The Only Light
A Sermon on John 8:12
Originally preached May 8, 1960
Scripture
12¶ Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Sermon Description
Over the course of civilization, humankind has diagnosed its problems many different ways. Some generations have determined that poverty is the great motivator of crime. In other generations, ignorance was the culprit. The world has, therefore, gone from one false hope to another. At one time it says “education will be our savior” and at other times “riches will free us from crime.” What these nearsighted solutions cannot comprehend is that humankind’s main problem is an ignorance of God. In this sermon on John 8:12 titled “The Only Light,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones elaborates and says that the main problem is a lack of knowledge of God, regardless of whether one is a prostitute or a philosopher. From here he shows his audience how Jesus the Messiah is the ultimate revelation of God to humankind. It is for this reason, Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains, that Jesus is called the light of the world. He shines true knowledge of God on the world, which cannot know God apart from God’s revelation. Jesus had compassion on the crowds and on the lost. Similarly, the Christian should likewise have this burden for unbelievers: that they are sheep without a shepherd, that without hearing the gospel of Christ they will have no saving-knowledge of God.
Sermon Breakdown
- Jesus is the only source of light about God. He alone can reveal God to us.
- Men cannot find God through their own wisdom or searching. We are finite and sinful, so we cannot comprehend God on our own.
- God must reveal Himself to us. He has done this supremely through Jesus Christ, who is the "brightness of [God's] glory and the express image of his person."
- Jesus reveals that God is the Creator, all-powerful, majestic, holy, righteous, and the Judge of all. God hates sin and will punish it.
- Jesus also reveals that God is love, grace, mercy, and compassion. Jesus had compassion on people and cared for individuals.
- We can know God through Jesus. He said, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." We see God's character and attributes in Jesus.
- We must turn to Jesus, the light of the world, to know God. We will walk in darkness without Jesus, but with Him we can know God and have eternal life.
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.