Message summary: "I am the light of the world" is the second of Christ's seven "I am" statements. 

Listen to our message on your audio player.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

Yesterday morning I joined a friend for coffee. I shared about my experience on the Old Windmill Farm with the many Hasidic Jews coming to the farm for Sukkot, the Feast of the Tabernacles. We discussed the significance of the Old Testament feasts to Christians, something I admit I've given little consideration to until this week.

Tuesday's message was on the element of living water based on the statement Christ made at the feast in His time, "On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, 'Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them'" (John 7:37,38).

Yesterday's message was on the topic of Christ dwelling among us, a central truth of the incarnation. We pointed out the actual Greek word for "dwell" is tabernacled and is likely another allusion to this feast.

Today let us consider one more. During the feast huge, elevated golden candelabras were lit in the Temple court, illuminating all of Jerusalem to recall the pillar of fire that guided Israel through the wilderness.*

Afterwards standing near these giant candelabras, Jesus declared: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12). Jesus revealed Himself as the ultimate fulfillment of everything this feast represented.

This is one of the seven "I am" statements in the the Gospel of John.  The phrase 'I am' refers to the time that God revealed His Name to Moses in Exodus 3. From the significant ways that Jesus used the "I am" phrase, we understand that He is essentially saying, "I am the full revelation of God." This is why the Scriptures say that if a person rejects Christ, he rejects God.

"I am the light of the world" is the second of His seven "I am" statements.  This one reveals Christ as the Illuminator, the One who brings the energy of light into our sin-darkened world.  In the introduction of John Jesus is described as "The true light that gives light to every man" (John 1:9).  "The true light" stands in contrast to the many false sources of spiritual light. Only Christ is the true light!

So let us walk in His light today that others may see the light of Christ through our words, our deeds and our attitudes.

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13.

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber