The Light That Sets You Free (John 8:12-59)

Well, if you have a Bible, we’re back in John 8, where [v. 12] says, 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.”¹  

It’s hard to imagine Jesus saying anything more foundational than, “I am the light of the world.” It’s like saying, I am the sun. He’s the source that gives light and life to the world.  

One of the amazing things about the sun is that it’s so perfectly placed in the universe that if the Earth were any closer to it, we’d burn up, and if it were any farther away, we’d freeze over. Without it, life as we know it would be impossible. 

We don’t usually stop to think about how amazing light is—but it’s essential. 

And there’s just something intrinsic within us that knows light is good and darkness is bad. I mean, we associate light with things like truth, justice, purity, and beauty. And darkness is the absence of all of that. 

Darkness is where our sin goes to hide. People without the truth are said to be “in the dark,” and statistically, the night tends to be when crime flourishes. And let’s be honest—no kid wakes you up in the morning scared of the sunrise, but darkness can make even familiar places feel unsafe. 

Without light, we couldn’t see, plants couldn’t grow, temperatures would drop, color would disappear, and even our health would suffer. So when Jesus says, I am the light of the world, he’s saying he’s the source of beauty, truth, and goodness—and that without him, there is no life. But when you look at the context of the story, his claim gets even more amazing. Let me show you why: 

See, back in John 7:37, John tells us that on the final day of the Feast of Booths, “…Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” Which sounds like Jesus is making the most out of a great evangelistic opportunity.  

But, if you remember, the Feast of Booths was a 7-day festival remembering Israel’s 40 years living in tents as God led them through the wilderness. It’s part of the bigger Exodus story—how God rescued his people from slavery in Egypt, cared for them in the wilderness, and brought them into the Promised Land. 

And there were three primary rituals practiced during the Feast of Booths that bring Jesus’ claims about himself to life:  

FIRST – Like I said the other week, the Jews would set up these temporary tents, called booths, as a way to remember the wilderness wanderings. When I was younger, I could never understand why it took them 40 years to get from Egypt to the Promised Land. 

According to Google, the average person walks about 5 km/hr. At that pace, you could walk around the whole Earth in about 3 years. So what took them so long? It’s not that Moses was lost and refused to ask for directions—it’s that God gave them the light, and they refused to follow it. 

That’s why some of them weren’t allowed to enter God’s rest—because they heard his voice and chose not to listen. That’s also why [Hebrews 11:6] – Without faith it is impossible to please [God], for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

The booths were a sign that God wants to live with us, but it’s also an occasion for us to ask ourselves: “Will we follow him when he does come?”  

Maybe you’ve thought before, “It’d be so much easier to trust in Jesus if I audibly heard his voice or if he just appeared out of the sky.” But in the wilderness, they had the presence of God and still questioned his voice.  

SECOND – Every night of the feast, they would do a water-pouring ceremony to remember how God gave them water when they were grumbling and thirsty in the wilderness.In [Ex. 17:6] – the LORD told Moses to “strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.”  

So during the Feast of Booths, the people would dance and celebrate as water was drawn from the Pool of Siloam and poured out at the Temple. 

The THIRD thing they would do is light these giant candelabras every night in one of the courts in the Temple. Now, I don’t know how this light show compares with the fireworks you see during Chinese New Year, but I am sure it would happen just as I’m trying to put my kids to bed—and they’d refuse to go to sleep until it was over.  

Some scholars say the candelabra was so big its light could fill the whole city. And the reason they’d do this was to remember the presence of God leading them through the wilderness in a cloud by day and a fire by night.  

See, the cloud represented the Lord sheltering his children from the sweltering sun as they wandered by day and was their guiding light as they walked by night. We’re told that the presence of God in the pillar of cloud and fire is what split the Sea as they fled the Egyptians. The cloud of God’s presence is what surrounded them to protect them from Egyptian attack, and it’s also what lit the night sky to guide them to safety. Later, in Exodus 40, the same holy presence filled the tabernacle once it was built and again with Solomon’s Temple. 1 Kings 8tells us that God’s presence was so glorious when it rested on the Temple that the priests couldn’t even stand to serve. 

See, the giant candelabra symbolized the light of God’s glorious presence with his people. Every night its light would shine across the night sky—except the last night, when everything was closing down. Kinda like when you see malls taking down decorations between holidays, on the last day, the candelabras would be taken down and the city would be left in darkness. 

Tim Keller points out that the last night was unintentionally painful because it reminded everyone that God’s glory hadn’t rested on the Temple for centuries. 

Why not? Well, you can go read the story for yourself in Ezekiel 10-11. Basically, the glory of the LORD departs from the Temple in judgment because of sin. The LORD leaves the Temple, out of the city, and up the Mount of Olives, and it feels ominous. The Lord leaves, and by this point in the story, hasn’t returned.  

So each Feast of Booths starts with excitement but ends with a sense of darkness as they wait for God’s light to return. 

But that all changes when Jesus stands up and declares, “I am the light of the world. The glory of the Lord that once left has now returned, and whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

The claim Jesus is making is clear:  

• I AM refers back to God’s name at the burning bush, when He told Moses, “Tell them I AM sent you.” It was God’s way of saying, I’m not like man. I don’t have a beginning or an end. All things exist by me, through me, and for me.  
• The light points to God’s glory that once shone on Israel, guiding them to their promised rest. Which means it’s a moving light. You have to follow where Jesus leads.  
• The World – Jesus’s invitation is for everyone who will believe. 

Life with God can only be known through the light He sent in Jesus, but what follows Jesus’ claim is anything but belief.  

[v. 13] – “So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” The Pharisees are taking something Jesus said before and using it out of context to make it look like he’s contradicting himself. 

But Jesus has already given proof that he is who he says he is. In John 5, he pointed them to the testimony of John the Baptist, the signs from his ministry, and the Scriptures, which all confirmed that he’s equal with God.  

You might say, “Well, if Jesus claims to be God, isn’t it okay to test that?” Absolutely—but you also have to be open to the truth. See, the Pharisees aren’t weighing the claims of Jesus; they’ve already decided they don’t believe him. So they attack him and distort his words to defend their position.  

That’s why, when they challenge his teaching and don’t understand him, they try to arrest him. But Jesus points them back to his relationship with God.  

[v. 17] – In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. 18 I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” 19 They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” We know that Joseph is dead, and if the rumors are true, he wasn’t even your real father. But Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”  

He’s not talking biology. He’s talking theology. See, you can’t know the Father apart from the Word made flesh. The beauty of creation can point you to a Creator, but to understand the character, nature, and will of God, we need to stand in the light of the Son—and we know the Son by the testimony God’s given us in his Word.  

[20] – These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come. 21 So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”  

Let me summarize what he means: Jesus is saying he’s the Son of God, sent by the Father to die for sinners so that we can have life in his Name. But like those who died in the wilderness because of their unbelief, you will die in your sins unless you look to him and believe. 

And here’s how Jesus says you should test whether he’s telling the truth: Look at what happens when the light of Christ shines the brightest: 

[28] – Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. 29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” 30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

Jesus says, “I am he.” Now, in the OT, God revealed his Name to the people not only to communicate who he is but also because he’s relational and he wants us to trust him. He says, “I AM WHO I AM.”  

Whenever Israel needed help, God would attach his promises to his name as a way of building their faith. So when they were hungry, they learned to call on Jehovah Jireh—I AM your provider. And when they were afraid, they called on Jehovah Shammah—I AM the God who is present with you. And when they needed to be restored, they called on Jehovah Rapha—I AM your healer.  

Jesus tells them you’ll know that I AM your healer when you see me lifted up to die in your place. Jesus goes on to say in [v. 31] – “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  

He’s telling them what it means to believe and be his disciples. And I want you to see the link between walking in the light and experiencing the freedom of Jesus. See, when Jesus says, “I am the light of the world,” and that if you don’t follow me, you’ll die in your sins, he’s revealing that God’s glory is a light that exposes and frees. 

1. The light of Jesus exposes.  

When you enter the light, it exposes what’s truly there. And that can be difficult for us to accept because sometimes the truth is painful. 

The other week, I was feeling tired and sprawled out on the couch in our living room, and our living room has a big wall of windows, so daylight filled the room. My oldest daughter came over to snuggle with me. And it was great…until she started counting. 

“1, 2, 3… 10… 15… 20.” She’s working her way up to the top of my head when I asked her, “What are you doing?” “I’m counting your gray hairs.” 

“Alright, go find your mom.”  

But here’s the thing: When you let the light of Christ shine on you, it’s a burning light, it’s a radiant light. It’s a revealing light. The light of Christ exposes what’s really there—and we either reject it or embrace it. 

In John 8, we see people reject the light in two ways. The first is in the story of the woman caught in adultery. According to the Law, she’s committed a capital offense. But Jesus says, “Let the one without sin cast the first stone.” And all the Pharisees flee.  

It’s easy to look at the same of another, but when God’s truth shines on us, we all know we’re guilty. Even the rule-followers can’t stand in the light. 

It’s like when someone brings an accusation against you. If it’s a false accusation, you don’t need to hide because you have the truth on your side. But if the accusation is true, then you hate the truth and don’t want it to see the light of day.  

When I was a kid, we lived next to a church that had a U-shaped parking lot and a sidewalk across the front. I used to pretend it was a racetrack and ride laps around the building on my bike. 

One day, I was going so fast I lost control and crashed straight into a lamppost at the corner of the sidewalk. The whole thing broke, which shocked and embarrassed me. So I did what any scared 8-year-old would do—I ran. I rode my bike into the garage and grounded myself in my room. 

By the time I got to my room, the thought crossed my mind—No one saw me. Maybe I could get away with it. But I couldn’t live with the guilt. So I worked up the courage to tell my dad, fully expecting the worst. I offered to give up my bike and stay in my room forever. I had no idea how to pay for something like that.  

Thankfully, he wasn’t as hard on me as I was on myself. But he did say he’d need to tell the church. So I went and hid in my room. After what felt like forever, my dad came back from talking to them and said we didn’t owe anything—they forgave me. In fact, they told him I’d done them a favor because they’d been planning to replace that lamppost anyway. 

I don’t know if that last part was true, but I couldn’t believe it. That’s probably one of the first times I had incurred a debt I couldn’t afford, and someone else lined up to take the cost for me.  

See, when the light of Jesus shines on us, it exposes the truth that we’re guilty sinners who stand condemned. There’s nowhere to hide from that fact. But in the story, the Pharisees scatter because they can’t stand the heat of the light and yet the woman, who is clearly guilty, stays. Why? How can she stand in the light of Christ?  

Think about it: This isn’t the first time Jesus claimed to be God, and we’ve already heard him say the Father has given him authority over life and death. So what will the most pure, holy, and righteous being in all the world say to her?  

She should run like the Pharisees, but instead, Jesus gives her the most surprising pardon — “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” 

Why such grace? We’ll come back to that.  

2. The light of Jesus frees.  

The second way people respond to Christ’s light is by covering it with lies and unbelief—a tactic Satan’s used since the Garden of Eden. Later, the Pharisees hear the truth and hate Jesus for it. So they challenge everything he says.  

[v. 31] says, we need the truth to set us free. But to tell someone they need freedom implies that they’re enslaved. And the Pharisees are like, slaves to what?  

[v. 33] – “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”

Obviously, they’ve been slaves before. You celebrate the Feast of Booths, partly, to remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, and even now live under Roman occupation.  

Calling themselves children of Abraham is their way of saying, “We belong  to God.” But Jesus says, “There’s no way!” because you don’t practice any of his family values, and he would know because the whole kingdom is his.  

[v. 34] — Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. That’s your slavery. You can’t break free from sin, and the worst part is you can’t even see it. 

Maybe you’re one of those people who feels controlled by sin. You’ve given in to temptation again, and in the heat of the moment, you’re like, “Why can’t I say no to that?” Maybe you’re one of those people who always has to have the final word in every argument and it always ends with one more broken relationship. Or maybe you can’t seem to let go of that grudge. Your anger consumes you and you just feel controlled by it. Or maybe you look at the injustice of sin against people in our community that happens every day, and you feel helpless to do anything about it.  

How do we live with ourselves? But Jesus isn’t shining his light to shame us. Ultimately, he shines his light to free us.  

Remember the woman caught in adultery? Even in the justice of Christ’s light, we find the safety of his no condemnation if we’ll repent of our sin and confess our need for him.  

Jesus goes on to say in [v. 35] — The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”  

Here Jesus is saying, God is his Father, and those who oppose him are offspring of Satan. Jesus does the will of his father, and anyone who opposes him does the will of the Enemy, and here’s how you can tell the difference: 

1. Children of the devil are deceived. They think they’re saved when they’re really not.  

[v. 39] — They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did,  

2. Children of the devil are willing to stand on their own good works. 

Abraham didn’t try to justify himself before God by his works. He didn’t say, “God, look at me. Look at how moral I am.” No, Genesis 15 says he believed the LORD and God counted it to him as righteousness.  

[v. 40] — but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did…

3. Children of the devil reject the only one who does save. They’re like the man surrounded by water who dies of thirst. He doesn’t die because what he needed was unavailable to him. He dies because, trusting his own instincts, he rejected what was readily available.  

[v. 42] – Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word.

The light comes and we reject it. Romans 1 puts it like this: [v. 21] “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools.  

[v. 44] — You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me…[47] Whoever is of God hears the words of

God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”  

See, those who don’t belong to God resist his work in their life. But those who’ve been born again receive the Holy Spirit and obey his teachings. 

And the teaching of Jesus is simple:  

• You walk in the light by confessing your sins without fear of condemnation.  
• You trust in Jesus alone for salvation because he’s taken the penalty of sin upon himself in your place.  
• You get baptized in his name to show that you’ve been joined together with Jesus.  
• And you partner with him by making disciples who make disciples.  

Jesus doesn’t look at those in bondage and say, “Sorry, there’s nothing I can do.” No, his light is a light of freedom. He came to set the captives free, and true freedom isn’t the ability to do whatever you want. True freedom is doing what pleases God and enjoying him as you do it.   

The weight of sin doesn’t feel so impossible anymore because it gets lifted up with Christ.  

See, the light of Jesus exposes the truth about sin. The light of Jesus frees us from our slavery to sin. And that’s because…

3. Where the light shines brightest is at the Cross.  

I didn’t notice this until I read Ezekiel 10-11 this week, but Ezekiel says God’s glory left the Temple and up the Mount of Olives, never to return. But in John 8:1, Jesus comes from the Mount of Olives back to the 

Temple—but again, the story ends with the presence of God being driven away.  

[John 8:58] – Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.  

Jesus reveals he’s the eternal God—he existed before Abraham, and Abraham looked forward to his coming. But sin and unbelief drive God away, so the light of the world leaves again.  

And the story of the Bible tells us that we’re in the same boat. Unbelief separates us from God. The fact that it’s the Pharisees that drive Jesus away shows that even good works and religious zeal can’t save you—those things can still drive away God’s presence. 

But watch this: Jesus’ whole mission was to die in our place to save sinners. So on the final week of Jesus’ earthly life, he came into Jerusalem, from the Mount of Olives, riding on a donkey. The people waved palm branches and shouted, “Hosanna!” He’s come to save us! And what’s the first thing Jesus does? He cleanses the Temple because we needed Jehovah Rapha—I am your healer to heal us from our sin. The light had returned.  

But the week didn’t end with people inviting the light in. It ended with the Son of Man being lifted up on the Cross for the sins of the many. See, the light came to us, but we loved the darkness instead of the light. And so the darkness tried to swallow him up. Sin and unbelief always works to drive out the presence of God.  

That’s why they put him to death, and it’s also why the gospel’s record that as Jesus was crucified [Matt. 27:45], “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.” For three hours in the middle of the day, darkness filled the land. The light had been extinguished.  

But then, as the sun began to rise on the third day, the women came to an empty tomb because the light of the world had risen and that changed everything. 

See, the gospel is the news that the light has entered the world to save sinners, and when you come into the light you come with all the darkness of sin upon you. But Jesus came to expose and free you from those chains so that you can stand in his victory.  

But walking in the light means you can’t keep playing in the darkness. It means you keep bringing the dark things into the light, and watching him take the power of sin away.  

[1 John 1:7] says if we walk in the light, “…the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” Not just the minor bumps and bruises, but even the major heart conditions.  

Years ago, there was a website aimed at married people looking to have affairs. Its slogan? “Life is short. Have an affair.”  

In 2015, the site was hacked, and millions of accounts were 

exposed—including some Christian leaders. I remember being in seminary at the time, one of my professors talked about grieving the loss of a friend who took his life because he couldn’t bear the weight of shame for his name being on that list. 

Listen, I know that’s a heavy thing, but I’m not talking about a gospel for good people who sometimes make mistakes. I’m talking about a gospel for wicked sinners who, if not for the unmerited favor of God, would have nothing to stand on. 

I don’t know what sin you might be toying with or feel enslaved by, but I do know one day, everything will be exposed in the light. And the gospel reminds us that your good works don’t save you, and your worst sin doesn’t disqualify you. 

Healing and freedom only come when we step into the light, confess our sin, and let his grace transform us. And grace always changes us:  

• People who are changed by grace live with integrity, knowing you answer to the Lord, not yourself. 
• People who are changed by grace live with courage, because you don’t need to fear the world’s judgment when you have the Lord’s approval. 
• People who are changed by grace live with purpose, because Christ’s light shines through you—bringing hope and healing to the darkest places he’s called you into. 
• And people who are changed by grace live with assurance, knowing God will finish the good work he began in you, and on the final day you’ll stand and praise him for all he’s done. 

¹ Works Consulted:  

• The Gospel According to John – Carson 
• “Feast of Tabneracles: How Sukkoth Points to God’s Provision” – Burris 
• “I Am the Light” – Keller 
• “I Am the Light of the World” – Greear