I am the light of the world! What a claim! There is no light in the world apart from me. Without me the world is in darkness. There is no other light in the world besides me. I am the light. All the rest is darkness. Jesus is the light of the whole world. Exclusive. Absolute. Antithetical. He promises unconditionally that all who follow him shall have the light of life and shall not walk in darkness.

Light is the condition for life, movement, fellowship, and communion. Light is thus in scripture the figure of perfection and life. The antithesis of light is darkness. Darkness is the condition of corruption, defilement, iniquity, unrighteousness, and death. The antithesis is in those words light and darkness. Light is the love of God. Darkness is enmity against God. Light is righteousness. Darkness is iniquity. Light is purity and perfection. Darkness is corruption and defilement. Light is wisdom. Darkness is folly. Light is fellowship with the living God. Darkness is the utter desolation of being forsaken of God in his wrath.

I am the light of the world! Christ is life, joy, happiness, fellowship, righteousness, wisdom, and love for God. Christ is that to men. Outside of him is only darkness, and without him men perish in the darkness. All men move in the sphere of death, corruption, and unrighteousness. Christ alone is able to dispel the darkness and to be light. The world is in darkness, and men walk in darkness. And when the light comes, then men are exposed by the coming of the light as lovers of darkness and haters of the light.

Sovereign light! In the brilliant light of the perfection of God’s being, Christ lives as the Son with his Father in the Holy Spirit in perfect communion and life. He is God of God, light of light, true God of true God, begotten, not made, being of the same essence as the Father! He is light come in the flesh. And as the light of light, he entered our darkness and penetrated down to its deepest part, even outer darkness, upon the tree of the cross. There on the cross he bore our sins and suffered our punishment for the satisfaction of the justice of God and broke the darkness by earning for us perfect righteousness that is worthy of eternal life. As light he arose. As light he ascended. As light he received of God the eternal Spirit to shed him forth in our hearts, so that the light of the glorious gospel of God dispels in our hearts the darkness of sin, guilt, and condemnation and shines with the light of righteousness, joy, and eternal glory.

Christ is the light of the world! Whoever follows him shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Sovereign light! When he shines in the hearts of his own according to his will and good pleasure, then in his light we see light! The light is not dependent on the darkness, but the light overcomes the darkness. The darkness does not come to the light, but the light comes and shines in the darkness. Blessed gospel!

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to those who are lost: in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. Yes, lest they believe! Sovereign light! If our gospel be hid, so that they do not come and do not follow the light, then it is because the light has purposed that they do not believe and that they perish in their darkness. For Christ is the only light, and outside of him and apart from him all men are darkness.