“I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.”

Passage: John 8:12-30

Key verse: 12

NIV

Dispute Over Jesus’ Testimony

12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am(A) the light of the world.(B) Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”(C)

13 The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”(D)

14 Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going.(E) But you have no idea where I come from(F) or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards;(G) I pass judgment on no one.(H) 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.(I) 17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true.(J) 18 I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”(K)

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

“You do not know me or my Father,”(L) Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”(M) 20 He spoke these words while teaching(N) in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put.(O) Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.(P)

Dispute Over Who Jesus Is

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

22 This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?”

23 But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.(S) 24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he,(T) you will indeed die in your sins.”

25 “Who are you?” they asked.

“Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. 26 “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy,(U) and what I have heard from him I tell the world.”(V)

27 They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. 28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up[a] the Son of Man,(W) 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.(X) 29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone,(Y) for I always do what pleases him.”(Z) 30 Even as he spoke, many believed in him.(AA)

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. John 8:28 The Greek for lifted up also means exalted.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

I Am the Light of the World

12 (A)Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, (B)“I am the light of the world. Whoever (C)follows me will not (D)walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13 So the Pharisees said to him, (E)“You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, (F)my testimony is true, for I know (G)where I came from and (H)where I am going, but (I)you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 (J)You judge according to the flesh; (K)I judge no one. 16 Yet even if I do judge, (L)my judgment is true, for (M)it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father[a] who sent me. 17 (N)In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. 18 I am the one who bears witness about myself, and (O)the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” 19 They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, (P)“You know neither me nor my Father. (Q)If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 These words he spoke in (R)the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but (S)no one arrested him, because (T)his hour had not yet come.

21 So he said to them again, (U)“I am going away, and (V)you will seek me, and (W)you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 So the Jews said, (X)“Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23 He said to them, (Y)“You are from below; I am from above. (Z)You are of this world; (AA)I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you (AB)would die in your sins, for (AC)unless you believe that (AD)I am he you will die in your sins.” 25 So they said to him, (AE)“Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. 26 I have much to say about you and much to judge, but (AF)he who sent me is true, and I declare (AG)to the world (AH)what I have heard from him.” 27 They did not understand that (AI)he had been speaking to them about the Father. 28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have (AJ)lifted up the Son of Man, (AK)then you will know that (AL)I am he, and that (AM)I do nothing on my own authority, but (AN)speak just as the Father taught me. 29 And (AO)he who sent me is with me. (AP)He has not left me alone, for (AQ)I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” 30 As he was saying these things, (AR)many believed in him.

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. John 8:16 Some manuscripts he
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

We live in darkness due to the power of sin and death. Jesus came as “the light of the world” (12) to shine the light of life on those who walk in darkness. In him is life, which is the light of all mankind. He is the true light that enlightens everyone (Jn 1:4,5,9) and sets them free from sin and death. Whoever follows him will never walk in darkness. Jesus invites us to follow him so that we may not live a life without meaning and direction, but a life with a clear purpose.

We are born below and are of the world, the object of God’s wrath. If we live by our sinful nature, we die in the darkness of our sins (21, 24) and cannot escape God’s judgment. However, God, in his great mercy, sent his Son into the world to save sinners. To the unbelieving Jews, Jesus told them that they would know he is the Messiah, the Son of God, after they handed him over to die on the cross (28). When we look at Jesus who died for our sins and trust in his finished work on the cross, we can be rescued from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of God’s Son in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Col 1:13-14).

Prayer: Lord, thank you for shining the light of life on me. Help me to follow you closely so that I may not walk in darkness of sin.

One Word: The light of life in Jesus