I Am The Light Of The World; John 8:1-12
In Vs. 58 Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I Am.” With these words He revealed Himself as the eternal Son of God. He always has existed and always will exist. I cannot fully comprehend that because I had a beginning, but in Christ I will not have an ending – because of His grace, His works, His death, Res. and life I have eternal life. But it’s not the same as His because He had no beginning…
The “I AM” statements help us to understand who He is. In this passage Jesus said, “I AM the light of the world.” Before He created the sun, moon, and stars - He was the light; before He created the heavens and the earth - He was the light; before He created the fishes in the sea, the beasts of the field, the birds in the air - He was the light; before He created man and woman - He was the light.
John 1 uses that word “was” Vs. 1-4. That word, “was”, is used in the imperfect tense – we don’t have that in English – we have past – present – future… It also speaks of His eternal existence… Not only was He the light – He was, is, and always will be the LIGHT.
But what does that mean to us? How does that relate to you and me? Consider what light does for us and that will help us understand what it means to us.
I. Light Brings Knowledge of Our Need – Vs.1-9
In this scene there was a woman that had been taken in adultery Vs. 4 “the very act.” There was no doubt about her guilt, she was guilty and they knew it, she knew it, and now Jesus and His disciples knew it. All eyes were focused on this woman, and the scribes and Pharisees spoke words of condemnation to her.
This is not what light is intended to do, light exposes our deeds of darkness, but not to condemn us, but to help us see our need for salvation.
But that was not the Scribes or Pharisees concern, they really didn’t care about the woman anyway, she was just a pawn to trap Jesus. They wanted to trap Him between the Law and Love. They weren’t concerned for the law either; if they were they would have brought the man as well as the woman – “the very act…” This was a trap… Vs. 5…
Jesus had said, He came to fulfill the law, but He also said He was a friend to sinners. The law demanded death, but stoning a person isn’t very friendly… What would Jesus do? (EVENTUALLY HE WOULD DIE FOR HER). But at this time He wrote on the ground… and then said, “He that is without sin, let Him cast the first stone.”
The Bible tells us the 10 Commandments were written in stone; maybe that’s what Jesus was writing in the sand (Both the Law & Light intended to show our need) or maybe their girlfriend’s names… Whatever He wrote I don’t know – but they became aware of their sin and they dropped their rocks and walked away one by one…
In their self-righteousness they were ready to cast stones at this adulterous woman and maybe even Jesus – But once exposed to the Light their deeds of darkness were clear & they left. (Not to condemn - to meet…) If they had only confessed their sin to Jesus, their need would have been met.
“Some people change their ways when they see the light, others only when they feel the heat.”
II. Light Brings Hope to the Hopeless
Again there is no question about the woman’s guilt, she was guilty and everyone knew it. And she stood there hanging her head in shame it was hopeless. The woman’s guilt was clear, the law was clear – The law stated that adulterers are to be stoned to death, “the wages of sin is death.”
But Jesus had written something on the ground and said, “He that is without sin, let Him cast the first stone.” The Scribes and Pharisees dropped their rocks and went home. Jesus said, “Woman were are your accusers…” She lifted up her head, opened her eyes and was amazed that they were gone. There was none there without sin to accuse her but Jesus and He said, Vs.11…
She appeared to be in a hopeless situation, but whenever the Light of the world is present hope is also present. Yes she was guilty, yes the wages of sin is death; but Jesus is the one that paid that debt. Could you imagine the song she must have had in her heart?
“He paid a debt He did not owe, I owed a debt I could not pay, I needed someone to wash my sins away. And now I sing a brand new song: Amazing grace all day long: Christ Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay.”
The Light of the world brings hope to the Hopeless. He is the Light at the end of the tunnel. In Christ there are no longer hopeless situations, and nothing can change that, not even death. WHY? John 1:4, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”
The adulteress deserved death, but in Christ she was given life.
III. Light Brings Direction to the Delivered
“Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more.” We must never leave these words out. Christ didn’t just come to deliver He came to deliver & direct.
He came to deliver us from sin and to direct us in the paths of righteousness. When God delivered the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage He also directed them by His great light and He does the same for us today. Psalm 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
Have you ever walked around in the dark and stubbed you toe? You needed a lamp unto your feet. Remember John said, “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.” Jesus is the living word; “the word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
In Ephesians 5:8 we are directed as how to walk, “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light” No longer are we to walk according to the coarse of this world - we are to walk in accordance with our Heavenly Fathers word - John 8:39-47.
The Holy Bible is the written word of God. You had better read it, understand it, apply it, live it because you actions speak louder than your words - just as did the Scribes and Pharisees. They walked as children of darkness, of the devil.
Conclusion: They did not have to, Christ came as the Light of the world to deliver and direct them as well as you and I. But every man must choose for himself what direction he will take. Will you chose to walk in darkness or as children of light?
