3-22-2020 I AM the Light of the World

Text: John 8.12 Title: “The Light of the World” Topic: The Parallels between Jesus and Light Series: “The Self-Portrait of Christ,” Sermon 3 Occasion: Sun AM, 3-22-2020, Duncanville FWB Church Introduction: Most of us have probably had the experience of hearing some noise or seeing some shape in the darkness and being terrified. Once when I was a teenager, I spent the night at my Grandparent’s house. My Grandpa Garrett is an avid outdoorsman. Well anyway I got to sleep on the couch in his trophy room. At first, I tried to sleep on the end of the couch where the mounted elk was, but as I lay there under that elk head I kept imaging that the massive elk was staring down at me. So before long I switched to the other end of the couch and went to sleep. That is until the thunderstorm occurred in the middle of the night. After a big crash of lightening and clap of thunder I opened my eyes suddenly, and the first thing I saw was the bobcat rug that hung on the wall above the couch. My heart leapt out of my chest, and I let out a scream that would embarrass a little girl. You see in the dimly lit room and in my half-conscious state I had convinced myself that that bobcat had come to life and was pouncing right on top of me…. I’ve not slept in my Grandpa’s trophy room since! Eventually we out grow being afraid of the dark, but until we do there is nothing like the light. My boys still refuse to sleep without at least a night light on. Jesus tells us in John 8.12, “I am the Light of the World.” In all of Christ’s “I AM” statements there is probably none that paints a more vibrant self-portrait than this statement because there are so many parallels between Christ and light. The Qualities of Christ and Light Compared: 1. Light is Indispensible Do you realize how much the world needs light? The world could not exist of survive without it. Light is necessary to warm and illuminate. Not only that, but without light nothing on this planet would grow. Without light nothing could live! Light deprivation in human beings can even result in depression, despondency, and paranoia. It’s no wonder that Genesis describes the world before the creation of light as formless void where darkness ruled the abyss. It was a place of chaos, and the first step in imposing order on that chaos was the creation of light. The world without Christ was in darkness and chaos. Where we as humans were groping and lost in spiritual darkness. Christ alone can save us from the darkness of sin. It is his light that warms our souls that they might respond to the grace and love of God. It is his light that brings spiritual illumination. It is his light that is required for us to grow spiritually. Simply put Christ is the indispensible light of the world – without him there would be no spiritual life. 2. Light Makes Darkness Flee I began by sharing with you my story of sleeping in Grandpa’s trophy room. What do you suppose it was that calmed me down and made me feel safe after I woke screaming in terror? That’s right – it was turning on the light. When the light is turned on it makes darkness and fear flee. Christ is the light of the world. Before him darkness flees – it recedes into the shadow. Christ is the light of the world that lifts us out of the shadow of death, and dispelling not only the darkness but also our fears. He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of a sound mind. 3. Light is the Great Revealer Several years ago I hiked Pikes Peak. It was in the predawn hours when we set out on that hike. You could not see anything, but a few steps ahead of you. You couldn’t see the lovely and delicate columbines, you couldn’t see the wildlife, you couldn’t see the other hikers ahead and behind you. In the murky darkness even the majestic mountain peaks are obscured in inky blackness. It is only when the sun rises and the light begins to shine forth on all these things that we can see these things and wonder in their splendor. Christ is the Light of the World. He is the great revealer, that lets us see clearly and perceive with awe and wonder at what God is doing in our lives and in the world. 4. Light Guides In the darkness men stumble and fall. In the darkness it is easy to lose your bearings and become lost. Laura Ingalls Wilder in one of her books tells the story of one Christmas when her pa got lost in a snowstorm. Pa had gone into town, but on the way back it began to snow and the snowstorm quickly became a blizzard. In the blinding snowstorm and the darkness of night, Pa lost his way. When Ma realized that Pa was overdue she instructed the girls to light all the oil lamps and place them in the windows of the house. Pa eventually found his way home through the storm guided by the light of the lamps in the windows. Jesus is the Light of the World. It is he that guides by giving us direction and our destiny in this world. 5. Light Permeates Most of us had an X-ray. Do you know an “x-ray” is? It is simply a wavelength of light that is able to permeate our bodies and reveal what is inside. Scientists have determined that light travels at the amazing speed of 186,000 miles per second! It permeates the entire universe and is unhindered by time or space. Christ is the Light of the World. He transcends the barriers of time and space. He is nearer than our dearest ones on earth. He even permeates our bodies to know the thoughts and intentions of our heart. 6. Light is Pure Water may start from a pure mountain spring, but it becomes polluted when it comes in contact with human habitation. Rain and snow pick up the earth’s contaminates as they fall through the atmosphere. Wind and air become contaminated by man’s toxic chemicals…. But light remains pure. A beam of light may come into contact with the dust that is floating in the air. The beam of light will illuminate the dust that had previously been invisible, but the light will not be contaminated by it. Light can shine through the most foul medium but will remain pure. Christ took upon himself human flesh. He mingled among the earth’s moral pollution. He ate with sinners, he was touched by beggars, lepers, and prostitutes. He even spoke with the religious and self-righteous, and yet he remained spotlessly pure. Jesus is the pure Light of the World. 7. Light is Adaptable The scientists tell us that light is unique among the elements and forces of our universe. It alone has the characteristics of both particles and waves. Everything else in this physical world either acts as a particle or as wave. Light alone acts as both. I could say that this is paralleled in Christ who alone in the universe has a human and divine nature. While that is true, I think this characteristic of light reveals much more about Christ. It reminds us of his adaptability. In certain cases, light adapts itself to act as a particle, and in others it adapts to act as a wave, and so light is at home with both waves and particles. So it was with Jesus. He could adapt to be at home in the house of a tax-collector like Zachaeus, but he could also adapt to be at home with the religious leaders like Nicodemas. He was at home in the synagogue, but also in the streets of Jerusalem. He was equally at home with the shepherds on the hills of Galilee as he was with the fishermen on the sea of Galilee. He could challenge the rich, but comfort the poor. He ministered not only to his fellow Jews, but to Samaritans, and Romans as well. Jesus was amazingly adaptable. While the Gospel of the kingdom he preached never changed, the way he taught and proved his message often was adapted to his audience. In many ways, Jesus set the example followed by the Apostle Paul, who said “I have become all things to all men that by all possible means I might win some” (1 Cor 9.22) Conclusion: We should not forget the other side of the coin regarding this saying. Jesus said, “I am the Light of the World,” but he also said to his followers, “You are the light of the world” (Matt. 5.14) How can we reconcile these two sayings? Every astronomer knows there are two types of luminaries in the sky. There is one that is the source of its own light, like the sun. And there is a second type that has no illumination of its own, but reflects the light of another, like our moon. Without the light produced by the sun, the moon would be a sterile, dark ball in space. But by catching and reflecting the radiance of the sun, it becomes a glowing luminous body in the night sky. Christ said, “As the Father has sent me, I also am sending you” (John 20.21). Jesus sends us into this dark world as he was sent into the world to be the “light of the world.” But our light is a borrowed ray from the Son of righteousness. We only becomes lights in this darkened would as we reflect his glory and radiance. How wonderful it is that our lives can catch his glory and radiance and reflect it to a world in darkness. Jesus, Source of glorious light, help us to catch and reflect your glory and radiance!