Digging Deeper: I Am the Light of the World

Later Jesus speaks to the people in the temple near where people put their offerings, and he says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 

When Jesus says he is the Light of the World, he referring back to passage from Isaiah the Prophet, which says:

“I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.”

-- Isaiah 42:6-7

What Jesus is doing here is claiming himself to be “Israel.” Israel had been charged by God with the task of being the light to the nations, but as we know from Israel’s history they more than often failed miserably at doing this. So Jesus is essentially saying, “I am the true Israelite. I can fulfill the role God gave to Israel to be a light to the rest of the world, and to show the world what God is truly like.” And so Jesus declares that those who follow him, rather than following the corrupt Pharisees, will be able to walk in the light.

And the Pharisees challenge his testimony, claiming he is his own witness.

And Jesus says even if he is his own witness, that’s not a problem because his father whom they claim to know but obviously don’t is the one who sent him.

And he says, “In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.” 

Then they asked him, “Where is your father?” 

“You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 

And the text says, “no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.” The Pharisees had previously given orders to the Temple guards to go arrest Jesus, but even the guards were so amazed by his teachings that they refused to do so. The people hung on his every words.

Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.” 

This makes the Jews wonder if Jesus is threatening to commit suicide.

So he continues, “You are from below; I am from above. And I told you before you will die in your sins if you do not believe in me.” 

“Who are you?” they asked. 

And Jesus says, “I’ve been telling you all along! I speak to the world the words of the one who sent me, but I don’t have any good words for you…

They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. 

So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”

And John tells us that even as he spoke, many believed in him. 

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 

But they then suddenly become offended by what Jesus is saying, believing he is making a mean slavery joke about them. And they’re like, “Set free from what? We’ve never been slaves! We’re Abraham’s children!”

Jesus replied, “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.”

The people, and especially the Pharisees, recognized that Jesus taught with great authority, but his words of truth were offensive to them, because he was calling them out on their own shortcomings and sinful choices. This was embarrassing to them, but instead of accepting the whole of Jesus’ message, they decided they needed to shut him up, and began looking for a way to kill him. Jesus is well aware of what they are thinking and he calls them out on this, too. Jesus, being the true Light, has exposed the darkness in their hearts. And this makes them mad. In this light, we can see the truth. The truth is that they were not truly obedient to God the Father as Jesus was. No. Jesus tells them that they have been listening to another father – the father of lies – the devil.