Jesus – The True Light of the World
#90 in Series: “The Life of Christ – in a Harmony of The Gospels”
Jesus’ life and ministry is detailed in the four gospels in the NT. We must
harmonize the gospels together in order to follow any sense of the
chronological order of Jesus’ life and ministry... We are currently studying
what happened during, and just following the last Feast of Booths /
Tabernacles that precedes the trial and crucifixion of Jesus that will come
about six months later... It has taken us a little more than three years to arrive
at this point in our study. I really don’t now how long it will take in our study
to get to the ascension of Jesus, but I suspect that it will take a while... The
gospel writers give more ink to the final months of Jesus’ ministry leading up
to the cross than any other time period in Jesus life on earth...
I say all of this to encourage you to stay with us in this journey... The best is
yet to come...
We come today to the events recorded in the 8th chapter of the book of John...
What we considered last week, was the encounter Jesus had with the “woman
caught in adultery”, which reads like an interruption to the context in its
original order... As we discussed, that story did not appear in any of the
oldest manuscripts, and was inserted between two events that occurred during
the Feast of Tabernacles, when Jesus would strategically proclaim truths to the
crowds who gathered at the temple during the feast...
Let’s focus today on John 8, beginning with verse :12 –
John 8:12-20
12 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.” 13 So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself;
Your testimony is not true.” 14 Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if
I testify about Myself, My testimony is true, for I know where I came from
and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I
am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone.
16 But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I
and the Father who sent Me. 17 Even in your law it has been written that
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the testimony of two men is true. 18 I am He who testifies about Myself,
and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.” 19 So they were saying to
Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor
My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.” 20 These
words He spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one seized
Him, because His hour had not yet come.
We are only going to focus on the most substantive portions of our text today,
and we’ll begin with –
1. The Announcement from Jesus
John 8:12
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.”
As we saw a couple of weeks ago, people are now becoming quite divided
over Jesus. The Jewish leaders hate Him, and are trying every way possible to
get rid of Him... But, there are others, yet many others, who are becoming
convinced that Jesus is the Messiah, and they very much want to hear Him...
The setting, most believe, is that Jesus is in, what is called “the court of
women”. It is a court just pass the court of Gentile as one continues further
into the court complex of the Temple. There would be no Gentiles in this
court, but many men and women! The men of course where allowed into the
next court, but Jesus chooses this court so that any Jewish person there could
hear His statement.
This very statement is the meat of the text. What will follow is the response
to this statement by some of the Jewish leaders, but let’s not rush pass the
main point!
Let’s think through Jesus’ statement very carefully, beginning with –
➢ The deity claimed by Jesus
John 8:12
Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am ...
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For the second, of seven times in the book of John, Jesus makes the claim to
being the “I am...”
The Seven “I AM” Statements Jesus claims in the book of John:
John 6:25-35 I Am The Bread of Life
John 8:12 I Am The Light of the World
John 10 :1-10 I Am The Gate of Heaven
John 10:11-18; 27-30 I AM The Good Shepherd
John 11:25-26 I Am The Resurrection and The Life
John 14:1-6 I Am The Way, Truth, and Life
John 15:1-8 I Am The Vine
You have in your notes a simple chart to these seven statements, that we
looked at in a series of messages way back in June and July of 2017... I don’t
expect you to remember that series, but we are obviously encountering these
texts again as we work through this series on the life of Christ. I am not re-
preaching those messages, but you can still access them on sermonaudio.com
if you want...
The point here, is that Jesus is laying claim to the title “I AM”, which is
known as the tetragrammaton – – the four-letter Hebrew Name for
Yahweh, and is literally translated – “I AM”...
Jesus is the “I AM” in the flesh, and He stand in the courtyard, filled with
women and men of Israel and declares to them the He is ... The I AM!
But, as in each case that Jesus invokes this title, He specifies just how He is
the I AM in the flesh. Here He says –
“I am the Light of the world...”
This is –
➢ The truth revealed about Jesus
He says –
John 8:12
Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world...”
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Now, this isn’t the first time that John tells us of this truth. In fact, in the
opening words of John’s gospel we read –
John 1:4-9
4
In Him [that is Jesus] was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The
Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
[We begin to see here truth about light... Light dispels darkness. Light
reveals, or illuminates what is there!...]
6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John [referring to John
the Baptizer].
7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all
might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify
about the Light.
9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every
man.
The Apostle John also writes –
John 3:19
This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved
the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.
We see more truth about this divine Light – and that is, it exposes the evil that
resides in the heart of people!...
When Jesus declares that He is the light of the world – His audience would
have understood that He is making claim to be the fulfilment of the Messianic
prophecies that said the Messiah will be that light!... Let me quickly cite a
few of those passages –
Isaiah 42:6-7
6
“I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness,
I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You,
And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people,
As a light to the nations,
7 To open blind eyes,
To bring out prisoners from the dungeon
And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.
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Isaiah 49:6
He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also make You a light of the nations
So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
Isaiah 60:1-3
1
“Arise, shine; for your light has come,
And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
2
“For behold, darkness will cover the earth
And deep darkness the peoples;
But the LORD will rise upon you
And His glory will appear upon you.
3
“Nations will come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.
One more –
Isaiah 9:2
The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in a dark land,
The light will shine on them.
The Apostle Paul cites the truth that Jesus is this Light, when he was giving a
defense before King Agrippa in Acts 26. He testified –
Acts 26:23
that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the
dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to
the Gentiles.”
As we will see, Jesus will come back to this truth, that He is the light of the
world, a few more times in the months to come (i.e. John 9:5, 12:35).
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Next, we see –
➢ The promise given by Jesus
John 8:12
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.”
There are three things about Jesus’ promise that we need to grasp, and we’ll
simply look at them in the order they appear. The first is –
• The contingency upon the right relationship
John 8:12
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.”
Jesus says this promise is contingent upon following Him... Disciples are
followers... A disciple of Jesus follows Jesus. A disciple is a learner – a
student – but students are not always disciples... Because a disciple is one
who not only learns from another, but applies what they learn to their lives!
That is what is meant by the term follows!
John MacArthur says that – “The word ‘follows’ conveys the idea of
someone who gives himself completely to the person followed. No half-
hearted followers exist in Jesus’ mind (cf. Mt. 8:18-22, 10:38-39). A veiled
reference exists here to the Jews, following the pillar of cloud and fire that
led them during the Exodus (Ex. 13:21).”i
Did you catch that statement in the middle of his quote?... There is no
half-hearted followers exist in Jesus’ mind...
Commentator William D. Mounce says – “Following is not only a description
of movement, but it is also a metaphor of salvation. To follow Christ means
to accompany Him to learn from Him, and to respond to His voice.”
ii
Are you a disciple of Jesus? If so, you are not only leaning about Him –
learning from Him – but you are ... following Him!...
The rest of the promise is contingent on being a follower...
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Next is –
• The distinction within the promise
John 8:12
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.”
Now I say distinction here, because Jesus is obviously drawing a distinction
between the lifestyle of those who follow Him being different than those who
don’t... It’s implied, but definite...
Followers of Jesus will not walk in darkness – those who don’t follow Jesus,
the Light of the world do walk in darkness!
Is your lifestyle different than that of unbelievers? By that, I mean do you
have a different value system than the world? Do you have a desire to walk in
the truth revealed by God, or are you content to follow after the culture around
you that ... walks in darkness?...
The Apostle John later states this a little differently, but very succinctly, in his
first epistle –
1 John 1:6-7
6
If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness,
we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He
Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood
of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
The simple point here is – Christians are different in their values, convictions,
and lifestyle than the unbelieving secular culture around us... The world is
dark. Christians are children of the Light!...
But there is more in the promise of Jesus, and we’ll call it –
• The possession of the divine nature
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John 8:12
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.”
Now I’m sure there is a better way of saying this, but I couldn’t think of it...
The point is – the one who is in right relationship with Jesus – a follower, is
one who life is different than those walking in darkness – but more than that –
he/she is one who possesses within themselves the very life-giving light of
Jesus!...
Now I want to be careful here with this interpretation... We do not become
Jesus – but we become like Jesus. This isn’t some twist on new-age
mysticism. This is simple Bible doctrine – that Christians are possessors of
the very Light of life within, because Jesus, Who is that Light, abides within
us!...
We are possessors of the nature of the One Who gives this promise!...
Followers of Jesus – Christians – are ... in the words of Peter –
2 Peter 1:4
For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by
them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption
that is in the world by lust.
Jesus is the Light. He gives life, eternal life – and those in right-relationship
to Him are partakers of His divine light! In other words, we possess a new
nature – His nature!
Are you a follower of Jesus. Are you walking in His Light – a very possessor
of this Light, whose life is characterized by ... light?....
We’ve spent most of our time considering the main point in this section –
where Jesus said – “I am the Light of the world he who follows Me will not
walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
The balance of our text today reveals the reaction to Jesus’ statement on the
part of the Pharisees, and Jesus’ response...
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Let’s consider –
2. The Antagonism from the Jews
As we read the balance of our text, we see a back-and-forth going on between
the Pharisees and Jesus... First, we see –
➢ Their accusation
John 8:13
So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your
testimony is not true.”
The Jews quickly respond with ... defiance!... They basically mock Jesus for
His claims... It also seems that they were listening in the past when Jesus
said –
John 5:31
“If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true.”
But, the Pharisee fail to consider the witness of others! They don’t give any
credence to the OT that Jesus clearly fulfills. They’ve already forgotten about
John the Baptist in his testimony concerning Christ, and even more
importantly, they deny the witness of the Father in Jesus’ behalf!...
What follows is –
➢ Jesus’ rebuttal
John 8:14-18
14 Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I testify about Myself, My
testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going;
but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 You
judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone [that is, “in the flesh”
they way they do...].
16 But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am
not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me. 17 Even in your law it
has been written that the testimony of two men is true. 18 I am He who
testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.”
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There are three reasons why they should be able to accept the veracity of
Jesus’ claims, and I get these from MacArthur’s Study Bible:
1) Jesus knew His origin and destiny while the Jews were ignorant even of
basic spiritual truths, making their judgment limited and superficial (:14-
15).
2) The intimate union of the Son with the Father guaranteed the truth of the
Son’s witness (:16).
3) The Father and Son witnessed harmoniously together regarding the
identity of the Son (:17-18).
In the first part of verse :19, we see –
➢ Their mockery
John 8:19a
So they were saying to Him, “Where is Your Father?”
This question was not a sincere inquiry, but a mocking challenge... When I
checked what MacArthur had to say, he agrees...
John MacArthur – “Scorn, ridicule, sarcasm, mockery. I don’t know
whether they were throwing some slur at Him as an illegitimate child, which
of course appears in ancient times. I don’t know whether they were
mocking the fact that no one knew His father because His father was long
dead by the time He was in ministry. I don’t know really what they were
saying, but it was intended as scornful mockery. ‘Where is your father?’”
iii
➢ Jesus’ response
John 8:19b
Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you
would know My Father also.”
It is at this point that J.C. Ryle said – “These words teach plainly that
ignorance of Christ and ignorance of God are inseparably connected. The
man who thinks he knows anything rightly of God while he is ignorant of
Christ is completely deceived. The God whom he thinks he knows is not
the God of the Bible, but a God of his own fancy’s invention.”
iv
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Throughout Jesus’ sermons, He constantly referred to the Father. In various
places, He spoke of how He came from the Father (i.e. Matt. 10:40), He will
be returning to the Father (i.e. John 17:5), and He is the only way one may
come to know the Father! (John 14:6)...
The Pharisees just wouldn’t get it!... Do you?
Verse :20 simply tells us that Jesus was still in the treasury region of the
Temple when He taught these things, and notice...
John 8:20
These words He spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet
come.
The Jewish leaders tried yet again to seize Him, but they are unable – because
it is not yet time...
That “hour” is of course referring to the cross, which is only months away...
Well, Jesus “hour” of heading to the cross has not yet come in our study of
His life and ministry... But there is a significant question you need to
answer... Has the hour come in your life, when you need to start following
Jesus?... If you are a follower – how closely are you following Him?...
He is the True Light – follow Him.
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Questions to Consider in Community Group:
➢ How do we know that when Jesus said “I am the Light of the world” that He was
making a claim to being God?
➢ What does it mean that Jesus is the Light of the world? Why would Jesus say the
Light, and not a light? How does the metaphor of light help us understand the
spiritual truth in Jesus’ words?
➢ What does it mean to follow Jesus? How can we know if we are truly following Him?
➢ What does it mean that followers of Christ will “have the Light of life” within them?
➢ As far as the Pharisees were concern, what was the problem with Jesus making this
claim? Why was (or is) it important to have more than one witness to a matter?
➢ What could be the significance of Jesus stating these words where He did?
➢ What are you thoughts about any of the quotes shared in the message?
John MacArthur – “The word ‘follows’ conveys the idea of someone who gives himself completely to
the person followed. No half-hearted followers exist in Jesus’ mind (cf. Mt. 8:18-22, 10:38-39). A
veiled reference exists here to the Jews, following the pillar of cloud and fire that led them during the
Exodus (Ex. 13:21).”
William D. Mounce – “Following is not only a description of movement, but it is also a metaphor of
salvation. To follow Christ means to accompany Him to learn from Him, and to respond to His voice.”
John MacArthur – “Scorn, ridicule, sarcasm, mockery. I don’t know whether they were throwing some
slur at Him as an illegitimate child, which of course appears in ancient times. I don’t know whether
they were mocking the fact that no one knew His father because His father was long dead by the time
He was in ministry. I don’t know really what they were saying, but it was intended as scornful
mockery. ‘Where is your father?’”
J.C. Ryle – “These words teach plainly that ignorance of Christ and ignorance of God are inseparably
connected. The man who thinks he knows anything rightly of God while he is ignorant of Christ is
completely deceived. The God whom he thinks he knows is not the God of the Bible, but a God of his
own fancy’s invention.”
i
John MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible, p. 2191.
ii https://www.preceptaustin.org/john-8-12-commentary
iii https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/43-44/i-am-the-light-of-the-world
iv https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/ryl/john-8.html
