No Substitute for Light

Tony Hawk. Know that name? World-famous skateboarder, probably the Michael Jordan of the skateboarding world. Hugely popular in the 90s and 2000s. Still popular today. Tony Hawk has become internet famous for a certain reason. When people see him out in public, he often gets this remark: “You know, you sure look like Tony Hawk.” That’s pretty much half of his Twitter feed: people thinking he looks like Tony Hawk without recognizing that, yes, it really is Him! Here’s a few I just love.

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People see Tony Hawk, the real guy, and miss him all the time. Even when they know who he is. People saw Jesus, the real messiah, and missed Him all the time. Even when they knew who He was.

Jesus doesn’t just act and look like the light of the world. He IS the Light of the World. Jesus doesn’t just look like the Messiah. He IS the Messiah.

At the end of the sermon today, you may feel uncomfortable. And I’m not just going to leave you there. If you need someone to talk to, I am available.

Treat it like a doctor’s visit

Jesus begins with the very telling statement about what he believed about Himself and about His ministry: “I AM the Light of the world!”

“ego eimi”

Think about that. There were no street lights in Jerusalem. If you went outside at night, you needed to light a torch to find your way around, or hope the moon would be bright enough that evening to see.

So this is the context in which Jesus makes His declaration, “I am the light of the world.” The whole city shrouded in darkness every night, except during the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. Then, for that time, the whole city would be lit up by one source of light: the Temple.

The World would be lit up by Jesus. If the Temple lit only Jerusalem, Jesus lights the world.

So much significance here! Jesus, as the light of the world, would spread God’s truth to every people group across the world. It is a very missions-oriented statement.

Find Purpose in the Light

John 8:12

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As Jesus shares that He is the Light, He expands by saying that those who follow after Him will not go about in darkness, like Jerusalem does almost every night of the year, but their lives will be lit up in the midst of a vast darkness that they may be surrounded by.

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Believer, how do you see this playing out in your own life?

Jesus illuminates our lives, offering clarity and reality to our walk.

When we follow Christ, we have the lightsource that causes everything in our lives to make sense. No longer does everything in our lives happen because of chaos or randomness.

Now, through Christ, we are given a purpose. Your purpose goes beyond existing. It goes beyond surviving. It goes beyond anything material, including the people in your life.

We love the people in our lives. But people do not hold a candle to the importance of God’s glory. Kind of an extreme statement, but it’s biblical.

If you live your life in darkness, unable to see your surroundings, you’ll fumble in the dark until the end of your life. That’s what life without Jesus is like. Life without a lightsource. Do you feel that you wander through life aimlessly? This was my story…

ILL - My Testimony of finding purpose in Christ.

Find Truth in the Light

John 8:13-18

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Jesus is challenged by the Pharisees, and they’re using His own words against Him.

In 5:31, Jesus tells them that if he were to be the only one testifying about Himself, it would be invalid.

However, Jesus follows that up with the fact that John, the Prophets, and the Father all testify to Who Jesus is.

Even still, one person’s testimony does not determine the truthfulness of that statement. Truth stands on its own.

Jesus, as the Light of the world, reveals the difference between truth and falsehoods.

The reason the Pharisees cannot see the truth about Jesus is twofold. The first reason is that they judge “according to the flesh.”

Jesus says that these folks judge in a way that He Himself does not judge. In v. 15, his emphasis is that He judges no one according to the flesh. He judges no one by the same standard the Pharisees do. But even if He were to judge in this way, it would be true (v. 16).

For Jesus, the Truth resides much deeper than the material reality. The truth is a reality that has even more weight than the world we reside in. There’s a spiritual reality to all things that informs what happens in the material world.

I’m not trying to get loose with my theology here. What I am saying is that what resides in your soul informs what happens through your body.

So if sinful desire is what you’re feeding your soul, your flesh will act accordingly.

Jesus appeals back to the Law and shows how He fulfills it, too. But He doesn’t bother going back through the whole list as He did before. Enough has been said. They’re not going to listen.

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Jesus as the light of the world reveals the truth to us. He reveals the Truth about so many things:

Our lives: sin, status with God, new identity in Him.

The world: Need for redemption and rescue, our place in bring His Kingdom to this earth

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Find the Father in the Light

John 8:19-20

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The Pharisees then ask the question, “Alright, so where’s your father? We want to hear this testimony.”

Jesus’ response reveals a lot about His identity as the light of the world.

It also reveals a lot about how far the Pharisee’s theology got them. See, they had all the right answers. They should have been prepared for the Messiah! They believed that a Messiah would come just as Jesus came! But they refused to believe it was really Him!

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Some of us have great theology but we don’t know the Father. What use is proper doctrine if it’s not leading you to God Himself.

Or, let’s put it another way. Some of us here in this room have walked the aisle, prayed a prayer, and gone through every motion of what you’ve been told it takes to be saved.

But when it comes right down to it, you rely on Jesus to simply be your fire insurance. It’s a relationship of convenience. You really only call on Him when you’re in need or in trouble, but as far as taking your life and submitting it to His Lordship? “Well, sorry, Jesus, I just don’t have the time of day.”

THIS IS NOT SALVATION. THIS IS NOT A RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST. THIS IS FALSE CONVERSION.

And I fear there are many here in this room who have been relying on a false conversion, and you’ve never truly met Jesus. You’ve never truly allowed Him the time of day to come into your heart. And as a result, you do not know the Father.

Let me put it another way. If you feel like you come to church, go through the motions, and still feel like you’re in the dark throughout your life, we need to do some spiritual diagnostics to see if you know the Lord.

Philippians 2:12–13 ESV

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

I believe in assurance of salvation, but I also believe in false assurance. And listen, if your life does not reflect Christ as your savior and Lord, I’m just saying, we need to ask the question if you really know Him.

Maya Angelou said, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them.” Well, listen, if the person you show the world that you are is worldly, then perhaps you are worldly and not of Christ.

I know this isn’t an easy message to hear. I know there are some who are feeling some kind of way about my message. But listen, there’s a reason Jesus was at great enmity with the most theologically sound group of Jews in His day. Because while they had jumped through every hoop they could, there was no light in them.

They took advantage of their positions and their status. They rested on their laurels. Jesus was clear. People like this DO NOT KNOW THE FATHER.

Conclusion

So I have an honest question. Do you know Jesus? Do you know the Father? Is the Holy Spirit working in your life to make you more and more like Jesus? Truthfully, if you do not have that light guiding you to know God more, I truly, honestly want you to be uncomfortable at the end of this sermon. I want you to wrestle with your salvation.