Originally posted 3/11/25
“I am the light of the world” is the second “I AM” statement from Jesus. It appears in the Gospel of John right after the Pharisees brought the adulterous woman to Jesus. He also repeats the statement in John 9:5.
- John 8:12, “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.”
- John 9:5, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Light is seen as pure. It separates the darkness. Darkness is the absence of light. In my neighborhood, there are no streetlights. When it is cloudy or when the moon is small, it is really dark. My office at work has no windows. The darkness in that room is complete. If I use the flashlight on my phone, that light from my phone makes it less dark. Turning on the light makes everything visible. It doesn’t take much light to dispel the darkness. Ephesians 5:13 tells us, “But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible,”
The word “light” is found in 216 verses in the ESV. As we read in Genesis chapter 1, God is responsible for creating the light and separating it from darkness. Our world would certainly be different if we didn’t have the light from the sun. God created the light and also used itt o lead his people. The light brought order from chaos. The Israelites were guided by a pillar of fire to provide light.
- Genesis 1:3-5, “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.”
- Genesis 1:15-18, “and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. And God made the two great lights–the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night–and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.”
- Exodus 13:21 “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.”
1 John 1:5 states, “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” What is Jesus saying when he says he is “the light”? He is pointing to his divine nature. Jesus also quotes the law in John 8:17-20, “In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” 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.” 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.”” Jesus points out that he is God’s witness and God is his witness which fulfilled the law.
As Christians we are to spread that light. We can rely on that light for instruction.
- Psalm 18:28 “For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness.”
- Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
- Proverbs 6:23, “For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,”
- Matthew 6:22-23, “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”
- John 3:19-21, “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
- John 12:46, “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.”
- 2 Corinthians 4:6, “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
According to www.gotquestions.org, “Just as He came as the Light of the world, He commands us to be “lights,” too. In Matthew 5:14–16 we see believers depicted as the light of the world. Just as the moon has no light of its own, reflecting the light of the sun, so are believers to reflect the Light of Christ so that all can see it in us. The Light is evident to others by the good deeds we do in faith and through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
“The emphasis here is maintaining a credible and obvious witness in the world, a witness that shows us to be faithful, God-honoring, trustworthy, sincere, earnest, and honest in all that we do. Also, we should always be ready to give an account of the hope that we have (1 Peter 3:15), for the gospel Light we have is not to be covered, but made obvious for all to see and benefit from, that they, too, may leave the darkness and come into the Light.”
After the Lord returns we will no longer need the sun. Revelation 22:5 tells us, “And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” I personally cannot wait.
Other I Am Statements:
I Am the Resurrection and the Life
I Am the way, the Truth, and the Life
I Am the way, the Truth, and the Life
Image from www.freebibleimagges.org
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