Jesus is God. He is the light of the world. Beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, by the time you go home tonight, you'll be seeing lots of lights. The lights are all over Scarborough or wherever you live, I'm sure. And people like them, I like them too. It's quite a dark time, a little bit depressing time of the year, and the sun goes down by five or maybe sooner. And the lights bring cheer, you feel happy. See the blinking lights in different colors. Maybe you're cheered up by it as I am. It's interesting that the Lord Jesus described himself as light, except he's a much brighter light. And the world is in much greater darkness than just a few months of winter. He is so bright, the Bible says, that the whole world can see him. No wonder he described himself quite aptly as, I am the light of the world. Now this is the second of the I am statements. First one we looked at last week is the bread of life. These statements show his deity, which emphasize his qualifications to be that infinite God-man, the only one who was fit to die for the sins of the world. So it's not just doctrine, never just doctrine. There's doctrine and there's application of the doctrine to our lives. We will look at this under two headings. How is Jesus the light of the world? And then second, what are the implications of the light of the world to you? Our goals are that you will let the light of the world shine on you so you can see your sins. One. That you will learn how to walk in his light too. And then three, that you will shine his light for the world to see their sins. So how is Jesus the light of the world? How is Jesus the light of the world? First, Jesus directly claimed to be the light of the world. And as we often say, when Jesus said something, you have to ask yourself the question, is he a liar? Is he a lunatic for saying that or is he the Lord? And what he's saying here is absolutely true. He is saying he is the Lord and he is the light of the world. And we know what he was saying because the Pharisees rebuked him for bearing witness of himself saying, you're only talking about yourself. Look at the passage, John chapter 8, verse 13 and 14 together. The Pharisees therefore said to him, you bear witness of yourself, your witness is not true. Jesus answered and said to them, even if I bear witness of myself, my witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from and where I am going. Jesus is saying, I am the light of the world. You don't know what you're talking about in his rebuke of them. The point that Jesus was making was this. He couldn't have another witness that he was the light of the world. Why? He said, I've come from the father. I got the word from him. Did you ever go to the Father? Did you get the direct revelation from God so you could bear witness of who I am? No one could bear witness of who I am except myself, because I come from the Father. So there's no quibble about what Jesus was saying. And he even repeated this claim. He had to give witness of himself. In John chapter 9, verse 5, he said together, As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. There's no ambivalence about that, very clear. So Jesus claimed that. What do we see in the scriptures? Well, let's first look at the Old Testament. See, this doctrine didn't come out of thin air. The Old Testament described Jesus as the light of the world. One of the clearest cases is that of Malachi. There Malachi described Jesus as the S-U-N, the Son of Righteousness, the Light of Righteousness, removing darkness and giving light so the people could rejoice. Jesus would liberate those who were trapped in the darkness of sin and misery. And then he would set them free so they could run like cows that were penned up and then finally allowed to go out. Look at Malachi chapter 4 verse 2 together. But to you who fear my name, the son of righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings, and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves." The stall-fed calves were the ones who were kept in there. They were just fed to fatten them up so the muscle didn't get hard and they would be juicy hamburgers or steaks or whatever they made from them. But when they were let out because they were so penned up, they would go and jump. They're happy, they have freedom. And it's quite a sight to see how happy they are when they're freed. And Jesus saying, because of my light, you'll be liberated like those penned up calves. Second, Jesus was the pillar of light. The pillar of light that was there by night as the children of Israel traveled from Egypt to Canaan. And he had to be there because they needed the warmth of the desert. The deserts are very cold at night. We think of desert as 40, 45 degree weather during the day, but at night, they're very cold. And that was a form of heat. It was also a form of light. It was also a sign that it's time to move. When the cloud moved, when the light moved, they knew it was time to start moving. And Jesus was that light. You read about that. He was the cloud, he was light. 1 Corinthians chapter 10 talks about Jesus being that one who cared for them there. And Jesus is described as a lamp to man's, or his word is described as a lamp to man's feet and a light to his path. He is the word of God, that word of light. Look again, Psalm 119, verse 105, together. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Who is the word of God? Jesus Christ. So he is that light that shows us our sin. and how to be saved. Psalm 19, verse eight, together. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes, giving the eyesight. You can see your sin. You can see your need for the Savior. You can see how to live when you are saved from the word of God, because it's like light to us. Four, Jesus was pictured in the great lights in the Feast of the Tabernacles. Now, we've talked about, we read that one verse and we see the statement, Jesus said, I'm the light of the world. But this was based upon this particular time when there was the Feast of the Tabernacles. And you wonder, why is that significant? Well, that Feast of Tabernacles were sometimes called the Feast of Ingatherings or Sukkot. There, the enemies of Jesus had just celebrated this feast. And they would have understood what he was claiming here. Why? You see, when they had this feast of Sukkot or in gatherings or tabernacles, it would begin, the first day of the feast would be when the moon would come up with the sun not yet down. So there's that smooth transition, meaning there was light all the time. And by the time that moon is going down, the sun is coming up. So the light will be there all the time. And that's when Jesus said, oh, you're thinking about that light, but I'm the light of the whole world. I am that uninterrupted, ever-present light. And at the beginning of this feast, they would light some lamps that they would keep burning until the end of that feast. At the end of the feast, they would put the lamps out, and then it would go back to the regular routine. And Jesus said, I am the light of the world. So he's showing he is the continuation. He doesn't go out. They knew what he was claiming, that he was a source of light. And who is the source of light? God is. In fact, they had a particular prayer that they would say, we'll come to that in a minute. But they had the prayer recognizing that God was light. And when he was claiming this, they knew he was claiming deity, that he was God. Then fifth, Jesus was pictured by the prophets as the one who would bring light or enlightenment to the world. And look at three prophecies from Isaiah that were directly linked to the Savior. First of all, Isaiah chapter 60 verse 1. Together. Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. Arise, for your light has come. Who's that light? Jesus Christ. Isaiah 49, verse 6, together. Indeed, he says, It is too small a thing that you should, my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel. I will also give you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be my salvation to the ends of the earth. That light that we get from Christ is that light that we are going to pass on to the Gentiles, because that light was Jesus. Isaiah 9, verse 2, it's often read at Christmas time, but it's something that's applicable all through the year. Verse 2, together, the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined. What a beautiful picture. of Jesus in the Old Testament. What a beautiful promise of who he was and what he would do. But what about that period between the Old Testament and New Testament? We call that the intertestamental time, or just the gap time between the Old and New Testament. There was a special thing that gave new meaning to who Jesus would be. After Antiochus Epiphanes, the rising star of the collapsed Greek empire, he invaded Jerusalem. He went and he polluted the temple. One of the things he did was to get a bunch of pigs and kill them on the altar, which desecrated the altar. That should never have an unclean animal sacrificed there. But there was a notable cleansing under a man called Judas Maccabeus. He went and led a rebellion against this invading Greek king, kind of Greek king with Seleucids. It's sort of the Greek empire was split in four. This one became dominant. This one king became dominant. But Judas Maccabeus led a revolt against the styrant. He murdered, slaughtered many, many Jews and taken many away as captive. When he cleaned that place out, he won the victory against Judas Maccabeus. Then they cleaned out the temple. They had to get new stones to build the altar all again. But when they were done, they started to light some lamps. And you've probably heard Hanukkah. That's not exactly how you say it, but it's close enough. That's the popular way. And it's called what? The Festival of Lights. And that was a picture of the hope they had in the one who would come to be their true Messiah, to bring freedom again to them from darkness. Now, they're still waiting for Messiah today, though Messiah has come, because they missed him. They missed the Lord Jesus. Look, in fact, at how the Jewish rabbis used to pray with expectation of the Messiah. They would say, the Israelites said to God, O Lord of the universe, thou commandest us to light lamps to thee, yet thou art the light of the world, and with thee the light dwelleth. This was their hope of the light coming. and that they would do the symbolic lights to remember the great light that was coming. Then in the New Testament, the people in the New Testament pointed to Christ as being the light of the world, acknowledging the divine character in him. In fact, Apostle John, speaking of John the Baptist, Confirm this in John chapter one, verse six through nine together. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. This man came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all through him might believe. He was not that light, but he was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light, which gives light to every man coming into the world. What a Wonderful description of Jesus, that light, the one in the desert, the one pictured by Hanukkah. But it wasn't just John what he wrote. Simeon, the old man who was ready to die after he saw Jesus, after he was born, said this, Luke chapter 2, verse 32. a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel. Jesus was that light. And you see, how would we get to see the deity here? It says, since only God saves, and Jesus is the one who caused the Gentiles to be saved, then we see the link. Jesus then is God. and he had to be God for your salvation. You will notice also when Jesus was born, what's the description? You hear glory to God in the highest, but there was this sound of angels singing, the brightness of the sky, light had come. And then after the wise men from the East learned about Jesus, how did they learn about Jesus? They saw a star, they saw a light that guided them to where he was. What a beautiful picture again of the light. And Jesus said, I can shine on every part of the world at the same time. That's what he means by saying, I'm the light of the world. Remember, the world's a big ball, but his light is so bright it grows all the way around the world. Who can do that but God? You can get the brightest light, but it doesn't shine all over the world. Jesus can. So what do we mean by this light? What's the point of this light? Well, Jesus's light illumines his word, which leads men to salvation, and which then leads men in their salvation. And he does this all worldwide. So how you are saved, how you are sanctified. Now think of where we are here. It's what, 315, 300 years ago. 25, 20 in the afternoon here. What is like in Singapore or someplace 12, 13 hours ahead if you go farther? Jesus' light continues to shine there. There are people who are sharing the gospel. There are people who are reading the gospel, believing the gospel because the power of Jesus continues to shine to show men their sin and how they're saved. and how they are to live after they're saved. We say his light brings life. So we know about Jesus. But what does that imply for us? What are the implications then of the light of the world to you? Receive the light of the world so you can see your sins, so you can experience the salvation, and so you can serve the Lord. Without it, you are absolutely blind. That's why you read about some of the attacks from the Muslims against Christians. Why? It's because their eyes have been blinded by sin. They can't see their sin. They need the light of the gospel. They think they're doing God's work by murdering Christians. Why do people hold on to communism as if it were going to save the world? It's because their eyes have been blinded. They don't realize that people need to hold on to Christ and he will take care of them. And if communism has never worked, nor can it work, that's not God's designated means of human survival. You need God's light to see the sin, how you're set free and how you are to serve the Lord. But the second thing is, second implication is that you have to learn to reflect the light to the world so they can see their sins, so they can be saved, so they can serve the Lord. Remember, the first service is all about the worship of God. Philippians chapter two, verse 14, 15, together. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights to the world. You're not the source of light, of course. You reflect light. I was kind of cute listening last week When Aaron and Theodore were at the back window belting out, this little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine. That's for adults too, you know. That's for you. How you talk to others, how you live before others, starting in your family, that you reflect the light of Jesus. so that others can see their sin, how they're set free, and how they are to serve God, young and old. Three, refuse to walk in darkness when you're tempted by the devil to do so. You ever hear that saying, come over to the dark side? That's the devil's side. It's to do something against God's law. You know, it's true that men are spiritually blind and they need their eyes open. This is the work of Christ through the light of the gospel. In John chapter 12, verse 46, we read this together. I have come as a light into the world and whoever believes in me shall not abide in darkness. Just like if you're drawing from the sap, you will produce good fruits. You have to, if you're in the light. You will live in the light and you will say, why would I want to go into the darkness? There's nothing but shame and judgment. When you are tempted to stray in the darkness, you let the light of the gospel shine in you. Now you start to see a little bit more what that light was speaking of. It's the message of truth, the Word of God. You cannot understand this world unless you understand the Bible. That's why there's so much chaos. That's why there's so much war, because men don't understand the Bible. We saw what happened, how our leaders panicked during the time of COVID. They had no concept of how important worship was. They made a mess of things because they did not know the word of God. Sadly, a lot of Christians didn't know the word of God either and did just as poorly as the state did. So watch out for dangers. And there are many dangers that lead men astray, lead men off the path. You have to be guided in that life that God has given to you. Walk in His light. We read from Psalm 119, let God's word be a lamp to your feet and a light to your path. And why did he say two things? Light to your feet, that's right near you. Lamp to your feet, light to your path, so you see the bigger picture, near and far. Number four, what does this mean to you, that Jesus is the light of the world? Well, you must resist the darkness of this world. Not just refuse to walk in it, but resist it, fight it. You have the light. You have the life and light in you. If you stay in darkness, you will get lost. You see, if you stay in the light, the lust wouldn't be attractive. You would say, why would I want to go there? A place where I'll be led astray. It'll hurt Christ. It'll hurt me. It'll hurt my family. It'll hurt the church. How could I do that against God? So you keep filling yourself with what? The light. What is the light? The light of God's word. You let that illumine you. When that light shines on you, you will see the danger and resist it. Five, remind anyone and everyone who is not in the law, or sorry, not in the light, that there's no other light in the world that can save them and invite them to come to Christ for all their needs. Have you ever heard someone screaming at night, they walk into the edge of a wall? Or maybe you have, I have. You walk right into an edge and you, or even more dramatic, if your kids like those tiny little Lego blocks, You want to know pain is to walk at night and step on one of those. Now suppose somebody steps on one, you hear them screaming. And you're right by the switch. You said, well, this is, you said it's kind of fun. I hear the agony in their cry. No, you turn on the light, right? Isn't that what you should do for others who are in darkness and pain and suffering? Turn on the light of the gospel. Isn't that what's important? That really is what you are called to do. Switch on the light for them. One more lesson. Remember, with darkness, there is death. That's the ultimate end of those who are in darkness. You want motivation? Would you save somebody, a little child who's walking across the road? middle of the day and doesn't know on a busy street, what are you going to do? He says, none of my business. My children are safe. You know what will happen to that child. And you have the light. You'll run and scream to get that child out of the way. You will try to stop the cars from running over that child. And that's what God has called you to do. But you have to understand, what will motivate you is the eternal damnation. It's terrible if somebody walks on a leg in the middle of the night. But you know they're going to get better. They're not going to die. The consequences of not shining the light is people will die. Let's conclude. Jesus is the light of the world. This is confirmed in the Old Testament. We see it displayed in the intertestamental period with Judas Maccabeus when he destroyed Antiochus Epiphany and cleaned out the temple and lighted the lamps. We see that in the New Testament, the testimony of Jesus himself. The Apostle John, speaking of others like John the Baptist, is that one who came to bear witness to that light. Jesus is the light reflecting the gospel, leading men to see their sin and receiving their salvation. Then they learn how to serve him. All of that comes from the light of the gospel. There's no one or nothing that can do these things. No other religion, no other philosophy that will achieve these things. You see, Jesus was God. He is the eternal light. He's the source of light. Those who run to any other thing will spend eternity in hell. So beloved in the Lord Jesus, is your eye fixed on Jesus? Only in his light, you'll be able to see your need to keep you safe. If your eyes are fixed on Jesus, you will be saved from sin and infidelity and ignorance. If your eyes are fixed on Jesus, you won't be following your own way. but you would follow God's guide. You will let God be your guide, and you'll walk in his way. If you are in Jesus, you will reflect that light in your thoughts, in your words, and in your actions. Let your eyes be fixed on him and the blessings will flow through you. Just like when Jesus talked about being the source of water, he says, out of you will flow living water for others. And so you are able to reflect that light to others. That's the source of the power. Are you willing to help those who are trapped in sin and darkness? Do you love them enough to turn them on to Jesus? Do you love Jesus enough to turn on the light so others can see and live and worship him? The light the world desires, the light of the world desires rather, that others worship him. and you can lead them to the door so they can enter the light. We'll talk about the door the next time. Finally, in God's light, you see light. Do you see your sins? Do you see how you need to be set free from your sins and the consequences of them? Do you see that only Jesus can wash away your sins permanently? This is the only hope you have. Use it. Let us pray. Thank you, Lord, for the work of our Savior. He shines his light upon us so we can see the wretchedness of the human condition, so we can see the cross upon the hill where he suffered and died for us, so we can make our way to receive what he offers to us. And Lord, thank you for that. But help us then to reflect that light to the world that others can see Jesus in us. They can see the word alive in our lives and ask questions. Maybe they too will be saved. For that is what you call us to do. Bless us in this work. And if anyone here today, Lord, is yet in darkness, shine the light upon them, that today might be their birthday, their new life in Jesus Christ. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.