A Study of the Book of John
“That You May Believe”
Sermon # 25
“Jesus the Light of the World”
John 8:12, 24-30 (v. 12 key verse)
The Feast of the Tabernacles is the last of the seven annual feasts of Israel commanded by God, and one of the three feasts that all Jews were required to attend. For seven days each year the Jews celebrated the Feast of the Tabernacles. God had inaugurated this feast to help the people of Israel to remember that for forty years they had wandered in the wilderness before God finally brought them into the Promised Land.
Now there are two important aspects to the way the Jews celebrated the Feast of the Tabernacles; that made it very different from any of the other annual feasts.
The first was that for those seven days the entire nation camped out. That is, every family moved outdoors into temporary shelters made of branches and leaves to remind themselves of the hardships that their ancestors had under-gone while living in tents during the 40 years in the wilderness.
The second was that on the opening night of the celebration a couple of giant Menorah or candelabras were erected in the Court of the Women. Each was reported to be 75 ft. tall, with huge bowls at the top. Each bowl held 10 gallons of oil. The wicks were made from the old, no longer useable garments of the priests. Then with great pomp and ceremony the bowls were lit. Ancient accounts said that the light from these huge candelabra literally lit up the streets of Jerusalem. At the end of the feast, the lights were purposely put out. Why? because the Messiah had not yet come. Some scholars propose that it is at this point that Jesus makes his declaration.
Every Jewish person knew the sign-ificance of the menorahs. They represented the presence of God among the Israelites in the wilderness in the form of the Shekinah. It was this visible presence of God in the form of a cloud by day and fire by night that guided the children of Israel.
It is against this backdrop of events that Jesus makes His declaration in verse twelve,
“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
There are three things I want us to examine this morning concerning Jesus’ claim to be “the light of the world”!
First, His Credentials As Light
Light is a symbol that has been used in through out the Bible in connection with Christ.
Isaiah used it in his great prophecy of the Messiah in Isaiah 9:2 which states, The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.”
Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, used it when he prophesied of the coming Christ in Luke 1:78-79, as “the Dayspring from on high has visited us; (79) To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death.”
When the aged Simeon took the baby Jesus into his arms as he was dedicated at the Temple (as recorded in Luke 2:32) he spoke of Him as “A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”
At the beginning of Christ’s ministry Matthew makes the connection with the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy when he says, (Matt 4:16) “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.”
John in writing his gospel declared concerning Christ (John 1:4-5) “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. (5) And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
Later in explaining why people are condemned who reject the light of Christ John stated (John 3:19-20) “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (20) For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.”
We are examining not only His credentials as the light but …
Secondly, His Claim To Be The Light.
It is worthy of note that Jesus is not simply saying that he was “a” light to the world or that he was “another” light to the world. Jesus is not saying that He is holding the light or that He has the light or even that He is the way to the light. He is declaring that He is the one and only light of the world.
Although analogies could be made to light in general and they would be true, I believe that Jesus had a particular light in mind. He made his declaration, “I am the light of the world” if not standing in front of the candelabra of the Feast of the Taber-nacles, they are at the very least very fresh in everyone’s mind. He is declaring I am the Shekinah glory that these candelabras symbolize. He is drawing their attention back to the cloud and the pillar of fire in the wilderness and He was saying, “I was the one who with you then. I was the one who protected you from Pharaoh. I was the one who guided you through the wilderness. I was the one who enveloped the tabernacle. I AM the Shekinah glory.”
I want us to consider for just a few moments the presence of the cloud and the pillar of God, and it’s importance to the children of Israel.
•It symbolized God’s Presence.
The biblical record in the book of Exodus, reveals how the two pillars which guided the people of Israel marked the presence of God in a dramatic way. In Exodus 13:21 we read, “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.”
We read of the way in which God spoke from the cloud and that sometimes He broke forth from the cloud in judgment upon the sins of the people (Ex. 13:21-22). At no time during their wandering in the wilderness did the people of Israel forget that the presence of God was with them every step of the way.
Jesus as the light of the world assures us of the presence of God, too. He is our constant companion throughout our lives. Christ promised His disciples (Heb 13:5) that He would “never leave them or forsake them”, and He is true to His word. No matter how alone you may feel today, no matter how many people have let you down and abandoned you, Christ is there right by your side. He is never so near as when we need Him the most, and He’s only a prayer away. As the light of the world, Jesus assures us of God’s presence.
It not only symbolized God’s presence but…
•It symbolized God’s Guidance. (v. 12b)
In the second part of verse twelve Jesus
said, “He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
If we think again of the experience of Israel in the wilderness we have to remember that they constantly kept their attention on the cloud.
The pillar of cloud and pillar of fire represented God’s guidance for the people of Israel while they were in the desert. The people could not recognize any of the landmarks, and they didn’t have any clear idea about which way to go. In addition, out in the desert things can get confusing. The heat produces mirages, it distorts distances, and it makes the terrain indistinguishable. In this environment God provided the cloud and the fire. In Numbers 9:17-23 we are told of the relationship of the children of Israel to the pillar of cloud and pillar of fire. Essentially it was very simple, when the cloud moved, the people followed. When the cloud stood still, they remained where they were (Num. 9:18).
As the light of the world, Jesus is our guide. Not only can He show us the way out of the darkness, but we should also seek His counsel whenever we have a major decision to make as we walk in the light. We should earnestly pray that Christ would show us which way we are to go when we are making plans for the future. God loves us, and He has our best interest at heart. There is no better place to live than in the center of God’s will.
It not only symbolized God’s Guidance but also…
• It symbolized God’s Protection.
When Moses and the children of Israel
found themselves trapped on the edge of the Red Sea, God not only opened a passage through the sea but he stood between them and their enemies. The cloud that had appeared on the day that Israel left Egypt, stood between the Israelites and the pursuing army of the Pharaoh. In Exodus 14:19-20 we read “… and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. (20) So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.”
Jesus is saying, “Do you remember the pillar that came between your fathers and the Egyptians near the Red Sea, that pillar that protected them, that was me! The protection I offered them, I am offering you!” As the light of the world He is saying, the benefits and comforts that came with the cloud in the wilderness came from Him.
The cloud and pillar not only afforded protection from the Egyptians, but from the sun on a daily basis. The desert, in which the Israelites spent forty years wandering, was and is one of the most inhospitable regions in the world. Daytime temperatures can easily reach 140-150 degrees and at nighttime the temperatures can fall below freezing. Israel needed protection on a day by day basis just to make it and so do you.
Jesus, the light of the world, is our protection, too. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords and He controls the universe and all that is in it. As a believer there is nothing that can touch you in this life that doesn’t first pass through the hands of Jesus. Are you fearful of a boss at work who is making your life difficult? Are you apprehend-sive about the results of a recent medical test? Is there an enemy who seems larger than life and you wonder how you are going to make it? Remember that Jesus is the light of the world, and He is your protection. Look to Jesus to be your defender.
Notice not only His claim to be the light but …
Third, His Characteristics As The Light
There are many characteristics of light that we could examine but I just want to call your attention to two of them.
•Light Reveals (John 3:19-20)
Light enables us to see things that were there all along but because of the darkness we could not see them. Darkness conceals and light reveals. Without light we can’t see anything. It was C.S. Lewis who said, “I believe in Christ like I believe in the sun. Not only because I see it, but because by it all things are seen.” John 3:21: “But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” Ephesians 4:13: “But everything exposed by the light becomes visible.” By the way, that’s why some people avoid coming to church. They really don’t want Christ to shine His light on the way they’ve been living.
•Light can also Blind.
I want us to return once more to the
Pillar of cloud and of fire, in Exodus 14:19-20, “And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. (20) So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.”
The only way to receive the benefits from His light is to follow Him (1 John 1:7 - “…if we walk in the light”). While one is close to the light, he is able to see. If one strays from the light, he is unable to see because of the darkness. Thus he falls, with injury or death as a result.
Only two groups of people are unaware of the presence of light. Those who are blind and totally unable to see, or those who close their eyes tightly and refuse to see.
Let me give you a quick rundown of the rest of the chapter that resulted because these people rejected the light. In verse thirteen, the Pharisees challenge his statement, “I am the light.” In verse thirteen and in the next four verses Jesus defends the credibility of his testimony. None of those who heard Jesus, chose to argue the validity of His claims, they wanted to quibble over technicalities. In verse twenty-four Jesus asserts, “Therefore I said to you that you will die in you sins; for you do not believe that I am He (ego eimi), you will die in your sins”
In response the Jews again asked Jesus, verse twenty-five, “…Who are You?” They are blind because they refuse to see the “light.” In verse twenty-eight he restates the same claim, “Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He…” His crucifixion and resurrection will be the one great and final sign, proving Him to be the Messiah. And indeed, verse thirty informs us, “As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.”
Application
How is God speaking to you today? Have you ever trusted in Jesus Christ as the “Light of the World?” Have you experienced the forgiveness of your sins and the promise of life eternal through Him? If not I urge you today to put you faith and trust in Him! He has promised that those who come to Him in faith, he will never turn away.
And if you have experienced Jesus as the “Light of the World” I want to close with this reminder. This saying of Jesus – “I am the light of the world…” – is the only one of the “I am” statements which Jesus also said of His followers. You will recall that in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus told His disciples, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Mt. 4:14). How is it that we can be what Jesus Himself was?
Our light is a derived light. It is an indirect light. The light we have isn’t from ourselves, but from God. Ours is a borrowed light. It is derived from another source. Think of the sun and the moon. The moon has no light of its own; it simply reflects the radiant light of the sun. We have to remember that if anything is standing in the way between us and God, we will not reflect His light. We stand in darkness. We should purpose in our hearts to rid ourselves of anything that stands between us and Christ. I want to close this morning with these inspirational words from the Apostle Paul (Philippians 2:12-16), “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; (13) for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. (14) Do all things without complaining and disputing, (15) that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, (16) holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.”
“Jesus the Light of the World”
John 8:12-30
First, His ___________ As Light
Light is a symbol that has been used in connection with Christ.
In the Old Testament – (Isaiah 9:2)
In the New Testament
(Luke 1:78-79, 2:32)
(Matt 4:16)
(John 1:4-5, 3:19-20)
Secondly, His _______ To Be The Light.
Jesus was not “a” light to the world or “another” light to the world, He is declaring that He is the one and only light of the world.
He is declaring I am the Shekinah glory that these candelabras symbolize.
•It symbolized God’s ____________.(Ex 13:21)
•It symbolized God’s ____________. (v 12b)
(Numbers 14:19-20)
•It symbolized God’s ____________.
(Ex 14:19-20)
Third, His ____________ As The Light
•Light ___________ (John 3:19-20)
•Light can also _________ (vv. 24-30)
(Exodus 14:19-20)
