Jesus, the Light of the World

Minister:
Date: PM
Text: John 8:12
Psalters: 285, 292, 68, 73
  1. The meaning.
    1. The setting is the Feast of Tabernacles (7:2).
      1. God had led Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness by the pillar of fire.
      2. Jesus is explaining that He is the fulfillment of this light of God.
    2. Jesus came to manifest the glory of God in a sin-darkened world (cf. 1:7-9).
      1. Because He is God, He is the “brightness of His glory” (Heb. 1:3).
      2. Light represents the ability to have life, moral purity and to be clean, and to give knowledge (of God).
    3. He came into our darkness.
  2. The Light of the world has an effect of giving life to man.
    1. Jesus gives life, when He gives the light of the knowledge of God (to know God is to live).
      1. He is the source of spiritual life to sinners – able to give them real life.
      2. In Jesus God’s light shines in the elect giving the light of the knowledge of the glory of God (II Cor. 4:6).
    2. As such, He (light) drives away the darkness of sin and death, delivers us from the night of dying and creates in us new life.
      1. Jesus enlightens us so we see (the blind was made to see).
      2. He also delivers us from the power of darkness, enlightening us with the knowledge of the truth.
      3. Jesus is also a light which blinds and hardens (8:39; 9:39).
  3. Our calling arises from knowing the effect the light of the world has on man: follow Him as Israel follow the pillar.
    1. First, we must follow the light (“Me”), i.e., trust and obey Him.
      1. This means that we don’t walk in the darkness of sin, but repent whenever our sins are exposed to us.
      2. Believe the light and follow the light, even as Israel followed the light in the wilderness.
    2. Jesus’ promise is that they will have the light of life (cf. 4:14).