074 Jesus said – I am the Light of the World

The Way of Righteousness 074 Jesus said – I am the Light of the World

‘I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life’
John 8:12

Key Verse:

“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness overcame it not … He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not” (John 1:5,10)

(John 8,9)

In the last lesson, we saw how the priests, the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees harassed Jesus and tried to arrest Him so that they could have Him put to death. However, no one could take Jesus, because God’s appointed time for Him to die as a sacrifice for sin had not yet come. Today we will continue in the book of the Gospel and see how Jesus rebuked those who opposed Him, and how He healed a man who had been blind from birth. Our lesson today is called

“The Light of the World.”

In the Gospel of John, we read: (John 8:2,12-14,23-25,28,32-ch.9) “And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them … Then spoke Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness,

but shall have the light of life.

The Pharisees, therefore, said unto him, Thou bearest witness of thyself; thy witness is not true. Jesus answered, and said unto them, Though I bear witness of myself, yet my witness is true; for I know from where I come, and where I go … I am from above: ye are of this world;

I am not of this world.

I said, therefore, unto you, that ye shall die in your sins; for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, even the same that I said unto you from the beginning … when ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that

I do nothing of myself;

but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things … and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We are Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man. How sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you,

whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

And the servant abideth not in the house forever; but the Son abideth ever. If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because

my word hath no place in you.

I speak which I have seen with my Father, and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. They answered, and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus said unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children,

ye would do the works of Abraham.

But now seek ye to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God; this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We are not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me; for

I proceeded forth and came from God;

neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it. and because I tell you the truth,

ye believe me not.

Which of you convicteth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God’s words; ye, therefore, hear them not, because ye are not of God. Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a demon? Jesus answered, I have not a demon; but I honour my Father, and ye dishonour me. And

I seek not mine own glory;

there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a demon. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying,

he shall never taste of death.

Art thou greater than our father, Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Whom makest thou thyself? Jesus answered, If I honour myself,

my honour is nothing;

it is my Father that honoureth me, of whom ye say, that he is your God. Yet ye have not known him; but I know him. And if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you; but I know him, and keep his saying. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you,

Before Abraham was, I am.

Then took they up stones to cast at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple,

going through the midst of them,

and so passed by.

And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man who was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents, but that

the works of God should be made manifest in him.

I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day; the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world,

I am the light of the world.

When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which is by interpretation, Sent). He went his way, and washed, and came seeing. The neighbours, therefore, and they who before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is this not he that sat and begged? Some said, This is he; others said, He is like him; but he said,

I am he.

Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened? He answered, and said, A man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash; and I went and washed, and

I received sight.

Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not. They brought to the Pharisees him that formerly was blind. And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. Then again the Pharisees asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon my eyes, and I washed, and see. Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said,

How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles?

And there was division among them. They said unto the blind man again, what sayest thou of him, since he hath opened thine eyes? He said,

He is a prophet.

But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight. And they asked them, saying, Is this your son,

who ye say was born blind?

His parents answered them, and said, we know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not. He is of age; ask him. He shall speak for himself. These words spoke his parents,

because they feared the Jews;

for the Jews had agreed already that, if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him. Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise; we know that this man is a sinner. He answered, and said, Whether he is a sinner or not, I know not; one thing I know, that, whereas

I was blind, now I see.

Then said they to him again, What did he do to thee? How opened he thine eyes? He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear; why would ye hear it again?

Will ye also be his disciples?

Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples. We know that God spoke unto Moses; as for this fellow, we know not from where he is. The man answered, and said unto them, Why here is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from where he is, and yet

he hath opened mine eyes.

Now we know that God heareth not sinners; but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. Since the age began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God,

he could do nothing.

They answered, and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.

Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him,

Dost thou believe on the Son of God?

He answered, and said, who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said,

Lord, I believe.

And he worshipped him. And Jesus said, For judgement I am come into this world, that they who see not, might see; and that they who see, might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these words, and said unto him,

Are we blind also?

Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin. But now ye say, We see. Therefore, your sin remaineth”.

Thus the Lord Jesus healed the man who was born blind and rebuked the Pharisees

because of their blinded minds.

These religious experts had a blindness that was worse than ordinary blindness. They could see, but

they did not want to see,

which is why they picked up rocks to throw at Jesus. These religious men had closed their minds to the truth about Jesus. They did not want to believe that He was the Messiah and the Light of the world. They did not want to believe that Jesus existed before the prophet Abraham; that He was the Word that was with God in the beginning.

They did not want to see the truth.

In this story we have seen two kinds of blind people: Those who are blind in the eyes; and those who are blind in the mind. The darkness of a blind mind is worse than

the darkness of blind eyes.

If your eyes are blind, you cannot see the things of the world, but if your heart and mind are blind, then you cannot see or understand the things of eternity!

The Word of God teaches us that all of Adam’s children are blind from birth –

blind in their minds and in their hearts.

Because of Adam’s sin, all of us have been born in the darkness of sin and ignorance.

We have no knowledge of God

and no natural desire for His truth. Like cockroaches that scatter when a light is turned on, we avoid the light of God’s Word, content to live out our lives in the darkness. Sadly, most of Adam’s offspring die in the darkness of sin and ignorance. The proverb says,

“Before you know it, ignorance will kill you!”

Similarly, the prophet Hosea wrote: “Hear the word of the Lord … My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee….” (Hos. 4:1,6)

The good news is that

God does not want any of us to perish in the darkness of sin and ignorance.

That is why He visited our world by sending to us the Lord Jesus Christ. The prophet Zachariah spoke of the Lord Jesus as

“the Rising Sun”

whom God would send “to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:79) The prophets were like the stars that light up the night, but Jesus Christ is like the rising sun, bringing light and life to all who believe in Him. How many suns did God create to shine in our world?

Only one.

How many Saviours has God sent from heaven to deliver sinners from the darkness of sin and eternal hell?

Only one.

However, most of Adam’s children do not understand this, which is why they are still stumbling in the darkness of sin. That is what the Scripture declares concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, saying: “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness overcame it not … He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not” (John 1:5,10)

Dear friend,