Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
— John 8:12
All of the “I am” statements in the book of John ultimately speak to the divinity of Jesus Christ. All of them have an Old Testament connection to the character and revelation of God in our world. These statements were clearly offensive to those who felt they were keepers of the sacred information and protectors of God’s name. Jesus was seemingly hijacking the name and identity of God.
The most important realization occurs when we finally recognize that these statements point to the fact that God’s attributes were not merely demonstrated by a person, but as a person! The bread of life isn’t merely a metaphor, it is a person. The Resurrection is not merely an event, it is a person. The light of the world isn’t just a concept, it is a person. Once you recognize this, you are able to experience the fullness of Christ in your life.
I meet so many people who love to live in the dark because it feels safer and it promises to mitigate the fear. However, in reality, it only exacerbates it. As we walk in the dark, we feel comfortable, but the fear and bondage continues to grow. The light becomes more and more abhorrent, despite the fact that we have intimately experienced the light that is Christ.
Therefore, we don’t have to doubt the Resurrection or run from the light, because this person is our friend. Despite our ugliness, he pursues us, woos us, beckons us and calls,“Come to me.” Ironically, I suspect that our biggest mistakes and regrets in life are when we chose to run in the opposite direction. For some reason, we tend to run away from the light and into the darkness. Like the vermin of the night, we head to the place where it seems comfortable. However, healing is never found in the dark. It is only found in the loving arms of a person, Jesus Christ, and in him is life!