I Am the Light of the World

John 8:12

Introduction

One of the most common fears, especially for but not limited to children, is fear of the dark. But why is that? I can understand being afraid of snakes or spiders because those are actual things and they can cause harm or at least great discomfort. But darkness isn’t actually a thing. Darkness is not something you can stuff in a test tube or examine under a microscope. What is so frightening about the dark? When you are standing in some place and it is pitch black, and then lights are turned on, nothing about your setting has really changed. All objects are exactly where they were before. So what’s the big deal about the dark?

There is some real danger about the dark, despite it not actually being a thing, and it can be understand in two ways. One is that darkness hides the dangers around us. While the dark can’t hurt us, it can prevent us from seeing other real things that can harm us. This can range from a piece of LEGO on the floor that you step on in the middle of the night or a predator stalking its next victim. We feel more vulnerable to the dangers around us in the dark.

The other part of this is that the dark hides us from those who provide us comfort and protection. When I was a young child, I was aware that in the dark, my parents wouldn’t be able to see me if the bogey man in the closet was coming to get me. One of the reasons we are uncomfortable with our daughters walking alone at night. It’s not just about what bad people might be about, but that they are out of the watchful eyes of good people who would protect them. Despite darkness simply being the absence of light rather than a thing that actually exists, there are still things to be concerned about.

The Bible has a lot to say about light and darkness. It speaks of it literally but also as images for other aspects of life. The Bible knows that we can speak of going through a dark time and we can mean emotionally, spiritually, or any other number of ways. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that the very first action of God described in the Bible is “Let there be light.” God has been working against darkness ever since then. 

What we are going to look at is the role of Jesus as the light of the world. What does that mean and how does that help us?

Light in John

The image of light is very prominent in the Gospel of John. In the very first chapter, we read this:

“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.” (John 1:4-10)  

Already in this passage, we find an extraordinary claim. It would not be surprising to hear about a prophet or religious teacher coming to bring light to the people. But right from the beginning we are told that Jesus was coming not share the light or reveal the light but to be the light. Perhaps this was just an exaggerated description crafted to catch our interest. And yet later on, Jesus makes the incredible claim that “I Am the light of the world.”

This is the second of the seven I Am statements of Jesus. Previously we saw that Jesus was the bread of life. Now we discover Jesus to be the light of the world. Again, Jesus does not say “I am here to reveal the light to you” but “I am the light.”

The critics among the crowd did not fail to understand what was being said here. Jesus was not offering himself as a rabbi who could enlighten people through the Torah. Jesus is claiming to be the light of the world itself, thus making some kind of divine claim. This would definitely take the conflict up a notch.

No one would have denied that there was darkness in the world. There was peace, but it was a peace enforced by an occupying force. The people were feeling oppressed and the next generation would actively rebel against Rome. Many people, especially the marginalized, were struggling to survive. Jesus came into the world, the dark world, to be the light. He did this through his miracles and his debates with the religious authorities. He also did it through acts of compassion and befriending the outcasts. One of the ways that Jesus did it was dispelling ignorance.

In John 9, we see the image of Jesus as the light showing up again. This story of the healing of the blind man is full of intricate details. How does it fit with light in the darkness? One obvious way was that a man born blind could now see. Try to imagine what that was like for him. But that is only the most obvious example. If we were to read through the chapter, we would see that the man who was healed recognizes who Jesus is, while the religious leaders are ironically blind to his real identity. But there is another part that we see at the very beginning. Jesus’ own disciples start with the assumption that the man’s blindness was caused by sin. Jesus dismantles that very traditional way of understanding disabilities. Sadly, many Christians today skip over this and continue to see disability as punishment for sin.

Light in Our World

We live in a much different time and culture than that in which Jesus first appeared. What has changed and what has stayed the same?

There is still much darkness in our world. Some of the details are different and yet the basic principles are the same. People still struggle spiritually, emotionally, and physically. And darkness still does the same thing it always has. Darkness hides the threats and leaves us in a state of uncertainty. What is going to happen next? What is just around the corner? We are left filled with confusion and anxiety. 

In addition to hiding the threats, the darkness also makes us feel hidden from those who can help and protect us. The darkness makes us feel isolated and alone. Where is the hope?

The hope is in Jesus. Jesus is the light of the world. This has not changed with his ascension to heaven. Jesus continues to not only provide the light but to be the light.

This happens on numerous levels. On a societal level, this world has never been the same since Jesus first appeared. Jesus, working through the Church, has brought light to darkness. Many of the best things in our world today find their origins in what Jesus was doing through the Church. Even secular historians and scholars will acknowledge that many of the things that we take for granted today find their origins in Christianity.

But it also happens on a personal level. Jesus brings light to us as individuals. This does not mean that all of our problems go away. Remember that darkness by itself cannot harm us. Darkness hides other dangers and makes us feel unseen by those who care for us. The light of Jesus changes that. We can understand the dangers around us and respond accordingly, but life will still have challenges. And the light will help us to not feel so alone. We can become aware of our community and of the God that watches over us. We are never as a lone as we sometimes feel.

Conclusion

Jesus is the light of the world. It is in Jesus that we have hope in a dark world. But in this, we are not passive observants. Despite the fact that Jesus is the light of the world, Jesus also said to his disciples “You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14) The light we have is not our own but is the light of Jesus that is within us. Our job is to look for the dark and scary places and shine the light of Jesus on them. We need to respond to ignorance and injustice and hate and selfishness. Our light won’t change things by itself but it will reveal what is actually going on and make room for lasting changes. Let us allow Christ’s light to shine through us and spread the hope that cannot be hid by the darkness.