“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (ESV)

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (NIV)

“I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (NLT)

Dive Deeper:

I still remember the first time I hunted alone. My heart was racing as I stepped into the quiet, eerie Midwestern woods. I had to walk about 500 yards through the painfully quiet, pitch-black timber. Something I’ve done countless times, but this time was different. The darkness changed everything. As I sat down looking for deer, a bush placed perfectly in line with a tree limb formed the buck I was there to hunt. It wasn’t until the sun began to rise that the “fears” and the “deer” were seen in their proper light, proving to be illusions and distractions. Darkness has that effect.

The people of Israel are called to walk in the light of Yahweh. But the world, flesh, and the enemy–a collective darkness–continually misguide them into illusions and distractions like worshipping idols, greed, and even violence. The Old Testament picture seems grim, but the prophet Isaiah points to a future hope in the “Servant of the Lord”. One who will bring light by being a covenant to the people and open blind eyes. Our culture is peppered with light analogies: “enlighten me”, “light bulb moment”, or “I finally see the light”. And with all these sayings, we imply light as knowledge. 

Jesus came 2000 years ago, claiming to be the Light of the world—not just someone who walked in the light, but the source of it. He claims to be the enlightenment and truth we didn’t know we needed. The fulfilling and revealing light of the law. He promised that anyone who follows Him will no longer walk alone or in darkness.

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, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

Like that moment I had in the woods when the sun finally rose and everything shifted, following Jesus brings clarity and communion. As we step out of darkness and by trusting who He is and confessing our sins to one another, The Light puts things in their proper perspective. What once looked like fear, failure, rejection, or even death begins to lose its grip on us. Evil turns to good. Confusions turn to clarity… Fears turn to peace. Illusions fade. The light shines in and reveals both the reality of the darkness and gives us the confidence to face it.  In Jesus, we learn to stop trusting shadows and start walking in what’s real.

Leave the darkness behind and walk in The Light.

Written by Ben Hesch