“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 

When Jesus spoke this electrifying truth, it was his disciple John who recorded it. It was John, the deepest “revelator” amongst them, who loved scribing the simplest, most childlike truths about our Lord in a way that makes them palpably leap off the page with life! 

The God-light of which he writes is not an idea, but rather a substance - more tangible and far-reaching than starlight. ‘Ohr’, the Old Testament Hebrew word for light, has the additional meaning of ‘giving order to something chaotic’. And so this God-light simplifies as it clarifies, streamlines, contours. It has antiseptic qualities: scouring out every murky crevice and corner without even a split-second of battle. It is wholly pure, and in that purity is a strength with which there can be no argument. 

Jesus announced that He was the light of the world whilst teaching at dawn in the Temple Courts. Imagine the dramatic scene that unfolded. Moments before, he had publicly forgiven a woman caught in the act of adultery, calling her to follow Him and to live a life free of condemnation. The Pharisees tried to challenge him, and yet they were powerless. They had no answer that could hold back the light of life that was freely and instantaneously given. 

In the presentness of light, the darkness of the past ceases to matter. Old patterns are instantly interrupted by the dawning of a new day. Jesus remains our light today and always, and the warm glow of His Presence overtakes every single doubt and fear. When our eyes are filled with light, we become lamps too; every inch of our being becomes landscaped with luminosity. To be a light bearer is to be relieved of many other burdens, with a simplicity of desire and a fruitfulness that nothing else can imitate or surpass. 

Ultimately, to live out this truth is a preparation for the day when we as believers shall inhabit the heavenly city ‘that does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp’ - Revelation 21:23. How wonderful that we do not need to wait to experience this luminous reality, but can enter into it now by faith!

This verse can be found in the TRINITY Bible verse theme, as well as the WONDER collections.