Then Jesus said, “I am light to the world and those who embrace me will experience life-giving light, and they will never walk in darkness.”
John 8:12
This one sentence carries so much power! No wonder the Pharisees were immediately offended. I never really understood why, though…
If I just read the sentence at face value, it is intense. Jesus starts of with “I Am…” The aramaic bible literally says: “I AM THE LIVING GOD, The Light of the world” then He goes on:
“…those who embrace me, will experience life-giving light…”
And to underline the fact, Jesus speaks against the darkness, “… and they will never walk in darkness…”
Now firstly… that “never” is a double underlined double word in Greek: No, not ever and secondly, the aramaic says it better… walk is translated as, “will never be driven/pushed by darkness”
But reading up about the phrases Jesus used, something else popped. Sukkot, The feast of Booths or the Feast of Tabernacles.
During the seven days off Sukkot, the temple was lit up until the last day that history records the light was so bright that it could be seen all the way to Galilee. And at the end, the “Light of the World” was extinguished.
Sukkot was also known as “The Season of our Joy” and the purpose of the feast was to remind the Jews of How God dwelled between them and took care of them in the wilderness. Sukkot and Pesach is linked. Showing our utter dependence on God. In this time they built frail booths of branches to sleep in. These booths let in rain and starlight and signified our frailty and utter dependence upon God. The temple was Illuminated to symbolize the pillar of Fire on the desert.
So here’s the thing…
Sukkot was in remembrance of one of the toughest times in Hebrew history, but it is a feast of joy… a feast of JOY!
Jesus is our Light. In Him there is no darkness, and no darkness can drive us or inspire our action when we abide in Him. And during our wilderness, our Pillar of Light, will provide for us… We will NOT walk in darkness and we can “count it all joy when we fall into various trials“
One sentence, but the ultimate promise.
