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” (John 8:12)
CONTEXT
Scripture often uses the “pillar of cloud” and the “pillar of fire” as symbols of God’s presence (Ex. 13:21, 22; 19:18; 33:9, 19; 40:34-38; Num. 9:15-22; 11:25; Ps. 99:7; 109:39). God led the Israelites out of Egypt but rather than taking a route that proceeded along the usual caravan route parallel to the Mediterranean Sea, He led them through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. They encamped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness and the Bible gives this information about how God led them about in the wilderness.
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 (Exodus 13:21, 22).
The pillar of cloud and pillar of fire gave light to the people day and night. These “pillars” were a visual manifestation of God to the Israelites. When God manifests Himself in visible form, theologians refer to this divine manifestation as a theophany. A visible manifestation of Christ in the Old Testament is called a Christophany.
Both of these pillars provided brilliant light round the clock to guide and protect God’s children. And these kinds of Old Testament phenomena are the type for the New Testament anti-type,[1] Christ, the light of the world. The symbolism of the Old Testament light manifested as a cloud and fire was fulfilled in the New Testament by Christ, the true light of the world.
LIGHT
There are two kinds of “light” spoken of in Scripture. The Greek word or (אוֹר) (e.g., Ex. 24:21) translated into English as light refers to the light from the sun, moon, and stars in the natural world.
The other kind of light is translated from the Greek word phós (φῶς) (e.g., John 8:12) as light. In the Old Testament, life is manifested in visible form as light. The pillar of cloud and pillar of fire in the Old Testament are visible manifestations of the living God. These two pillars foreshadow the true light of the world to come, Christ.
Light in the New Testament refers to Christ, the source and sustainer of life. Christ is the only source of illumination concerning spiritual matters and salvation in the dark world. He proclaims the light of the gospel message to all who will hear. This light is God’s life in Christ Jesus. The light of the world is Christ Himself, manifested in the world by the preaching of the gospel by the living Word of God, the logos―Christ Himself―as well as in the written Word containing the revelation of the gospel message.
God is light (1 John 1:5). In the New Testament under the new covenant, Christ, Himself, does not represent the true light but actually is the true light of the world. The Old Testament theophanic light foreshadows the true light in the future, which is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the true light of the world, who gives spiritual eternal life and protection.
I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
During the Feast of the Tabernacles, the Jews lit four large candles or torches in the Court of the Women in the Temple to commemorate the theophanies of the LORD manifested as a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire, which protected and guided the Israelites in their wilderness journey. These torches flooded the Temple courtyard with light.
Jesus made His claim to be the light of the world during or just after the Feast of the Tabernacles. Jesus spoke these words while teaching in the area of the treasury[2] in the Court of Women (John 8:20). The impact of the four large torches which had been lit in this area would have been fresh on the minds of the people present.
In the natural human state, the human spirit is in total “darkness,” which is a totally depraved state (Eph. 5:8). The darkness refers to the sin and unbelief of fallen humanity. No person can change this depraved state of total spiritual darkness by his or her own devices. A person in this state of darkness has the absolute inability to not sin. And only God can rescue the depraved human from this darkness. The Son of God became incarnate man for this purpose. This rescue from spiritual darkness is enabled when the Spirit of God regenerates the soul of the depraved individual thereby removing the unregenerate soul from his or her state of depravity and giving him or her the ability to seek God.
Jesus is the light of the world. This is not declaring that all people in the world will be regenerated, recognize the world as a place of darkness without Christ, and see the light that is Christ. The light of Christ is sufficient for everyone but only the regenerated elect will come to Christ to receive the true light.
Jesus is the revelation of life to the world, Jews and Gentiles alike (Luke 2:32). Christ is the foundation of the world enlightening every person and bringing the light of life into the world (John 3:19). Jesus Christ brings the gospel light to the nations for the purpose of salvation (Is. 49:6).
Christ is life and is the light for humanity that can never be overcome by the darkness of sin. The apostle John writes “that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (John 1:5). Scripture also teaches that light dwells in God (Dan. 2:22). And Christ is the Son of God and a member of the Trinity.
Christ sheds His light upon those who come to Him by faith through the truth of the Gospel in the Word of God and through the instrumentality of His Spirit. By these means Christians are enlightened by the truth and the wisdom that can only come from Christ.
God the Father has life in Himself and He has granted the same to Christ (John 5:26). Jesus is the creator of life (John 1:3) and He sustains all life. All physical life shall end (Heb. 9:27) but Christ is the light of the world that gives to God’s elect eternal life after physical death and the general resurrection. Christ gives and sustains physical life to humanity for a time and follows that with a continuation of life of the souls of the elect who will be resurrected on the Last Day for eternity.
Though the light is presented to all in the world who will hear, nevertheless, not all will accept the light and in fact most will prefer darkness. Only those who experience the light of Christ can receive salvation and eternal life.
[1] A type as used here is a person or thing in the Old Testament) believed to foreshadow another person or thing, the anti-type, in the New Testament.
[2] One of the three courts of the inner area of the Temple was the easternmost court known as the Court of the Women. This court contained the Temple treasury, where the people placed their offerings in chests located there (Mk 12:41-44).
