Daily Devotional | The Light of the World

At the end of a two-week mission trip to Uganda, our team spent a day and a night on an island. As we traveled across the lake, it was evident that we were in a rural location that had no electricity. When night arrived, it was so dark that I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. When I turned on my high-powered flashlight, the light beam only extended a few feet beyond the lens. It was dark! Oh, how I longed for daylight.

In John 8:12, Jesus called Himself “the light of the world.” What did that mean at the time? What does that mean to us today? The religious leaders in Jerusalem had been trying to arrest Jesus during the Feast of the Tabernacles. But they were unable to make a move because of Jesus’ profound teaching that was having a significant impact on everyone who heard Him (John 7:32, 45–46).

The next time Jesus spoke publicly was in John 8. One of the most significant activities during the Feast of the Tabernacles was the lighting of the large lamps, which symbolized God’s presence with Israel in the wilderness by a cloud during the day and a pillar of fire by night. It was within this context that Jesus made His extraordinary claim: “I am the light of the world” (v. 12).

He also stated, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (v. 12). Those who follow the light that emanates from Jesus Christ always see clearly because they have the very Light of life. How could the religious leaders have missed this important truth?