Light



John 8:12
12Again 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.”

I arrogantly thought we were going to cover almost 20 verses today but I couldn’t get past this one lone verse. One read of this verse is never enough. When the Lord of Lords says “I AM the light of the world” notice must be taken and meditation must be practiced.

Jesus’ self-identification as the light of the world is a big claim and its implications were not lost on the target of His conversation. The following words will be barbed and inflammatory – but that’s tomorrow’s discussion. In the minds of His hears would ring the words of the Isaiah who used verbiage about the light in his prophetic descriptions of the coming Messiah.

Isaiah 9:2, 6-7
2The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. 6For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Isaiah 60:1-3
1Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 2For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. 3And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

Clearly, living in darkness is not an option for the people of God, not in the Old Testament and certainly not in the New. As Jesus defines Himself as “The Light” the Pharisees must have ground their teeth together, especially when preceded by the title I AM. But their disbelief did not negate Jesus’ truth. He was and is that Light. They got to look in His eyes and still they did not believe because they didn’t want to. We are not privileged (yet) to look into those eyes but the Holy Spirit has brought us to faith in “The Light of the World.” John, the writer of this book, also spoke of that light in his doctrinal writing that we know as 1 John.

1 John 1:5-7
5This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7But 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.

Now our lives are typified by the Light of the World. He pervades our every moment. Finally, one cannot help but be reminded of what Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5-7.

Matthew 5:14-16
14“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Not only do I trust in the Light as my salvation, He comes to fill my life so that I can share what He has done. My light is actually His light and sharing it is pure joy. Only a fool would keep it hidden.

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