Scripture Introduction
The first words of God recorded in the Bible are: “Let there be light.” Later we find that “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1John 1.5). Darkness universally symbolizes sin and death; light corresponds to life and holiness and purity. Thus King David sings (around 1000 B.C.): “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”
God’s “word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119.105), and God wraps himself in a garment of light, even becoming fire and flame for the destruction of all evil. God’s light is “marvelous” (1Peter 2.9), and heaven has no need for sun or moon, “for the glory of God gives it light” (Revelation 21.23).
Those who heard Jesus were well familiar with the frequent Biblical connection between light and God which provides the background for our text, John 8.12-20.
Introduction
We know much detail about the Jerusalem Temple and its ceremonies from ancient Jewish writings. During the Feast of Tabernacles, one of the more popular events was the water pouring ceremony that Jesus used as an opportunity to cry out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” That was in chapter seven.
The events related to Jesus’ claim to be the light of the world are also connected to the Feast of Tabernacles. The Talmud (Jewish commentary on the Bible) tells of the celebration surrounding the lighting of four enormous candelabras: “The young priests filled the lamps of the large chandeliers with oil, and lighted them all, even that the place was so bright that its reflection lighted the streets of the city. Hymns and praises were chanted by the pious ones, and the Levites praised the Lord with harps, cornets, trumpets, flutes, and other instruments of harmony. They stood upon fifteen broad steps, reaching from the lower floor to the gallery, the court of the women. And they sang fifteen psalms as they ascended, and the large choir joined voices with them….”
These huge oil lamps reminded the Jews of the pillar of fire that guided Israel in their wilderness journey. Thus Jesus has presented himself as the reality to which the three most significant “wilderness images” point. In John 6, Jesus feeds thousands from a few loaves of bread to show that he is the true manna, the bread of life from heaven. In John 7, Jesus speaks during the water ceremony because he is the rock which followed Israel and gave water in the desert. And now he stands beside the massive temple lamps and claims to be the pillar of cloud and fire which guided and guarded Israel to the promised land: “I am the Light of the world.” As he often did, Jesus shapes his sermon around “external circumstances to arouse the greatest attention and fix the words in the hearts and minds of the people.” Let us consider, this morning: 1) What Jesus says about himself; 2) What Jesus offers us; and 3) What is required of those who hear.
1. Jesus’ Claim: Light (John 8.12a)
When we lived in Nebraska, I occasionally flew into Omaha late at night. Omaha is fairly large town—about half a million people—but it is a virtual island in a vast sea of corn. Tens of thousands of acres of farmland surround it—dark farmland. Streetlights never appear in rural budgets; shopping malls and busy factories shine close to the big city. Even after the captain indicates that we have begun our descent, darkness frames the window of the airplane. Until a turn brings a direct view of the city lights beckoning us to land.
It really makes me appreciate the importance of a blackout during wartime air raids. An enemy pilot could track a city’s lights from many miles. Light witnesses to itself; it reveals its presence. It shines clearly through the darkness.
So Jesus evokes a powerful metaphor: “I am the light….” What does that mean? What is he saying about himself?
1.1. The “Light of the World” Claims Divinity
If you have not watched The Ten Commandments recently, you may not remember how God led Israel out of Egypt. Exodus 13.21-22: “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.”
Standing in the temple, during the Feast of Tabernacles, when the lamps were lit which symbolized this “pillar of fire,” Jesus says, “I am the Light of the World.” “I am the God who is; I am the glory cloud who leads you to life and eternal pleasure.”
Surely the three most important aspects of God’s essence are: Life, Love, and Light. Life tells us about God’s vitality and self-existence. He alone is uncreated; there was never a time when he was not. He was in the beginning, and he shall ever be. God the Son is, likewise, “before all things, and in him all things hold together.” To know Jesus is to know the true God and eternal life. Love reveals God’s relationship within the mystery of the Trinity. The Father loves the Son and Spirit; the Son loves the Father and Spirit; the Spirit loves the Father and Son. Creation is not the futile effort of a lonely deity to fill an empty life, but the overflow of love perfected between the persons of God. And Light proclaims God’s purity, holiness, separateness, cleanness, power. Jesus is saying: “If you would know truth, I am the source; if you would be holy, I am the way; if you would see, you must ask me.” Make no mistake, Jesus’ declares that he is God living with us.
Our family hobby is gardening, so we will soon plant tomato seeds in the basement. When we do, we will set a grow light close to the plants for 12 hours per day. Light is necessary for life; they use the energy in photosynthesis to create food. Without light they shrivel and die. Without Jesus, my outward shell may survive and grow wealthy, but my soul shrivels and dies. And in the end, I have no life within me. Jesus is the light needed to live. He is God with us.
1.2. The “Light of the World” Offers Direction
Modern electronic navigation tools have rendered the old lighthouse obsolete, but there was a time when they were essential for the survival of shipping. Darkness or fog would leave boats easy targets for sharp rocks and hidden reefs. The lighthouse directed the captain around the danger. Jesus offers similar guidance for us.
Of course, in order to see the light in Jesus, we must first look for light. If the captain does not stare in the darkness for a lighthouse, it will not guide him. Or, as John Calvin notes: “No one will ever present themselves to Christ to be enlightened except those who have known both that this world is darkness and that they themselves are altogether blind.” Jesus: “I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind” (John 9.39).
In our family devotional yesterday, the author wrote, “There is nothing so heavy to carry as a grudge.” That is a good example of our need for the light of Christ. When we are wronged, our flesh refuses to release the pain in forgiveness. And the world agrees with the sin nature: hold on to your rights, make sure others pay for their mistakes. But Jesus says, “If you have anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you.” Maybe some of you carry a heavy grudge: a wife toward her husband, a teen against their parents, or one of you toward a co-worker. My sin nature holds tightly to that load; we will not naturally travel toward forgiveness until and unless we seek Jesus’ light.
There are others. I prepared a devotional on Matthew 5.3 for the elders’ meeting on Tuesday night: “Blessed are the poor in spirit….” The world argues with Jesus: “Blessed are they who go for the gusto; blessed are they who look out for number one; blessed are strong in spirit, for they are not taken advantage of.”
Every Beatitude shines surprising light in a dark world: “Blessed are those who mourn…. Blessed are the meek…those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…the merciful…the pure in heart…the peacemakers…. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”
The presidential candidates preach differently; they tell us to blame others for our woes rather than mourn our greed and envy. The self-help section of the bookstore wants us to be cocky and self-confident, not humble before God. The glamour magazines ask women to hunger for outward beauty and thirst for power over men. The Bible insists that true beauty is found in a gentle and quiet spirit which enables you to hope in God and submit to your husband.
Light gives direction, and Jesus’ lights guides accurately in a dark world. In him and his word we see the sin and selfishness which darkens relationships and destroys lives. Jesus’ light reveals God, the spiritual realities around us, the rewards of heaven, and the means of reconciliation with the Father. Jesus lights the path in a dark world.
1.3. The “Light of the World” Provides Protection
The desert wilderness Israel wandered was not hospitable. During the day, the intense heat parches your throat as it boils your skin. Night promises relief, but the darkness and cold are equally dangerous. So God’s presence with Israel was a cooling shade by day and a warming fire by night.
Jesus protects us from the baking heat of a holy law and a guilty conscience. We saw this last week in his care for the woman caught in adultery. He shields her from the law, not by setting aside God’s justice, but by taking its punishment for her. And he shielded her from her own conscience by ordering her to go and sin no more. His gospel forgives then his grace empowers a truly transformed life. As the hymn states: “Well may the accuser roar, of sins that I have done; I know them all and thousands more, Jehovah knoweth none.” He is the cloud which absorbs the burning noonday sun.
Jesus also protects from the darkness and cold of a fallen world. You all know mature Christians who somehow have a light and warmth within themselves, even in the most trying circumstances. This is the power of Christ’s light. “I am the Light of the World.”
And he continues: “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
2. Jesus Promise: Lamp (John 8.12b)
I am always surprised, when I have one of those restless nights in which I cannot sleep, and so I get up and go downstairs to read, how hard it is to avoid stubbing my toe, or slamming into a piece of furniture, or knocking something off the counter with a loud crash. Without light, survival would be short. So I want this light Jesus offers. How do we get it? Follow him. That is more than a simple act of imitation.
The slogan, “What Would Jesus Do?” was not all bad. It was, however, misleading when we thought we received the light by mere imitation. Such practice results in a health and wealth gospel as promoted by Joel Osteen.
Following Jesus requires seeing him as he is, coming to him humbly, submitting to his cross before his crown, seeing him lifted up. Luke 9.23: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
Do you acknowledge your need for another’s light? Do you apprehend your darkness of heart and mind? Is your life characterized by dependence on God’s love and provision?
Two mistakes are commonly made. First, following Christ does not mean gritting your teeth so you can be good enough for his team. Knowing God is not like an Avis commercial: “We try harder.” It is more like, “We try humbler.” You must connect obedience with grace, good works with his power, righteousness with radical dependence.
The second mistake is to assume that his call to follow is a one-time event: you buy the ticket by saying the words, praying the prayer, walking the aisle, or getting baptized. Instead, following is a regular and repeated act. It is getting back up when you trip; returning to him when you fail; trusting his favor when you fall. He is the light; those who would not walk in darkness constantly look to him. To have life within us, we must travel toward the light.
3. Jesus’ Demand: Faith (John 8.13-20)
For those who do not know Jesus, his presentation is not very convincing. The doubtful might even say that what Jesus as evidence is the very thing which needs proving. But Jesus asserts something even more significant than a verifiable proof: Jesus says, the revelation of God is not subject “to human control and cannot be required to legitimate itself by human standards” (Ridderbos, 298). The only way to know God is to be known by him. And that comes by faith in Jesus.
This is not what skeptics deride as a “blind leap of faith.” Before his death, Jesus performed many undeniable miracles, and after the resurrection he showed himself and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive (Acts 1.3). Jesus’ works and words are sufficient for any living soul.
But we are blind. Even in the noonday sun, the blind cannot see. And so in the light of the glory of God, these men refused to see Jesus for what he was. The problem was not proof, but deadness due to sin. You must be born again. Then you will see to believe.
4. Conclusion
If you are not following Jesus, do not fool yourself by imagining that God has withheld proof sufficient for convincing you. The fault does not lie with the light, but in the darkness of your heart. Think about that. Amen.
