"Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, 'I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.'" JOHN 8:12, NLT

Jesus challenged both the religious order of the day and the carnal system that had ruled mankind since Adam. As you recall from chapter one, by simply stating "I Am," Jesus was stating that He was God. A phrase that rattled the gathered Pharisees. They argued that Jesus could not solely make this claim, it was not legally valid. The darkness in their hearts kept them from seeing to whom they were talking. As John stated in chapter one of his gospel "And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it" (John 1:5, NKJV).

Jesus was making sure His listeners understood His exclusivity. He is not "a light." Jesus was telling the crowd He was THE LIGHT. It would be He, and He alone, who would break the power of darkness in the hearts of humanity. Ironically, as original sin opened the eyes of Adam and Eve to the knowledge of good and evil, it would be Jesus, The Light of the World, who would open spiritual eyes and restore vision toward God the Father.

Jesus is the Light of the world. The World is the evil man-centered system opposed to God and ruled by Satan. Jesus wanted to make sure people understood our utter helplessness. Neither our resourcefulness nor intellect could free us from such cursed darkness. Only by believing His claims can the fog begin to lift and our hearts fill with light.

Nicodemus came to Jesus by night and had one of the most important conversations recorded in Scripture. Jesus presented a full picture of the stark contrast between a life engulfed in darkness and one bathed in His light. Jesus concluded their discourse with his truth, "God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light... those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants."

FOR FURTHER STUDY READ: JOHN 9:1-7 - The Conclusion Foreshadowed.

If you would like to be able to do a complete study of Chapter Seven, order a copy of Speak Jesus by contacting Empowered Women's Ministry at empoweredwomen@pcg.org or 817.554.5900 ext. 371. Available also at pcg.org/resources or Amazon.