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.” (John 8:12)
In an attempt to get back into my blogging the Gospel of John, I thought I’d pause for a moment on this one phrase in chapter 8. We need to remember that to this audience in their day, light was fire. They didn’t have incandescent light bulbs. You didn’t flip an electrical switch to turn the lights on in a room in those days. So the meaning, as we looked at in a previous post, also dealing with the Gospel of John, was that this is talking about fire. Therefore, if we re-read the opening verses of John’s Gospel and this phrase here, it comes across like this:
“In him was life, and the life was the fire of men. The fire shines (or burns) in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:4-5).
The true fire, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. (see John 1:9).
The darkness cannot overcome this fire. Fire spreads, it burns, it purifies. It consumes. Darkness cannot over come this. Darkness has not choice but to yield. If you light a candle in a dark room, the room is lighted because of the presence of this fire, this light. There is no both/and, but it’s an either/or when it comes to the presence of God. Either one has it or they don’t, for you cannot hide a fire (Matthew 5:15, Luke 11:33).
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts but will quote again for the sake of time and space, the lamps spoken of in the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) were commonly large dome-shaped torches, fueled by rags soaked in oil and used for walking outside. With extra containers of oil, the torches could last for hours, and as a result they needed regular refilling. I hope you see the parallel there, for believers in Christ are in constant need of refilling of this oil, for we cannot continue the day on yesterday’s manna or revelation. The presence of Him upon our lives yesterday needs to be tapped into daily.
Jesus is this fire we’re to burn with and to burn for. We can’t pretend we’re going to shine brightly and make a positive impact on the world around us if we don’t also burn for Him. We need to take up our cross and be dead to this life and alive in Him. We need to soak our lives with the oil of His Holy Spirit, and let Him consume us.
Leonard Ravenhill said “A blazing bush drew Moses; a blazing Church will attract the world.”
Believer, spend time gazing into Jesus’ Eyes of Fire and let him change you from the inside out that you would not only not walk in darkness yourself, but that you’d be a light and a signpost to those walking in the darkness that they may have their eyes opened to gaze upon the beauty of His holiness themselves.
