Jesus In His Own Words: I AM…The Light of The World
Jesus In His Own Words: I AM…The Light of The World
Opening Illustration:
Chances are you have never heard the story of Herman Mendoza. I was listening to a pod-cast a few weeks ago and heard the story of his conversion from New York drug lord to born again Christian who now pastors one of the largest churches in New York City. Mendoza starting experimenting with alcohol and drugs when he was in his early teens. His parents were hardly ever around. He began dealing drugs in his late teens. In his early 20’s he couldn’t find honest work so he drove deeper into the drug game. He made money fast and easy. He was wealthy, living the high life. He was partying every day. He was young, rich, and powerful. However, that would all come crashing down with the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force busted him and his partners. Suddenly, he was looking at life in prison. Mendoza turned state’s evidence and went to prison for a short time. When he was released, he immediately went back to the drug game. It would not take long for Mendoza to be caught again and this time he was behind bars for a long time.
Remarkably, Mendoza’s brother, a drug dealer in his own wright, had recently accepted Christ while in prison. His conversion was real and life changing. He immediately began to pray for Herman. His prayers would be answered and Herman Mendoza, New York’s biggest most successful drug Lord embraced Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord.
Mendoza, speaking about his conversion, is quoted saying, “If the this warmth that enveloped me. I felt the presence of God. I felt the light of Jesus Christ drive the darkness from my spirit. I realized that I was a dead man walking and now I am alive in Christ.”
Mendoza was eventually released from prison and he began to travel the globe telling people his story and how Christ transformed his life. You can learn more about his story in his autobiography, “Shifting Shadows: How A New York Drug Lord Found Freedom in the Last Place He Expected”.
I just love stories like that don’t you. Stories of men and women living in darkness responding to the call of Christ. Embracing the light of God in their hearts. Here is the deep truth brothers and sisters, we were all Herman Mendoza. No, maybe you weren’t a drug dealer, but you we were all sinners separated from God in need of a Savior. We were all living in darkness at one point until Jesus found us.
Do me a favor this morning, fill in the blanks for “Today’s Thought”. God’s desire is not of you to dwell in darkness, but for you to live in the light! Are you living in darkness today? Missing direction? Dead on the inside? If that’s you, there is hope! Jesus is the light of the world. He wants to give you direction and hope. He is the ultimate source of our salvation.
One of my favor preachers is the Prince of Preachers himself, Charles Spurgeon. Spurgeon knew that the light of Christ was implanted in all of us. Listen to his commentary this morning, “The Bible is not the light of the world, it is the light of the Church. But the world does not read the Bible, the world reads Christians! “You are the light of the world.”
Today’s Thought:
God’s Desire Is Not For You To Dwell In Darkness, But For You To Live in LIGHT!
Today’s Quote:
The Bible is not the light of the world, it is the light of the Church. But the world does not read the Bible, the world reads Christians! “You are the light of the world.”
-Rev. Charles Spurgeon
Background and Context:
Friends, let me set up the context for you this morning so that we will all be on the same page. This even took place during the Feast of the Tabernacles. During this period of time, the Jews were living in booths made of tree limbs to remind them of their time in the wilderness, living in tents. Each day, the priest would pour out water taken from the pool of Siloam over the alter in the temple to remind the people of when God brought forth water from the rock. Another aspect of the feast are the four candelabra that were lit in the temple courts, illuminating the entire court. Jesus saying that He is the light is playing off of these candles being lit. There was a great deal of religious fervor among the people. The temples were packed with worshippers. Rabbis from every corner of Israel had traveled to teach and preach. Jesus was the headlining act. Everyone wanted to hear Him, see Him, waiting to see what miracle He might perform.
Sadly, there were others there as well trying to trap Jesus. The Pharisees hated Jesus. They were threatened by Him and hope to trap Him into disobeying God’s Word. That is where John 8 starts. Jesus is at the Mount of Olives. There was a temple there and people crowded in to hear Him speak. As He was teaching and as the people were worshipping, a women who had been caught in the act of adultery was brought to him. She had broken the law and should be stoned. Would Jesus show grace and break the law of Moses or would He discredit Himself and demand her stoning. We know the rest of the story. Jesus kneels down, draws in the dirt, and states, “let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” At His words, the crowd departs, the oldest first to the youngest.
Imagine if in the middle of a worship service right here at Eastern Shore Baptist Church a similar scene unfolded. In the middle of me preaching the cops bring in a woman caught in adultery, a man caught looking at pornography, a young man taking drugs, a young women caught stealing, a child lying. Imagine that these people were thrown at the foot of this pulpit and punishment is demanded. Not from the police or from a judge. The punishment was demanded from one of you. Imagine how awkward that would feel. Imagine the silence that would have fallen over the group. I say all of this because the next words that I read to you this morning need to be framed in that context. This moment happens and Jesus starts teaching and preaching. Now that is what I call overcoming distraction.
This morning we are reading from John 8:12-30. I am reading from the English Standard Version of the Bible.
Statement of Belief:
We believe the Bible to be inspired, God breathed, infallible, and authoritative. We believe the Bible is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training believer’s in righteousness. God’s Word gives life. It provides peace in trouble and protection in tribulation. It is alive, active, and cuts to the core of the human soul. Since there is no other book like it, let us stand to show our reverence and respect.
Today’s Scripture:
John 8:12-20 ESV
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." [13] So the Pharisees said to him, "You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true." [14] Jesus answered, "Even if I do bear witness 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 judge no one. [16] Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. [17] In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. [18] I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me." [19] They said to him therefore, "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; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come. [30] As he was saying these things, many believed in him.
3 Thoughts on Jesus’ Teaching
I. The Identification of the Light vs. 12
John 8:12 ESV
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
Point:
Our first point this morning, Roman numeral one, the identification of the light. Jesus identifies Himself as the light. This is not the only time this happens in Scripture. In the first chapter of Genesis we hear these words, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” We hear these words echoed in John 1:1. “In the beginning”. Jesus is aligned with three different words. Jesus is the Word. The Greek for “Word” is “logos”. Jesus is the “life”. The Greek word for “life” is “Zoe”. Lastly Jesus is the Light. The Greek word for “light” is “phos”. Jesus is the logos, the Zoe, and the phos. John 1:4-5 states, “In him was life and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” By the way, the same word used for light in John 1 is the exact same word that Jesus uses of Himself in John 8. Jesus is not just identifying with the light. He is stating that He is THE LIGHT!
So, what does it mean that Jesus is light? I think that it means a few things. First and foremost, if Jesus is light, then everything else is darkness. Any belief, philosophy, religion, faith, doctrine, morality, theology, or mythos that is apart from Christ is darkness.
“So preacher, are you telling me that not all religions are created equal? Are you really telling me that any belief system where Jesus is not at it’s core, where dependance on His grace is not at the center, where adherence to His commands aren’t fundamental, where the inerrant and unchanged Word of God, the Bible and only the Bible are not looked to for guidance and revelation, are you really telling me that any other way apart from Jesus is really just darkness?
Yes. That is exactly what I am saying. Pause. Wait. Actually that is what Jesus is saying. If Jesus is the light, He is the only light. There cannot be two lights, there can only be one light. There is not light in Mormonism. There is no light in Jehovah’s Witness. There is no light in the New Age movement or the cultish worship of rocks and crystals. There is no light in Islam. No light in Buddhism. No light in Hinduism. There is no light in the hollow and deceptive philosophies of this world. There is no light in the trans movement, the worldly gospel of ever-changing sexual preference movement, or the homosexual agenda. There is no light in false little “g” gospels. There is no light in the social gospel, social justice, or prosperity gospel. Everyone of these systems of belief either subtract Jesus altogether, do everything they can to transform His message, or do everything they can to radical transform Him into a contemporary liberal left version of Himself.
Jesus is light and in Him there is no darkness. By the way friends, we do not have to apologize for the light that burns brightly within us. Hardly, we should body stand in the light of His love and share His light with others. Matthew 5:14-16 states, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” As I stated earlier, Jesus is the light and there is only one light. However, His light can be passed from person to person just like the light from a candle can be passed from person to person. We should share His light. When we share our faith, we share His light. Don’t be ashamed to tell someone about Christ, to bring your Bible to school or work, to invite a neighbor to church, or embrace a call to ministry. This light that Jesus has given to us should go far beyond the walls of this church. What good is the light of Christ if we don’t take it to the dark places. Brothers and sisters, we have one another. Encourage each other to share the light of Christ everywhere you go. Jesus is the light and the light shines in the darkness.
John 1:4-5 ESV
In him was life, and the life was the light of men. [5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Matthew 5:14-16 ESV
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
3 Thoughts on Jesus’ Teaching
I. The Identification of the Light vs. 12
II. The Direction of the Light vs. 12
John 8:12 ESV
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
Point:
Over the last few weeks, I seem to have been confronted with the subject matter of “blindness” over and over again. Let me explain. I was watching a YouTube video the other day. The video was about Ray Charles, the famous musician and singer. The video was talking about the movie Ray which starred Jamie Foxx. Foxx really wanted to try to understand Ray Charles. He wanted to identify with his disability, that of being blind. Foxx actually glued his eyes shut during the filming of the movie. A few days ago I was reading about the disease macular degeneration. The disease popped up in a new story on Apple News. Macular degeneration is a medical condition where someone with good eye site either slowly or suddenly looses all their vision. Then there was a discussion that I was having with Jack and Jett in our den the other night. Somehow we got on the subject of Helen Keller.
Hellen Keller lived her entire life in complete darkness. She had a debilitating illness at 19 months and she lost both her hearing and her sight. Imagine that friends. No vision. No hearing. Everything in this world is dark to you. You cannot hear the words of your parents. You cannot understand the world around you. You can perceive your world only through touch and taste but you have no words to conceptualize what you are experiencing. Imagine the frustration that Keller must have experienced over the many year of her life.
That all changed on March 3, 1887 when Helen Keller met Anne Mansfield Sullivan. Sullivan was only 20 years old when she met Keller. Sullivan became a light in Keller’s dark world. Ann Sullivan shown a bright light, piercing Keller’s blindness and deafness. Sullivan helped Helen Keller learn to read, write, and even helped her know Jesus Christ.
How many of you have ever felt blind? Maybe not physically blind but blind. Blind to where your life is going. Blind as to where your career is heading or what your career should even be. Blind in your relationships? Blind and you want direction. Anyone who is mature in their faith has been there before and understands the frustration. However, as the thought of the day promises, God does not want you to live in darkness. God promises that He will provide direction. He is faithful to give if we but ask for it. Could it be that you are not asking the right question? Could it be that you are not asking the right way? Are you asking God for direction with the understand that God’s direction really just needs to be the way that you are already going? Are you asking God to help shape your dreams as long as God’s direction does not deter you from what you want to do? Are you asking God to help you make a decision about an important relationship as long as God’s decision matches up what you are already pursing in that relationship?
You see friends, Jesus says that He is the light of the world, whoever follows me will not walk in darkness”. Did you catch that? You have to walk WITH Jesus in order for you not to walk in darkness. I can promise you right here, right now, if you are walking in darkness, and you are a Christian, it is not Jesus’ fault. Jesus makes a promise that if you are walking with Him, you won’t walk in darkness. So, stands to reason, if you are walking in darkness, if you are blind, it is because you are not going the Jesus way today!
Big question, how can I walk with Jesus? Here are a few answers. Walk with God’s Word. Read the corresponding Proverb to the date. Read from the Gospel of John. Read from the book of Romans. That will give you a broad spectrum of God’s Word daily. Second, pray and journal. Write your thoughts and prayers down. Writing down your prayers will help you clarify what you are really asking and give you a chance to ponder God’s response. Walk with other Godly people. Look around friends, this room is filled with Godly people. Seek them out and ask them to help you and pray for you. Lastly spend time worshipping God. Fill your mind and spirit with uplifting and encouraging songs for God and about God. You do these things daily and I give you my word you will be walking with Jesus! Remember the words of Christ captured in John 12!
John 12:35 ESV
So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.
3 Thoughts on Jesus’ Teaching
I. The Identification of the Light vs. 12
II. The Direction of the Light vs. 12
III. The Provision of the Light vs. 12
John 8:12 ESV
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
The identification of the light. The direction of of the light. Our last point this morning is the provision of the light. Jesus declares that He is the light of the world. The only light. Apart from Him is only darkness. There are so many useful benefits to light. Light is revealing. How many of you like to tempt fate by driving at night without your high beams? Of course not. Even on a brightly moon lit night, we still use our head lights because they reveal obstacles and obstructions that might be in our way. Do you know what highly focused light is called? Highly focused light is called a laser. Lasers can be used to cut through steel. Lasers are used for guidance systems. Lasers can be used as scalpel to remove cancer and disease. Light gives warmth. On a cold day, we light fires in our home or have an outdoor bonfire. We enjoy the warmth light brings.
Naturally I am talking about physical light. Jesus embodied physical light on the Mount of Transfiguration. That’s true. I am really talking about spiritual light. The spiritual light that Jesus offers. There is also several benefits to the light of Jesus. Jesus, the light of the world, reveals sin in our souls. Without His light, we would not understand our need for a Savior. His light also reveals spiritual obstacles and obstructions. Light shows us potential pitfalls in our relationships, reveals false teaching, uncovers the wolves in sheep’s clothing. His light also illuminates God’s Word, the Bible. Without the light of Christ God’s Word is dormant. His light illuminates Scripture, brings meaning to passages, and helps us see the Bible’s deep truths. His light, like a physical scalpel, removes the disease of sin from our souls. Jesus truly is the light of life! Without His light, we have no life. With HIs life we have nothing to fear! Remember what the Psalmist writes in Psalm 27, “Of David. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
Again, the word being used here for “life” is “Zoe”. When you look up this word in the Greek and Hebrew Lexicon, it gives a much deeper definition. It means “the absolute fulness of life, both essential and ethical, which belongs to God. It means real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed! When you have the light of Christ in you, you sir, you mam are blessed! You have real genuine life.
When you have the light of Christ, you have SALVATION! You cannot be saved without having the light of Christ within you. You are no longer in darkness. No longer spirally blind and dead. You are alive,
The provision of the light is the presence of God, the salvation of your soul, everlasting life. Amen!
We will close with my life Scripture. Let your light shine folks!
Matthew 5:16 ESV
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Brother’s and sisters, it is my deepest prayer that today’s information will serve as your dose of inspiration.
Psalm 27:1 ESV
Of David. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Bibliography:
Web-sites:
https://insider.pureflix.com/news/ex-new-york-drug-lord-finds-jesus
https://www.raystedman.org/new-testament/john/the-breakthrough-point
https://answersingenesis.org/jesus/jesus-word-life-and-light/
https://www.azquotes.com/quote/880666?ref=light-of-the-world
https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-life/5-false-gospels-within-the-evangelical-church.html
https://www.afb.org/about-afb/history/helen-keller/biography-and-chronology/biography
Commentaries:
The Gospel According To John by D.A. Carson
NIV Commentary on the New Testament by Leon Morris
The Gospel of John by Craig Keener
The Gospel of John I-XII by Raymond Brown
John by William Hendriksen
The Interlinear Hebrew-Greek English Bible One Volume Edition By Jay P Green
Holman New Testament Commentary John by Max Anders
Books:
Desiring God: Meditation of a Christian Hedonist by John Piper
I am the Light of the World book II by Raymond Brown
I am the Light of the World by Michael Parker
The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul
Articles:
I Am The Light of the World Connotation and Context by JG Janzen
Jesus: I am The Light of the World by B Fraser
The Son of Man V: The Light of the World by BC Butler
Sermons:
I Am The Light of the World by Jeffery Anselmi
Shedding Light on that Relationship by Paul Decker
Jesus, The Light of The World by Herman Abrahams
Slip-Sliding Away by Brian Buriff
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