Directly after this sermon, we invite all believers to take the Lord’s Supper with us at the front. If you genuinely know Jesus Christ, we invite you to participate in the Bread and the Juice to celebrate Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Find John 8 with me, if you will.
Jesus went around teaching, doing miracles, and acting with tremendous compassion for around 40-42 months. As His ministry went along, He became more controversial.
Today’s Scripture
“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.’ Jesus answered, ‘Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.’ They said to him therefore, ‘Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, ‘You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.’ These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.
So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” As he was saying these things, many believed in him.” (John 8:12-30).
Sermon Preview
1. In a Category All by Himself
2. In a League of His Own
3. An Outcome that You Cannot Imagine
1. In a Category All by Himself
“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’” (John 8:12).
1.1 I AM
Jesus says, “I am the light of the world.” Bible experts have noted that Jesus gives us 7 “I am” statements in the gospel. The “I am” there is different than if I simply said to you, “I am bored,” or “I am around town.” I want to get a little more technical here for a moment if you’ll allow me. Jesus is doing much, much more here, and I want to pause to ensure each of us sees what Jesus is doing.
1.2.1 Jesus’ Title
First, Jesus is giving us His title here. Yes, He’s introducing Himself, but He’s also giving us His title. This is the Himalayan Mountain top of revelation.
It goes back to Exodus 3:14, where God gives Moses His name and title: “God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:14).
Today, we refer to God as Yahweh because of what God tells Moses here. Ancient Jews would not utter the word “Yahweh” because it was thought to be too holy for sinful lips. The original audience would have caught something that we don’t in English. Jesus is giving Himself the same name as God Himself here.
1.2.2 Ego Eimi
Second, Jesus chooses His words intentionally here. When Jesus says, “I am the light of the world,” He uses the words, “ego eimi” in the original Greek of the Gospel of John. Bible experts go so far as to call this “ego eimi” formula because these words are so highly specialized.1 When Jesus says, “I am,” He says, “ego eimi” in each of the 7 “I am” statements. Just like our word ego, only I am adding the eimi. Would you repeat those words with me, “ego eimi”? Again, there’s nothing random about Jesus’ choice of words.
1.2.2.1 The Divine Name
This is a big deal because the Hebrew name in Exodus 3:14 translates the “I am who I am” as the Greek words “ego eimi” in the world-renowned Greek Septuagint. Then the Greek translation even translates ego eimi as the divine name: “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins” (Isaiah 43:25). Yes, this forms the name of God as Yahweh in the Hebrew, but remember, many Jews had moved out of Israel in ancient times. So many Jews were Greek speaking, so the Bible was translated into Greek. God’s name was Yahweh in Hebrew, but His divine name was ego eimi in Greek. So, when Jesus quotes these words, He is intentionally and deliberately taking the divine name for Himself.
1.2.2.2 Redundant
“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’” (John 8:12).
I pause to tell you the Greek behind the words because you don’t need the word “ego” as it is redundant. Jesus is layering up the words here as you would layer up for when it’s cold outside. Jesus says, “I and I alone, I and no other.” They sought to kill Jesus because He was claiming to be God (John 10:33). He was using the divine name for Himself.
1.2.2.3 Jesus’ Arrest
Later on, in the gospel of John, there’s an interesting scene where these two Greek words pop up again. “When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground” (John 18:6). When the soldiers announce that they are seeking Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus responds by saying, “ego eimi.” Again, this may mean “I am (the one whom you seek).” But John takes it a step further. “When he said to them, ?ego eimi, they drew back and fell to the ground” (John 18:6). The mere uttering of this name creates a powerful revelation which leaves the arresting party prostrate before God.2
Later on, John tells of when he fell as a dead man before Jesus’ feet: “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last’” (Revelation 1:17). No wonder the Bible says Jesus “… is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3a). Friends, it’s impossible to have a too elevated view of Jesus. Jesus is In a Category All by Himself.
1. In a Category All by Himself
2. In a League of His Own
“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’” (John 8:12).
2.1 Metaphor Background
John loves to layer the metaphors of Jesus. Jesus is the true Bread of Heaven. He’s the Good Shepherd. But, one of His favorite metaphors to communicate the majesty of Jesus is light. John tells us: “In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:5). Jesus is “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:9). When Jesus first uttered the words, “I am the light of the world,” it would have had a stunning impact on all who heard Him say it. This was a “He said what” moment. Here’s why.
2.2 Festival Background
Remember, our story today continues the narrative from John 7. When Jesus calls Himself “the light of the world,” He’s doing something the original audience would understand, but many of us Americans will miss. It has to do with the Festival of Booths or the Festival of Tabernacles celebration.
2.2.1 The Feasts of Booths/Tabernacles
The Feast of Tabernacles was an annual Jewish celebration commemorating and remembering how God took care of them in the wilderness. That’s the reason why they lived out of doors in tabernacles during this festival, so they remembered what it was like to live in the wilderness. Jesus has been teaching in the Temple since John 7:14. The Bible tells us that Jesus is still in Jerusalem because He’s teaching near the treasury in the Temple Complex (John 8:20). It was one of the busier areas of the Temple where women were permitted. So, Jesus is doing all this preaching and teaching at the Feast of Tabernacles. It’s in the middle of this Festival that Jesus declares He is the world’s light.
2.2.2 The Festival’s High Points
There were two significant high points of celebration during this festival. One was the priest poured out the water where Jesus declared He was the water to quench our thirst. (John 7:37-52). Jesus said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink” (John 8:37b).
We looked at this last week. The second high point is this torchlight ceremony is our focus this morning. Younger priests would climb up a tall ladder inside the Temple Complex to light these golden candelabras. The young priest would carry as much as 17 gallons of oil, which might have weighed as much as 100 pounds. When the oil was in place, the priest would light the candle wick where giant flames leaped out, illuminating the darkness.3 They would select good men to hold burning torches in their hands while they sang songs while countless Levites would plays harps, trumpets, and instruments.4 They would dance until dawn. Everything about this festival was about light. It’s against this backdrop that Jesus says, “the light of the world.”
2.2.3 The Pillar of Fire in the Wilderness
This festival celebrated the great pillar of fire that led the people of Israel during their sojourn in the wilderness.
“And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people” (Exodus 13:21-22).
This was a cloud of God’s presence over the people. In the daytime, God’s presence took the form of a cloud, where the people were shaded from the killer desert heat. At night, the cloud appeared to be fire because the desert is a place of tremendous pitch darkness at night. So, the presence of God was a cloud of fire that enabled them to see where they were going, because the desert at night is dark and cold. So, God was fire by night and cloud by day. Jesus says, “All the benefits your ancestors had from the torch by night and the cloud by day, came from Me.” The Bible says the cloud was the shekinah glory of God.5
Jesus says I am the very light God gave our people in the darkness in Exodus 13. I am the shekinah glory light of God’s immediate presence.
2.3 I Am Not the Moon; I’m the Sun
Jesus Christ stands before deliberately in front of the candelabra by the treasury and says, “I’m not like the prophets who point to the glory of God. I’m not like the gurus who reflect the glory of God through their consciousness. I am THE glory of God.”6
Other religions say, “I am pointing the way. I am not divine; there’s the divine. I am not God; there’s God. I am not the way; there’s the way.” Come to a full stop and give this every single bit of your full attention. In a world that’s so caught up, with who is going to be our nation’s next President, Jesus says to us, “You’re worried about a little moon in some far-off galaxy compared to me. I am the sun. Presidents reign for a term, maybe two. I am eternal. They govern square miles. I govern hearts and galaxies.” Jesus is saying, “Every other guru and major religion are nothing more than moons, and I am the sun. They reflect my glory, but I am the glory.” They’re all saying, “I am the moon. I’m reflecting, but I am not,” but Jesus is the only major founder of any religion who said, “I am the sun.” Jesus is our light. Look at Him in His cradle. Remember, when Jesus came into this world, the old man Simeon instinctively knew the identity of the infant Jesus as He was brought to the Temple. Mary and Joseph must have been shocked when Simeon took Jesus into His arms at the Temple and called Jesus a light to the nations (Luke 2:32).
2.4 Three Kinds of People
Again, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’” (John 8:12b).
There are only three kinds of people here:
1) people who say, “I’m a Christian,”
2) people who say, “I’m not a Christian,”
3) and people who say, “I don’t know what I am.”
If Jesus is the light of the world and He tells us specifically and pointedly, “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’” (John 8:12b). Jesus says, “You’ll know if you are my follower. You’ll know if you're plugged into my light.” There’s no confusion if you’re plugged into the light of Jesus. For the one who’s here, saying, “I don’t know if I am really a believer,” if the light is in you, you’ll know. Because He’s in a league of His own and He’s in us, then you’ll be in a league of your own. It will be obvious that the light is in you. The Bible says in 1 John that believers are to walk in the light. Nothing will be the same again when you have him as your light. Everything looks different in the light of Christ. Will you follow Him?
1. In a Category All by Himself
2. In a League of His Own
3. An Outcome that You Cannot Imagine
“So Jesus said to them, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me’” (John 8:28).
3.1 Legal Jargon
They seek to catch Jesus in a legal trap in verse 13. I won’t get into how Jesus moves away from the Pharisees’ legal wranglings. Ultimately, Jesus says, “My resurrection will be all the proof you need. I do nothing on my own authority. I am God, and I am here because the Father directs my every step. When you kill me (When you have lifted up the Son of Man), then you’ll know the truth.”
3.2 From a Different World
When Jesus says, “I’m the light of the world,” He tells us He’s from a different world, and He’s come to take His followers to a different world. The obstacle for you is in verse 24: “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). Sin will keep you from the light. Sin will cause you to die an eternal death apart from Jesus and heaven. But something profound can happen to you just as it did to some of those who heard Jesus speak so many years ago: “As he was saying these things, many believed in him” (John 8:30).
3.3 He Is Ultimate
Will you believe on and in Jesus as the Ultimate One? He is the bread of the world. He is the light of the world. He is the Good Shepherd. He is the gate. He is the resurrection and the life. And He is the true vine. With all these credentials, no wonder Jesus says He and He alone is the way. Will you believe on and in Jesus as the Ultimate One? You were built for more than this. You were built for more than this world. Come to Jesus, the Light of the world.
3.4 The Lord’s Supper
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread, and after he had given thanks he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, he also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, every time you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For every time you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
EndNotes
1 Colin G. Kruse, John: An Introduction and Commentary, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 139.
2 G. M. Burge, “‘I Am’ Sayings,” in Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, edited by Joel B. Green and Scot McKnight (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992), 355.
3 R. Kent Hughes, John: That You May Believe, Preaching the Word. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1999), 228.
4 Sukkah 5:2–3, The Mishna, trans. Herbert Danby (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1933); as quoted in Hughes, 228.
5 Shekinah comes from a Hebrew word that means to dwell that it means that God is dwelling with His people.
6 Timothy J. Keller, “I Am the Light,” The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive. (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).
