The Light of the World

John 8:12 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.”

What did Jesus mean when He said that He is the light of the world?

Light illumines, it casts away the shadows and starts and ends each day. It brings warmth, it brings life, and delivers power.

People are drawn to light. A plant placed in a dark room will gradually turns its leaves toward the light. Many who fear the darkness are brought into peace when the light appears.

So when Jesus proclaimed that He was light, He wasn’t just using some hyperbole to describe Himself, it was also literal.

Spiritual Illumination

There is a spiritual darkness that veils the eyes of people. The separation of the sinner from the holiness of God leaves them in the dark. Spiritual darkness is more than an ignorance of all that is true, it leaves people grasping for anything they can find and in so doing, they place their hope in things that will not and cannot lead them to the light.

1 John 1:5-7 “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But 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 cleanses us from all sin.”

Many people claim that Jesus never called Himself God. When He proclaimed Himself to be the light of the world, He claimed divinity. It was one of the many times He described an aspect of God that He attributed to Himself.

God is light. When Jesus illumines the hearts of those He calls, He opens their eyes to see with spiritual eyes. Walking in Christ is more than a claim of belief, it is an active attempt to honor the Lord in all you think, say, and do. Those who walk in darkness have no knowledge of the Truth. They might read the Bible, but they cannot comprehend the depth of why following it is so significant.

Psalm 27:1 “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

David knew the value of walking in the light.

Why are we so quick to turn back to the world and look for meaning within it?

Could it be the allure of sin is so deceptive that it overcomes the knowledge we have gained? Could the firey darts of the enemy pierce us because we failed to put our armor on?

Without Christ, we are hopeless. We are weak, fruitless, and carry no meaningful work beyond immediate self gratification. Without Christ, we walk in darkness. Like a plant sitting in a dark room, we lose the vitality of His illuminating power in our lives.

It so easy to take our eyes off Jesus and place them on the things of the world, it usually starts with something insignificant, a selfish act, a simple lie, a false representation, a sprout of pride, and the slide begins.

What begins as a seemingly small sin, turns into a greater move into the darkness with each indiscretion. Every time we choose to compromise in some small area, we set ourselves up for a greater fall.

Who can save us from such corruption?

Romans 7:24-25 “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.”

When we fall upon the mercies of God, repent of our sin, and plead for His grace…He hears us. His love abounds over us. There isn’t so much sin that God cannot forgive, there is no measure of failure that diminishes His love for you. His grace abounds over you…thanks be to God.

He knows our weaknesses, He has walked in our shoes. He sympathizes with the fragility of our flesh and choses to keep us.

That my friends is the measure of God’s boundless light. He illumines our darkness and beckons us to come. Come and be healed, come let Him restore you, come and find mercy at the foot of His throne…it awaits you.

The Light of His love

As much as God is spiritual light, so He also physically manifests light.

Mathew 17:1-2 “And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light”

Why did the Father lead Jesus up on the mountain only to reveal His glory?

Could it be that Peter, James, and John needed a confirmation of all that they were hearing? As future apostles in a budding church, God knew that He had to burn the image of the sun upon their hearts. Testimony was the theme upon that mountain. The testimony of Moses and Elijah, the testimony of Christs power, and ultimately the testimony of the Father who was in Heaven. Jesus shown with the brilliance of His pre-incarnate power and it undoubtedly left a lasting mark on these men.

I find it interesting that the Father never showed this to the people below. There were times of confirmation, particular during Jesus’ baptism, but the revelation of the Son of God was reserved for His followers.

Such is the way of those who walk in the light today. They alone can see God for He dwells within them.

1 John 1:5 “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

Walking in the Light

To walk in the light is a spiritual metaphor for how we live. If I walk in the darkness I don’t know where I’m going. I might bump into things I cannot see, trip over hazards, and ultimately fall and hurt myself. Eventually I will slow my walk and hold out my hands so that I don’t hit something. Such are those who don’t know Christ, they are spiritually blind.

1 John 1:6-7 “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But 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 cleanses us from all sin.”

The Spirit of God illuminates the heart of the redeemed. He imparts understanding and guides His people in Truth. A knowledge of sin becomes more prevalent, and walking in love is the expectation. Others who have been filled with the Spirit also have the light and the fellowship of sharing what you see with one another is a way to encourage and strengthen the church.

The light illuminates the heart and exposes sin.

Ephesians 5:6-10 “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.”

The light exposes falsity. When the enemy tries to deceive, he leads people into the darkness of sin, the light of God exposes the lies and leads in truth.

When a follower of Christ strives to please God, the light illumines their path and shows them what is good and pleasing to God.

Ephesians 5:13-14 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

Do you want to walk in the light of God’s countenance? Do you want to have your spiritual eyes opened?

To know the light is to step into the hope of Christ Jesus. If you hear His call, don’t delay. Humble yourself, repent of your sin, and Christ will shine on you….then you will know what it means to be a child of the light.