I Am the Light of the World
“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
John 8:12
As we continue with the “I Am” statements of Christ, we come to the statement that Christ makes about being the Light of the world. “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12.
This statement follows right after the incident in which the woman was caught in adultery , and the scribes and Pharisees brought her to Jesus to test what He might say. They wanted to stone the woman. At first Jesus silently confronted their hypocrisy. Then He replied, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” The men left one by one, and when Jesus was alone He told the woman to go and sin no more.
The Light of the World
It is right after this that Jesus proclaims to those scribes and Pharisees the He is indeed the Light of the World. Christ illuminates our understanding of the gospel, and He opens our eyes so that our sin is much more visible. He shines the Light on the consequences of our sin and that none of us without sin. Those who follow Him need never be in darkness but will have the “Light of Life.”
John 8:1-12
But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.
7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”