go out at night due to a storm knocking the electricity off. If you were like me when I was about 5 or 6 years old and even older, you were afraid of the dark. So, the lights go out. As a child, you are in a different room from your parents. When the lights went out, your heart filled with terror. Then, amid the darkness, you hear the voice of your mom or dad calling out to you. They assure that they are there and immediately begin giving instructions on navigating to them or, perhaps, to remain calm, and they will come to you. Do you remember the feeling of hearing their voice? Hearing them speak and knowing they are there caused the terror to flee. In a similar way, that is what Christ is teaching. He tells you He is the voice, the Light, in the darkness. He asks that you trust Him like you trusted your parents’ voice during a blackout. He is the voice we must trust to lead us close to God.

Application

Are you in darkness or Light? If you haven’t accepted Christ, you’re an enemy of God (Romans 5:10). Take that step today—trust Jesus as the Light, honor God, know Him, accept His divinity, and draw close to Him.

Transition

Embracing Jesus is right, but the Jews’ reaction shows what happens when we miss it.

Ignoring the Light Leaves You Stumbling Around in Blind Pride

POINT: Rejecting Jesus, faking your faith in Him, missing the point of His divinity, and forcefully fighting against Him only works to keep you in the dark and far from experiencing a true life with God.

Note four things they did.

They rejected Jesus

John 8:49 KJV 1900

49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.

Essentially, they were trash-talking the Lord Jesus Christ and, in doing so, were slamming the door on the Light of the World. The one person who could genuinely expel their spiritual darkness.

Making fun of Jesus Christ only pushes a person further into the dark.

They flaunted their fake knowledge of God

John 8:55 KJV 1900

55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.

They claimed God was on their side even though they were unwilling to recognize His Son. Pretending to be a believer without living a life of true commitment is a dead end.

Some who talk the talk but do not walk the walk are going nowhere. They are just churning water.

They missed the point of Jesus’ promise

John 8:52 KJV 1900

52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.

They completely missed the point. Instead, they used their reasoning and opinions. In doing so, they then twisted Jesus’ words about eternal life into a shallow debate about death.

If you miss the point and misread Jesus’ offer of eternal life, you will remain blinded by your sinful reasoning.

They reacted with violence

John 8:59 KJV 1900

59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

Their pride explodes into rage, a rage that results in them trying to take out the Light. When God's truth undermines all of our reasoning and understanding, many people harden their hearts and forcefully fight against the Light.

They attack the truth, snuffing out any chance of the Light penetrating their dark and hardened hearts.

ILLUSTRATION

Imagine it’s a bright summer day, the sun blazing above. You’re with a group of friends, but one—let’s call him Tom—insists it’s still nighttime. Squinting against the glare, he shouts, “There’s no sun! It’s dark!” Despite your attempts to point out the obvious light around him, Tom stubbornly denies it. He boasts about knowing everything about the weather while sweat drips down his forehead. When someone suggests he enjoy the beautiful day, he retorts, “That’s nonsense—everything’s cold and dead!”

In a fit, he throws dirt at you, yelling to stop talking about the sun. His pride blinds him to the truth just as the Jews ignored Jesus in John 8. When they rejected Him, it mirrored Tom’s refusal to acknowledge the light. Their false knowledge, denial of eternal life, and violent reactions reflected Tom’s blindness and rage. Pride keeps us fighting the very Light that could save us.

APPLICATION

Are you stumbling around like Tom and the Jews, ignoring the Light that could lead you to God? Tom’s squinting, sweating, and stumbling didn’t change the sun - it just kept him in the dark. The Jews’ pride didn’t dim Jesus - it left them far from God. Ignoring the Light does the same to you - it’s a dead-end road of blindness and distance. But you don’t have to stay there. Jesus is now shining, calling you out of pride into true life with God. Will you stop squinting and start seeing? Take one step today - whether it’s opening your heart, getting real, trusting His promise, or dropping your fight. That’s how you stop stumbling and start walking with God.

TRANSITION

We’ve seen the wrong way - ignoring the Light like Tom and the Jews. So, how do we flip the switch from blind pride to embracing Jesus? Let’s find out.

Live in the Light

POINT: Jesus gives us a clear playbook for getting and staying right. God’s way begins with grabbing hold of His truth. Staying right continues when we stick with His truth no matter the circumstances.

Get Right with God by Holding Tight to His Words

John 8:51 KJV 1900

51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.

Jesus says in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

In order to be right with God, you must unequivocally grab hold of the truth that Jesus is God and that He came to rescue you from your sin and its darkness. This begins when you fully recognize and accept the bond Jesus has with God - “My Father honoureth me.” You need to believe that Jesus is God. He is fully and uniquely God in every way. See it, believe it, and accept it.

John 8:58 KJV 1900

58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

When you do, you are guaranteed a new relationship with God.

Stay Right with God by Continuing to Hold Tight to His Words

John 8:51 KJV 1900

51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.

The “KEEP my saying” is not just a one-time deal. No, it is a lifestyle of trust and obedience. We must continue to hold on to His Eternal Identity even when the stones are about to fly at us. Jesus exemplified this for us. He stood firm in the face of these men who were filled with pride to the point of acting violently against Him. He simply stated the truth, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” In that same token, a true follower of Christ not only acknowledges that He is God but lives a life demonstrating their belief that He is. In other words, when the storms come and when the entire world seems against us, we stand firm upon our belief that He is.

1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

ILLUSTRATION

Imagine signing up for a marathon—a tough 26.2-mile race. You’re not yet a runner but decide to commit. The first step is showing up at the starting line, lacing up, and trusting Jesus, the ultimate pacesetter who has already finished the race. He calls out, “Follow me—I’m the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). You take that first stride, holding onto His words: “If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death” (John 8:51).

As you run, challenges arise—burning legs, rain, and discouraging shouts from spectators. You could give up, but Jesus encourages you to keep going. Remembering His promise of faithfulness (1 Corinthians 10:13), you push through, holding tight to His identity as the Light, even when the path gets tough. Jesus leads the way, and you follow, running toward a life everlasting with God.

This is what living in the Light means: stepping off the sidelines into the race with Jesus and refusing to drop out, trusting in the pace-setter who never falters.

APPLICATION

So, how do you live the Light? Jesus gives us the playbook in John 8 - get right by grabbing His truth, stay right by sticking with it. Our marathon picture shows us how, and it’s time to lace up and run. If you are still on the sidelines, watching the race but not running, then start today by getting off the curb. Pray right now: “Jesus, I trust you as God and my Savior - I am accepting by faith your death, burial, and resurrection as atonement for my sins. I am getting in the race with You.” That’s your starting line - step in and grab His truth. It’s not just a head nod; it’s a heart commitment that gets you right with God, guaranteed a new relationship with Him.

As a believer, maybe you’ve started the race but feel like quitting. The bills are piling up, the kids are acting crazy, and many around you are mocking your faith in Christ. All this is tempting you to just quit following Him and living like the rest of the world. May I encourage you to keep running and not give up. Instead, learn to start each day with His truth by reading John 8:51

John 8:51 KJV 1900

51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.

Then commit to Him by saying, “Lord, I am going to hold on tight to Your promises for You are my Light!” Then, when the storms hit, lean on 1 Corinthians 10:13- pray for that escape route and trust that He’s ahead of you. Live like He’s illuminating your path - obey Him in the small stuff (give an encouraging word to others, forgive others) and the big stuff (standing firm when culture says cave). Commit to staying right, mile after mile.

TRANSITION

This isn’t just talk—it’s a call to action: Step into the race and run with the Light.

Conclusion

Recap: We began with the question: “Have you ever stumbled in the dark because you refused to flip the switch?” This reflects our struggles with pride and ignorance when Jesus, the Light, is right there. In John 8:48-59, He confronts spiritual blindness, and the theme, “Stepping into the Light,” unfolds through three steps. 

First, Embracing the Light Brings You Close to God. Jesus calls us out of darkness, revealing the Father (John 8:55) and standing as the divine “I AM” (John 8:58). Embracing Him transforms us from enemies to friends of God (Romans 5:10). 

Next, Ignoring the Light Leaves You Stumbling in Blind Pride. The Jews exemplify this dead-end—by rejecting Jesus and living in falsehood (John 8:49, 52). Pride blinds us from true life, leaving us lost. 

Finally, Live in the Light gives us guidance. Jesus promises, “If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death” (John 8:51). This is a marathon of faith; by trusting Him as the “I AM” (John 8:58), we find strength in God’s faithfulness (1 Corinthians 10:13). 

Challenge: Reflect on your current state—are you in the dark, like Tom, refusing to flip the switch? Are you rejecting Jesus or just watching from the sidelines? Jesus is calling you out of pride into true life. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Will you choose Him today?

Closing: Pray: “Jesus, I’ve been stumbling in the dark. I trust You as the Light of the World. Forgive me and lead me to God. I’m ready to run this race with you.” If you prayed that, share it with someone. For others, let’s commit to living in His Light. Amen. 

Now, step into the Light—and don’t look back. True life starts here.