Chapter 8 Jesus - The Light of the World and the ‘I am' (John 8:12-59).
In this chapter Jesus is revealed as ‘the Light of the World'. This is a reminder of the one spoken of in the words of Isaiah, ‘the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, those who dwell in the land of deep darkness, on them has the light shone', and significantly Isaiah's words were spoken concerning Galilee of the nations (Isaiah 9:2). And this light would be One born to be the coming King (Isaiah 9:6-7), who was by the time of Jesus seen in Messianic terms. In this regard we should note that the words ‘walk in darkness' used by Isaiah are echoed here in John 8:12. The concept thus has Messianic implications, demonstrating that ‘Jesus is the Christ' (John 20:31). But in John 1:1-9 the light has also been shown to be Word Who was God Himself. Thus as the light of the world Jesus is to be seen as both the Messiah and the Son of God, both looked at the heightened level revealed in John's Gospel.
This statement concerning Jesus as the Light of the World is then followed by discussions in which Jesus reveals more and more of Himself, leading up to His declaration of Himself as the ‘I AM', with the result that He came under threat of stoning because of His strong claims.
Jesus Is The Light of the World (John 8:12-20).
In the original text these verses follow immediately on John 7:52. As can be seen the transition is fairly abrupt as the context moves swiftly from the Pharisees discussing Jesus among themselves to them listening to and talking to Jesus. It is, however, also equally abrupt if it follows after John 8:11. The proclamation is now of Jesus as the Light of the world, a concept already revealed in the Prologue, and the abrupt opening brings the significance of His words and prepares for what follows. All men recognised the importance of light. While it was dark the world proceeded at slow speed, for until the sun arose the working and worshipping day could not begin, and when the sun set that working day was over, for although in those days artificial light from torches allowed an extension of the day, it was never fully satisfactory. It was the day that was the time for living. And it was the day that allowed men to see where they were going.
At this point we should perhaps consider the fact that Jesus continually likens Himself to those things which are basically essential to man. He has revealed Himself as the bread of life, as man's basic food and provision (John 6:35), He has revealed Himself as the divine spring of living water, that resource which was necessary for all forms of life and brought life to the world (John 3:5; John 4:10-14; John 7:37-38), and now He reveals Himself as the light, that which originally drove back the darkness and was the foundation of creation (Genesis 1:2-3), and in the light of which men live their lives and accomplish their major tasks.