The Light of the World (John 8:12)

In the Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, Gollum presents a riddle to Bilbo. He said, “It cannot be seen, cannot be felt, cannot be heard, cannot be smelt, It lies behind stars and under hills, and empty holes it fills, it comes first and follows after, ends life, kills laughter.” Can you guess what the riddle refers to? The answer is Darkness. What is darkness? Darkness is the absence of light. The purpose of light is to drive away the darkness so that a person may be able to see. If a room is dark, it is because the light is not shining or it has been hidden/covered. Similarly, Jesus tells us to follow Him (the true light) as you live in this dark world so that you can live according to His light and also reflect His light to others so that they may as well. Let’s consider this truth in John 8:12 and see Jesus’ proclamation, prescription, and promise.

Jesus’ Proclamation (“I am the light of the world”)

Jesus declared at the end of the Feast of Booths that He is “the light of the world.” The Feast of Booths (Sukkot) is one of the main feasts in Judaism and it is held at the end of the harvest as they gather produce from their field. It is a seven-day festival in which they live in booths. Why do they live in booths? The booths served as a reminder of their wanderings in the wilderness. Leviticus 23:42-43 says, “Live in booths for seven days…so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” It is recorded for us that during this feast the outer court of the Temple would be lit with large lamps to remind the people that the Lord led them through the wilderness by night through the pillar of fire.

John 8:12 records Jesus’ second “I Am” statement. These statements were proclamations of Jesus’ identity as the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus used these lamps to illustrate to the people that He is the “true light that gives light to every man” (John 1:9). Just as the Israelites were unable to travel without the light of the pillar of fire, so too, Christians are unable to live without the light of life that comes from Jesus. Being the light of the world means that Jesus alone gives spiritual life and true guidance to His followers.

Jesus’ Prescription (“Whoever follows Me”)

Jesus is the true light and He calls people to follow Him. If you do not follow Jesus’ light you will walk in darkness. If you are on a tour of a cave, you want to make sure you follow the light. If you stray from the light you are in grave danger. Jesus’ prescription is that those who hear His voice would believe that He is the Christ, the Son of God, and receive eternal life (true light). We follow Jesus by becoming a Christian and growing as a Christian. You become a Christian by admitting you are a sinner who has rebelled against Him and deserve death. You believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died to bring you forgiveness. You confess your faith in Him as Savior and Lord; asking to be saved. Paul told the Romans, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:9).

You follow Jesus by growing as a Christian. Jesus calls the church to make disciples. The best definition of a disciple is found in Matthew 4:19, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.” A disciple: 1) follows Jesus, 2) is being changed by Jesus, and 3) is committed to Jesus’ mission to seek and save the lost. In the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20), Jesus includes that disciples “obey everything I have commanded you.” Jesus’ commands are not optional for a disciple. Disciples of Jesus read/study/meditate on the Bible. Disciples pray. Disciples are connected to and serving at a local church. Disciples give of their time, talent, and treasure for the advancement of the kingdom of God. Disciples grow in spiritual maturity. Disciples forgive one another. Disciples tell others about Jesus with the hope that they will become disciples as well. Disciples follow Jesus. 

Jesus’ Promise (“…will have the light of life.”)

Jesus’ promise is that those who follow Him “will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” In other words, all those who believe in Him will receive eternal life. This is why Jesus said He is the Light of the World (John 8:12) and His followers are the light of the world (Matt 5:14). Jesus radiates the light and we reflect His light.

The Radiant Light of the World

Hebrews 1:3 says of Jesus, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory…” Some translations say “reflection”, but radiance or brilliance is preferred. The point in this verse is that Jesus is just not reflecting God’s glory but is emitting God’s glory because Jesus is God (John 1:1). Jesus emits God’s glory just as the sun emits light and heat. Jesus is the only source of light in this world. Peter proclaimed, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

The Reflective Light of the World

Jesus told His disciples they are “the light of the world.” Just as Jesus emits God’s glory as the sun emits light, Disciples reflect Jesus’ glory as the Moon reflects the sun’s light in this world. How do we do this? We do the good works prepared for us (Eph 2:10). Also, we expose the “fruitless deeds of darkness” (Eph 5:11). Paul wrote to the church in Philippi, “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life” (Phil 2:14-16). Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Matt 5:16). Therefore, let us:

• Stop grumbling and arguing with one another. The devil does not want us to fight against him, he wants us to fight and devour each other. Let’s prayerfully and graciously work out our differences so that our light is not diminished. Forgive each other.
• Work together in the power of the Holy Spirit to expose the darkness/evil of our culture. We must boldly present the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a dying world.
• Hold firm to the word of life! Jesus is the only true light that shines before us.