Jesus is the light of the world

Introduction

Lots of people have different views about who Jesus is. Often it seems that people form their own opinion of him according to their own ideas and notions. But surely the best person to tell us about who Jesus is, is Jesus himself.

In the Bible we have recorded lots of things that Jesus said about himself. This afternoon I want us to spend a short time looking at one particular statement that Jesus made about himself.

The Lord said these words at the time of the celebration of the feast of tabernacles. This celebration marked the end of the agricultural year and also celebrated the deliverence of Israel from Egypt. knowing this helps us to understand what Jesus meant by his words.

The Lord Jesus said these words about himself in John 8:12;

“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

That is quite a statement to make about yourself.

If this statement is true then we need to make sure we are following Jesus.

From these words we learn about who Jesus is and what happens to those who follow him

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

I. Who Jesus is.

Firstly then from these words we learn who Jesus is.

The Lord Jesus said that he is the light of the world.

What does this mean?

“I am the light of the world”

It is helpful to know that when the Lord said these words the feast of tabernacles was taking place. This feast was in rememberance of God’s deliverance of Israel from the land of Egypt, when you read about that account in the Old Testament you learn that God lead his people through the wilderness by day as a cloud and by night as a pillar of fire.

As part of the celebration during the feast of tabernacles large lamps would be lit in the temple to symbolically remember the time when God led his people through the wilderness as a pillar of fire.

The lamps were so bright that Jerusalem was lit up by these lamps in the temple.

The Lord Jesus said these words about himself at this time, and the people who heard him would have understood exactly what Jesus meant.

Jesus is claiming to be God.

Just as the people of Israel were led by fire by night, so the Lord Jesus is the one who leads people to eternal life.

He takes people from spiritual darkness, from the bondage of sin and shame, from the shackles of spiritual ignorance and he leads them to spiritual life, a relationship with almighty God, he gives eternal life.

This is what we see when we look at the words after this claim.

We see that as the light of the world he does something for those who follow him.

II. What happens to those who follow him

So if Jesus is the light of the world, what happens when people follow him?

III. A great change

Well Jesus said “... He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

In order to understand this staement of Jesus first we need to understand what it means to follow him.

The word follow here is basically means believe. TO follow Jesus means to believe in him and become one of his disciples.

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

It means to make Jesus Lord of your life, to submit yourself to him, to believe in him and trust in him.

A helpful illustration is found in the language that Jesus is using. If it is dark and you cannot see but someone is leading you through the dark with a torch then you make sure you stay close behind them, you follow their direction, you take the steps that they take.

So to follow Jesus means to walk behind him, let him take control of your life, believe in him, trust in his death and resurrection to take away your sin and then live your life with Jesus as your master and king.

Thats what it means to follow Jesus, believe in him and then your life in obedience to him.

What is the result of following him?

Jesus said; “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

Firstly those who follow Jesus will not walk in darkness.

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

This means that they will not live their lives in sin and they will not remain in spiritual darkness. A change will take place where they are taken from the kingdom of darkness and transfered in to the kingdom of light.

They are taken from seperation from God and brought into a loving relationship with God.

This leads to the second result that happens to those who follow Jesus.

Those who follow Jesus have the light of life.

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

This means that they have eternal life. THey have spiritual life, they are made alive in Christ. Where as they were once dead in sin and cut off from God, a great change has taken place and now they are brought into a relation ship with God, they know the eternal God of heaven.

A few chapters later the Lord Jesus says this when praying to the Father; “3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Conclusion

So from the words of Jesus, who is he?

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

He is the light of the world. Those who follow him, those who believe and obey him, are taken from darkness, spiritual death and ignorance and are brought into the light, they receive eternal life and are brought into a relationship with God.

This is possible becuase the Lord Jesus died on the cross to pay for sin and rose again the third day and now all who believe are freely forgiven and are restored to new life in Jesus Christ.

The question I want to leave you with is are you following Jesus ?