The Light of the World
May 10, 2020
John 8:12
Let’s start off with a little quiz - -
Q: How many mystery writers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Two, one to screw it almost all the way in and the other to give it a surprising
twist at the end.
Q: How long does it take for a pastor to change a light bulb?
A: Nobody knows, everyone fell asleep while he was giving a sermon on it.
Q: How many Chicago fans does it take to change a light bulb?
A: None they said to wait until next year.
Q: How many birds does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: Toucan do it.
Q: How many NASCAR drivers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A: None, they can only go left.
Last week we started looking at the “I AM” statements by Jesus. Obviously, we’re looking at what Jesus meant when He said, I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
Have you ever noticed that light brings change? That’s the very nature of light. . . to bring change to any given situation. Change . . . it’s almost a nasty topic. Wherever you work, wherever you go to school, it does not matter ~ change is a hot topic, and that includes the church. Yet, in order to grow and mature, we must change, otherwise we remain stagnant and ultimately die.
Did you know that once you’re in a room that is completely dark, I mean pitch black dark, the room cannot get any darker. However, if you’re in a lighted room, it can always get brighter and brighter. Ever notice that when you have a simple night-light, this little bulb can really illuminate a room. Jesus proclaimed to be the LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Imagine the LIGHT that is available through Him. Jesus said,
I am the light of the world: whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
In order to understand why Jesus said He is the Light of the World, we need to understand the context. The Feast of Tabernacles had just concluded the day before. Tabernacles was a 7 day long festival celebrated by the Jews and is still celebrated today by the name of Sukkoth, which means ‘booths’.
In ancient Israel, the Priests would take 4 large candelabras, each containing 4 bowls of oil. These 16 golden bowls were placed high up in the Temple. The candles would be lit each night and it was believed all Jerusalem was illuminated from these candles. Remember, they didn’t have street lights.
This annual feast was inaugurated by God to help the Israelites remember that for 40 years they wandered in the wilderness before they finally entered the Promised Land (Leviticus 23:34-43). During this 7 day celebration . . .
. . . the entire nation camped out in booths. People would eat their meals in them, and some would eat and sleep in them. They were made of branches and leaves to remind the people of the hardships their ancestors endured in the wilderness.
The Feast of Tabernacles was a happy, joyous holiday as the Israelites would dance and sing, remembering God’s glory among them, as God traveled as a cloud during the day and fire at night. The celebration also focused on the promise of God sending a light, the Anointed One, the Messiah, who would free them from bondage.
Sacrifices were offered and Scriptures like Isaiah 9:2 were read:
2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.
On the final night the candelabras were extinguished and there was darkness. The lights were extinguished because God had not yet sent the Savior; so the Temple grows dark. The tents are torn down. And the next morning Jesus enters the Temple, He’s surrounded by people, and stands up and declares He is the Messiah,
again, saying - -
12 I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
Imagine the scene! In the very court where the lighting ceremony took place, Jesus stands beneath the 16 UNLIT bowls of oil and says He is the light of the whole world.
That’s a great history lesson, but what does all of this mean for us?
If Jesus is the light of the world, it means we should never have to walk in darkness again. Jesus is THE only way to God. He is the only way to living a life that is filled with peace and strength; grace and courage; love and mercy; forgiveness and power. We must seek the Light and follow the Light, Jesus.
It means we must believe Jesus is who He said He is. The pharisees didn’t believe Jesus was the Messiah. They wanted someone to be in their image, not in God’s image. Jesus knew who He was and He knew where He came from, but they couldn’t accept that.
Today there’s a need for Light in our world. We live in a world filled with darkness because everyone is choosing their own god and even if it’s Jesus, they make Jesus into what they want Him to be.
Jesus calls us to accept Him as our Savior, as the Light of our world. But He doesn’t stop there, Jesus calls you and I to join Him and be a light to the world. The word “LIGHT” can be both a noun and a verb - in other words, “We are not only to BE the light but we should also SHINE the light.”
In the sermon on the mount, in Matthew 5, Jesus said --
14 You are the light of the world - like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see.
15 Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. - Matthew 5:14-16
I love the way Eugene Peterson, in his paraphrase of the Bible called The Message, interprets this passage,
14 You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept.
We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill.
15 If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand.
16 Now that I've put you there – SHINE! Keep open house; be generous with your lives.
By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.
Folks, Jesus proclaims He is the LIGHT OF THE WORLD, but amazingly, wonderfully, God also considers you and I to be the Light of the World.
Jesus said it in Matthew 5:14. If we are the Light of the World, then why . . . why would any of us choose to live in darkness?
Yet, it’s a choice we make every time we make a decision, every time we make a comment, every time we gossip, every time we do anything that is contrary to being light. It’s a choice. And that choice is yours and mine to make. Do you choose to be a light to the world, or will you choose the dark side, and live in darkness.
And by the way . . . darkness is whatever we want it to be. It can be rage and anger; addictions, control; bitterness and unforgiveness; pride and arrogance; or you pick any sin which speaks to you. God always gives us options, always. And in fact, choosing the light is more difficult than the darkness, because to live in His light, means we must change our ways, our thoughts, our desires. And that’s never easy - - but it leads to the fruitful, joy-filled life.
It’s all about giving glory to God and living in such a manner that others come to know God, because of you. Because you stand on a hill and let your light SHINE!
So, how do we let our light shine? Every person who believes in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, who believes He is the One who has led you to life change, should reflect the life of Jesus. We should be Jesus with skin on. We should be the very real representation of Jesus wherever we go. We’re to be the one’s who reflect His light. It’s kind of like this . . .
When you look at the sun, it’s huge. The sun is simply a star which contains 99.8% of all of the mass of the entire solar system. The sun is 109 times bigger than the earth and you could fit over 1 million earths in the sun. Here’s a fun fact, if the sun were as tall as a typical front door, Earth would be about the size of a nickel.
The sun gives us an enormous amount of light, yet the perfect amount of light and heat. Think of the sun in the image of Christ. Like the sun gives off light, the Son of God gives off His light.
Have you ever seen a breathtaking picture of the moon. Yet, the moon gives off absolutely no light of its own. The moon which is a dark mass, can be so amazingly beautiful and powerful at the same time, because the moon reflects the light of the sun. Our job is to reflect the light of God’s Son. Just like the moon, which on its own has no light, so too, on our own we have no light.
When we’re out in the world, we’re supposed to reflect the power and glory of God
We do this when we “love one another because God loves us.” Everything we do becomes a reflection of our experience of God’s love. When we are rude, arrogant, gossips, prideful, controlling, bitter, joyless people we aren’t demonstrating Christ’s love.
Being the light in the world, doesn’t mean we’re wimps or pushovers, it means we look at one another and we radiate the love and power of Jesus.
Let me end with this little story -
A grandfather took his grandson for a walk in the woods. As they were walking along they stopped and the grandfather asked his grandson -- “Do you know where we are?”
The boy looked up and said, “No!” Then the grandfather asked, “Do you know where we’re going?” The boy said, “No!”
The man chuckled and said, “Well, I guess you’re lost.”
The boy smiled at his grandpa and said, “No, I’m not lost. I’m with you.”
That’s what we have with God. We’re never lost, we have God always with us to guide us and lead us, so then we can take others by the hand and lead them out of the darkness as well.
