“Who Am I?” Part 6.1
The I AM Statements of Jesus
I Am- The Light of the World- John 8- Jesus Finds
Read: John 8:12- “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.”
Have you ever been surrounded by a darkness so deep and complete that it felt like a thick blanket thrown over your head? No light. No glimmer or flicker. Nothing. Complete. Oppressive and overwhelming. Once when in college I took my hall Spelunking. Just a fancy word for caving but so much fun. A friend, who had the right equipment for us all and knowledge of the local caves (up on Lookout Mountain, GA), took us all deep into a hole in the ground, deep in the earth. We crawled on our bellies and climbed over rock faces and squeezed through tight cracks in the ground. The deeper in we went the colder it got and the further down, the darker it was. At one point in our journey, we came to a large cavern and our guide told us to gather and sit. He told us a little about where we were and prepared us to turn off our headlamps (the only source of light we had) and to sit quietly for a few minutes, upon his command. On three we all turned out the lights! It was instant and overwhelming and pitch black! As the minutes passed, what began as fun and different and interesting became cold and isolating and oppressive. I wondered as I sat there, surrounded but what felt like emptiness, ‘had my companions left and abandoned me’? Was I truly alone in this deep, dark, hole in the ground? Panic rose in my stomach and what was only minutes, felt like an eternity. To hear the voice of our guide break the silence, was joyous! It pierced the blackness like a knife through butter, providing comfort and assurance. I was not alone. He told us, on the count of three to turn our lights on and with synchronistic harmony, we all brought our light into the darkness. But this light was anything but comforting. It was piercing, blinding, and harsh. As our eyes grew accustomed again to the light, it did indeed become warm and comforting. The darkness had been pushed out, filled with light that would help us to navigate our way back out, and up, and home.
In this world, ours is a similar experience. We are born into darkness. We walk about, groping for significance and purpose. We become accustomed to the lack of true light. And though we are used to it, we are left cold and directionless and wondering if we are indeed alone.
For each of us who are Christians, Jesus came to us, finding us in our isolated, deep, dark caves of existence, and spoke these words. “I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have light of life.” (John 8:12) Initially, when the Light of the World entered our world, it was blinding and searing and painful. Being confronted with our sin and our lostness was difficult. But in time, as our new spiritual eyes adjusted, the Light became comforting, soothing, and warm. It (He) led us up and out and home.
So, What Now?
Take a moment, if you can, and remember a time when you were in utter darkness and when Jesus came, bringing His saving Light. Thank the Lord for His trekking into your dark soul to bring you out, into life and light and wholeness. He found you when you were lost and alone. Praise the Lord for this!