Naylor Community Christian Church
Naylor, Georgia
I. Introduction
-- turn in
Bibles to John 8:12
John 8:12 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.”
-- In a small, humble village
nestled between rolling hills, lived a man named Samuel -- Samuel was known by
all the villagers as a kind and hardworking individual -- -- However, despite
his outward appearance, Samuel carried a heavy burden of sorrow and despair
within his heart
-- Years ago, Samuel had lost his
beloved wife and daughter in a tragic accident -- The darkness of that loss had
consumed him, and each day felt like a struggle to find a reason to carry on --
He continued with his daily tasks, but the light had vanished from his eyes; he
felt as if he was merely a shadow of his former self
-- One cold winter night, as Samuel
sat by his dimly lit hearth, he heard a gentle knock at his door --
Reluctantly, he rose to answer it, and there stood a young woman, shivering
from the cold -- Her name was Eliza, and she was a traveler who had lost her
way in the darkness
-- Samuel invited her in, offered
her some warm soup, and allowed her to rest by the fire -- As they sat
together, Eliza noticed the sadness in Samuel's eyes and asked what troubled
him so deeply
-- At first, Samuel was hesitant to
share his pain, but there was something about Eliza's presence that made him
feel safe -- He began to tell her about the loss of his family and the darkness
that had enveloped his life ever since
-- Eliza listened with compassion
and empathy, and when Samuel finished, she shared her own story -- She had been
traveling from village to village, bringing light to those in need -- She
carried with her a lantern, a gift from her grandmother, which had the ability
to brighten even the darkest places
-- Eliza handed the lantern to
Samuel and said, "This light has guided me through many dark times -- It
is not just a physical light but a symbol of hope and resilience -- I believe
it can help you too"
-- Samuel took the lantern and held
it close -- As the warm glow illuminated his face, he felt a flicker of
something he hadn't felt in a long time—hope
-- Eliza stayed with Samuel for a
few days, and each night they would light the lantern and share stories,
laughter, and tears -- Slowly but surely, the light began to chase away the
shadows in Samuel's heart
-- When it was time for Eliza to
continue her journey, she left the lantern with Samuel -- She told him,
"This light is now yours -- Use it to find your way and to help others who
may be lost in their own darkness"
-- With the lantern in hand,
Samuel's life began to change -- He started to reach out to others in the
village, offering a listening ear and a warm heart -- He discovered that by
helping others, he was also healing himself -- The light from the lantern not
only brightened his home but also his spirit
-- Years later, Samuel became known as a
beacon of hope in the village -- Whenever someone was in need, they would come
to him, and he would share the light of the lantern and the story of how a kind
stranger had shown him the way out of darkness
-- The lesson in Samuel's story is
clear: Even in the darkest times, a single light can make a profound difference
-- It reminds us that hope and compassion are powerful forces that can
transform lives -- and it reminds us of the light of Christ, that brings life,
love, and eternal life to all who believe in Him
II. Darkness Covers the Land
-- when I
was in school, I was taught that the most important things you needed in life
were shelter, clothing, and food -- but I think there’s something else that is
just as important -- light -- there’s just something comforting about light --
and especially about having a source of light when you find yourself in
darkness
-- no one likes being in the dark
-- it is a scary place for us -- you know, there's just something about being
in the dark that seems to suck the life out of you -- it just seems to draw
hope and life from your body and makes your fears seem more real and more
dangerous
-- that's why all of the experts in
wilderness survival tell you the same thing -- next to a shelter, the most
important thing you need for survival is a fire -- not only does a fire provide
warmth -- but, more importantly, it provides light -- it pushes the darkness
away, and gives you hope and comfort -- just the presence of light may make the
difference between life and death when you are lost in the wilderness
-- in the
history of the world, there have been two occasions when the land was covered
with darkness and there was no light to be seen -- and in both of those
occasions, God provided light to give us hope and comfort and life
-- the
first time the land was covered with darkness was when God created the world --
as we read in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and
the earth -- Now the earth was formless
and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was
hovering over the waters”
--
everything was dark -- there was no light -- there had never been any light -- and
God knew that we would never survive without it -- so we read in Genesis 1:3
that God said, "Let there be light," and there was light, and it was
good
--the
second time darkness covered the land was not long after the first -- The Bible
tells us that God created Adam and Eve and put them in the Garden of Eden,
warning them not to eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and
Evil -- and you know the rest of the story
-- the
serpent came along and deceived Adam and Eve and they disobeyed God and ate the
fruit -- and at the moment they took the fruit into their body -- at the very
moment that sin entered into the paradise of God -- darkness once again covered
the land
-- not a
physical darkness, like in the beginning -- but a darkness none the less -- a
darkness of the heart -- a darkness caused by sin -- a spiritual darkness
-- when Adam and Eve fell in the
Garden of Eden, the light of God that was reflected in the hearts of Adam and
Eve and all humankind was removed and replaced by the darkness of sin -- and
for the most part, this spiritual darkness continued to hold sway over this
world for the next four thousand years
-- but
then, just like in the beginning, God spoke again -- He said, "Let there
be light" -- and Jesus was born to Mary in a stable in Bethlehem on
Christmas Day -- Isaiah wrote this about the coming of Christ in Isaiah 9:2,
"The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of
death a light has dawned"
-- and in John
1:4, we are told, “In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind”
-- God sent
Jesus to be our light and to share His light with a world which had fallen into
darkness -- we see that very clearly in our passage this morning here in John
8:12, as we continue in our sermon series on seeking to know Jesus by
understanding His “I Am” statements from the Book of John
-- so far,
we have looked at three of Jesus’ “I Am” statements
-- I Am the
Good Shepherd, where we came to know Jesus as our guardian
-- I Am the
Gate, where we came to know Jesus as our protector from the evils of this world
-- I Am the
Bread of Life, where we came to know Jesus as our provider
-- Today,
we are looking at Jesus’ proclamation, “I am the Light of the World” -- where
we will come to know Jesus as the source of light and life and hope in this
dark world
-- as this passage from John 8
opens, we see Jesus standing in the temple court near the place where the
offerings were given -- scholars believe this passage occurred during the Jewish
Feast of the Tabernacles -- a remembrance of the wandering of the nation of
Israel in the darkness of the wilderness for 40 years, as God led them as a
cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night
-- so, in recognition of the
presence of God represented in the pillar of fire, the Jews would set up four enormous
oil lamps in the Court of the Women in the temple -- this was the section of
the temple that was open to all Jews, both men and women
-- these four lamps would be lit
the first night of the Feast of Tabernacles in a ceremony called, “The
Illumination of the Temple” -- when darkness fell, the lamps were lit, and the
elders danced and led the people in singing psalms and worshiping God
throughout the night
-- these lamps were trimmed and
filled with oil every day throughout the week-long feast, and the light of the
lamps reminded the people of the presence of God in their midst who continues
to lead them and protect them, just as He did their ancestors in the wilderness
-- it was in this setting -- in the
Court of the Women with the lamps in the background -- that Jesus made this
great proclamation that we read in John 8:12
-- look back at that verse now
John 8:12 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.”
-- standing there in the light of
the lamps that represented the presence of God, Jesus proclaimed to the people,
“I Am” -- ego eimi -- “I Am the Light
of the World”
-- the Jewish people had been
looking for this light for a long time -- through His prophets, God had been
promising to send this light -- the Messiah -- who would save the people from
their sins and restore them to righteousness with Him
-- in John 1:6-9, we read,
"There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John” -- referring
to John the Baptist -- “He came as a witness to testify concerning that light,
so that through him all men might believe -- He himself was not the light; he
came only as a witness to the light -- The true light that gives light to every
man was coming into the world”
-- and now Jesus stands up in the middle
of this feast, with the light of the lamps that represent the presence of God
to the Jews, and proclaims, “I am the light you have been waiting for -- I am
the One these lamps represent -- I am the One that was sent to shine light into
the darkness of this world -- I Am the One who has the power to lead you from
the darkness of sin and death that you have been walking in and into life with
the Father -- I am the One who can remove the darkness of sin from your heart --
I Am the Light of the World”
-- and pay attention to what Jesus
says here -- He says that He is “the” light -- the only one -- He is not “a”
light -- one among many -- but He is “the” light -- the only light that can
shine against the darkness of this world and point the way to salvation and
eternal life
-- as it says in Acts 4:12, “There
is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to
people by which we must be saved.” --
salvation and eternal life can only come through Jesus -- and for that reason,
He is “the” light of the world
-- the other thing to note here is
that Jesus did not proclaim that He was the light of the Jews -- that He was
the light of Israel -- no, Jesus said He was the light of the world -- and that
tells us that Jesus did not just come for the Jews -- He did not just come for
the elect -- Jesus came to the be light for the entire world -- Jew and Gentile
-- male and female -- slave and free -- Jesus came to be savior of all
-- John 3:16 makes that clear --
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life”
-- Jesus came to be the
light of the world
-- but while Jesus came for all,
all do not accept Him or put their faith and trust in Him -- flip over to John
3 with me, and look at verses 19-20
John 3:19 This is the verdict:
Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light
because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light and
will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.
-- some people love the darkness
instead of the light -- they love their sin -- they love their life here on
earth -- they love being their own god -- and so they reject the light -- they
hate the light -- and they will not come into the light for fear their deeds
will be exposed
-- but for those who believe -- who
put their faith and trust in Jesus -- these are the ones who come into the
light and are saved through Christ -- verse 21
John 3:21 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.
-- flip back over to John 8:12 --
you see, that is what Jesus is telling us here
-- He says that He is the light of
the world -- but He is the light only for those who follow Him -- “Whoever
follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life”
-- while Jesus is the light of the
entire world, it is only those who follow Him who walk in His light and receive
His gift of salvation and forgiveness and new life in Him
-- the point that Jesus is making
is that to avoid the darkness of this world, we must follow Him -- and then,
and only then, will we have the light of life that is promised in Him
-- the word Jesus uses here for
“follows” is a technical term in Hebrew and Greek -- it was commonly used to
describe the relationship of a disciple to his teacher -- it described how a
disciple not only listened to the words and instruction of his teacher, but he
actively put into practice all that he had heard -- he followed the example of
his teacher and lived in light of his instruction
-- that is what Jesus is saying
here -- we are to listen to Jesus -- to learn from Him -- to know Him -- and
then we are to get up and put into practice what we have learned and are
learning from Him and to follow Him as He leads us
-- as the commentator J.C. Ryle
points out, “Following is only another word for believing -- it is the same act
of the soul, only seen from a different point of view -- as Israel followed the
pillar of cloud and fire in all their journeyings -- moving whenever it moved,
stopping whenever it tarried, asking no questions, [but] marching on in faith
-- so must [we] deal with Christ -- we must “follow the Lamb wherever He goes.”
-- for those who follow Jesus in
this way, the promise is that He will lead us and guide us -- and that His
light will be for us a beacon that we follow through this life, just as the
Israelites followed the presence of God as the pillar of fire in the wilderness
-- so, Jesus promises us here that
if we follow Him, we will never walk in darkness, but we will always have the
light of life
-- the light of life refers to the
spiritual light that comes when we are born again -- when the light of Christ
repels the darkness of sin in our lives and fills us with His presence
-- within this proclamation that
Jesus is making here in John 8:12, we can see the promise of the Holy Spirit,
who came to the church at Pentecost and who indwells every believer with the
very presence of God and the light of His love
-- with the Holy Spirit within us,
we have the power to walk in the light of life with Christ all the days of our
lives -- to turn away from the darkness -- to turn away from temptation and sin
-- and to follow the light where Jesus leads
-- when Jesus stood up in the
middle of the Feast of the Tabernacles next to the lamps that represented the
presence of God and proclaimed, “I Am the Light of the World,” He was calling
out to the people, "Come to Me -- Trust in Me -- Believe in Me -- Follow
Me
-- “I Am the Son of Man -- I Am the
true light of the world -- I Am your Savior and your Messiah -- I Am -- ego eimi"
-- many heard the word and the
promise of Jesus that day and turned from the darkness to the light -- but
others did not
-- the Bible tells us that most of the
Pharisees persisted in their unbelief, and walked away in darkness that day -- rejecting
the light that had been sent to save them
-- the question that we must answer
this morning, then, is which type of person are we -- how will we respond to
this proclamation from Jesus that He is the Light of the World? -- will we follow
Him and walk in the light of life? -- or will we turn away and continue to live
in darkness?
IV. Closing
-- let’s
bring this to a close
-- there is a service that some
churches practice on Good Friday during Holy Week -- it is called a Tenebrae
Service
-- Tenebrae
is the Latin word for shadows -- and the purpose of this service is to remind
us of the darkness that exists without Christ -- it is used to visually
demonstrate the darkness Christ experienced during His last days on earth as He
was betrayed, abandoned, and suffered on the cross for our sins
-- Tenebrae
Services typically take place at night, with the only light coming from candles
set up around the altar -- as the service progresses and scriptures about the
Passion of Christ are read, the candles are snuffed out one by one, until
finally, the sanctuary is left in complete and total darkness
-- but one
candle remains lit -- hidden from view until the very end -- and as the service
ends, this candle is brought out and set upon the altar -- a single light
shining in the dark for the people to see as they exit the sanctuary
-- what is
this last light? -- what is this last candle? -- it is the Christ Candle
-- this
last candle is left lit to show there is always hope through Christ
-- it
reminds us that though all is dark around us, Christ is the light of the world
-- and He overcame evil and darkness and sin through His death and resurrection
-- this
candle represents the continuing presence of God shining through us today,
literally lighting up our body and our home and our surroundings as we reflect the
perfect light of Christ -- the light of the world -- with our lives today
-- as it says in Psalm 27:1,
"The Lord is my light and my salvation -- whom shall I fear”
-- Jesus
stood up in the temple during the middle of the Feast of the Tabernacles over
2000 years ago and announced that He was the light of the world -- and when He
rose from the dead on that first Easter morning, He brought the light of God
back into the world once and for all
-- He died
so that our sins might be forgiven, and our darkness taken away -- our calling
is to embrace the light and ask Jesus to come in our heart -- to shine through
us forever and to be our life as we follow His light today
-- as
Christians, it is also our responsibility to shine the light of Jesus into this
dark world -- to point people to the true light -- and to let them know there
is hope in the darkness -- and a light in this world
-- let me
close by sharing with you a short poem:
"There
is a light that shines within
Those whom
Jesus has delivered from sin
There is a
darkness surrounding
That's
dispelled by God's Grace abounding
"Reach out to hold that Light
aloft
To shine a beacon to the Cross
The only way our world will know
Is if we shine our Light to show,
"There is a hope -- there is a
King
And if they hear the song, our
hearts sing
The darkness will fade around us
each time
We open our hearts and let our Light
shine" [Source Unknown]
-- let us
pray
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