Sermon Central
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I Am The Light Of The World Series
Contributed by Rodney Burton on Jan 27, 2009 (message contributor)
Summary: Jesus declares Himself to be the light of the world.
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
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2
Background:
Jesus arrives and begins to teach at the feast about Who He is. The debate is raging over whether He is the Christ. Many refuse to believe on Him based on where He is from – Galilee. The people were divided over Who He truly was. Some wanted to seize or arrest Him but no one laid a hand on Him. When the temple guards returned to the chief priests, they were angry that they had not brought Jesus with them. The guards had been amazed at the teaching of Jesus. An argument ensued and then Nicodemus spoke somewhat in defense of Jesus.
(*Nicodemus had gone to Jesus earlier to speak to Him. He went to Jesus during the night to speak privately and ask some questions of Him. Jesus exposed the truth and the light to Nicodemus in John 3. Nicodemus had encountered the light of life.)
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. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. John 3:19-21
John 8:12 picks up where this left off and tells us that when Jesus spoke again to the people He introduces Himself as the LIGHT OF THE WORLD.
*I hear Jesus responding to Nicodemus here after Nic had said that they needed to hear from Jesus Himself. Jesus is once again exposing the light to Nicodemus to keep him from living and walking in the light.
*QUIT LOOKING TO THE RELIGION AND THE TRADITION OF THE DAY TO TRY AND FIND SOME ANSWERS OR SOME SEMBLANCE OF MEANING AND UNDERSTANDING. YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR TRUTH IN A WORLD FULL OF LIES. YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR LIGHT IN A LAND OF DARKNESS AND IN DARKNESS IS ALWAYS DEATH AND DESTRUCTION. YOU ARE TRYING TO MANUFACTURE WHAT YOU CANNOT FIND WHEN ALL ALONG I AM HERE AND I AM THE ONE … I AM THE LIGHT!!!!!!!!!!
In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. John 1:4-5
You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light.
1. Follow Me
a. You cannot follow someone unless you are willing to submit to them.
b. You must believe the one you are following knows better how to get where you are trying to go.
c. If you don’t see someone as a leader or as an authority person, there can be no following.
2. Never walk in darkness again
a. The ones who choose to follow and continue to follow will always have the light with them to direct their paths.
b. The nature of man is to love the darkness and the flesh will desire to return to that place. We must walk in the Light – in the Spirit – so as to be victorious.
c. Judas Iscariot stepped out of the light into darkness and betrayed Christ and lost his very life.
Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. “What you are about to do, do quickly,” Jesus told him, but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas has taken the bread, he went out. And it was night. John 13:26-30
At the moment Judas took the bread, darkness entered him and he stepped out into darkness as well.
Jesus had warned over and over of walking in the light and avoiding the dangers of the darkness.
