Light In The Darkness Series

Light in the Darkness

Week 7: I AM: From Burning Bush to Bethlehem

Introduction

Open your Bibles to John chapter 8, verse 12. Tonight, we stand at one of the most powerful declarations Jesus ever made. Picture the scene with me. The Feast of Tabernacles has just concluded in Jerusalem. During this feast, massive candelabras stood in the Court of the Women, each fifty cubits high, blazing so brightly that one ancient source tells us (https://jewishroots.net/library/holiday-articles/illumination-of-the-temple-ceremony.html) there was not a courtyard in Jerusalem that did not reflect their light. These torches commemorated the pillar of fire that led Israel through the wilderness. The priests would light them each evening, and the people would dance with smaller torches, singing songs of praise throughout the night.

But now the feast has ended. The great lamps have been extinguished. The temple courts stand in darkness. At this precise moment, Jesus steps forward and makes this stunning announcement: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12).

The contrast was unmistakable. The temporary lights had gone out, but Jesus declared Himself to be the eternal Light. The candelabras were stationary, but Jesus is a Light to be followed. The torches burned only for a week, but Jesus is the Light that never goes out. This was not merely a poetic metaphor. This was a direct claim to deity, for the Scriptures declare that God Himself is light (1 John 1:5).

Before we examine this declaration, we must understand where this revelation of God as light began. We must travel back to the wilderness, where God first revealed Himself as the guiding light for His people.

I. The Pillar of Fire

The revelation of God as light did not begin with Jesus's words in the temple. This truth stretches back through the centuries to a desperate people standing at the edge of the wilderness. When God delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage, He did not simply set them free and leave them to find their own way. The God who redeems is the God who guides. The God who saves is the God who stays.

Exodus 13:21-22 tells us: "By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people." This was not merely a supernatural phenomenon. This was the visible presence of God Himself. The pillar was not something God sent. The pillar was God manifesting Himself in a form His people could see and follow.

A. God's Guidance in the Wilderness

Think about what Israel faced. They stood at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. The word "wilderness" in Scripture does not describe a place of pine trees and mountain streams. This was brutal, blistering desert. No roads. No maps. No landmarks. No GPS. Nothing but sand, rock, heat, and danger stretching before them.

In that moment of absolute uncertainty, God provided absolute certainty. He went before them. The pillar of cloud moved, and they moved. The pillar of cloud stopped, and they stopped. They did not need to debate the direction. They did not need to form committees to discuss the route. They simply had to watch and follow.

Here is what you need to understand tonight. The God who led Israel is the same God who leads you. You may feel like you are standing on the edge of your own wilderness. The path ahead looks dark, dangerous, and uncertain. You do not know which way to turn. But God has not changed His nature. He is still the God who goes before His people. He still provides guidance when we have no idea which way to go. Nehemiah 9:12 confirms this: "By day you led them with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire to give them light on the way they were to take."

B. Light for the Journey

Notice the specific provision God made. By day, He gave them a cloud to shield them from the scorching sun. By night, He gave them fire to illuminate their path and warm them in the cold desert darkness. This was not random. God met them exactly where they needed to be met. The provision matched the need perfectly.

The pillar of fire did more than prevent them from stumbling in the dark. It reminded them every single night that God was present. When fear tried to grip their hearts, they could look up and see the light. When questions filled their minds, they could see the fire and know that God had not abandoned them. When the night seemed long and the journey endless, the light kept burning.