I Am The Light Of The World Series

It Can Get Personal

Message two of five

I Am the Light of the World

March 11, 2012

Michael Wiley

Introduction:

We’re in our second message in our series, “It can get personal.” We are talking about the “I am” sayings of Jesus. I’ve got a lot to say today, so let’s get right into it. Ready?

In John 8:12 Jesus says “I am the light of the world. The man who follows me will never walk in the dark but will live his life in the light.” J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)

Transition:

I want to trace the idea of Light in Scripture then apply it to Jesus’ statement in John 8:12

The first one is:

Light as apposed to darkness

The Bible says in Genesis Chapter One, 1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Now, I want to point something out here. God spoke light into existence on day one. He doesn’t speak the sun, moon and stars into existence until day 4 of creation. How is this? How does light come before the sun moon and stars? Some Bible Scholars disagree with me on this one. But you know me; I try to interpret Scripture with a “plain sense” interpretation. If you’ve never heard me say that, let me expound a bit. A plain sense interpretation means, I’m going to interpret Scripture literally wherever I can. Some times the Scripture is speaking allegorically, using symbols or metaphors to explain a topic.

So since our scientific minds see light 3 days before the objects we know produce light are created, our mind wants to meld the two to make sense of it.

One commentator I read said this, “Verse 3 has often been taken to mean that God created the light before He created the sun…It should be noted however, that the sun, moon and stars are all to be included in the usual meaning of the phrase “heavens and earth” [so] these celestial bodies were all created in verse 1…Verse 16 [day 4 of creation] simply means they appeared through the clouds.” (Sailhamer, John H. EBC Commentary on Genesis, Zondervan pp. 26 1990)

Now, did God create the sun, moon and stars on day one or day 4? The Bible says, He created them on day 4! I’m sticking with that. Because, if I don’t stick with that, I’ve got to say the Bible is wrong here. If the Bible is wrong here, where else is it wrong?

Let me ask you this! Since when does God need a celestial body to produce light?

One of the manifestations of God is Light – referred to as the Kabod, the Shekinah Glory of God.

Revelation 21:23

English Standard Version (ESV)

23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.

This same light that will illuminate Jerusalem in the coming kingdom without the sun is the same light that shone on day one of creation

This brings us to:

Light as the presence of God

God is manifest three primary ways in Scripture

He is Manifest by Ruach (Spirit) – wind, breath – you feel Him.

He is Manifest by Kabod (Glory) – light – you see Him.

He is Manifest by Word (Scripture) – hear Him.

Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. English Standard Version (ESV)

God’s presence among the Israelites was a pillar of fire by night to lead them in the darkness.

Ezekiel 10:4

4 And the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub to the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the Lord. English Standard Version (ESV)

In Luke the angels visit the shepherds to announce the birth of the savior and it says, “the glory of the Lord ‘shone’ around them.

Note too that all three of these manifestations are found in the first three verse of Genesis. 1 … And the Spirit(Ruach) of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

3 And God said, (Spoke Word) “Let there be light,” and there was light. (the Kabod of God).