Good morning,
In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes seven statements beginning with the words I am. Each of these “I am” proclamations furthers our understanding of Jesus’ ministry in the world. They also link Jesus to the Old Testament revelation of God.
In the Old Testament, God revealed His name to Moses: “I AM THAT I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me unto you’” (Exodus 3:14). Thus, in Judaism, “I AM” is unquestionably understood as a name for God. Whenever Jesus made an “I am” statement in which He claimed attributes of deity, He was identifying Himself as God.
Jesus states, I am the bread of life, light of the world, the door, the good shepherd, the resurrection and the life, the way, the truth, and the life, and the true vine.
This week we will at each of these I AM statements.
“I am the light of the world”
“Then spake 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.” (John 8:12)
“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:5)
That simply means that Jesus brings light into any dark place.
It is recorded in the book of Genesis that the first thing God called forth was light. He said, “Let there be light, and there was light.” Thousands of years later, God’s Son said He was light.
Notice Jesus didn’t just say He was light that would light up a room or even a street corner. He was inclusive by saying He was the light of the world. In other words, He was not just the light that would go bad as our light bulbs do sometimes. Jesus said He was the very embodiment of light. Wherever He is, nothing is dark because He is the light.
The occasion for this saying was that a woman had been caught in adultery and the religious leaders wanted to stone her to death. Jesus told them to cast the first stone if they were without sin. Nobody could do so. Then Jesus assured them that they didn’t have to live in darkness because He was the light of the world, and He was able to bring light into their lives if they would follow Him.
We need light to see. The world we live in is filled with darkness, sin, and negativity. When we allow the light of Jesus in, it brightens everything. Jesus changes us completely.
Are we living in Jesus light or the darkness of the world?
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001
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