John 8:12
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.”
What does Jesus mean?
The light that Jesus is speaking of in this claim is spiritual light. Many go through life not knowing their purpose – feeling hopeless constantly. When we receive Jesus into our hearts, our spiritual eyes are opened and we finally realise our true reason for being. We receive joy, love and purpose.
The LIGHT
When you walk in darkness, you’re vulnerable to danger. You can knock into things or trip over. You will immediately feel less safe when you’re walking alone in darkness. Why? Because you feel insecure – you never know who is lurking in the shadows. However, imagine if your surroundings were suddenly lit up, and you could see everything. You know where you’re heading and you’re able to see who is around. When you look up, you see your strong friend ahead of you. Suddenly, you’re not afraid and alone anymore. You’ve got your friend with you and you can see.
Spiritual light is the same. Satan is constantly at work, trying to destroy our lives. The bible says that the devil comes to kill, steal and destroy. There is so much darkness around us – if your spiritual eyes were opened, you would realise this. Jesus came to restore, heal and give us peace. Darkness cannot stay when a light enters. When you walk into a dark room, all you must do is switch on a light and the darkness vanishes. Similarly, in the presence of Jesus, Satan is powerless. When you accept Jesus as your Lord, saviour and friend, a shield of protection comes upon you. You no longer must live in fear, because Jesus defeated the darkness when He died on the cross for us. He is not a light of the world, but the light – all authority on Heaven and Earth belongs to Him and only He can dispel the darkness. If we follow Jesus, we have His light shining onto our paths. Without Him, we will not have this light, this truth, this eternal life.
Jesus is described as both the lamp for our feet and the light for our path. That means that He helps us to see any hazards that might be lurking around us, and He also helps us to see where we’re going – our destination. Knowing and following Jesus means that He alerts us when the devil or anything else is trying to hurt us, or convince us to do things that will hurt ourselves. It also means that we have a purpose and a reason to live every moment fully. Jesus illuminates to us that life is not hopeless, that there is an incredible hope and a future for us and we do not have to live in darkness.
Following Jesus
As long as you choose to follow Jesus, you’ll never be walking in darkness. Plus, you’ll have an all-knowing guide – Jesus!
If you’re following someone, it means that you’re following their direction. With ‘following’, you are not ‘tagging along’, you are being lead.
God knows everything. He is the beginning and the end. So, He already knows what’s ahead of us. As long as we keep our eyes set on Him and follow closely behind Jesus, we will have ‘the light of life’.
Even though you may stumble into darkness from time to time, you will never have to ‘walk’ in it. Keeping your eyes focused on Jesus ensures that darkness can never engulf you. Like a good shepherd (insert link to shepherd claim), Jesus will come to your aid to banish the darkness!
