I Am - The Seven Statements of Jesus

» The Light of the World «

» Bible Passage: John 8 «

» Target Verse(s): 12-20 «

» Statement: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." «

In this passage, Jesus converses with the Pharisees about their many accusations against him. They were infuriated by Jesus's large following and his abnormal practices that didn't follow the law that they thought was right. In their day and society, the law defined a person as holy/righteous. But when Jesus sent waves of "new" across their land, the Pharisees only saw the change that did not favor their side.

Throughout this chapter, the Pharisees tried to make Jesus slip up and say something wrong so that they may arrest and kill him. In the beginning, they tested him by bringing forward a woman caught in sin. When Jesus refused to respond in one fashion or another, they pushed until, finally, Jesus said, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." Of course, none could throw a stone, because we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

Later, as the Pharisees continued to question him to find a reason to arrest him, they said things such as, "Your testimony isn't valid; you are your own witness." "Abraham's children have never been enslaved, so how can you say they can be set free?" and "You are a demon-possessed Samaritan." To all these accusations, Jesus continuously pointed back to the Father:

"I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world... If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word."

Jesus has such boldness and confidence in God that he is able to point out all the flaws in the Pharisees' arguments and put their accusations to rest with very simple refutes. He even calls them children of the devil. This may seem harsh, but it is that boldness that made Jesus who he was. Jesus was the light. Light cannot shine unless it gets rid of the darkness. Jesus could not have done his work without cutting through the darkness of this world. He had to be bold against sin in order to show the light of life to the world.

Light is also used to describe Jesus several other times in John, and dozens of other times throughout the entire Bible. For example, in 2 Corinthians 4:6, it says, "For God, who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness,' is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." God and Jesus are constantly described as light, while the world is constantly described as dark. But through Jesus, we have the chance to see the truth, the purest light that the darkness will never be able to overcome.

» Thought Questions: «

q1: In what ways can we cut through the darkness of the world and show the Light of Jesus to those around us today?

q2: What actions can we take to grow in our bold, Jesus-like confidence in God?

q3: What was one verse that stood out to you in John 8 and why?

» Prayer: «

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for your light that shines into the darkness of this world. You came as the Light of the World and cut through the darkness boldly, showing the light to all who desperately needed it. Thank you for healing our blind eyes and showing us your light. Today, we ask that you empower us to have a bold, Jesus-like confidence in you so that we may share your light and truth with the world. In Jesus name, amen.

» Response: What are your thoughts about today's "I Am" statement? «