Introduction – More Than a Song
“I saw the light.”
That’s more than just the title of an old gospel tune. Some of you might remember Hank Williams writing and singing it back in the 1940s.
Over the years, that song has been carried on the voices of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and even church choirs around the world. It’s been sung in little country chapels and it’s been sung in stadiums before thousands. Why? Because those four words aren’t just lyrics. They’re a testimony.
“I saw the light” is what someone says when they’ve been in darkness, in confusion, in despair — and suddenly, hope breaks through. Anyone who has stumbled in the dark and then suddenly stepped into the light knows what those words mean.
Let me share a story.
It was a dark, dark night. A man walked home from work through a cemetery. It was his shortcut, and he had taken it many times before. But that evening, he didn’t notice a fresh grave dug right in his path. Suddenly, he fell into a hole seven feet deep.
He clawed. He jumped. He tried every way he could to get out. After an hour, exhausted, he gave up. He sank into a corner of the grave.
An hour later, a farmer out hunting possum came through the cemetery. He, too, fell into that same hole. He scrambled. He jumped. He clawed at the sides. He fought with all his strength to get out. What he didn’t know was that he wasn’t alone. From the corner, a voice whispered: “You’ll never get out of here.” And you know what? He did.
That’s what darkness does. It blinds. It confuses. It traps. And it whispers lies that there’s no way out.
But into that kind of darkness, Jesus speaks:
> “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)
That’s the message today: the Light of Christ shining into our darkness.
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Point 1: The Darkness We Live In
The Bible doesn’t sugarcoat the reality of darkness. Genesis 1:2 describes the pre-creation world this way:
> “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.”
No shape. No life. No light. Just emptiness and confusion. That’s the picture of chaos. And that’s exactly what sin does to us. It drags us back into that state:
Without form — our lives lose direction.
Void — our hearts feel empty.
Darkness — we stumble without hope.
Proverbs 4:19 says:
> “The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.”
Have you ever tried walking through your house at night without a light?
You know the couch is there, but your shin finds it anyway. You know the Lego is somewhere on the floor — and sure enough, your bare foot discovers it. That’s what sin does to life: it turns everything into stumbling in the dark.
Samson’s life paints the picture in flesh and blood. Once chosen to shine as God’s man, he played with shadows until the Philistines captured him. Judges 16:21 says:
> “They gouged out his eyes and set him to grinding grain in the prison.”
Sin blinds before it binds. And if we’re honest, all of us have known that darkness.
Shame we try to hide.
Guilt we can’t erase.
Emptiness we can’t fill.
Some of us know what it’s like to smile in public but cry in private. Some of us know what it’s like to put on the mask of strength while inside our hearts feel hollow.
That’s the darkness. And into that darkness Jesus steps and says: “I am the light of the world.”
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Point 2: The Light Jesus Brings
From the very beginning, God has never been content to leave His creation in the dark. Genesis tells us that His very first spoken command was this:
> “Let there be light.” And there was light.
The first word that broke the silence of chaos was the word light.
And John picks up that theme in his gospel. In John 1:4–5 he writes:
> “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Later in John 8:12, Jesus says plainly:
> “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
And Paul explains it this way in 2 Corinthians 4:6:
> “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
The same God who once said, “Let there be light,” is still speaking it today.
Even in Samson’s story, after he had fallen so far, hope flickered: “But the hair on his head began to grow again.” That little line is a whisper of grace. God’s light wasn’t gone.
And maybe today, in the middle of your darkness, that same flicker of hope is what you need to see: Jesus is God’s Light breaking into your night.
Think about what light does:
It reveals — light shows what’s hidden.
It guides — light gives direction.
It comforts — light drives away fear.
It gives life — nothing grows without light.
And Jesus brings all of that into our lives. He reveals the truth. He guides our steps. He comforts our fears. And He breathes life into our souls.
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Point 3: The Cross — Darkness Shattered
But here’s the mystery of the gospel: the Light of the world allowed Himself to be swallowed by darkness.
Matthew 27:45 says:
> “From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.”
At Calvary, the sky went black. The One who said “Let there be light” hung in shadow. The One who opened blind eyes closed His own in death. The One who called Himself the Light of the world let Himself be covered by night.
Why? To take on our darkness. To carry our shame. To bear our guilt.
On the cross, Jesus absorbed every shadow we’ve ever known. The darkness of our sin, the weight of our guilt, the sting of our shame — all of it pressed down on Him.
Isaiah 53:5 reminds us:
> “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
At Calvary, darkness thought it had won. But the cross was not the end.
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Point 4: The Resurrection — Light Bursting Forth
The story didn’t end in shadows. On the third day, God rolled back the darkness.
Matthew 28:2–4 says:
> “There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.”
The same world that once went black at the cross now blazed with heaven’s light. The soldiers who stood watch collapsed like dead men before the brilliance of God’s glory.
The Light that had been smothered with darkness was now bursting forth — unstoppable, uncontainable, undeniable.
The darkness of Friday could not cancel the dawn of Sunday.
And that’s why the empty tomb matters. The resurrection is not just proof that Jesus is alive — it’s proof that light always wins. It’s proof that shame can be forgiven, guilt can be erased, emptiness can be filled, death can be defeated.
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Invitation — Step Into the Light
So here’s the invitation of the gospel:
You don’t have to stumble in the dark.
You don’t have to live in shame or emptiness.
You don’t have to hide in the pit.
On the cross, Jesus — the Light of the world — shines into our darkness and brings forth life. And at the resurrection, that Light proved that darkness can never have the last word.
That means whatever darkness you carry today, whatever shadows have haunted you — they do not have to define you. The Light of Jesus is stronger.
Think again of that phrase: “I saw the light.” That can be your story too. Not just Hank Williams’ song. Not just Paul on the Damascus Road. Not just Samson at the end of his life. But yours.
You can walk out of this place saying: “I saw the light. I don’t walk in shadows anymore. Jesus has shone into my life.”
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Closing Wrap-Up
The Light of the world was smothered with darkness — but on the third day, that Light broke through, and it still shines today. That’s the story of the gospel. From Genesis to the grave, from the empty tomb to this very moment, God has been speaking light into darkness.
And maybe that’s what you need right now:
Light in your confusion.
Light in your emptiness.
Light in your shame.
The good news is this: the same God who once said, “Let there be light,” is still speaking it today — into every heart willing to receive it.
May you walk in that light. May His life shine through you this week. And may you be able to say with confidence: “I saw the light.”
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Closing Prayer
Lord God, You are the One who spoke into the chaos and said, “Let there be light.” We thank You that in Jesus, the Light of the world, You have shone into our darkness. At the cross He bore our shame, and at the empty tomb He broke the power of death, so that we could walk in Your light and life.
Father, for anyone here still stumbling in shadows — shine into their hearts today. For those weighed down by guilt — speak forgiveness. For those feeling empty — fill them with Your Spirit. For those who are afraid — remind them that Your light is stronger than any darkness.
And now, as we go from this place, let us carry that light with us. May the people around us see in our lives the reflection of Jesus, the Light of the world.
In His name we pray, Amen.
