Light of the World - Jesus Made This Prediction

What would you think if you heard a man say that that he, and he alone, was the light of the world? What if this man had no political clout, no money, and no academic credentials? Not only would we disregard him, but we would likely think him a bit looney. Such a claim is so bold and universal, that no mere man could ever honestly believe this about himself, much less make it a reality. But this is precisely the claim of Jesus. Jesus not only claimed to be the light of the world, but he claimed his influence would cover the earth as water cover the seas. If proved true, this prophecy and its fulfillment count as evidence for the truth of Christianity.

“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

The significance of Jesus’s second “I Am” declaration would have been noted immediately to those who heard it. Its weight and implications have not lessened with time. The concept of light was woven into every aspect of Jewish tradition. It was a symbol of goodness, holiness, and an indication of the presence of God and the revelation that often followed. To the Jews, Jesus’ claiming to be THE light must have been shocking, even arrogant. To the rest of the world, a lowly carpenter making such a claim would have been laughable.

And yet, Jesus’ assertion, his promise to be the light of the world, has been clearly fulfilled in a multitude of ways throughout history. His teaching and life have since broadly and undeniably affected the standard of morality, politics, culture, and even the arts. He is, without a doubt, the most influential man in all of history.

His teaching, whether praised or rejected, has been central to the conversation surrounding all significant religions, cultures, and governments. His teaching has touched every aspect of humanity’s timeline and were you to remove from history his life and words (and the implications of them), the entire timeline would crumble into a jumbled, non-sensical series of random events.

Jesus, as enemy or friend, has been the driving force of kingdoms, wars, crusades, and governments. He has been central to holidays, traditions, literature, art, architecture, education and science. His moral code has impacted, transformed, and driven numerous critical historical figures. So, whether you believe him to be God or just a figure in history, it cannot be denied that there is no person in the history of man who has had a greater impact on the world. Many men have been great influencers in their time, carrying out actions which have affected certain geographical areas and driven change in certain parts of the world. But none have come close to creating an overarching effect that remains, even increases, thousands of years after leaving earth.

The imprint of Jesus’ moral law immediately began to transform the world around him, and it continues to influence the world today. His moral principles can be seen behind most laws of the civilized world. The impact of his teaching is the center of some of the greatest upheavals of men’s wickedness and inequality. Jesus’s example was the catalyst for the New Testament teachings of unity, joint inheritance, loving your neighbor as yourself, and ultimately the truth that all men are image bearers of God. The implications of these truths laid the groundwork for destroying the acceptance of slavery, elevating women, and destroying the concept that any man is beneath another. He brought value to ‘the least of these’ and the result has been a great flood of benevolence to eradicate the impoverished, the orphan, and the disadvantaged. Charles Row writes, “He has succeeded in raising a mighty army, whose function is not to kill and destroy, but after his own example to go about doing good.”

His teachings ushered in a new moral standard, higher than any other, applicable to all men of all nations. Mark Hopkins writes in his book, Evidences of Christianity, “The hand of God made a new adjustment in the movement of the moral world, and the hand of man could not put it back.” Even in the religions and philosophies subsequent to Christ, we see the effects of his teaching.

Jesus’ life and historical importance has even been central to the arts. If you were to exclude every paragraph or poem written, every lyric composed, every sculpture or painting created, or every building erected because of Jesus or Christianity – the loss would be overwhelming.

But how do each of these evidence’s point to Jesus as ‘the light of the world?’ The common thread of each is the beauty, the rightness, and the good they have brought to our world. Not one of Jesus’s teachings have been the source of any evil! Jesus’ teaching, whether you believe him the Messiah or just a man, have undeniably brought light into the darkness of mankind. Where there is hate, he requires love and sacrifice. Where there is poverty, he expects charity and kindness. Where there is injustice, he demands law and equality.

I will conclude with these words from Charles Row in his book A Manual of Christian Evidences:

Here, however, it will be sufficient to observe that it is a simple fact, that He is still mightily energizing in the moral and spiritual world, more than eighteen centuries after, in the outward guise of an uneducated village carpenter, who shortly after died the death of a slave. He uttered the words, “He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” This fact is so absolutely unique in the history of man, that I am justified in designating it a moral miracle, which is palpably exhibited before our eyes, and the reality of which each one of us can verify for himself.