John's revelation of 'The Light of the World'

 Background

If you have read our previous article, by now, you may have got the idea that John had been with Jesus for three years during His ministry on the earth. After the Jews and Romans crucified Jesus together, God raised Jesus from death on the third day. There were more than 500 people who met Jesus after He resurrected from the dead. Jesus' disciples, including John, witnessed His ascension to heaven after Jesus spent 40 days with them after His resurrection.

Then happened a series of historical events in Israel that included political and spiritual revolution. John was one of the strong pillars of the early church that witnessed innumerable miracles and healings of the sick. After that came a great turning point for the world that we can trace to the hospitals, educational systems, and all kinds of charities. Societies began to reform, women began to be given equal positions in society, and many other life transformations took place. The work that Christ began in His disciples began to transform lives and spread like a fusion to the entire world. 

All of this information you may access in history. My point here was to set up a background to the main idea of this article- John's revelation of the Light of the World.

John introduces Jesus as the light of men. 

When John wrote the book 'Gospel According to John', he began with a unique introduction of Jesus Christ.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made. In Him was life, and life was the light of men. 

John 1:1-4 NKJV

But, what is light? How can a person be light?

Before we get into that, let's first understand what darkness is. 

You may be surprised to know that science defines darkness as the absence of light. What does this darkness do? Can we sense it?

Yes, if you take a moment to reflect on the people and happenings around us, you will surely sense it. Darkness is when families break into divorce; darkness is there when youths drown in addictions. Darkness is when people are committing suicide because of hopelessness. When people are crying and sighing in loneliness and suffering diseases because of stress, anxiety, and depression, and there are no answers or solutions, this is darkness. 

Darkness is the consequence of sin

Well, if you say that people are doing all these things by their own choice. I am sorry, but you are judging them too quickly. All these things are happening because there is sin in man. Even if a person tries to come out of his addictions and wants to be a good, he cannot. Similarly, poverty and diseases are also consequences of sin.

Sin is like cancer that causes different problems in our bodies. A person suffering from cancer cannot get rid of the symptoms without getting that cancer out of his body. 

Everyone, including the great religious leaders, hated and despised people because they were sinners. But Jesus came like a physician to remove that cancer of sin and save people. He came to save you and me. 

Deliverance from outside

At this point, I recall a song written by one of my dear friends who is not that religious! It goes like this, 'You need someone from the outside.' If you are drowning in your problems, sicknesses, or personal issues that you can't even share with your family, you need someone from outside to help you. Help is all you need my friend from someone more powerful than you, for whom nothing is impossible, and who is also willing to help you without judging you.

John witnessed and recorded one such incident in his book. Because Jesus preached about God's heart to forgive people by sacrificing Jesus as a lamb of God, the then so-called religious leaders came to test Him. They brought a woman caught in the act of adultery and threw her in front of Jesus. That was to test whether Jesus would punish her or not. But Jesus said this to them, 

He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." John 8:7 NKJV

Jesus said this because no man is without sin. So no man has right to judge another.

Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. John 8:9 NKJV

When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?"

She said, "No one, Lord."

And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."  John 8:10-11 NKJV

Jesus being God, could have judged her for her sin, but He did not because He was about to carry her sins. On the cross, Jesus took our place of punishment so that we can go free.

Do you remember the movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe?

In that movie, Aslan, the Lion, took the place of Edmund on the stone table. The latter committed high treason by deceiving his family and Aslan sacrificed his life for Edmund's sin. In the same manner, Jesus is our real-life Aslan, who not only bore our sins and sacrificed His life, He also gave us a position of a righteous person. Because of Jesus, God promises to bless us and deliver us from all our problems. 

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." John 8:12 NKJV

The Finale

John witnessed many such incidents and testified that Jesus is the light of the world. No matter how big your mess is, God can turn it into a beautiful story you can tell the world. He will give you the strength to overcome any bad habit you are struggling with. He will be there for you as a faithful friend and bring you out from all your troubles with flying colors.

That is grace, my friend. What we do not deserve, God gives us- forgiveness and blessings because He gave Jesus, which He did not deserve-our punishment.

For He (God) made Him (Jesus Christ) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV Brackets mine.