Light in the Darkness
Week 7: I AM: From Burning Bush to Bethlehem
Introduction
Open your Bibles to John chapter 8, verse 12. Tonight, we stand at one of the most powerful declarations Jesus ever made. Picture the scene with me. The Feast of Tabernacles has just concluded in Jerusalem. During this feast, massive candelabras stood in the Court of the Women, each fifty cubits high, blazing so brightly that one ancient source tells us (https://jewishroots.net/library/holiday-articles/illumination-of-the-temple-ceremony.html) there was not a courtyard in Jerusalem that did not reflect their light. These torches commemorated the pillar of fire that led Israel through the wilderness. The priests would light them each evening, and the people would dance with smaller torches, singing songs of praise throughout the night.
But now the feast has ended. The great lamps have been extinguished. The temple courts stand in darkness. At this precise moment, Jesus steps forward and makes this stunning announcement: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12).
The contrast was unmistakable. The temporary lights had gone out, but Jesus declared Himself to be the eternal Light. The candelabras were stationary, but Jesus is a Light to be followed. The torches burned only for a week, but Jesus is the Light that never goes out. This was not merely a poetic metaphor. This was a direct claim to deity, for the Scriptures declare that God Himself is light (1 John 1:5).
Before we examine this declaration, we must understand where this revelation of God as light began. We must travel back to the wilderness, where God first revealed Himself as the guiding light for His people.
I. The Pillar of Fire
The revelation of God as light did not begin with Jesus's words in the temple. This truth stretches back through the centuries to a desperate people standing at the edge of the wilderness. When God delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage, He did not simply set them free and leave them to find their own way. The God who redeems is the God who guides. The God who saves is the God who stays.
Exodus 13:21-22 tells us: "By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people." This was not merely a supernatural phenomenon. This was the visible presence of God Himself. The pillar was not something God sent. The pillar was God manifesting Himself in a form His people could see and follow.
A. God's Guidance in the Wilderness
Think about what Israel faced. They stood at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. The word "wilderness" in Scripture does not describe a place of pine trees and mountain streams. This was brutal, blistering desert. No roads. No maps. No landmarks. No GPS. Nothing but sand, rock, heat, and danger stretching before them.
In that moment of absolute uncertainty, God provided absolute certainty. He went before them. The pillar of cloud moved, and they moved. The pillar of cloud stopped, and they stopped. They did not need to debate the direction. They did not need to form committees to discuss the route. They simply had to watch and follow.
Here is what you need to understand tonight. The God who led Israel is the same God who leads you. You may feel like you are standing on the edge of your own wilderness. The path ahead looks dark, dangerous, and uncertain. You do not know which way to turn. But God has not changed His nature. He is still the God who goes before His people. He still provides guidance when we have no idea which way to go. Nehemiah 9:12 confirms this: "By day you led them with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire to give them light on the way they were to take."
B. Light for the Journey
Notice the specific provision God made. By day, He gave them a cloud to shield them from the scorching sun. By night, He gave them fire to illuminate their path and warm them in the cold desert darkness. This was not random. God met them exactly where they needed to be met. The provision matched the need perfectly.
The pillar of fire did more than prevent them from stumbling in the dark. It reminded them every single night that God was present. When fear tried to grip their hearts, they could look up and see the light. When questions filled their minds, they could see the fire and know that God had not abandoned them. When the night seemed long and the journey endless, the light kept burning.
The light of God's presence turns our darkest nights into pathways of hope. You may be walking through the darkest night of your life right now. Financial pressure. Relationship brokenness. Physical sickness. Mental exhaustion. Spiritual dryness. But look up. The Light has not gone out. The God who lit the wilderness for Israel lights your path tonight.
C. Never Alone in the Dark
Here is the profound truth of Exodus 13:22. The text says, "Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people." Did you catch that? God never left. The light never went out. The presence never departed. Through all forty years of wilderness wandering, through all their complaining and rebellion, through all their doubt and fear, the pillar remained.
This was the shekinah glory of God. The same glory that filled the tabernacle. The same glory that would later fill Solomon's temple. The same glory that would one day take on flesh and dwell among us in the person of Jesus Christ. John wrote, "We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father" (John 1:14).
When you walk with God, you are never alone in the dark. The enemy wants you to believe that God has left you, that you are walking through this trial by yourself, that the light has gone out. That is a lie straight from the pit of hell. The God who never left Israel will never leave you. He promised in Hebrews 13:5, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." The pillar of fire in the Old Testament points forward to a greater Light who would come. A Light that would not simply guide a nation through a physical wilderness, but would guide all humanity through the darkness of sin and death.
II. I Am the Light of the World
Now we come to the heart of our text. Jesus stands in the temple and declares, "I am the light of the world." This is the second of seven "I am" statements in John's Gospel, each one revealing a different aspect of who Jesus is. When Jesus said "I am," every Jewish ear in that temple would have heard the echo of God's words to Moses at the burning bush: "I AM WHO I AM" (Exodus 3:14). Jesus was not simply making a comparison. He was making a claim. He was declaring His divine identity.
But Jesus was not just claiming to be God. He was claiming to be the fulfillment of every prophecy, every promise, and every type that had pointed forward to this moment. The pillar of fire that led Israel? That was Him. The glory that filled the temple? That was Him. The light that Isaiah prophesied would come to the nations? That was Him. At last, the eternal Light had arrived.
A. Fulfilling Isaiah's Prophecy
Seven centuries before Jesus spoke these words, the prophet Isaiah declared: "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn" (Isaiah 60:1-3).
Isaiah saw a world covered in darkness. Not just physical darkness, but spiritual darkness. Ignorance of God. Slavery to sin. Blindness to truth. Death reigning over humanity. But Isaiah also saw the promise of light breaking through that darkness. He saw God Himself coming to be the light of His people.
When Jesus declared, "I am the light of the world," He was announcing the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy. The light has come. The glory of the Lord has risen. The darkness that covered the earth for millennia was about to be shattered. Old Simeon understood this when he held the infant Jesus in his arms and declared, "My eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel" (Luke 2:30-32).
Think about what darkness means in Scripture. Darkness represents ignorance. The world did not know God. Even the greatest philosophers could not determine if there was one God or many gods, if God was good or evil, if God cared about humanity or was distant and uninvolved. They walked in darkness. But Jesus came and said, "I am the light." He revealed the Father. He showed us exactly what God is like. To see Jesus is to see God (John 14:9).
B. Dispelling All Darkness
Darkness also represents sin. Romans 1:21 tells us that although humanity knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, and "their foolish hearts were darkened." Sin blinds us. Sin enslaves us. Sin separates us from God. But Jesus came as the light to expose sin, to break its power, and to offer forgiveness and freedom.
John 1:4-5 declares, "In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." The darkness tried to extinguish the light. The darkness gathered at Calvary. The darkness thought it had won when Jesus died on the cross. But three days later, the Light burst forth from the tomb. Death could not hold Him. Darkness could not overcome Him. The Light shines on, and nothing can put it out.
Here is what this means for you tonight. Whatever darkness you are facing, Jesus is greater. Whatever sin has you bound, His light is stronger. Whatever lies the enemy has whispered in your ear, the truth of Christ dispels them. The light always wins over darkness. Always. No matter how thick the darkness seems, when Jesus shows up, the darkness has to flee.
C. Light for Every Nation
Notice Jesus did not say, "I am the light of Israel" or "I am the light of the Jews." He said, "I am the light of the world." This Light is not limited by geography, race, culture, or time. This Light shines for every person in every nation in every generation. Isaiah prophesied it: "Nations will come to your light" (Isaiah 60:3). Jesus fulfilled it.
The Great Commission makes sense only in light of this declaration. Jesus commanded us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15) because He is the light of the entire world. Every person walking in darkness needs this Light. Every soul blinded by sin needs this illumination. Every heart hardened by unbelief needs this revelation.
This is why the gospel must go forth. This is why missions matter. This is why evangelism is not optional. People are dying in darkness. They are stumbling toward hell without a light to guide them. But we know where the Light is. We know His name. We know His power. We have experienced His illumination. How dare we keep silent when the world is perishing in darkness?
Jesus promised, "Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12). Following Jesus is not just believing certain facts about Him. Following Jesus means walking in His footsteps, trusting His guidance, obeying His commands, and living in His presence. When we follow Him, we do not stumble in confusion. We do not grope in uncertainty. We walk in the light of life.
III. Children of Light
If Jesus is the Light of the world, and if we follow Him, then what does that make us? We become reflectors of His light. We become carriers of His illumination. We become, as Jesus said in Matthew 5:14, "the light of the world." Paul puts it this way in Ephesians 5:8: "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light."
Notice Paul does not say we were once in darkness. He says we were darkness. That was our nature. That was our identity. Darkness was not just our environment. Darkness was our essence. We were blind, lost, and dead in our sins. But something happened. The Light shone on us. We encountered Jesus. We were born again. Our nature changed. Now we are light in the Lord.
A. Walking in His Light
What does it mean to walk in the light? First John 1:7 tells us, "If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." Walking in the light means living in transparency before God. No hidden sin. No secret rebellion. No dark corners in our hearts that we refuse to let God search.
Walking in the light means choosing obedience over disobedience, truth over lies, righteousness over sin. Every day, we face choices. Will we walk in the light or return to darkness? Will we follow Jesus or follow our flesh? The choice we make determines whether we grow brighter or grow dim.
The Israelites in the desert kept their attention on the pillar. They watched its movement. They aligned their lives with its direction. In the same way, we must keep our eyes on Jesus. We must align our lives with His Word. We must listen for His voice. We must follow where He leads, even when the path seems difficult or dangerous.
Walking in the light also means living in fellowship with other believers. Light draws us together. Darkness isolates us. When we walk in the light, we do not hide from the church. We do not withdraw from Christian community. We draw near to one another, encourage one another, and help one another stay in the light.
B. Reflecting His Glory
Here is a powerful truth. We do not generate light. We reflect it. The moon does not produce its own light. It reflects the light of the sun. In the same way, we shine only because the Light of the world shines on us and through us. Jesus is the source. We are the reflectors.
Second Corinthians 4:6 says, "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ." The same God who spoke light into existence at creation has shone His light into our hearts. Now we carry that light. We display that glory. We reveal that beauty.
When people look at us, they should see something different. Not because we are better than others, but because we reflect Someone greater than ourselves. Our lives should point people to Jesus. Our words should direct people to the Source. Our conduct should make people ask, "What makes you different?" so we can answer, "Jesus is the Light of my life."
The world is desperate for authenticity. People are tired of religious hypocrisy. They want to see real transformation. They want to meet people whose lives have genuinely been changed by the light of Christ. When we reflect His glory, when our lives match our words, when our character displays His nature, we become a powerful testimony to the reality of the gospel.
C. Lighting the Way for Others
Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16, "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
Notice Jesus does not say we should be the light. He says we are the light. This is not about trying harder or doing better. This is about living out the reality of who we already are in Christ. We are children of light (Ephesians 5:8). We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, called out of darkness into His wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9). Our job is not to become light. Our job is to let the light shine.
How do we do that? We let our light shine by living openly and authentically as followers of Jesus. We do not hide our faith. We do not apologize for believing the gospel. We do not tone down our testimony to fit in with the world. We shine brightly in the darkness, knowing that a city on a hill cannot be hidden.
We let our light shine through good works. Not works done to earn salvation, but works that flow from salvation. Works of kindness, generosity, compassion, and love. Works that meet real needs and demonstrate the character of Christ. When people see our good deeds, Jesus said they will glorify our Father in heaven. Our light points people upward to God.
We let our light shine through speaking the truth. The world is drowning in lies. People need to hear the truth about God, about sin, about salvation, about Jesus. We are called to be witnesses. Acts 1:8 says, "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." A witness simply tells what they have seen and experienced. Tell your story. Share your testimony. Proclaim the good news that the Light has come and darkness does not have to win.
Philippians 2:15 says we are to "shine like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life." In a crooked and depraved generation, we shine. In a world that celebrates darkness, we radiate light. In a culture that mocks truth, we hold firmly to the Word. We do not compromise. We do not back down. We do not dim our light to make others comfortable in their darkness. We shine brighter.
Conclusion
The God who revealed Himself as the pillar of fire in the wilderness is the same God who stood in the temple and declared, "I am the light of the world." The God who guided Israel through the desert is the same God who guides you through every dark valley you will ever walk. The God who never left His people alone in the darkness is the same God who promises He will never leave you or forsake you.
Jesus Christ is the Light. He is the answer to every question. He is the solution to every problem. He is the hope in every darkness. He is the truth that dispels every lie. He is the life that conquers every death. Without Him, we stumble in darkness. With Him, we walk in the light of life.
But here is the question I must ask you tonight. Are you walking in the light, or are you still stumbling in darkness? Have you come to Jesus, or are you trying to find your way on your own? Have you experienced the illumination that only Christ can bring, or are you still blind to spiritual truth?
Romans 13:12 urges us, "The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light." First Thessalonians 5:5 declares, "You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness." The time for walking in darkness is over. The time for living as children of light has come.
If you are here tonight and you have never surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, you are still in darkness. You may not feel the darkness. You may think you are doing fine. But the Bible says you are blind. You are lost. You are heading toward eternal darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. But Jesus stands before you tonight, reaching out His hand, offering you light and life. He says, "Come to me, and I will give you rest. Follow me, and you will never walk in darkness."
If you are a believer but you have been walking in darkness, hiding sin, compromising truth, living in the shadows, tonight is your night to step back into the light. First John 1:9 promises, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." The Light is still shining. Jesus has not given up on you. Come back into the light.
If you are walking in the light but your light has grown dim, tonight is your night to be refilled, renewed, and reignited. Draw near to Jesus. Spend time in His presence. Let His light shine brightly in your heart again so your light can shine brightly in this dark world.
The invitation is open. The Light is shining. The way is clear. Jesus calls you to come out of darkness and into His marvelous light. Will you answer His call tonight? Will you follow the Light of the world? Will you become a child of light who shines brightly in this dark generation?
The altar is open. Come as you are. Come in faith. Come expecting God to meet you. The Light is here. The glory of the Lord has risen. Step into the light tonight and discover the life Jesus came to give you. Let us pray.
---------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE:
Your feedback matters!
If this message resonates with you, please take a moment to rate it on Sermon Central. Ratings help me know what's working and inspire me to keep creating fresh content.
Here's how to rate:
Look for the star rating system above the sermon text. Click the number of stars that reflects your experience (5 being the highest).
Thank you for your time and support!
In addition to ratings, feel free to leave a comment to share what impacted you or ask questions.
Blessings,
Pastor JM Raja Lawrence
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
email: lawrencejmr@gmail.com
Mobile: +91 9933250072
