Walk in His Light

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.” So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come (John 8:12-20).

 Jesus confronted the crowd with evidence that He is the Messiah in His persistent efforts to compel followers to step out of the crowd and walk closer to Him as a disciple. He declared Himself the object of the Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles, the source of light and life, and the only way to heaven. Jesus backed up His claims with miracles as the scriptures said would accompany the Messiah. How did the crowd respond? Many in the crowd took the step of faith and became disciples for various reasons… “Many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing” (John 2:23); “And many more believed because of his word” (John 4:41). The rest of the crowd followed Jesus as long as He fed them and healed them or as long as they believed they could trap, embarrass, or arrest Him. Today we see that Jesus continued to reach out to the worst elements of the crowd, confronting their doubt and skepticism with the truth that He is “the light of the world” and with an increasingly earnest invitation to leave the crowd and walk in His light.

Many of us have already been confronted with the truth claims of Christ in various ways. Many have responded in faith and trusted Him as Savior. There may be a few who are encountering Jesus for the first time in the pages of this humble book. The question, are we Christ followers or disciples? is appropriate for all of us. If we’re honest we have to admit there may be places in our lives where we are merely part of the crowd of followers. When we know His word but do not walk in the light of His truth, we are merely followers. It is in those places where we have truly embraced His word and applied His truth, where we truly know Him, that we are His disciples… “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’” (John 8:31-32). Jesus taught that real disciples abide in His word and walk in His light.

The transformation from follower into disciple is a life-long endeavor. We are encouraged by John’s record of Jesus’ confrontation with the most skeptical among the crowd because through the word we too are challenged to reflect on our walk with Christ, and we are compelled to become a more fully devoted disciple. Are we walking in His light or are we unconsciously immersed in the darkness of this world? “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:6-7). Are we set apart from the crowd by a daily encounter with His word and through applying its truth to all areas of our lives? “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). Do we judge and shape our will by the flesh or by His word? “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2). Are we increasingly devoted to knowing Him intimately in every area of life? “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3).

As we grow up into Christ we are increasingly separated from the crowd to draw closer to Him as we

Walk in His Light.