Light for the World's Darkness
John 12:37-50
But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:…


I. OUR WORLD IS DARK. God did not make it so, but man has darkened it, and Satan and sin have darkened it. It is a darkness of —

1. Sleep. The sleeper sees not the light. He may dream that he does so, but that is all.

2. Death. With life, light flees.

3. The tomb. Buried, the darkness is double.

4. Satan. He is the ruler of the darkness of this world.

5. Hell. Our world is an earnest of the blackness of darkness forever. The shadow of hell is over it.

II. THERE IS LIGHT FOR IT. Deep as is the darkness, it is not hopeless. There is enough of light in God and heaven yet. Light has not been quenched throughout the universe, though driven from our world.

III. THIS LIGHT HAS COME. It is not in heaven merely; it has come down to earth. The gospel is an announcement of the arrival of the light.

IV. CHRIST IS THE LIGHT. The brightness of Jehovah's glory; the true Light; the Sun of Righteousness; the Day Star; the bright and morning Star. All the light of the Godhead, of heaven, of the universe, is centred in Him. He is the Light of the World because —

1. Of what He shows us of the Father. He that hath seen Him hath seen the Father.

2. Of what He does to us — pardons, heals, comforts, blesses, saves.

3. Of what He is yet to do for our world. His reign shall be the reign of light, and the earth shall rejoice in His light.

V. THE WAY IN WHICH THE LIGHT ENTERS. Not in working or waiting, but believing. Faith ends the darkness, and lets in the glorious light.

VI. THE FREENESS AND UNIVERSALITY OF THE LIGHT. "Whosoever."

(H. Bonar, D. D.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:

WEB: But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they didn't believe in him,




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