I Am the Light of the World

The Light of the World

John 8:12-30

I went tent camping recently. We were out in the woods, away from the city lights, where the night sky is actually dark. If you have ever camped somewhere like that, you know how different that kind of darkness feels. There are no streetlights, no porch lights, no glow from nearby houses. When the sun goes down, it really is dark. In the middle of the night I woke up and needed to walk to the bathroom area. I had my phone with me, and I could have turned on the flashlight. But I thought to myself, “I can make it without any light.” So I stepped outside the tent and started walking.

Within a few steps I realized that was not a very wise idea. The ground had gotten wet overnight, and I could not see the trail clearly. I could not tell where the grass ended and where the mud began. With every step I kept thinking that if I took one wrong step I might sink into the mud and make a mess of everything. What I thought would be simple suddenly felt uncertain. I slowed down. I hesitated. I started feeling my way forward step by step. It did not take long before I reached for my phone and turned the light on. Darkness disorients you. When you cannot see clearly, you lose confidence in where you are going. You begin to drift. You move cautiously because you realize you do not actually know what is in front of you.

In many ways, that is a picture of the human condition. The Bible says that apart from Christ, humanity is walking in spiritual darkness. People try to navigate life by their own instincts, their own morality, and their own wisdom, but without light we cannot see reality clearly. That is why the opening of John’s Gospel says, 

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). 

And in John chapter 8, Jesus makes one of the most remarkable declarations in the entire Gospel. He says, “I am the light of the world.” Jesus is not merely offering advice for people trying to find their way. He is declaring that He Himself is the light the world needs. 

This passage not only reveals who Jesus is, but it also presses us to consider how we respond to Him. As we walk through these verses together, we are going to see three applications for our lives this morning. First, we are called to believe the light. Second, we are warned to escape the darkness. And third, we are invited to look to the cross where the light of Christ shines most clearly.

First application,

Believe the Light (John 8:12-20)

To understand what Jesus says in verse 12, we need to remember the context. John chapter 8 is not a new scene. It is a continuation of what began in chapter 7 during the Feast of Tabernacles. In chapter 7 we saw Jesus stand up during the water-pouring my ceremony and cry out, 

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” (John 7:38-39)

That ceremony celebrated God providing water from the rock during Israel’s wilderness journey. Jesus declared that He was the true source of living water. Now the same feast continues, but the focus shifts from water to light.

During that feast there was another remarkable ceremony that took place in the temple courts. In the Court of Women, four enormous golden lampstands were lit. They were so large that young priests had to climb ladders to fill them with oil and ignite them. When they were burning, their light flooded the temple area and, according to Jewish sources, illuminated much of the city of Jerusalem. They sang songs of praise. The Levitical orchestras played music. The celebration continued night after night throughout the feast, and the light from the temple courts cast its glow across Jerusalem.

Those lights symbolized something important. They reminded Israel of the pillar of fire that led God’s people through the wilderness after the Exodus. Just as God guided Israel through the darkness of the desert, these lights reminded them that God was the light who leads His people. So imagine the scene. The temple courts are filled with people celebrating the feast, and the memory of those blazing lamps is still fresh in their minds. And it is in that very place that Jesus stands and says, John 8:12, 

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 

It is a breathtaking claim. Jesus is saying that everything those lamps pointed to finds its fulfillment in Him. The pillar of fire in the wilderness pointed to Him. The lights of the temple pointed to Him. The hope that God would guide His people out of darkness finds its fulfillment in Him. Jesus is declaring that He is not merely a teacher showing the way. He is the light itself.

And when we remember what light represented in the Old Testament, we begin to understand why this statement would have been so shocking to His listeners. Jesus is taking imagery that Israel associated with the very presence and activity of God and applying it directly to Himself.

First, light symbolized the presence of God. When Israel left Egypt, the Lord did not simply rescue His people and then send them out on their own. He delivered them so that He might dwell among them. Ever since the fall of man in Genesis 3, humanity has been pushed east of Eden, outside the fellowship with God that we were created to enjoy. But the story of Scripture is the story of God pursuing His people in order to restore that fellowship. One of the clearest pictures of that reality in the Old Testament is the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. Exodus 13:21–22 says, 

And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.

God is transcendent and holy, high and lifted up, but He is also the God who draws near to His people. For forty years in the wilderness, there was never a moment when the Israelites could not look up and see that light and remember that the Lord was with them (Nehemiah 9:19). Wherever the pillar moved, the people followed, because the light represented the very presence of God dwelling among them.

Second, light symbolized the guidance of God. God did not merely dwell with His people; He directed their path. In the wilderness there were no obvious roads, no clear landmarks, and no maps to follow. The people of Israel were completely dependent on the Lord to show them where to go. Numbers 9 describes how the cloud would rest over the tabernacle, sometimes for a night, sometimes for days, sometimes even for months. Whenever the cloud lifted, the people would pack up their camp and move. When the cloud settled, they would stop and remain there. Their entire journey was determined by the movement of that light. God was teaching them that His presence was their guide. They were not meant to wander through the wilderness relying on their own instincts or wisdom. They were meant to follow the Lord step by step. That is why Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Notice the imagery. God does not always show us ten miles down the road. He gives us light for the next step. The light of God’s truth guides His people as they walk through a dark world.

Third, light symbolized the deliverance of God. When God rescues His people, He brings them out of darkness and into salvation. One of the clearest examples of this is found in Exodus 14, when Pharaoh’s army was pursuing Israel after they left Egypt. The most powerful empire in the world was chasing them down. Humanly speaking, they had no chance of escape. But the Lord intervened. The pillar of cloud and fire moved between the Israelites and the Egyptian army, placing a barrier between them. The same presence of God that gave light to Israel brought confusion and darkness to their enemies.Exodus 14:24–25,

And in the morning watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians.” 

In that moment the people of God were reminded that their salvation did not depend on their own strength. God Himself fought for them and delivered them. That is why David could later say in Psalm 27:1, 

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” 

Light represents the saving power of God breaking into the darkness of danger, fear, and judgment.

So throughout the Old Testament, light pointed to God’s presence, God’s guidance, and God’s deliverance. And with that background in mind, imagine the moment again in John 8. The temple courts are filled with people celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles. The massive lamps have illuminated the city. The people are remembering the pillar of fire that led their ancestors through the wilderness. And it is in that very setting that Jesus stands and declares, “I am the light of the world.”

When we understand that background, we begin to see why the words of Jesus would have sounded so powerful, and even shocking, to those who heard them. He is not merely using a poetic image. He is taking language that the Old Testament uses to describe the work of God Himself and applying it directly to His own person. The light that symbolized God’s presence, the light that guided Israel through the wilderness, the light that delivered them from their enemies, Jesus now says is found in Him. In other words, Jesus is not simply pointing people to God’s light. He is declaring that the light they have been waiting for has arrived in Him. What the pillar of fire represented, what the temple lamps symbolized, what the prophets anticipated, Jesus now fulfills. The presence of God has come near. The guidance of God is standing before them. The deliverance of God is speaking to them. Jesus Christ, the light of the word.

And that brings us to the promise that follows His declaration. Jesus does not only reveal who He is. He also tells us what happens to those who respond rightly to Him. The second half of verse 12 says, “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Notice the language Jesus uses. He says whoever follows me. This invitation is open to  “whoever.” In the ancient world, following someone meant attaching yourself to them as a disciple. It meant trusting them, walking behind them, and allowing their direction to shape your life. Jesus is saying that the right response to the light is not curiosity. It is commitment. It is to follow Him.

And the promise attached to that is remarkable. “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness.” Darkness in Scripture often represents confusion, sin, and separation from God. To walk in darkness is to live without clarity about who God is, without understanding of truth, and without the hope of salvation. It is the condition of humanity apart from Christ. But Jesus says that those who follow Him will no longer remain in that darkness. The light of Christ exposes sin, reveals truth, and shows the path of life.

And not only that. Jesus adds, “but will have the light of life.” In John’s Gospel, life is never merely physical existence. It is the life that comes from God Himself. It is eternal life, the life of fellowship with God that begins now and continues forever. The light that Jesus gives is not merely illumination for the mind. It is life for the soul. For WHOEVER!

This is why belief is so central to John’s Gospel. When we see who Jesus truly is, the only fitting response is to believe Him and follow Him. If Jesus really is the light of the world, then there is no other light that can guide us. If He is the presence of God among us, then there is no other place where we will find life.

So the first application of this passage is clear. We must believe the light. To believe the light is to recognize who Jesus is and to entrust our lives to Him. It is to step out of the darkness of self-reliance and walk in the light of His truth. It is to follow Him as the One who reveals God, guides our path, and gives the life that only He can provide.

Immediately after Jesus makes this astonishing declaration, the Pharisees respond with skepticism. Verse 13 says, 

“So the Pharisees said to him, ‘You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.’”

Notice what they do. They do not actually engage the substance of what Jesus has just claimed. They do not wrestle with the meaning of His statement that He is the light of the world. Instead, they try to dismiss Him on technical grounds. They appeal to the legal standard found in the Old Testament that a matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15).

In essence, they are saying, “You are making a claim about yourself. You are your own witness. That is not enough.” But the deeper issue here is not legal procedure. The deeper issue is spiritual blindness. The Pharisees are evaluating Jesus purely at a surface level. They see a man standing in the temple courts making bold claims, and they judge Him according to outward appearances. They are looking at the physical while completely missing the spiritual reality unfolding before them.

Jesus exposes this problem in verse 15 when He says, 

“You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.” 

Their perspective is limited to human categories. They are evaluating Jesus the way one would evaluate any ordinary teacher or rabbi. But Jesus is not merely another teacher. He has come from the Father and speaks with divine authority. Then Jesus answers their objection about witnesses. He says in verse 14, 

Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going.

The Pharisees cannot say that. They are bound to the limits of earthly understanding. But Jesus knows His origin and His destiny. He knows that He has come from the Father and that He will return to the Father.

And then He addresses their legal argument directly. In verse 17 He says, 

In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true.

 Jesus accepts the principle they are citing. The law does require two witnesses to establish a claim. But then He declares that this requirement is already satisfied. Verse 18,

I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.

Jesus presents two witnesses. First, His own testimony. Second, the testimony of the Father who sent Him.

Throughout the Gospel of John, the Father has repeatedly testified to the identity of the Son. The Father testified through the Scriptures that pointed forward to Christ. The Father testified through the miracles that confirmed Jesus’ authority. The Father testified through the voice from heaven at His baptism. And ultimately, the Father would testify through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. But the Pharisees still do not understand. In verse 19 they ask, 

“Where is your Father?”

That question reveals how deeply they misunderstand the situation. They assume Jesus is speaking about a physical father somewhere nearby. Once again they are thinking only in earthly categories. Jesus responds with a sobering statement: 

You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.

That sentence exposes the heart of the issue. The Pharisees prided themselves on their knowledge of God. They were the experts in the Scriptures. They were the teachers of Israel. Yet Jesus says that their rejection of Him reveals that they do not truly know the Father at all. Because the Son reveals the Father. To reject the Son is to reject the Father who sent Him. To refuse the light is to remain in darkness.

Verse 20 adds a fascinating detail. John tells us that Jesus spoke these words in the treasury, as He taught in the temple. This would have been a busy, public place in the temple courts where people brought their offerings. It was likely very close to the location where those great lampstands had been lit during the Feast of Tabernacles. In other words, Jesus is making these claims about being the light of the world in the very place where the symbols of light had just been celebrated. And yet John tells us, 

No one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

That brief statement reminds us that everything unfolding in this Gospel is happening according to the sovereign timing of God. The opposition is real. The tension is rising. But the arrest of Jesus will only happen when the appointed hour arrives. For now, the light continues to shine.

The Pharisees also show us another danger of the human heart. When people do not want to accept what Jesus says, they often look for ways to dismiss Him instead of listening to Him. Notice what happens in verse 13. Rather than wrestling with the claim that Jesus has just made, they immediately shift the conversation to a technical objection about witnesses. They move away from the substance of His words and focus on a procedural argument. In other words, they are more interested in winning the debate than in seeking the truth.

That pattern has not disappeared. People still respond to Jesus the same way today. Instead of asking, “Is what He says true?” They look for reasons to avoid the implications of His claims. Sometimes the objections are intellectual. Sometimes they are moral. But the deeper issue is often the same. If Jesus really is who He says He is, then our lives must change. And the human heart resists that kind of authority.

So the lesson from the Pharisees is not only that people can miss the truth. It is that people can actively push the truth away. They hear the claim of Christ, but rather than surrendering to it, they begin searching for reasons to dismiss it.

Which leads to a question for each of us this morning. When the words of Jesus confront us, do we listen with humble hearts, or do we begin building arguments to protect ourselves from what He is saying? The light of Christ does not simply invite analysis. It calls for belief and obedience.

Escape the Darkness (vv.21–24)

After the exchange with the Pharisees, the tone of the passage becomes even more serious. Jesus now turns from defending His testimony to issuing a warning. Verse 21 says, 

“I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” 

Jesus is speaking about His coming departure. He is referring to His death, resurrection, and return to the Father. A moment is coming when He will no longer be standing before them teaching in the temple courts. The opportunity to respond to Him will not remain open forever.

But the most sobering part of the statement is the phrase, “you will die in your sin.” That phrase deserves careful attention. To die in your sin does not simply mean that you have committed sins. The Bible is clear that all of us have sinned. Every one of us has fallen short of the glory of God. To die in your sin means something deeper and more tragic. It means to die still carrying the guilt of your sin, still separated from God, still under judgment, without forgiveness and without reconciliation. It means that the problem of sin has never been dealt with when you stand before a holy God.

Jesus repeats the warning in verse 23-24, to make the point unmistakably clear: John 8:22–24,

So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” 

The condition could not be more direct. Unless you believe. Belief in Christ is not an optional religious preference. It is the dividing line between life and death. To reject the light of Christ is to remain in darkness, and if someone remains in that darkness until the end of their life, Jesus says they will die in their sins.

The Bible describes the present world as a world of darkness. Sin clouds our understanding and distorts our desires. It blinds us to the glory of God. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:4,

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 

We see that darkness all around us. It shows itself in the confusion of our culture, in the brokenness of families, in violence, pride, and selfishness that seem to mark every generation. People search for meaning, fulfillment, and hope, yet apart from Christ they remain in spiritual darkness.

But as serious as the darkness of this present world is, Jesus warns that there is an even greater darkness to come. The Scriptures describe final judgment as outer darkness, a place of separation from the presence of God where there is no light, no joy, and no hope. If someone rejects the light of Christ in this life, they will spend eternity without that light. The darkness of this world is only a shadow of the darkness that awaits those who die in their sins.

Have you ever stopped to think about what our world would be like without light? Imagine for a moment that the sun simply disappeared. Without the light and heat of the sun, the earth would immediately begin to freeze. Temperatures would plummet, the food chain would collapse, oceans would begin to freeze over, and within a short time life on earth would be impossible. Light is not just something that helps us see. It is what sustains life itself. Without it everything grows cold, dark, and lifeless. In many ways that gives us a picture of the spiritual reality Jesus is describing. When people are separated from the light of Christ, the source of true life is gone. What remains is darkness, emptiness, and spiritual death. That is why the warning of Jesus is so urgent. To reject the light is not merely to miss something helpful. It is to turn away from the only source of life.

If you are not a Christian, imagine being trapped deep inside a cave. At first the journey seemed exciting, but after twisting through tunnels and narrow passages you suddenly realize you do not know the way out. Your light begins to fade, and the darkness around you is thick and disorienting. Every path looks the same. One wrong turn could lead you deeper underground instead of toward the surface. Then someone appears in the distance holding a bright light and calls out, “This way. I know the way out. Follow the light.” 

In that moment the choice is simple. You can trust the one who knows the way and follow the light, or you can keep wandering in the darkness. Refusing the light would not simply be unwise. It would be deadly. Apart from Him we are lost in the darkness. But the light of the world has come, and He calls us to follow Him.

That is the picture Jesus is giving us spiritually. The world is not neutral ground. It is a place darkened by sin and moving toward judgment. And Jesus stands before humanity as the only true light. But notice the beauty of the word “unless.” That word means the warning is also an invitation. Jesus does not simply declare that people will die in their sins. He says, “unless you believe that I am he.” In other words, there is still a way out. There is still hope. The darkness does not have to be the end of the story.

So when Jesus speaks these words, He is not being harsh. He is being merciful. He is warning people who are in danger and pointing them to the only way of escape. The very word “unless” reminds us that the light is still shining and that anyone who believes in Him can step out of the darkness and into life.

So this passage presses an urgent appeal upon us. Escape the darkness. Do not assume there will always be another opportunity to respond to Christ. Do not assume that spiritual matters can be postponed indefinitely. The call of the gospel is to come to the light now, to believe in Christ now, to leave the darkness behind and follow the One who gives the light of life. 

But this warning is not only for those who have never trusted Christ. It is also a call to those who belong to Christ but have begun to drift back into the shadows. It is possible for a believer to have the light of Christ and yet walk for a season in darkness. When we tolerate sin, when we hide things in our hearts, when we grow cold in our love for Christ, our lives begin to look more like the darkness we have been delivered from than the light we have been called to walk in. The apostle John will later write in 1 John that if we claim to have fellowship with Him while walking in darkness, we are not living in the truth. The call of the Christian life is not merely to come to the light once but to keep walking in it.

So if you are a believer and you know that parts of your life have grown dim, hear this as an appeal of mercy. The light of Christ is meant to draw you back into fellowship with Him. Sin thrives in the shadows, but grace meets us in the light. When we step into the light through repentance and confession, we discover again the cleansing and restoring grace of Christ. The same Savior who calls sinners out of darkness also restores wandering saints. So come back into the light. Lay down what you have been hiding. Walk again in the brightness of His presence, because the light of Christ is not only the way we begin the Christian life. It is the way we continue to live it.

Look to the Cross (vv. 25–30)

As the conversation continues, the people ask Jesus a direct question in verse 25: “Who are you?” They have heard His claims. They have listened to His warnings. Now they press Him to explain Himself plainly. John 8:25–26

Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” 

And John clarifies for us that the Pharisees still did not get it. Verse 27,

They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. 

In other words, everything He has said and done has already been revealing His identity. The problem is not that the evidence is lacking. The problem is that their hearts are unwilling to see it. But then Jesus points forward to the moment when His identity will be displayed most clearly. In verse 28-29,

So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” 

In the Gospel of John, the lifting up of Jesus refers both to His crucifixion and to His exaltation. From a human perspective, the cross looked like defeat. It looked like the end of His mission. It looked like the moment when His enemies had finally silenced Him. But Jesus says that the cross will actually reveal the truth about who He is.

“When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he.”

Notice that phrase again: “I am he.” It echoes the warning Jesus gave earlier in verse 24: “Unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” That language points back to the divine name revealed in the Old Testament, the name God gave to Moses at the burning bush: “I AM WHO I AM.”

Jesus is not simply claiming to be a messenger from God. He is revealing Himself as the One who shares in the very identity and authority of God.

And the place where that truth shines most clearly is the cross. At the cross we see the glory of Jesus displayed in a way the world never expected. There we see the holiness of God, because sin is so serious that it requires the death of the Son of God. There we see the justice of God, because sin is not ignored but judged. And there we see the love of God, because the One who is lifted up willingly lays down His life for sinners.

The cross reveals that Jesus is exactly who He claims to be. He is the light of the world who steps into the deepest darkness in order to rescue those who are trapped there. When the sky grew dark at Calvary, it was as if the darkness of sin and judgment gathered around the Son of God. Yet in that very moment the light of salvation was shining brightest.

That is why the final application of this passage is simple and never ending: look to the cross. If you want to know who Jesus is, look to the cross. If you want to understand the seriousness of sin, look to the cross. If you want to see the love and mercy of God for sinners, look to the cross. The cross shows us that Jesus is the light who entered our darkness to bring us life. So look to the cross. All who look to Christ in faith will not remain in darkness but will have the light of life.

When Jesus says, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he,” He is telling us that the cross will reveal His glory in a way nothing else could. The One who is lifted up is not merely a suffering man. He is the Son sent from the Father. On that cross He bears the weight of sin. He stands in the place of sinners. The judgment that should fall on us falls on Him. The darkness of sin gathers around Him so that those who believe in Him might step into the light.

But the cross is not the end of the story. Jesus says throughout this passage that He is going to the Father. After He is lifted up in death, He will be raised in victory. He will ascend in glory. The light of the world will return to the Father, and those who belong to Him will share in that life. The path of Jesus moves from the cross to the resurrection to the throne of heaven. And the promise of the gospel is that all who follow Him will one day go where He has gone.

That is why the gospel calls us not merely to admire the cross but to look to it in faith. When the Israelites were bitten by serpents in the wilderness, Moses lifted up a bronze serpent on a pole, and those who looked at it lived. In the same way, the Son of Man was lifted up so that everyone who looks to Him in faith might live. The cross is the place where the darkness of sin is defeated and the light of eternal life begins to shine.

That light leads to the presence of the Father. It leads to the hope of heaven. The same Jesus who was lifted up on the cross now reigns in glory, and He promises that those who believe in Him will not remain in darkness but will dwell in the light forever. One day there will be a world where darkness is gone, where sin is no more, and where the people of God live forever in the presence of Christ. The book of Revelation gives us a glimpse of that coming reality. Revelation 21:23 says, 

And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.”

And just a chapter later we are told, 

Night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:5). 

In that final city the light of Christ will fill everything, and the people of God will dwell forever in the brightness of His presence.

This truth must shape the life of the church. If Jesus is the light of the world, then the church must live in that light and reflect it to others. A church should not be a place where darkness is hidden, but where the light of Christ shines through truth, repentance, forgiveness, and love. When the gospel is central, the church becomes a lighthouse in a dark world. People who are confused, broken, and searching for hope should be able to step into the life of the church and see the light of Christ clearly. So we keep pointing one another to Jesus, speaking the truth in love, confessing sin rather than concealing it, and living in a way that makes the glory of Christ visible among us.

When I stepped out of that tent in the middle of the night, I thought I could manage without the light. But it only took a few steps in the darkness to realize that I did not know where I was going until I reached for the light.

That is the condition of the human heart apart from Christ. We try to navigate life on our own terms, trusting our own wisdom and instincts. But sooner or later we discover that the darkness is deeper than we imagined. And into that darkness Jesus speaks these words:

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life…for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” 

The Pharisees heard those words and refused them, but John tells us in verse 30 that as Jesus spoke these things, “Many believed in him.” They responded to the “unless” of the gospel. Jesus calls out to us trapped in darkness, “Follow the light. I’ll show you the way.”

That is the invitation before us today. Believe the light. Escape the darkness. Look to the cross. Look to the One who was lifted up for sinners, raised in victory, and exalted in glory. Follow Him. Because the light of the world has come. And whoever follows Him will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.