THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD HAS COME
John 8:12
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. Robert Baptista was attending his church’s program and noticed how many men were wearing full beards. Knowing his wife’s aversion to facial hair, he teasingly whispered to her, “How do you think I’d look with a beard and a mustache?” She whispered back, “Lonely!”
B. INSPIRATION FROM A POWER OUTAGE
1. Christmas Sunday was only 3 days off, and the Pastor was still without a sermon. He was getting anxious. Of course, he could resort to an old sermon, if necessary, but he shrank from doing that. He wanted something fresh.
2. So on this night he was kneeling by his desk, praying earnestly for a new inspiration, when suddenly, all the lights went out.
3. He looked out the window. The entire street was dark. Whereas a moment ago the neighborhood was aglow with Christmas decorations, now it was all black. No strings of pretty lights illuminated the houses. No Christmas tree lights shone through the windows. No lighted stars hung from the lampposts. What a different scene! How desolate and depressing.
4. Then, after a few minutes, the lights came on again. Once more the neighborhood was filled with brightness and beauty to celebrate the happiest season of the year. How good it felt. How it lifted one’s spirit.
5. Now the pastor had his sermon. He would preach about Jesus, the Light of the world -- had come!
C. TEXT & IMPLICATIONS:
1. “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.
2. What did Jesus mean when He said, “I am the light of the world?” What difference did it make when His light came into the world?
I. JESUS IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
A. REASON/ORIGIN FOR THIS STATEMENT
1. Jesus had entered the Temple very early, probably before daylight (8:2). As Jesus stood teaching, the sun probably rose over the Mount of Olives & a shaft of sunlight cut through the darkness – and shown on Him.
2. The sun is the source of light, heat & energy for the earth, so Jesus is spiritually. Without the sun, there could be no light. Jesus is the Sun of Righteousness!
B. JESUS IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
1. Before His coming, the world dwelt in darkness. “For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you” Isa. 60:2.
3. Bob Woods took his son, 11, and his daughter, 7, to Carlsbad Caverns. When the tour guide reached the deepest point in the caverns, the guide turned off all the lights to dramatize how completely dark and silent it is below the earth’s surface. The little girl, suddenly enveloped in utter darkness, began to cry. Immediately her brother spoke up; “Don’t cry! Somebody here knows how to turn the lights back on!”
4. Being in darkness is a terrible thing, but Jesus has brought light into our darkness!
C. JESUS IS THE TRUE LIGHT
1. Many claim to be “the Light” or to have Light.
a. Psychic hotlines – supposedly tap into source.
b. Cults/world religions – “I am the Christ”
c. Education – the panacea for all the ills of society
d. Science/Medicine – twin-headed gods of modern man.
e. Opinion polls – public opinion must be right.
2. But there’s only ONE TRUE LIGHT!
a. “I am the Way, the Truth, & the Life.”
b. There were other lights in Jesus’ day:
1). Oily noxious lamps in the Temple.
2). Stars in the predawn sky – gave slight light.
3). But when the mighty flaming orb of the Sun/Son arose, all recognized the true light had dawned!
3. And when you put Jesus Christ the “Righteous One” besides other supposed lights, they’re only noxious lamps that twinkle!
II. FOLLOW JESUS, NOT WALK IN DARKNESS
A. MANY KINDS OF DARKNESS
1. Ignorance/superstition – Hindus broke microscopes when they were shown they were eating living organisms.
2. Death – shroud of the unknown
3. Sin/moral evil
B. SELF DECEPTION (quote scripture)
1. You can’t say you’re following Jesus if you’re living in sin.
a. Mt. 6:23 AMP; “But if your eye is bad [spiritually blind], your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the [very] light inside you is darkness, how great and terrible is that darkness!
b. John 3:19-21 NIV; “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people 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 their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”
c. Actions speak louder than words.
2. ILLUS.: THE TRUTH IS, SOME PREFER DARKNESS
a. There was a desert nomad who awakened hungry in the middle of the night. He lit a candle and began eating dates from a bowl beside his bed. He took a bite from one end, and saw a worm in it, so he threw it out of the tent. He bit into a second date, found another worm, and threw it away also.
b. Reasoning that he wouldn’t have any dates left to eat if he continued, he blew out the candle and quickly ate all the dates. [Unknown]
3. Requirement of Jesus: “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”
4. Let the searchlight of the Word expose your sin. A little Zulu girl, who had given her life to Christ, prayed this prayer; “O Great Chief, light a candle in my heart that you may see the rubbish and sweep it out!”
5. To “follow” Christ means to Yield, Obey, & to have no other master.
C. IF WITH CHRIST, THERE WILL BE LIGHT
1. Because Jesus is Light.
2. ILLUS. A little boy walked along a country road late one night with his father, and carried the lantern. The black silence all around frightened him. He said, “Father, this light reaches such a little way, I am afraid!” His father answered, “True my son, but if you walk on, the light will shine all the way to the end of your journey.”
3. Not only is Jesus the Light of the World, but...
III. WE ARE NOW THE LIGHT
A. A DERIVED/ BORROWED LIGHT
1. Jesus said, “As long as it is day, WE must do the works of him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world” Jn. 9:4-5.
2. It’s implied the when He will be gone, that you & I are the light of the world. That’s what He said Matt. 5:14-16:
3. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
4. Jesus shines His light THROUGH US as we receive Him and live out His Word. The more time we spend with Jesus, the more we resemble Him.
5. Many watches have phosphorous markers that light up the 5-minute marks in the dark. But the only way they glow is if they are exposed to the light. Are you shining for Jesus?
B. PERFORMING YOUR ACTION
1. ILLUS. A family traveling by car stopped at a town to have their car looked at, just about dark. Something about the engine needed attention. A mechanic stood looking at the motor while his helper stood there, holding the flashlight. Something attracted the helper’s attention and he inadvertently turned the light away from the motor. The mechanic looked up and with good-humored impatience exclaimed, “Shine your light! What are you here for anyway?” That statement could be said of every Christian!
2. Some people don’t want to be around sinners, but they need you! A young Christian woman was having difficulty on the job because some of the other workers were picking on her because of her faith. She talked to her Pastor, who asked her, “Where do people usually put lights?” She wasn’t sure what he was driving at. The Pastor answered his own question: “You put lights in dark places, light them up!”
3. So if you find yourself in a dark environment, that may be the very reason why you’re there: to be the light in that dark place!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: Punching Holes in the Darkness
1. Robert Lewis Stevenson, as a boy, was looking out the window watching a workman come by and light the gas lights along the street.
2. When asked what he was watching, the young boy said, “I see a man punching holes in the darkness.” (Walter Knight’s, Treasury, p. 204)
B. THE CALL
1. The Bible says, “God is light; in Him is no darkness at all.” What about you; do you have any dark spots in your life?
2. Are following Jesus? Have you denied yourself, taken your cross, and followed Him?
3. You can’t shine unless you spend time in the light. Have you been the witness you should have for Christ? That’s all you’re here for.
4. Are you in darkness? – Depression, despair, grief, pain, sin? If you will let Him, Jesus will put light into your life. Come to the front.
