Step Into The Light (John 8:12)

Second in a series of sermons on selected “I am” statements from the Gospel of John. This sermon was preached at Hebron Baptist Church on February 24, 2013 by Pastor Joe Alain.

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘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

Opening/Introduction
What do the Fangtooth Fish, Pacific Viper Fish, Vampire Squid, and Giant Tube Worms all have in common? They spend their entire lives at ocean depths that would crush us (some over 2 miles), they live out their entire lives in total darkness. Maybe that’s why they don’t look very happy! Deep sea creatures are designed to live in these harsh and dark conditions, human beings are not! We need light to live! The darkness is an alien world to us. We were made by “the Light” to live in the light.

Even when we desire to be in the dark, it’s so we can better appreciate the light. So we sit in a darkened movie theater to better appreciate the dazzling lights and effects of the film. Or on dark nights we gaze into the night sky and we are able to behold the spectacle of light in the sky. The darkness accents the light, helps us to see it better.

We were made by “the Light” to live in the light. Early on in life many of us exhibited tendencies to be afraid of the dark. I can remember as a child sleeping on a bunk bed afraid of the dark shadows cast by the tree in my window. I was thankful for a night light. Light comforts us. Even today, a well-lit parking lot puts us at ease, while we become a little edgy in dimly lit parking lot.

1. The Claim
“I am the light of the world.” In John 8:12, Jesus makes another astounding claim, here he claims to be “the light [not “a” light] of the world.” That Jesus made this statement when and where he did again was no coincidence. The time was the Festival of Tabernacles (see Jn. 7:2). This was one of the three great Jewish feasts, the other two being Passover and Pentecost. The Feast of Tabernacles (Hebrew, “Sukkot”) is called The Feast of Booths and commemorates the time that Israel lived in booths in the wilderness during their forty years of wandering. The feast occurs in late September to early October and lasts for seven days.

Jesus’ brothers had wanted him to make a grand entrance at the feast, but Jesus refused to go (7:3-4). Later Jesus went secretly (7:10). We’re told that the Jews were expecting that he would come and they were looking for him (7:11). Jesus was the topic of discussion among the pilgrims attending the feast (7:12-13). They would all see him soon enough.

The setting was the temple treasury. Clearly the Temple Treasury would be a busy place, with a constant flow of worshipers coming and going. On the evening of the first day of this feast, there was a ceremony called The Illumination of the Temple. William Barclay offers the following description:

    “It took place in the Court of the Women. The court was surrounded with deep galleries, erected to hold spectators. In the centre four great candelabra [Menorah] were prepared. When the dark came the four great candelabra were lit and, it was said, they sent such a blaze of light throughout Jerusalem that every courtyard was lit up with their brilliance. Then all night long, until cock-crow the next morning, the greatest and the wisest and the holies men in Israel danced before the Lord and sang psalms of joy and praise while the people watched. Jesus is saying: “You have seen the blaze of the Temple illuminations piercing the darkness of the night. I am the Light of the World, and, for the man who follows me there will be light, not only for one exciting night, but for all the pathway of his life. The light in the Temple is a brilliant light, but in the end it flickers and dies. I am the Light which lasts for ever.”

The phrase “light of life” can mean either the light which issues from the source of life or the light which gives life. When Jesus claimed to be “the light of the world,” he meant both. He meant that . . .
(1) He is the very light of God come among men. He is the . . .
    God who the Psalmist describes, “He wraps himself in light” (Ps. 104:2).
    God who John describes, “God is light; in him there is no darkness” (1 Jn. 1:5).
    God who Paul says, “Who lives in unapproachable light.” (1 Tim. 6:16).
Jesus is God! He is the source of life!   

Because Jesus is God, He is the one who gives men life.
(2) He is the light which gives men life. He is the one . . .
    John speaks of in John 1:4, “In him [i.e., Jesus] was life, and that life was the light of men.”    
    Paul speaks of in 2 Cor. 4:6,  “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 the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

So the claim Jesus makes is the claim to be the source of life – God Himself and the God who gives life. And He is God from the very beginning (see Jn. 1:1-3).

The claim of Jesus is followed by . . .
2. The Invitation   
“Whoever follows me.” If the claim is true, then the invitation makes sense, for the invitation is to “follow” Jesus with one’s whole life, and only God is worthy of that kind of allegiance. To be a follower of Christ is to give oneself body, soul and spirit into the obedience of the Master; and to enter upon that following is to walk in the light!

When we walk alone we are bound to stumble and fall because we are walking in the dark. We are prone to go in the wrong direction because we cannot see clearly the path. But when we follow Jesus the “light,” we find that he is a sure guide for he alone possesses the map to life. Only Jesus has the eternally updated GPS coordinates for your life! To follow him is to walk in safety through life and afterwards to enter into glory.

Have you ever tried to find your way in a dark place, on a dark path? Maybe you didn’t have a flashlight but someone with you did. So they took the lead with the flashlight and you walked alongside them, or just a little behind them. You were close enough to the light that you could see the path. If you lingered back to far the light would have been too distant to help you, the path would have immediately become dark again. People who follow Jesus, who stay close to Him, they are the ones who stay on the lighted path. If the path you are walking on is too dark, then you’re too far from Jesus for He is the light to your path. It’s time to step into the light. And you remain in the light as you follow Jesus. 

The invitation is followed with . . .
3. The Promise
“Will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Darkness is hard to understand. There are different types of darkness. Sin is a type of darkness in the Bible. Our fallen sin nature is attracted to that darkness. This explains our love of the darkness even when it’s the darkness of sin that is seeking to destroy us. “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed” (Jn. 3:19-20). When we follow Jesus (“the light”) we will have power over sin that keeps us off the lighted path.

The light of Christ drives out the darkness. We were made by “the Light” to live in the light. To followers of Jesus, Paul says, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light” (Eph. 5:8). “You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled” (1 Thess. 5:5-6). And 1 Peter 2:9 reminds us us that we have been “called” out of “darkness into his wonderful light.”

There is another type of darkness that is overcome by the light. The spiritual battles that we endure are a type of darkness. Anxiety, fear, persecutions, struggling relationships, depression, spiritual attacks, these bring a heaviness, a darkness to our soul. And sometimes the darkness seems to win. Country star Mindy McCready, after a decade of reckless relationships, arrests, and addictions, tragically took her own life this past week leaving two sons, a 10 month and a 6 year old. Her boyfriend, David Wilson took his life about a month before on the same porch in Heber, Arkansas. These events sadden us even when we do not know the people personally because we see how the darkness overcomes and destroys people’s lives. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (Jn. 10:10). We will never know what goes through the mind of a person in these kinds of situations, but we know there is a great darkness and a sadness of the soul that is very real and present.

Following Jesus is no guarantee that the path will always be sunny and easy, that there won’t be any spiritual battles, that we won’t stumble and wander in the dark sometimes. The path of Jesus, “The light of the world” was one of suffering and led ultimately to a cross of darkness. But when we do follow Christ the light the darkness does not seem as overwhelming, we know with all the assurance of God that the darkness will not overcome us. If it’s sunny outside it doesn’t seem as cold. And the faintest light is able to drive out the darkness. Following Jesus keeps the darkness at bay, for we are walking in “the light of life.” When we follow Jesus we experience God’s promise, the promise that David in the Old Testament came to realize after a period of darkness. He said in 2 Sam. 22:29, “You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord turns my darkness into light.” (See also Ps.18:28). Stay close to the light and the darkness will not overtake you for the Lord will turn your darkness into light.

You were made by “the Light” to live in the light. You were not meant to live in the crushing depths of the cold darkness, you were made for the light. Are you living in the light? Jesus made a statement in John 12:35 that still applies today. “Then Jesus told them, ‘You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before the darkness overtakes you.” The darkness doesn’t have to overcome you, but you do have to step into the light, and live in that light! You can begin that journey today by making a step of faith. Let “the Light” shine in your hearts, to bring you the knowledge of salvation. You were made by “the Light” to live in the light.




For His Glory!
Pastor Joe