Jesus- Light of the World: "Reflections" 9-28-25

Overview

Jesus, the Light of the World

Picture the scene of John 8:12. Jesus is standing in the temple's second court—the Court of the Women, where the treasury was located—during the Festival of Booths. Towering above Him are four enormous candelabras, ablaze with flame, commemorating how God led Israel out of Egypt by a pillar of fire Exodus 13:21. It is in that setting, surrounded by those flames, that Jesus declares: "I am the light of the world."

With those words, Jesus is making two staggering claims. First, He is declaring that He is God. Scripture consistently identifies the Lord with light: "The Lord is my light and my salvation" Psalm 27:1; "The Lord will be your everlasting light" Isaiah 60:19; "God is light and in him there is no darkness at all" 1 John 1:5. Second, He is declaring that He is the promised Messiah, the one given "as a light to the nations" so that salvation might reach the ends of the earth Isaiah 49:6.

Jesus then issues a call: "Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness." To follow is unqualified commitment—the kind a soldier owes a commanding officer, the kind a servant owes a master. It means denying self and taking up the cross Matthew 16:24, leaving everything behind Matthew 19:27, going where He goes John 12:26. This is necessary because darkness is what comes naturally to us. We love darkness rather than light because our deeds are evil John 3:19; we grow comfortable with the ways of the world, our words and tone often indistinguishable from the unbeliever. So Paul urges, "Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light" Romans 13:12. The Light Himself took our darkness upon Him at the cross, reconciled us to God, and washed us clean in the waters of baptism.

Ancient Jewish writers said that when those four candelabras were lit, every courtyard in Jerusalem reflected their light. That is precisely the calling Jesus extends in Matthew 5:14-16: "You are the light of the world… let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." If Christ is the Light, we are the reflection. Baptized child of God, be who you are—a reflection of the Light of the world. And as the world grows darker, shine brighter.

Transcript

Would you open your Bible's please with me to the eighth chapter of the Gospel of John. 2s

If you're using a Puedition of Holy Scripture, you're going to find the eighth chapter 8s

of the Gospel of John on page 88. 12s

John the eighth chapter. 15s

Inchide the temple, the second court, the court of women, and their stands, Jesus. 21s

Inchide the temple had several different courts. 39s

The outer court was called the court of the Gentiles. 43s

That's as far as the non-Jewish person could go, the court of the Gentiles. 47s

Then the next court in, as you started to move to the holy of Holies, the next court 53s

in was the court of the women. 61s

It was designated that because that was in that day as far as the women could go. 64s

Though men could also go into the court of the women. 71s

Women could go into the next court which was the court of the priests if they brought 76s

a sacrifice to be placed upon the altar. 83s

We know from what was read in our Gospel today because where the treasury was located, 89s

that Jesus is standing in the second court. 95s

He's in the court of the women. 99s

We also know that it was the time of the festival of the booze. 105s

There would have been four humongous candelabras in the court of the women. 111s

Because what they were celebrating was one of God's actions when God was leading the 118s

people from Egypt to the Promised Land. 124s

So you see it in your mind's eye, do you? 128s

There's Jesus, second court of the women. 132s

He's standing amidst four huge candelabras that are a flame because it's the festival of the booze. 135s

And there, standing amidst the four candelabras with their candles of flame. 144s

Notice what Jesus said, verse 12, 153s

I am the light of the world. 159s

I am the light of the world. 165s

When Jesus standing amidst those four candelabras said that he was the light of the world, 174s

he was declaring that he was and is God. 180s

Scripture tells us in Psalm 27, 188s

the Lord is my light and my salvation. 191s

whom shall I fear? 195s

Isaiah 60, the Lord will be with your ever-lasting light and your God will be your glory. 197s

First John 1, this is the message. 205s

We have heard from him and proclaim to you that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. 208s

Jesus, standing amidst the four candelabras with their candles of flame. 219s

When he said, I am the light of the world. 226s

He was declaring that he was the Messiah. 231s

Isaiah records Isaiah 49, I will give you as a light to the nations that my salvation may reach the end of the earth. 235s

Jesus, standing amidst the four candelabras of flame declaring that he was the light of the world. 248s

And then notice the very next thing he says, whoever follows me, 257s

that we're there for follows is unqualified commitment. Unqualified commitment. 267s

It's the word that a person in the armed forces as they adhere to what their commanding officer is saying. 275s

It's a word in that day that would have been associated with slavery, 287s

of a slave attending to a master. Unqualified commitment. 293s

Jesus says in Matthew 16th chapter, he says, if any want to become my followers, let them deny 300s

themselves and take up their cross and follow me. In Matthew 19th chapter, it's recorded that Peter 309s

says to Jesus, look, we have left everything and followed you. Jesus says in John, 317s

recorded in the 12th chapter, whoever serves me must follow me and where I am, 325s

there will my servant be also, whoever serves me the Father will honor. 332s

Jesus standing amidst the four candelabras says, I'm the light of the world. Jesus standing amidst the four candelabras 340s

says to follow me and notice the next thing he says, he's the light of the world. He calls them to 350s

follow him and he says, you will never walk in darkness. Never walk in darkness. 357s

But darkness. Darkness is what comes naturally to us. We see in Scripture that darkness is a 371s

sin. In John the 3rd chapter, Jesus said, and this is the judgment that the light has come into 400s

the world and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 409s

Paul says in Romans the 13th chapter, he says, let us then lay aside the works of darkness 417s

and put on the armor of light. See what comes naturally to us is the darkness of sin. 424s

What comes naturally to us is the darkness of becoming so very comfortable with the ways of the world. 440s

What comes naturally to us is the darkness that Satan desires. What comes naturally to us 453s

our words and tone and beliefs that are indistinguishable from the unbeliever. 467s

Jesus standing amidst the four candelabras said, I am the light of the world. 485s

And he said it to those that naturally gravitate to the darkness. He said it to those 501s

whose eyes had become accustomed to the dark. He said it to them. 511s

And he says it to us. To us. 523s

Those candelabras of flame as Jesus stands there in the midst. Those candelabras associated 537s

with the festival of booze that echoes all the way back to what God did recorded in Exodus 546s

the 13th chapter. Remember God had established a covenant with Abraham and Sarah. It was land 553s

offering and blessing. He said, out of them would come this great people and out of that great 560s

people would come the Messiah. As you follow the story the people wind up in slavery in Egypt, 567s

under the hand of a incredibly oppressive Pharaoh, God hears their cries and he and he frees them 575s

from Egypt, propelling them to the promised land. And then Exodus the 13th chapter. It says, 583s

the Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them along the way. 593s

I catch this. And in a pillar of fire by night to give them light so that they might travel 601s

by day and by night. The light of God led the people out of bondage in Egypt to the promised land. 611s

The light, capital L, Jesus leads us out of the darkness of sin into the beauty of the promised 631s

land of heaven itself. The light of the world, Jesus Christ took our darkness upon him at the cross. 650s

The light of the world, Jesus Christ took all of our sin and thought word indeed what we've 668s

done and we've left undone. The light of the world, Jesus Christ reconciled us through his death 675s

to God. The light of the world, Jesus Christ on the cross redeemed us. He bought us back. The light 685s

of the world takes the victory of the cross and puts it with the water of baptism and washes us 697s

in that word. Psalm 27 again, it says, the Lord is my light and my salvation. 704s

whom shall I fear? Through the Lord Jesus Christ salvation was brought to a sin saturated world. 716s

And Jesus standing amidst the candelabra of flame in the court of the women. 734s

SES PAY M 748s

I am the light of the world. 753s

Since he is the light, what does that make us? 766s

The reflection, the reflection. 780s

It was the produce department at Tom Thumb. 790s

Several of us were shopping, getting our apples and oranges and bananas and cucumbers and 797s

lettuce and all the light. 803s

There was a little girl there in a cart. 806s

Her mother was pushing her around. 809s

She was playing. 813s

But then all of a sudden, this little girl, she started to sing. 815s

She started to sing. 822s

She wasn't humming. 826s

She didn't sing softly. 829s

She was singing. 832s

And she was singing loud. 837s

So that all of us there stopped and looked and smiled. 840s

Because she was singing a song that she had learned. 853s

Sing it boldly. 857s

She sang the first verse. 861s

This little light of mine. 864s

I am going to let it shine. 867s

Let it shine. 869s

Let it shine. 871s

Let it shine. 872s

Then she went on to the second verse. 874s

And she sang, won't let Satan blow it out. 878s

I am going to let it shine. 882s

Let it shine. 884s

Let it shine. 885s

Let it shine. 886s

That led her to the third verse. 887s

I did under a bushel. 890s

No. 891s

I am going to let it shine. 891s

Let it shine. 894s

Let it shine. 895s

Let it shine. 896s

And then with a crescendo, she came to the final verse. 897s

And in full voice, this little one, she sang. 902s

Let it shine. 908s

Till Jesus comes. 909s

Let it shine. 912s

Let it shine. 914s

Let it shine. 916s

And the reflection was bright. 920s

Ancient Jewish sources tell us that when those four candle-lobera were lit in the second 932s

court, the court of the women, when they were lit, it was so 941s

bright, quote that all of the court yards in Jerusalem reflected the light. 948s

Jesus said, you are the light of the world. 961s

A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 969s

No one lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand. 973s

And it gives light to all the house in the same way. 977s

Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory 984s

to your father in heaven. 992s

Baptize, child of God, be who you are, a reflection of the light of the world. 997s

And as the world gets darker, be brighter. 1018s