Jesus is The Light of The World
John 8-9
We are going to look at one of Jesus’ “I AM” statements today. We are going to look at John Chapters 8 and 9, where Jesus declares HE IS the light of the world. I want to read from John 8, verses 12 and 13, and the first few verses of John 9 because they both contain this statement from Jesus, “I am the light of the world.”
John 8:12-13 (ESV)
12 … “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.”
Flip to John 9.
John 9:1-7 (ESV)
1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.
2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.
4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud
7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
I have to say, both of these passages of scripture are radical. Jesus is absolutely brilliant in the way he navigates his opposition while still ministering to the people in front of him. I want to give you the context of this section of scripture because the background is foundational in helping us understand what is going on here.
Jesus is with his Disciples in Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles. Remember, we have three Jewish pilgrimage festivals or feasts. Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. Basically, three festivals where the food was enough for everyone to pack up their kids and make the trip up to Jerusalem.
Jesus comes late to the festival. He’s late because he was up north in the Galilee. Remember, in John 7, everyone is saying, “Come on Jesus, let’s go down to the festival. Do the miracle stuff again, you know, let’s go to Jerusalem.”
This isn’t a “Hey, let’s go over to Lake Perris.” This is – you’re in Los Angeles, Dodger’s Stadium, and your friends want to walk to Fallbrook. And Jesus is like, “you know what? You all go ahead, I might just sit this one out. It’s not the right time and the whole thing with people trying to kill me – you go ahead.”
What John tells us is Jesus is on a mission. He has orders to follow – he is on a path of obedience. So, everyone goes without him. And the text tells us Jesus goes later and he goes privately. And so, when he arrives, he starts teaching in the Temple.
Now, if you remember from previous studies through these chapters, you may be familiar with a few nuances in this feast that Jesus keyed in on.
1). There was a festival of water (water libation festival)
2). And there was a festival of light (the lighting of these seventy-five-foot-tall candelabras that would illuminate much of the city)
And Jesus keyed in on both of these things and used them as an illustration to express his divinity and his divine capability.
But remember, also in context here, as we walk through that festival week, there was also Jesus pardoning the woman caught in adultery. The message there to the religious leaders was essentially this. “He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone.” “We’re all sinners in need of salvation.”
Of course, the Jewish authorities were hating Jesus by this point. But the people who heard him teach were amazed and began to ask, “Could this be the Christ?” And the text tells us that many people believed in him.
They started to connect the dots. He was just speaking, teaching the scriptures.
Romans 10:17 (ESV)
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
And faith came by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Even when the Jewish authorities tried to arrest him, the officers they sent to arrest him couldn’t do it. Do you remember that? They reported back to the Pharisees, saying, “No one ever spoke like this man!” He started to gain the attention and respect of the people, and the Pharisees couldn’t stand it.
So, there in John 8, when he declares that he is “the Light of the World,” they kind of take a jab at him – they have a petty response that we’ll look at in a minute. And the rest of John 8 is a dialogue there between Jesus and the Pharisees.
But here in John 9, this is so sweet because Jesus zeros in on this blind man. He goes from speaking in the Temple, teaching to large crowds, to focusing in on this one person. And that encourages me. You know, sometimes we can feel like we’re just lost in the crowd, that we aren’t seen. If you’re here today or listening online, maybe that’s you. Maybe you have a disability (whether it be physical or a mental health issue) that results you often being overlooked or feeling neglected. Or maybe you just feel like you’re walking in the dark.
Or maybe, there is a sin issue, and instead of going to Jesus, you are running from him. I want you to know that whatever the case may be, Jesus sees you today, and he wants to minister to you.
So, Jesus sees this blind man. And most likely, he and his Disciples are walking down the southern steps of the Temple mount. He just finished crushing the Pharisees with spiritual weapons there in their dialogue.
And what he’s going to do here in John 9 (this is amazing), Jesus is going to illustrate the reality of the sinfulness of humanity. Man needs a Savior. That they are blind and in darkness and that HE is the one who brings spiritual sight and illumination as the light of the world. And this is how he is going to illustrate it – by healing a man who was blind from birth.
I grew up in East Tennessee, and we have quite a few caverns and cave systems there. And one of the cave systems leads to a large underground lake known as the “Lost Sea.” It’s wild! You descend through the tunnels and come upon this large body of water about the size of five football fields and seventy feet deep (yeah, we measure things by football fields in Tennessee – Go Titans! Go Vols!).
When you get to this cave lake, it’s even more fascinating because as you paddle out on the water, you’ll see the rainbow trout swimming alongside the boat. And if you look closely, you will notice that their eyes are glazed over. Their sight has grown dim. They have been living in darkness for so long that they have gone blind. (And they taste terrible.)
And so, just imagine the experience of this blind man in John Chapter 9. What was it like to be born blind? To never see a sunrise, or a sunset, to never see the faces of your children? What was it like to have to sit and beg for food every day of your life? What was his social life like? The economic burden that you would have been dealing with as a blind person. Blind – for – all – your – life.
And he’s sitting there. And he’s sitting there listening. Listening to people speculate about why he is the way that he is. How do you think that made him feel? And listening to these men saying, “Let me tell you why I think he’s in the condition that he’s in.”
“Maybe it was the sin of his parents.”
“Maybe it was him who sinned,” they’d say.
I think he would have been discouraged. I think he would have felt hopeless.
And let me say this, this doctrine of generational curses is still floating around today. Those who said, “Maybe he’s blind because of his parents,” are referring to what the Pharisees taught at the time, which is essentially this. When someone was born with some of defect, they said, number one – either the person’s parents had sinned, and so God was judging the offspring of the parents. Or number two – the person with the defect had somehow sinned while they were in the womb. Wow. That’s beyond me.
Can you see why Jesus confronted these religious people? The Pharisees taught that it was judgment on the children because of the sins of the parents. Which, by the way, God does not do. I do not believe the Bible teaches that for Christians. In fact, Galatians tells us that Christ took all our curses on that tree. So, there aren’t these generational curses where God somehow punishes your children because of something you have done.
Now, I do believe that we pass on generational traits, including bad habits. You know, conditioning our kids so that they are repeating our sinful behavior. Which parents, we need to be mindful of what we lead our kids with. What we lead them with – we lead them to.
And so,
John 9:3 (ESV)
3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.
And while everyone else is busy arguing and spouting their opinions, Jesus just helps the guy. To think this guy would have felt beat down. He would have been that much more hopeless. And then to hear Jesus say, “neither this man’s sin, nor his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
All of a sudden, sun rises, darkness is pushed away, behold the Light of the World. This man is thinking, “There’s hope. There’s hope in my life, this man, Jesus.”
And then, as he is sitting there, this is what he hears. (Spitting.) This is what he hears, and he hears it distinctly. Then he hears and feels a person getting closer to him. He hears the clay mixed in his hand. And then he feels the warm “spit-mud” being applied to his eyes. And then he hears the Light of the World say, “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam.”
And guess what the man did? He went down to wash his eyes. His response was obedience.
Now, I had the privilege of spending three months living and studying in Jerusalem during college. And I walked by this location on several occasions. I’ll tell you this. It is a steep, treacherous path from the southern steps down to the Pool of Siloam. And this guy can’t see yet. He was probably stumbling all the way to the pool. But what a testimony of obedience to say, “Yes, Jesus. I will obey you.”
Parents, I know that many of us are wrestling with what we are going to do concerning our children’s education. Where are we going to live, where are we going to work, what are we going to do? I want to encourage you that even if we don’t see it yet, even if we don’t know our next step – yet, resolve today in our hearts to say, “Yes, Jesus. I will trust what you say, and I will be obedient when I hear your voice.”
Even if it feels like you’re getting tripped up and don’t really know where you’re going. As you’re feeling your way around in the darkness, hear him say, “I AM the Light of The World. He who follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the Light of Life.”
And so, the blind man went and washed – and came back seeing.
Do you know that no one in the Old Testament was healed of blindness? That is why it is a key sign that Jesus is the Messiah, the Light of the World. Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would come to “open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison, and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.” Isaiah 42:7 (NIV) And so, all of this is a “spiritual slap” in the face of the Pharisees.
Now, let’s look back at John Chapter 8 for a few minutes. Here, in John 8, Jesus is before a crowd in the Temple, and beginning in verse 12, he says,
John 8:12-13 (ESV)
12 … “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.”
Sometimes there is a difference between what we hear someone say and what was actually said. We can say something and mean it one way, and someone may hear exactly what was said but interpret it another way.
Now, there are many explanations for this communication phenomenon: selective hearing, presupposed ideologies, maybe a cultural language barrier. Whatever the case may be, we have all experienced what it feels like to be misunderstood. Well, here in John Chapter 8, the Pharisees misunderstand Jesus; they aren’t listening, so they challenge Jesus. Now, they are challenging him on legitimate grounds because Jesus previously stated in John 5,
John 5:31 (ESV)
31 If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true.
They think that he’s contradicting himself here in John 8 based on what he said back in John 5. So, they interpret his teaching – in complete disrespect – to say, “We’ve got him! You’re testifying of yourself, Jesus. You can’t do that – you said it yourself. Therefore, you’re not the Light of The World.”
But, in the context of John 5, what Jesus really means is something like this. “If I testify from myself, if it originates from me, if I am bearing witness of myself disconnected from the Father, then I am false.”
This is clear. If you go back and read through John, Jesus spends a lot of energy making sure everyone knows that the miracles, the teachings, and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove, are all indications of his authority from the Father. That the Father – the God of their scriptures and their forefathers, was testifying that he is the Light of the World. Which is another way of saying that he is their Messiah according to the prophets (Daniel, Malachi, Isaiah… the list goes on). But they didn’t hear that clear message from Jesus. Why? Why are they not hearing Jesus? He’s speaking plainly…
I think this is where you and I need to raise our awareness. I think this is relatable to us. We cannot underestimate the damage that selective hearing can bring about in our lives and the lives of those around us. I’ll say it this way: “I love to hear my opinion coming out of your mouth.” It’s like Robert Kiyosaki says, “The definition of intelligence is that you agree with me.” If you think like me, talk like me, see things the way that I see them, oh! You are so smart and so right.
But, like the Pharisees, when we only hear what we want to hear, we set ourselves up for failure. If we will only hear what we already agree with, then what’s the point? We cannot grow if we aren’t willing to listen, even to those who think and speak a diametrically opposed worldview. I’m not saying we need to agree with them. I’m not saying we need to adopt other world views or be easily persuaded, but followers of Christ must be compassionate listeners. Just like Jesus.
So, when an ideology that is outside of sound Biblical doctrine grabs ahold of our hearts, it will cripple the opportunity we have to exude the light of Christ in darkness. The spirit of this age wants so badly to get us to champion political labels or identify in a certain ideology, and spiritual forces are playing with and targeting our emotions – and it’s working. Everything is against you right now with the goal to cause you to lose your light.
We can look at this passage and question the Pharisees and wonder, “How can they be so blind?” But I don’t think it’s that surprising when we recognize that they were entrenched in an ideology, in a mindset that kept them in darkness. And – they – never – even – know – it. They loved their little earthly kingdom. And they loved the Law of God more than they loved the God of the Law.
Divine truth had been replaced by man-made tradition.
And when tradition replaces God’s truth, then illusion replaces reality.
Many of us have studied Ephesians 6, that famous spiritual warfare passage.
Ephesians 6:11-12 (NKJV)
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
And we are reminded that we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places that are invisible to our eyes.
What Ephesians is trying to tell us is that our battle is spiritual. Therefore, we fight with spiritual weapons. We are prayer warriors, we worship through our worried, and we stand in Christ for his Kingdom and his alone. And if that sounds like a weak, sheepish way to fight – you haven’t read the end of the book. That is what it looks like to have the light of life. For the follower of Christ, this is not optional. This is how Christians live who follow the Light of The World.
If we start wrestling against flesh and blood, if we fight and devour one another, if the weapons of our warfare are carnal – then we walk in darkness. We have to remember (I like what Matt Chandler says) that there’s an enemy behind our enemy. And the enemies behind our enemies are aiming to take away the light of life.
Now, we are in great hands because Jesus is the Light of the World. And I want to give you three ways the light gives us hope.
1). Light preserves us from darkness
This is a promise and an encouraging one. “He who follows Jesus will not walk in darkness.” Darkness is everywhere, I don’t need to make a case for the existence of darkness. You can see it, you’re aware of it, you know that the world is under the sway of the wicked one. You know that darkness is encroaching, but if we walk in the light, we’re not going to get tripped up. We’re not going to stumble in the midst of this darkness; we will have direction.
The Word of God is referred to as light.
God is referred to, himself, as light.
And the Messiah is believed to light.
Jesus already declared earlier,
John 3:19 (NIV)
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
And so, we need to recognize that walking in darkness is enjoyable for our flesh. He said, “people loved darkness.” Why? Because darkness is a covering. It can be comfortable at times. It gives us the false assurance that we’re able to hide. But if we walk in darkness for too long, there will be consequences. If we walk in darkness, we’ll be like blind rainbow trout swimming in the Lost Sea. Walking in darkness may be comfortable for a season. But only the Light of Christ can sustain us. We can’t hide from God, and we shouldn’t because he is the only one who knows everything about us and loves us still, desires us, and is jealous for our affection toward him.
Scientifically speaking (I’m no scientist), it is physically impossible for darkness to reject light. Light shines into darkness. And in a spiritual sense, any attempt to stay in the comfort of darkness is a façade. A person can choose to stay in darkness and reject the light. And on this side of eternity, darkness may be pleasurable. It may feel good to hide and move around under the cover of darkness. But even those in spiritual darkness cannot hide forever.
Jesus said in Mark 4,
Mark 4:22 (NLT)
22 For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light.
2). Light gives us hope because the light of life is from the Creator of the Universe
Genesis tells us that when the world was created it was “formless and void” that “darkness was over the face of the deep,” but God said, “let there be light, and there was light.”
Then, the Apostle Paul makes it personal for you and me in his letter to the Corinthians (whatever darkness might try to overtake us). Paul told the Corinthians this:
2 Corinthians 4:6 (ESV)
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.
And so, if there is going to be light in the world, it is going to be Jesus. Without Jesus – the best we get is darkness. Light of the World means the world has no other light than him. The world was made to be illumined by this light. When God sends his light, he means that one day this world will be filled with the light of Christ and nothing else.
Revelation 21:23 (ESV)
23 “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.”
Revelation 21 tells us that when God makes all things new, there will be no more sun and no more moon, but Christ – the Lamb – will be the radiance of God’s glory and the only light we need.
And all darkness will be banished out of the world
All of the works of darkness will be banished out of the world
All of the sons and daughters of darkness will be banished out of the world
3) The light gives us hope because we have someone to follow
If we follow him now, we have him as our light, in advance of the great day when his light fills everything. In the light of Christ – our experience is different than those who walk in darkness. That doesn’t mean that we don’t experience difficulties like everyone else. In fact, I would say that Christians face the same challenges as the rest of the world and some additional trials that are unique to the Christian experience. As we partake in the same sufferings, share in the sufferings of Christ, as we fill up in our bodies the afflictions – the continuation of those afflictions of Christ, it is our calling. It is by God’s design. However, we go through those differently – our experience is different.
I have watched many devoted believers lose friends and family members – sometimes in such sudden and tragic circumstances. You’ve lost jobs, friends, and businesses. I’ve walked with god-fearing men and women through serious illnesses and medical emergencies. And those are the same things the world goes through. But there’s a difference in your life and in my life. There is a power living and resident in us that enables us to stand and hope in Christ. Even when we don’t know what’s going on – we have the illumination of the Spirit to say, “God knows my circumstances. I don’t know what to do, but God does, and I trust him.”
Jesus will be your light where you see God. He will be the light in which you see redemption. He will be the light in which you see your salvation. He will be the light in which you see mountains, valleys, oceans, rivers, trees, and even cats and dogs. Everything you see in Christ, you will see with a new light. Nothing will be the same when you have Jesus as your light! All things of old have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
We see everybody in a new light. And everything in a new light. He has become our light. The lamp is in us shining out, and everything takes on a totally new meaning because of its relationship to the light. Even fires, earthquakes, viruses, oppression, suffering, and death. Until his light fills the earth as the waters cover the sea until it banishes all sin and sickness and trouble to the outer darkness.
I love how John Piper says it.
John Piper “His light will help you bear the sorrows of darkness. It will be a warm, soft glow to comfort you in the lonely room after a devastating loss. It will be the lamp on your troubled and trembling path. It will reveal the wise and loving face of God behind every frowning providence.”
We will all walk through valleys of darkness, but not without light. And Jesus offers this unquenchable hope to those who follow him. “Whoever follows me,” he says, “will have the Light of Life.” Follow me, and you get the light of life.
Now, this isn’t like, “Oh, I’m aware of Jesus. I follow him on social media – I follow his Instagram, I follow his Facebook.” No! No, this is more than being aware of Jesus’ life updates. No! the phrase “follow me” carries with it a sense of investment. This phrase was commonly used as a military term. It speaks of obedience. When Jesus says here, “Follow me,” think of a soldier following his commander into battle. Followers of Jesus are joined to him. “Follow me” is the prerequisite for having the light of life and staying out of the darkness. It is conditional.
Now, let me ask you this.
Do you see the power of God’s Spirit at work in your life? When you face difficulty, do you jump ship and do everything in your power to escape your situation? Or do you consider that maybe, just maybe, God is using this trial in your life to shape you and cause you to rely on him? It is often the most difficult circumstances that God uses to shine the light of Christ in dark places.
Jesus said to his Disciples in the Sermon on the Mount,
Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV)
14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 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.
16 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.
Jesus had a way of using object lessons to communicate his messages. As I mentioned earlier, during the festival, they had these massive seventy-five-foot-tall torches around the Temple court known as candelabras. It is said these candelabras would give light to the entire city and could be seen from far away as people traveled to the festival.
And I imagine that as they were extinguishing these massive candles on the last day of the feast, that’s when Jesus proclaimed (this is my speculation), but I propose that is when Jesus proclaimed that he is the Light of the World. That even though the light of the city would be extinguished, the light of Christ never will – never goes out.
Now there is a darkness that lasts forever.
Jude 13 (CSB)
13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shameful deeds; wandering stars for whom the blackness of darkness is reserved forever.
The Book of Jude talks about hell. In Jude, verse thirteen says hell is the “blackness of darkness forever.” Now that just sounds depressing, and it is, and so much more – and I don’t want anyone to stay in darkness. I know God doesn’t either. He said that he desires that no one would perish but that everyone would repent and have life in him.
If you have never come to the light, today is a good day.
And for those of us already in the family of God, I have three questions for us this week.
Reflection questions:
1). What areas of darkness in my life need the light of Christ to expose and heal?
2). What are three ways that I can display the light of Christ to my neighbors this week.
3). How does the light of Christ influence the way I treat my “enemies” (or perceived enemies)?
As we enter into our closing worship set, if you are with us today and you’ve never experienced the light of Christ in your life – I want to give you an opportunity today to make that decision. So, I want to ask everyone in the room right now to bow your hearts and close your eyes as we pray together.
The Bible says if we believe with our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, we will be saved. I want to ask, if that’s you, just raise your hand – we want to pray for you. I’m not going to embarrass you or call you up front, but I want you to have the opportunity to respond to God’s moving on your heart today.
Come to the light. There is freedom in the light. Forgiveness in the light. Love and joy and peace and rest in the light.
He’s saying, “Come on over here out of the dark. Come to the light.”
John 8:12-13 (ESV)
12 … “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.”
Flip to John 9.
John 9:1-7 (ESV)
1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.
2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.
4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud
7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
I have to say, both of these passages of scripture are radical. Jesus is absolutely brilliant in the way he navigates his opposition while still ministering to the people in front of him. I want to give you the context of this section of scripture because the background is foundational in helping us understand what is going on here.
Jesus is with his Disciples in Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles. Remember, we have three Jewish pilgrimage festivals or feasts. Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. Basically, three festivals where the food was enough for everyone to pack up their kids and make the trip up to Jerusalem.
Jesus comes late to the festival. He’s late because he was up north in the Galilee. Remember, in John 7, everyone is saying, “Come on Jesus, let’s go down to the festival. Do the miracle stuff again, you know, let’s go to Jerusalem.”
This isn’t a “Hey, let’s go over to Lake Perris.” This is – you’re in Los Angeles, Dodger’s Stadium, and your friends want to walk to Fallbrook. And Jesus is like, “you know what? You all go ahead, I might just sit this one out. It’s not the right time and the whole thing with people trying to kill me – you go ahead.”
What John tells us is Jesus is on a mission. He has orders to follow – he is on a path of obedience. So, everyone goes without him. And the text tells us Jesus goes later and he goes privately. And so, when he arrives, he starts teaching in the Temple.
Now, if you remember from previous studies through these chapters, you may be familiar with a few nuances in this feast that Jesus keyed in on.
1). There was a festival of water (water libation festival)
2). And there was a festival of light (the lighting of these seventy-five-foot-tall candelabras that would illuminate much of the city)
And Jesus keyed in on both of these things and used them as an illustration to express his divinity and his divine capability.
But remember, also in context here, as we walk through that festival week, there was also Jesus pardoning the woman caught in adultery. The message there to the religious leaders was essentially this. “He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone.” “We’re all sinners in need of salvation.”
Of course, the Jewish authorities were hating Jesus by this point. But the people who heard him teach were amazed and began to ask, “Could this be the Christ?” And the text tells us that many people believed in him.
They started to connect the dots. He was just speaking, teaching the scriptures.
Romans 10:17 (ESV)
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
And faith came by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Even when the Jewish authorities tried to arrest him, the officers they sent to arrest him couldn’t do it. Do you remember that? They reported back to the Pharisees, saying, “No one ever spoke like this man!” He started to gain the attention and respect of the people, and the Pharisees couldn’t stand it.
So, there in John 8, when he declares that he is “the Light of the World,” they kind of take a jab at him – they have a petty response that we’ll look at in a minute. And the rest of John 8 is a dialogue there between Jesus and the Pharisees.
But here in John 9, this is so sweet because Jesus zeros in on this blind man. He goes from speaking in the Temple, teaching to large crowds, to focusing in on this one person. And that encourages me. You know, sometimes we can feel like we’re just lost in the crowd, that we aren’t seen. If you’re here today or listening online, maybe that’s you. Maybe you have a disability (whether it be physical or a mental health issue) that results you often being overlooked or feeling neglected. Or maybe you just feel like you’re walking in the dark.
Or maybe, there is a sin issue, and instead of going to Jesus, you are running from him. I want you to know that whatever the case may be, Jesus sees you today, and he wants to minister to you.
So, Jesus sees this blind man. And most likely, he and his Disciples are walking down the southern steps of the Temple mount. He just finished crushing the Pharisees with spiritual weapons there in their dialogue.
And what he’s going to do here in John 9 (this is amazing), Jesus is going to illustrate the reality of the sinfulness of humanity. Man needs a Savior. That they are blind and in darkness and that HE is the one who brings spiritual sight and illumination as the light of the world. And this is how he is going to illustrate it – by healing a man who was blind from birth.
I grew up in East Tennessee, and we have quite a few caverns and cave systems there. And one of the cave systems leads to a large underground lake known as the “Lost Sea.” It’s wild! You descend through the tunnels and come upon this large body of water about the size of five football fields and seventy feet deep (yeah, we measure things by football fields in Tennessee – Go Titans! Go Vols!).
When you get to this cave lake, it’s even more fascinating because as you paddle out on the water, you’ll see the rainbow trout swimming alongside the boat. And if you look closely, you will notice that their eyes are glazed over. Their sight has grown dim. They have been living in darkness for so long that they have gone blind. (And they taste terrible.)
And so, just imagine the experience of this blind man in John Chapter 9. What was it like to be born blind? To never see a sunrise, or a sunset, to never see the faces of your children? What was it like to have to sit and beg for food every day of your life? What was his social life like? The economic burden that you would have been dealing with as a blind person. Blind – for – all – your – life.
And he’s sitting there. And he’s sitting there listening. Listening to people speculate about why he is the way that he is. How do you think that made him feel? And listening to these men saying, “Let me tell you why I think he’s in the condition that he’s in.”
“Maybe it was the sin of his parents.”
“Maybe it was him who sinned,” they’d say.
I think he would have been discouraged. I think he would have felt hopeless.
And let me say this, this doctrine of generational curses is still floating around today. Those who said, “Maybe he’s blind because of his parents,” are referring to what the Pharisees taught at the time, which is essentially this. When someone was born with some of defect, they said, number one – either the person’s parents had sinned, and so God was judging the offspring of the parents. Or number two – the person with the defect had somehow sinned while they were in the womb. Wow. That’s beyond me.
Can you see why Jesus confronted these religious people? The Pharisees taught that it was judgment on the children because of the sins of the parents. Which, by the way, God does not do. I do not believe the Bible teaches that for Christians. In fact, Galatians tells us that Christ took all our curses on that tree. So, there aren’t these generational curses where God somehow punishes your children because of something you have done.
Now, I do believe that we pass on generational traits, including bad habits. You know, conditioning our kids so that they are repeating our sinful behavior. Which parents, we need to be mindful of what we lead our kids with. What we lead them with – we lead them to.
And so,
John 9:3 (ESV)
3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.
And while everyone else is busy arguing and spouting their opinions, Jesus just helps the guy. To think this guy would have felt beat down. He would have been that much more hopeless. And then to hear Jesus say, “neither this man’s sin, nor his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
All of a sudden, sun rises, darkness is pushed away, behold the Light of the World. This man is thinking, “There’s hope. There’s hope in my life, this man, Jesus.”
And then, as he is sitting there, this is what he hears. (Spitting.) This is what he hears, and he hears it distinctly. Then he hears and feels a person getting closer to him. He hears the clay mixed in his hand. And then he feels the warm “spit-mud” being applied to his eyes. And then he hears the Light of the World say, “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam.”
And guess what the man did? He went down to wash his eyes. His response was obedience.
Now, I had the privilege of spending three months living and studying in Jerusalem during college. And I walked by this location on several occasions. I’ll tell you this. It is a steep, treacherous path from the southern steps down to the Pool of Siloam. And this guy can’t see yet. He was probably stumbling all the way to the pool. But what a testimony of obedience to say, “Yes, Jesus. I will obey you.”
Parents, I know that many of us are wrestling with what we are going to do concerning our children’s education. Where are we going to live, where are we going to work, what are we going to do? I want to encourage you that even if we don’t see it yet, even if we don’t know our next step – yet, resolve today in our hearts to say, “Yes, Jesus. I will trust what you say, and I will be obedient when I hear your voice.”
Even if it feels like you’re getting tripped up and don’t really know where you’re going. As you’re feeling your way around in the darkness, hear him say, “I AM the Light of The World. He who follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the Light of Life.”
And so, the blind man went and washed – and came back seeing.
Do you know that no one in the Old Testament was healed of blindness? That is why it is a key sign that Jesus is the Messiah, the Light of the World. Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would come to “open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison, and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.” Isaiah 42:7 (NIV) And so, all of this is a “spiritual slap” in the face of the Pharisees.
Now, let’s look back at John Chapter 8 for a few minutes. Here, in John 8, Jesus is before a crowd in the Temple, and beginning in verse 12, he says,
John 8:12-13 (ESV)
12 … “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.”
Sometimes there is a difference between what we hear someone say and what was actually said. We can say something and mean it one way, and someone may hear exactly what was said but interpret it another way.
Now, there are many explanations for this communication phenomenon: selective hearing, presupposed ideologies, maybe a cultural language barrier. Whatever the case may be, we have all experienced what it feels like to be misunderstood. Well, here in John Chapter 8, the Pharisees misunderstand Jesus; they aren’t listening, so they challenge Jesus. Now, they are challenging him on legitimate grounds because Jesus previously stated in John 5,
John 5:31 (ESV)
31 If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true.
They think that he’s contradicting himself here in John 8 based on what he said back in John 5. So, they interpret his teaching – in complete disrespect – to say, “We’ve got him! You’re testifying of yourself, Jesus. You can’t do that – you said it yourself. Therefore, you’re not the Light of The World.”
But, in the context of John 5, what Jesus really means is something like this. “If I testify from myself, if it originates from me, if I am bearing witness of myself disconnected from the Father, then I am false.”
This is clear. If you go back and read through John, Jesus spends a lot of energy making sure everyone knows that the miracles, the teachings, and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove, are all indications of his authority from the Father. That the Father – the God of their scriptures and their forefathers, was testifying that he is the Light of the World. Which is another way of saying that he is their Messiah according to the prophets (Daniel, Malachi, Isaiah… the list goes on). But they didn’t hear that clear message from Jesus. Why? Why are they not hearing Jesus? He’s speaking plainly…
I think this is where you and I need to raise our awareness. I think this is relatable to us. We cannot underestimate the damage that selective hearing can bring about in our lives and the lives of those around us. I’ll say it this way: “I love to hear my opinion coming out of your mouth.” It’s like Robert Kiyosaki says, “The definition of intelligence is that you agree with me.” If you think like me, talk like me, see things the way that I see them, oh! You are so smart and so right.
But, like the Pharisees, when we only hear what we want to hear, we set ourselves up for failure. If we will only hear what we already agree with, then what’s the point? We cannot grow if we aren’t willing to listen, even to those who think and speak a diametrically opposed worldview. I’m not saying we need to agree with them. I’m not saying we need to adopt other world views or be easily persuaded, but followers of Christ must be compassionate listeners. Just like Jesus.
So, when an ideology that is outside of sound Biblical doctrine grabs ahold of our hearts, it will cripple the opportunity we have to exude the light of Christ in darkness. The spirit of this age wants so badly to get us to champion political labels or identify in a certain ideology, and spiritual forces are playing with and targeting our emotions – and it’s working. Everything is against you right now with the goal to cause you to lose your light.
We can look at this passage and question the Pharisees and wonder, “How can they be so blind?” But I don’t think it’s that surprising when we recognize that they were entrenched in an ideology, in a mindset that kept them in darkness. And – they – never – even – know – it. They loved their little earthly kingdom. And they loved the Law of God more than they loved the God of the Law.
Divine truth had been replaced by man-made tradition.
And when tradition replaces God’s truth, then illusion replaces reality.
Many of us have studied Ephesians 6, that famous spiritual warfare passage.
Ephesians 6:11-12 (NKJV)
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
And we are reminded that we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places that are invisible to our eyes.
What Ephesians is trying to tell us is that our battle is spiritual. Therefore, we fight with spiritual weapons. We are prayer warriors, we worship through our worried, and we stand in Christ for his Kingdom and his alone. And if that sounds like a weak, sheepish way to fight – you haven’t read the end of the book. That is what it looks like to have the light of life. For the follower of Christ, this is not optional. This is how Christians live who follow the Light of The World.
If we start wrestling against flesh and blood, if we fight and devour one another, if the weapons of our warfare are carnal – then we walk in darkness. We have to remember (I like what Matt Chandler says) that there’s an enemy behind our enemy. And the enemies behind our enemies are aiming to take away the light of life.
Now, we are in great hands because Jesus is the Light of the World. And I want to give you three ways the light gives us hope.
1). Light preserves us from darkness
This is a promise and an encouraging one. “He who follows Jesus will not walk in darkness.” Darkness is everywhere, I don’t need to make a case for the existence of darkness. You can see it, you’re aware of it, you know that the world is under the sway of the wicked one. You know that darkness is encroaching, but if we walk in the light, we’re not going to get tripped up. We’re not going to stumble in the midst of this darkness; we will have direction.
The Word of God is referred to as light.
God is referred to, himself, as light.
And the Messiah is believed to light.
Jesus already declared earlier,
John 3:19 (NIV)
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
And so, we need to recognize that walking in darkness is enjoyable for our flesh. He said, “people loved darkness.” Why? Because darkness is a covering. It can be comfortable at times. It gives us the false assurance that we’re able to hide. But if we walk in darkness for too long, there will be consequences. If we walk in darkness, we’ll be like blind rainbow trout swimming in the Lost Sea. Walking in darkness may be comfortable for a season. But only the Light of Christ can sustain us. We can’t hide from God, and we shouldn’t because he is the only one who knows everything about us and loves us still, desires us, and is jealous for our affection toward him.
Scientifically speaking (I’m no scientist), it is physically impossible for darkness to reject light. Light shines into darkness. And in a spiritual sense, any attempt to stay in the comfort of darkness is a façade. A person can choose to stay in darkness and reject the light. And on this side of eternity, darkness may be pleasurable. It may feel good to hide and move around under the cover of darkness. But even those in spiritual darkness cannot hide forever.
Jesus said in Mark 4,
Mark 4:22 (NLT)
22 For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light.
2). Light gives us hope because the light of life is from the Creator of the Universe
Genesis tells us that when the world was created it was “formless and void” that “darkness was over the face of the deep,” but God said, “let there be light, and there was light.”
Then, the Apostle Paul makes it personal for you and me in his letter to the Corinthians (whatever darkness might try to overtake us). Paul told the Corinthians this:
2 Corinthians 4:6 (ESV)
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.
And so, if there is going to be light in the world, it is going to be Jesus. Without Jesus – the best we get is darkness. Light of the World means the world has no other light than him. The world was made to be illumined by this light. When God sends his light, he means that one day this world will be filled with the light of Christ and nothing else.
Revelation 21:23 (ESV)
23 “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.”
Revelation 21 tells us that when God makes all things new, there will be no more sun and no more moon, but Christ – the Lamb – will be the radiance of God’s glory and the only light we need.
And all darkness will be banished out of the world
All of the works of darkness will be banished out of the world
All of the sons and daughters of darkness will be banished out of the world
3) The light gives us hope because we have someone to follow
If we follow him now, we have him as our light, in advance of the great day when his light fills everything. In the light of Christ – our experience is different than those who walk in darkness. That doesn’t mean that we don’t experience difficulties like everyone else. In fact, I would say that Christians face the same challenges as the rest of the world and some additional trials that are unique to the Christian experience. As we partake in the same sufferings, share in the sufferings of Christ, as we fill up in our bodies the afflictions – the continuation of those afflictions of Christ, it is our calling. It is by God’s design. However, we go through those differently – our experience is different.
I have watched many devoted believers lose friends and family members – sometimes in such sudden and tragic circumstances. You’ve lost jobs, friends, and businesses. I’ve walked with god-fearing men and women through serious illnesses and medical emergencies. And those are the same things the world goes through. But there’s a difference in your life and in my life. There is a power living and resident in us that enables us to stand and hope in Christ. Even when we don’t know what’s going on – we have the illumination of the Spirit to say, “God knows my circumstances. I don’t know what to do, but God does, and I trust him.”
Jesus will be your light where you see God. He will be the light in which you see redemption. He will be the light in which you see your salvation. He will be the light in which you see mountains, valleys, oceans, rivers, trees, and even cats and dogs. Everything you see in Christ, you will see with a new light. Nothing will be the same when you have Jesus as your light! All things of old have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
We see everybody in a new light. And everything in a new light. He has become our light. The lamp is in us shining out, and everything takes on a totally new meaning because of its relationship to the light. Even fires, earthquakes, viruses, oppression, suffering, and death. Until his light fills the earth as the waters cover the sea until it banishes all sin and sickness and trouble to the outer darkness.
I love how John Piper says it.
John Piper “His light will help you bear the sorrows of darkness. It will be a warm, soft glow to comfort you in the lonely room after a devastating loss. It will be the lamp on your troubled and trembling path. It will reveal the wise and loving face of God behind every frowning providence.”
We will all walk through valleys of darkness, but not without light. And Jesus offers this unquenchable hope to those who follow him. “Whoever follows me,” he says, “will have the Light of Life.” Follow me, and you get the light of life.
Now, this isn’t like, “Oh, I’m aware of Jesus. I follow him on social media – I follow his Instagram, I follow his Facebook.” No! No, this is more than being aware of Jesus’ life updates. No! the phrase “follow me” carries with it a sense of investment. This phrase was commonly used as a military term. It speaks of obedience. When Jesus says here, “Follow me,” think of a soldier following his commander into battle. Followers of Jesus are joined to him. “Follow me” is the prerequisite for having the light of life and staying out of the darkness. It is conditional.
Now, let me ask you this.
Do you see the power of God’s Spirit at work in your life? When you face difficulty, do you jump ship and do everything in your power to escape your situation? Or do you consider that maybe, just maybe, God is using this trial in your life to shape you and cause you to rely on him? It is often the most difficult circumstances that God uses to shine the light of Christ in dark places.
Jesus said to his Disciples in the Sermon on the Mount,
Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV)
14 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 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.
16 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.
Jesus had a way of using object lessons to communicate his messages. As I mentioned earlier, during the festival, they had these massive seventy-five-foot-tall torches around the Temple court known as candelabras. It is said these candelabras would give light to the entire city and could be seen from far away as people traveled to the festival.
And I imagine that as they were extinguishing these massive candles on the last day of the feast, that’s when Jesus proclaimed (this is my speculation), but I propose that is when Jesus proclaimed that he is the Light of the World. That even though the light of the city would be extinguished, the light of Christ never will – never goes out.
Now there is a darkness that lasts forever.
Jude 13 (CSB)
13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shameful deeds; wandering stars for whom the blackness of darkness is reserved forever.
The Book of Jude talks about hell. In Jude, verse thirteen says hell is the “blackness of darkness forever.” Now that just sounds depressing, and it is, and so much more – and I don’t want anyone to stay in darkness. I know God doesn’t either. He said that he desires that no one would perish but that everyone would repent and have life in him.
If you have never come to the light, today is a good day.
And for those of us already in the family of God, I have three questions for us this week.
Reflection questions:
1). What areas of darkness in my life need the light of Christ to expose and heal?
2). What are three ways that I can display the light of Christ to my neighbors this week.
3). How does the light of Christ influence the way I treat my “enemies” (or perceived enemies)?
As we enter into our closing worship set, if you are with us today and you’ve never experienced the light of Christ in your life – I want to give you an opportunity today to make that decision. So, I want to ask everyone in the room right now to bow your hearts and close your eyes as we pray together.
The Bible says if we believe with our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, we will be saved. I want to ask, if that’s you, just raise your hand – we want to pray for you. I’m not going to embarrass you or call you up front, but I want you to have the opportunity to respond to God’s moving on your heart today.
Come to the light. There is freedom in the light. Forgiveness in the light. Love and joy and peace and rest in the light.
He’s saying, “Come on over here out of the dark. Come to the light.”