Never Walk in Darkness
July 21, 2022
Have you ever been lost in the darkness? You know, where it’s so dark you can’t see the hand right in front of your face. If you’ve ever found yourself lost in the darkness like that, it can be quite disorienting. You don’t have anything to get your barring. You’re uncertain where to take your next step. And when you are disoriented and uncertain, the next thing that can invade your soul is fear. So, if you ever find yourself in darkness like that is not a good place to be.
Now, think about being lost in the darkness of our culture. When we look at the state of our world today, for most of us it is a little disorienting. What was once called bad is now called good. What was once considered good, is now considered bad. Rising crime, rising prices, rising tensions have left us feeling uncertain about the future. For some, it’s caused fear to creep in. And for most of us, it’s given rise to more than a few questions. Such as, “Is there a way I can live with confidence when everything seems so uncertain?” Or “Is there a way I can stand firm in a culture that’s trying to trip me up? Or “Is there a way God would have me live to bring His light to this darkness?
Well, if you’ve found yourself thinking about these things or asking these kinds of questions lately, then let me encourage you to open your Bible to John 8:12-30. For it’s here that Jesus reveals five assets that are available to anyone who follows Him. Five blessings that will not only help you live with confidence in this present darkness but will enable you do your part to eradicate the darkness with how you live. So, if you’ve found John 8, lets look at the first and most important blessing Jesus gives His followers. And that is this:
Followers of Jesus have the light of life: When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
Again, this is a stunning declaration. In verse 30, we see that Jesus is standing in the Temple Courts near the place where the offerings were put. This was the place in the temple called the court of the women and was where the four golden candelabras were located and lit every evening during the Feast of Tabernacles. These candelabras were 75 feet high and gave light to the whole city every night. And during the Feast, these lights were symbolic of the Pillar of Fire that led God’s people through the wilderness. So, every night Israel remembered how God’s presence in that fire guided and protected Israel in the wilderness. Now, Jesus stands in this darkened courtyard, the day after the Feast and proclaims, “I am the light of the world.” To those listening, Jesus is claiming to be the pillar of fire: the very presence of God who led them safely through the wilderness. He was claiming to be God their Savior. For Israelite grew up singing, “The Lord is my light and my salvation.” Psalm 27:1. Death was associated with eternal darkness. Salvation was associated with God’s light. Not only that, but every Israelite also grew up learning that any revelation from God was also light. So here, Jesus was not just claiming to be the presence of God, but the salvation of God and the revelation of God. He is claiming to be the one and only true light. He is claiming to be God with them, God their Savior and the One who will guide them out of their present darkness. And anyone who follows Him will no longer walk in darkness but will have the light of life.
Jesus declares here that there is an immediate consequence for anyone who follows Him -for anyone who trusts in Him as the light of the world. Follow me and you will never again walk in darkness. Follow me and you will have the light of life.
This is why when anyone follows Jesus, he leaves the darkness behind, she’ll never walk in darkness again. For that what light does. Light dispels the darkness. Darkness is the realm of death. Light is the realm of life. And when you put your trust in Jesus Christ and follow Him, you leave the realm of death behind and enter the realm of life.
This is the first blessing Jesus gives when you follow Him: He gives you eternal life. You now possess eternal life. You have the light of life. And the reason you have the light of life, is that Jesus gives you His life. This is the good news Jesus repeats over and over again in this Gospel: For God so loved the world that He gave His One and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. John 5:24
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10
If you follow Jesus, God’s Word says that you possess eternal life now. You have the light of life. You have a whole new character, a new nature, a new identity. God sees you differently. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. Ephesians 5:8 Now, let’s connect this first blessing to the next:
Followers of Jesus have a clear mission: Now, when Jesus makes his claim to be the light of the world, one of the implications is that he is claiming authority over the religious teachers. He is the light that comes from God. They are not. This immediately draws a negative reaction. So, The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.” Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. John 8:13-14
Here Jesus appeals to his mission as the basis for His authority. He is the one sent into the world by the Father and is engaged in a mission that will culminate in his exultation back to the Father. At this point the religious leaders are ignorant of his mission. They have no idea where Jesus is from and where He is going. All they see is this radical rabbi who’s leading the crowds astray. And they want him to validate his message as the one who claims to be the light of the world. And Jesus will do that in moment by appealing to his relationship with the Father. But before we see this, let’s not miss the significance of this phrase: “I know where I came from and where I am going.”
This phrase speaks entirely of His mission as the one sent from God. Everything Jesus said and did was as God’s sent one: By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but Him who sent me. John 5:30
For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me. John 6:38
“My teaching is not my own. It comes from the One who sent me. John 7:16
Jesus lived with a clear sense of calling as the Father’s sent one. He had a clear mission. He only did what the Father showed him, and only taught what the Father taught him, and he never wavered in his mission. His sense of mission carried him to Samaria to offer living water. His sense of mission helped him overcome the schemes of the religious leaders who tried to discredit him. And his clear sense of mission gave him the courage to keep going in the face of constant opposition.
It is easy for us to live without a sense of mission. When we are not living for a cause that’s bigger than us, we get caught up in lesser causes. When God’s calling in our lives doesn’t run deep in us, we get distracted by the stuff of life. That’s why so many Pastors quit when the going gets tough. That’s why some Christ followers jump ship when things don’t go their way. And that’s why some just walk away from Jesus today. It’s either because they’ve never been captured by God’s mission or have never been taught that they are part of God’s mission. So, what is our mission? It’s the same as Jesus Christ. He gave this calling to us, when he said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” John 20:21
Jesus followers have the same mission as Him. He has sent us to spread the good news of the kingdom – that Jesus is the bread of life, that Jesus is the living water, that Jesus is the light of the world! Our mission is to make disciples of Jesus who make disciples of Jesus. And when His mission becomes your mission, then instead of being disoriented by this present darkness, you will begin to arrange everything in your life to help rescue those who are truly lost in the darkness. In this sense, being given Christ’s mission is not just a blessing for us, but it will become a blessing for those who are lost in the darkness. That’s a second blessing that will help you live with confidence in this present darkness. Now, here’s a third blessing:
Followers of Jesus have the Father’s presence: “You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.” John 8:15-18
Do you ever feel alone as a Christ follower? Remember the truth Jesus lays out before us in his defense of his authority before these religious leaders. He is able to stand his ground in the presence of his detractors because he doesn’t stand alone. He stands with the Father, who sent Him. Here we see that Jesus was never alone. Even though He was sent, His Father was always with Him.
Here’s the good news, now that we have the light of life, we have Jesus. And that means we have the presence of the Father. We are not alone. We are never alone. That’s why if you follow Jesus, you will never walk in darkness. Our Father is with us.
I think we forget this as followers of Jesus. God is with us always. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He is always watching over us. One of my favorite Psalms repeats this truth over and over:
The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm—He will watch over your life;
The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121:5-8 What a blessing. We don’t have to be insecure in the uncertainty of our day. We don’t have to fear what may happen tomorrow, because you have the light of life, you are not alone. You will never be alone. You can stand against the darkness because you’re not standing alone; you stand with the God who holds the universe together; you stand with the One who gave you His only Son. You stand with the One who sees you as the apple of His eye. And because you stand with Him, you will never have to walk in darkness. God is with you. That’s the third blessing, now the fourth:
Followers of Jesus have a heavenly home: Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.” This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?” John 8:21-22
But He continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am He, you will indeed die in your sins.” John 8:23-24 Now, there’s a number of truths in these verses, but I want us to focus on two contrasting truths that Jesus spells out for us here. First, he says to these religious leaders: “You are from below, I am from above.” Then he tells them, “You are of this world, I am not of this world.” Both of these truths tell us that this world is not Christ’s true home. He doesn’t belong to this world. His home is in heaven. He left heaven to give us heaven.
So then, what Jesus was telling them, and what he is telling us, is that apart from him we have no hope of heaven. Apart from Jesus you will die in our sins. In other words, faith in Jesus is the only way to reach our true home. And if you are a Christ follower, you need to be reminded of this truth constantly. For what is true of Jesus is true for anyone who follows Him: This world is not our true home.
The Bible describes those who follow Christ as strangers and aliens here. This is not our home. We are just passing through. We are now citizens of God’s kingdom and members of the household of God. That is why, no matter how hard we try to create heaven on earth, earth will always disappoint us. That’s why this world seems so disorienting, confusing and uncertain. Earth is the realm of darkness. But you were saved for your true home with God in heaven. So, the next time you find yourself agonizing over the state of this world, remind yourself that you don’t really belong here; you’re just passing through; and that your true home awaits you the day you will be reunited with Christ in heaven. And when you remember this, you can live with confidence in this present darkness, because you have the hope of eternity. And that’s one of the great blessings that is yours, now that you have the light of Christ. That’s why you never have to walk in darkness.
Followers of Jesus have a different purpose: After laying out all these truths, the religious leaders are still confused about Jesus. “Who are you?” they asked. “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. “I have much to say in judgment of you. But He who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from Him I tell the world.” John 8:25-26
They did not understand that He was telling them about His Father. So, Jesus said, “When you have lifted upthe Son of Man, then you will know that I am He and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.” Even as He spoke, many believed in Him. John 8:27-30
Who are you? “I am the one I have always claimed to be.” Jesus refuses to go any further in answering their question. So, instead of continuing an argument with these leaders who had already made up their minds not to believe, Jesus will say no more in judgment of them. Rather, he tells them that they will know who He is once they crucify Him. At that time, that will know that “I am He.” This is an amazing claim of His deity, but the leaders don’t respond to it at this time. Instead, Jesus repeats what He said before about His teaching from the Father and His relationship with the Father, and concludes by saying, “I always do what pleases Him.”
It is this last line that is the key to living with confidence in this present darkness. For the reason for all the chaos and confusion of this age, is that we live in a time when everyone lives to please themselves. We live in a time that is similar to the Judges, where everyone did what was right in their own eyes. The only difference between those days and today, is that when you don’t agree with the way they choose to live, you are condemned as in the wrong. So, this attitude gives rise to hatred, division and even violence. That’s what happens when people live to please themselves. There is no consideration of others. There is no civility, no discussion, no coming to a reasoned understanding, no compromise. Only my way or the highway.
But the follower Christ has a totally different motivation – a new motivation: We don’t live to pleaseourselves, but like Jesus, we live to please the Father. With Christ’s heart beating with our heart, we want what Christ wants. We live to please the One who saved us, forgave us, adopted us and calls us His beloved.
And when you are constantly living to please the Father, when you want what He wants, you will no longer shaken by the darkness of this present age, but you will stand with the Father, unafraid of this present darkness, and then be moved to bring His light to this darkness, His hope to this darkness and to reveal Jesus to those who are lost in this darkness. For this is what Jesus did. And it’s what His followers will do when they embrace Jesus as the light of the world. For He promises that if we follow Him, we will never walk in darkness, but have the light of life.
So yes, there is a way to live with confidence when everything seems so uncertain.
There is a way you can stand firm in a culture that’s trying to trip you up.
And yes, there is a way God would have us live to bring His light to this darkness:
It’s found in following Jesus.
It’s found when His mission becomes our mission.
It’s found when we remember we are not alone, but God is always with us.
It’s found when we recognize this world is not our home.
It’s found when we live like Jesus and look to please the Father in all we do.
God has already given us all we need to never walk in darkness. He’s given us Jesus, He’s given us eternal life, He’s given us His presence and He’s given us hope. And now all we need to never walk in darkness is to follow Jesus. So, let me ask you today, are you following Him? Have you trusted in Jesus and begun to let Him show you how to live in this present darkness?
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