Jesus Is The Light Of The World Series

Although analogies could be made to light in general and they would be true, I believe that Jesus had a particular light in mind. He made his declaration, “I am the light of the world” if not standing in front of the candelabra of the Feast of the Taber-nacles, they are at the very least very fresh in everyone’s mind. He is declaring I am the Shekinah glory that these candelabras symbolize. He is drawing their attention back to the cloud and the pillar of fire in the wilderness and He was saying, “I was the one who with you then. I was the one who protected you from Pharaoh. I was the one who guided you through the wilderness. I was the one who enveloped the tabernacle. I AM the Shekinah glory.”

I want us to consider for just a few moments the presence of the cloud and the pillar of God, and it’s importance to the children of Israel.

•It symbolized God’s Presence.

The biblical record in the book of Exodus, reveals how the two pillars which guided the people of Israel marked the presence of God in a dramatic way. In Exodus 13:21 we read, “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.”

We read of the way in which God spoke from the cloud and that sometimes He broke forth from the cloud in judgment upon the sins of the people (Ex. 13:21-22). At no time during their wandering in the wilderness did the people of Israel forget that the presence of God was with them every step of the way.

Jesus as the light of the world assures us of the presence of God, too. He is our constant companion throughout our lives. Christ promised His disciples (Heb 13:5) that He would “never leave them or forsake them”, and He is true to His word. No matter how alone you may feel today, no matter how many people have let you down and abandoned you, Christ is there right by your side. He is never so near as when we need Him the most, and He’s only a prayer away. As the light of the world, Jesus assures us of God’s presence.

It not only symbolized God’s presence but…

•It symbolized God’s Guidance. (v. 12b)

In the second part of verse twelve Jesus

said, “He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

If we think again of the experience of Israel in the wilderness we have to remember that they constantly kept their attention on the cloud.

The pillar of cloud and pillar of fire represented God’s guidance for the people of Israel while they were in the desert. The people could not recognize any of the landmarks, and they didn’t have any clear idea about which way to go. In addition, out in the desert things can get confusing. The heat produces mirages, it distorts distances, and it makes the terrain indistinguishable. In this environment God provided the cloud and the fire. In Numbers 9:17-23 we are told of the relationship of the children of Israel to the pillar of cloud and pillar of fire. Essentially it was very simple, when the cloud moved, the people followed. When the cloud stood still, they remained where they were (Num. 9:18).