 Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse (Manteo, NC USA) - John 8:12 - Photo by Whitney V. Myers "Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, 'I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.' " (John 8:12) "I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness." (John 12:46) "Christ is the Light of the world. God is light, and Christ is the image of the invisible God. One sun enlightens the whole world; so does one Christ, and there needs no more." -- Matthew Henry (1662-1714) (Ref. 1, Ref. 2) This lesson is the first in a series on the "I AM" statements of Christ. This lesson discusses Jesus' statement, "I am the Light of the world" (John 8:12). Consider. What does it mean to you that Jesus is the Light of the world? Do you have the Light of life? God is Light. The teaching that God is Light begins in the Old Testament and continues through the New Testament. David wrote, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?" (Psalm 27:1). The prophet Micah said, "Though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is a light for me" (Micah 7:8). The disciple John, wrote, "God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5). God's Light purposely illumines mankind. Jesus' Jewish listeners would recall Exodus 13:21 - "The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night." The psalmist wrote, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105). The author of 2 Samuel 22:29 tells us "For You are my lamp, O Lord; And the Lord illumines my darkness." "I am the Light of the world." Jesus, the Eternal One, is the Light of the world because:
"He who follows Me will not walk in the darkness." Let's discuss this phrase in three parts: a) "He who follows Me" - The Greek word for follow is akoloutheó, which means to join as a disciple (Ref. 5). In John 8:12, Jesus "likens himself to a torch which the disciple follows" (Ref. 5). Jesus frequently spoke about what it means to follow him as a disciple (for example, Luke 14:27). b) "Will not walk" - The Greek word for walk is peripateó. Peripateó means (in the ethical sense) how I conduct my life (Ref. 6). c) "In the darkness" - The Greek word for darkness is scotia (Ref. 7). Scotia has a dual meaning. In the literal sense, scotia (darkness) is the absence of daylight (John 6:17). In the figurative sense, scotia (darkness) is the state we are in before we believe in Christ, that is, a state of ignorance, guilt, and sin (Ref. 8). Putting these three parts together - "He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness" means He who follows Me [Jesus] as a disciple will no longer conduct his life in a state of ignorance, guilt, and sin. Note that Jesus also said, "I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness" (John 12:46, italics added). Being in darkness is our (mankind's) default condition. Jesus has come so that when we believe in him, God the Father transfers us from the domain of darkness to the kingdom of the Son of God (Colossians 1:13). "But will have the Light of life." Just as sight is a function of physical life, Christ is the Light for our spiritual life. John says, referring to Christ, "In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men" (John 1:4). When we believe in Jesus Christ, the divine light of Christ continually shines in us, guiding us to life everlasting (Ref. 9). Apply. Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Light of the world? If not, then pray and put your trust in him today. Are you a disciple of Christ? Are you following him? Do you have the Light of life? References
1. https://biblehub.com/commentaries/mhc/john/8.htm 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Henry 3. http//www.ScriptureWay.com/home/who-is-jesus 4. http://www.ScriptureWay.com/bible-verses-about-eternal-life 5. https://biblehub.com/greek/190.htm 6. https://biblehub.com/greek/4043.htm 7. https://biblehub.com/greek/4653.htm 8. https://biblehub.com/commentaries/poole/john/12.htm (Matthew Poole's Commentary on John 12:46) 9. https://biblehub.com/commentaries/benson/john/8.htm
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Mount Sinai in Early Morning - Photo 123RF - With John 8:58
Copyright: georgemuresan / 123RF Stock Photo
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation" (Colossians 1:15). "Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am” (John 8:58).
Consider. On the evening before his death, Jesus spoke with his disciples. Jesus told his disciples that he was about to leave them (John 13:33).
Who was this Jesus that was speaking to his disciples? Was he just a great teacher or a prophet? Or, was he God as he claimed?
Let's explore several scriptures that tell us who Jesus is.
Jesus is the begotten and only Son of God. When the time came for the second person of the Trinity (Ref. 1) to become flesh, God sent the angel Gabriel to a virgin named Mary (Luke 1:26-27). Gabriel informed Mary, "Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus" (Luke 1:31).
Mary replied, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34) Literally, Mary asked Gabriel, "How can this be since I do not know (sexual intimacy) a man?" (Ref. 2) Gabriel answered Mary, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God" (Luke 1:35). John describes Jesus as the only begotten Son of God in John 3:16. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." The Greek word for "only begotten" is monogenés, which means "one (monos) of a class, genos (the only of its kind)." Therefore, Jesus is unique (Ref. 3). The above scriptures establish Jesus' title as the begotten, unique, and only Son of God.
Jesus is fully God and fully human. John begins his gospel by describing the Deity of Jesus Christ. "In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself" (John 1:1).
John also describes the Word made flesh. "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). The Apostle Paul states, "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form" (Colossians 2:9). These scriptures tell us that Jesus is fully God and fully human.
Jesus is the visible image of God. Throughout Scripture, Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, is the visible image and visible expression of God. "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation" (Colossians 1:15). Jesus said, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9).
The New Living Translation of Hebrews 1:3 explains that Jesus expresses the character of God. "The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God." The Greek word is "charaktér," which means an exact impression (likeness) which also reflects inner character. The Preincarnate Son of God was "exceedingly active in the Old Testament" (Ref. 4). Consider these examples where Christ appeared in visible form:
In Exodus 3:13, Moses asked God to tell him God's name. God replied to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you' " (Exodus 3:14). Jesus confirmed that he is the same God who appeared to Moses and said, "I AM WHO IAM." "Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am' " (John 8:58). We began this post with a question. Who was this Jesus that was speaking to his disciples on the evening before his crucifixion? (John 13:33) The Jesus who said to his disciples, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me" (John 14:6) is the same God who appeared to Moses and said, "I AM WHO I AM" (Exodus 3:14). Apply. If someone asked you to explain who Jesus is, how would you answer?
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"I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." -- Jesus speaking in John 14:6 |
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