THE LIGHT OF LIFE

“I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the LIGHT of LIFE” – John 8:12b

Jesus Christ – our Lord and Saviour – is the LIGHT of LIFE: “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the LIGHT of LIFE” (Jh.8:12). Out of the more than a hundred references to ‘Light’ in the New King James Version of the Bible, forty-five of these were either spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ or connected to Him. Here, the Lord introduced Himself as “the Light of the world” as well as the Light of Life! Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Jh.14:6). So, when we follow Him, we have Him: as the Light of Life – the Light that comes from Life and in turn imparts Life!

John 1:4 reveals the connection between light and life: “in Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men.”  The Light of Life is the revelation that follows redemption and in turn brings revival, restoration, and sustenance in life. The Light of Life guarantees full enjoyment of Zoe – the Life of God. His Light will lead you into liberty, divine health, peace and prosperity. Even in the natural realm, light enhances life. Light is required for any vegetation to grow. Each day, the sun rises to warm, illuminate, and provide growth on earth. The moon and stars light the night; they served as navigators long before smartphones. Even now, we almost unconsciously reach for the light-switch when we enter a dark room. Light permeates into every crack and crevice of our lives and beings, whether visibly, tangibly or metaphorically. Light affects everything!

Lack of light could be fatal. Boats need navigational lights to avoid running into the shore, aground or into other vessels at night. Light prevents aimless drifting. Captains follow blinking channel markers and lighthouses at night. Now, GPS coordinates steer ships, but the Captain and crew still need to know how to navigate by the stars, buoys and lights in case of an electrical malfunction. Just as ships follow lights to ensure safe passage, so we lean on the Light of Life. Jesus’s death broke through the darkness, illuminating the way for us. God’s Word, through the enlightening of the Holy Spirit, helps us comprehend and recognise when we need His wisdom to steer us. Prayer, which serves dually as life boat and lighthouse in our daily lives, is an open line of communication with the Lord. Jesus is the eternal Word of life and light (Jh.1:1-5).

The word ‘darkness’ in John 8:12, is the Greek word skotia, which means the darkness due to the want of light. It is used to describe ignorance of divine things, and also associated with wickedness and the resultant misery in hell. Genesis 1:4 says, “God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.” Jesus is the Light of Life, and all who are detached or far from Him abide in darkness. Many come to the end of themselves in frustration and hopelessness as they traverse through life in darkness. But with Christ, we have absolute Fullness of Life!

The Pharisees responded negatively to Jesus’ revelation as the Light of the world, as they gave superficial excuses (vv.13-20). At the end of the scenario however, “many believed in Him” (v.30). So, the Lord’s astounding affirmations in John 8:12 of being the Light of the world and the Light of Life draw a line and ask, “Which side are you on?” Will you reject the Light for some phoney reason because you don’t want the Light exposing your sin? Or, will you follow Him by trusting Him as your Saviour and obeying Him as your Lord? I make bold to say that His witness is true, and as we choose to follow Him, we shall not walk in darkness, but bloom and flourish in the Light of Life.