Central Lutheran Church - Elk River
Central Lutheran Church - Elk River
I Am the Light of the World with Ben Carruthers
Standing in the temple courts during the vibrant Festival of Sukkot, surrounded by massive oil lamps commemorating God's pillar of fire, Jesus makes his bold declaration: "I am the light of the world." The timing couldn't be more profound—moments after extending radical grace to a woman caught in adultery and publicly shamed.
This powerful message comes alive when we understand its context. The festival celebrated how God guided the Israelites through desert darkness with a pillar of fire, providing direction and protection amid uncertainty. Now Jesus stands in that same temple, essentially claiming, "That divine light that led your ancestors? That's me. I am that light for you today."
For the woman whose sins were brutally exposed before the crowd, Jesus' words offered immediate freedom. For the stone-dropping accusers confronted with their own darkness, it presented a new path. For everyone witnessing this dramatic scene, it revealed the true nature of God's light—not to expose and condemn, but to illuminate a way forward out of shame and guilt.
We all know darkness. Maybe it's the public exposure of mistakes like Ben's experience on the news. Perhaps it's the crushing weight of private shame. Or possibly it's just the uncertainty of life's challenges looming before us like a desert night. We try everything to escape—relationships, achievements, possessions—but like a disappointing childhood toy, these worldly solutions never truly satisfy.
Jesus offers something radically different. Not a temporary flicker, but transformative light that leads to genuine life. And the most beautiful part? This invitation extends to everyone—the religious, the broken, the uncertain, the ashamed. Wherever you find yourself today, whatever darkness surrounds you, the light of the world is calling you to follow him into new life.
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My name is Ben Carruthers. I'm the director of Student and Family Ministries here. Thanks for being here and worshiping with us, and for those of you online as well, thanks for tuning in. And a special shout out to Sonia in Owatonna with her mom, trudy, who is watching this morning and so welcome, glad you're watching. I know that you're in our prayers this morning. So glad you're tuning in.
Speaker 1:So we are in our sermon series of the I Am series of these seven sayings that Jesus spoke, saying I am something We've talked about. I am the bread of life, I am the gate, and this morning we are talking about I am the light of the world John 8, 12. So, but we cannot talk about light without talking about darkness. It has to be a piece of the conversation, right, because light is incredibly important to us. Light gives us things that we need. Light helps us see. Right Right now, you are able to see and perceive what is going on. You can see this crazy nice purple shirt that I'm wearing and the nice, handsome and pretty person sitting next to you. We can see things. We see color. It helps us with photosynthesis Photosynthesis, that's right. I'm not a scientist, but I googled it and I remembered it from elementary school. It's an important process that we need. The light is captured by these plants and gives us oxygen. Light is life-giving. It's also the circadian rhythm right. Light helps us with getting our eternal body clock working. The sun the night it all works together.
Speaker 1:My son was in Florida for a band trip. He went to Disney World without me. Can you believe that? Unbelievable, let me tell you. But he was in Florida and he's never traveled alone and you know it's an hour time difference there. And he got off the flight. We picked him up and he's like man. I'm so tired, my body clock's all over the way. This hour has really thrown me off. He's recovered, don't worry, he's completely fine, but the light gives us life. Now, those are things that are good.
Speaker 1:But if you were to ask a child, if you were to ask any of those kids sitting back there or any of your kids at home, or maybe even some of us say why is light important? If you were to ask my kids, that they'd give you answers like well, light is good because that means we can continue to play outside when the darkness comes. It means it's time to go in. If you ask my little ezzy, what? What's light? Why is light so important? Well, light is his little nightlight that when I put him to bed at eight o'clock and I check on him at 9 30 he's got a nightlight underneath his covers doing some search and find book. Because when the light goes away it means it's bedtime.
Speaker 1:And maybe the most important answer you'll get and maybe from some of us adults as well, is that when there is no light, it means that we're in darkness, it means that there's a feeling of maybe we're alone, of uncertainty, of fear, and when we have light, it takes those away. So if we talk about Jesus being the light of the world, we also have to talk about darkness, which means this morning I'm asking you to kind of search in your heart and in your soul and in your mind what is that darkness that's looming in your life? Because this morning I believe, through this passage and the story surrounding it and the history surrounding it, that Jesus is speaking to you this morning saying I am the light of the world, I am the light that leads to life. So we're going to dive into this passage this morning, but before we do, will you pray with me. Heavenly Father, lord, god, we give you thanks and praise for the opportunity to gather here, and those at home as well. We thank you for this passage of scripture that speaks so profoundly to the lives of those who you spoke to hundreds and thousands of years ago, but yet today, this morning as well. So, lord, help us to listen to the story of this passage with an open heart and an open mind and help us to maybe think about the darkness that looms in our lives, and give us freedom from that this morning. It's in your name. We pray Amen.
Speaker 1:So, like I said, there's this one line in John 8, 12 where he says this. But in order for us to fully understand what's going on here, we have to understand what happened before it and what is going on in time that he spoke this because these are two incredibly important things, and the passage that comes right before this is a very well-known story in John 8, and it's the woman who is caught in adultery. So if you want to, the Bible's in the pews, it's John 8. If you want to take it out and kind of follow along, please feel free to. But this alone, this story of the woman caught in adultery, is incredibly powerful. But when we add this line, john 8, 12, a line that immediately follows Jesus' interaction. It really adds something more to it. So what I'm going to do is I'm going to read you the story from John 8, keeping in mind the words that follow is our passage today from John 8, 12. So, a woman caught in adultery chapter 8, john, chapter 8.
Speaker 1:Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the temple. A crowd soon gathered that's important, we're going to talk about that a little bit. A crowd soon gathered as he sat down and taught them. As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd, which is interesting. If she was caught in the act of adultery. First of all, that's kind of weird that they saw that going on and second of all, where's the guy Just saying there's a lot going on here? There's a bigger story here that we don't have time to unpack today.
Speaker 1:Teacher, they said to Jesus this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say? The Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus here. They were trying to oh, that's what it says next. Look at that just trying to trap him saying something they could use against him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer. So he stood up and again he said all right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone. Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
Speaker 1:When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest the wisest right. He knows I'm gonna drop the stone. I've with the oldest the wisest right. He knows I'm going to drop the stone. I've lived the oldest leaves until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up and said to the woman where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you? No, lord, she said. And Jesus said neither do I Go and sin no more.
Speaker 1:So it's a beautiful story of these Pharisees trying to trap Jesus. And they bring this woman in and they ask him the law says that we should stone her. What do we do? And this woman? With her guilt and shame on display? Jesus forgives her and sets her free. Why? This is an important story because then, right after that, he says I am the light of the world. I am the light of the world. Jesus spoke again. I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life. Now, what I need you to do is remember this story of this woman, because now we're going to talk about what's going on in the temple at this time. That makes this saying even more incredible, because what was going on during this time was the festival of Sukkot.
Speaker 1:Everyone say Sukkot, yeah, sukkot. It's one of the three Jewish pilgrim festivals, which means that they have to travel wherever they're living, to Jerusalem, to the temple, for this celebration. This is one of the three, and Sukkot means the festival of the tabernacle or the festival of the tents, and so in the temple, it would have been a big celebration. There would have been lights everywhere, there would have been dancing, there would have been food, a celebration happening, and what this festival is about is its remembrance of the exodus out of Egypt and the 40 years wandering in the desert, and they would make these little makeshift huts, little tents, little tabernacles in those 40 years. Little tents, little tabernacles in those 40 years and they celebrate that God provided for them during those 40 years. So it's the festival of the tents. It's a great celebration.
Speaker 1:What they also remember and celebrate and this is key, this is important is a line from Exodus 13.21. Now, in 13.21, it says, as they wandered, that God would provide a huge pillar of fire at nighttime to keep away the darkness, to lead them out of the darkness. This is an artist's rendering, obviously, but imagine all of these thousands of people wandering the desert, setting up these makeshift tents in the night. They're not safe. The darkness is unknown, uncertainty, and God provides this huge light that gives them safety, security and will lead them out of the darkness. This is what they're celebrating at the temple at the time when this woman comes in and is thrown in by the Pharisees. As a matter of fact, they probably would have had four large oil candles lit in the temple in remembrance of this incredible, amazing light.
Speaker 1:So you have this story of this woman caught in adultery brought before Jesus in front of everybody, and then you have this idea of this amazing celebration going on, and in the middle of this, you have Jesus in the temple court saying I am the light of the world. What does this mean to this woman who's there, and what does this mean to the people listening to Jesus? For the woman who is sitting there on the floor, remember the crowds have gathered we read that in Scripture but it's just not a normal crowd. It's not just a Sunday morning gathering. This is a pilgrimage festival, which means the temple is packed and there is a party going on in this place. It is completely full, people are celebrating and we read a little bit of the Pharisees. And I have to have this picture in my mind where the Pharisees walk in with this woman and kind of make a scene out of it. They want everybody to see what's about to happen, because they're going to try to trap Jesus, and so they barge into the temple. The celebration stops and so they barge into the temple. The celebration stops and in the middle of everything, they throw this woman down and her sins are put on display for everyone.
Speaker 1:Have you ever had a moment where all eyes are on you, man? When I was in middle school I can remember this very, very clearly it was spaghetti day. That's important, because in middle school, man, there is no other brutal place to be than middle school. And I'm in the lunch line and I have my spaghetti in my tray and I'm checking out and I give them my little coupon or whatever I had to do, and I turn and the lunchroom is packed right. It's just hundreds of kids waiting to find prey to feast upon. It's middle school. And I turn around and, out of nowhere I have no idea how this happened, but my tray fell and it was spaghetti day and so the tray fell, the noise happened, spaghetti went flying. I'm covered in red sauce and I look up and hundreds of middle school eyes are on me. It is the worst experience in your life. I didn't eat lunch for a week. I said I'm not going back there. This is awful, but you feel horrible. All eyes are on you and you just feel awful in the pit of your stomach.
Speaker 1:Many of you know my story and if you haven't, I'd love to you know, take you. I won't take you to Chipotle, but we can go to Cane's. I love Cane's and I'll tell you more about it. But there is a time in my story where my sins, my actions, were put on display for the world to see. It was on the news and I can remember lying in bed with my wife and we had an inkling that it might be coming. We had a business card placed on my car the day before from a news station and we were watching the news and I remembered with all the hope that as time kept ticking by and story after story went and it didn't mention it at all, I said maybe we're going to get out of this thing. And then my also hope was it was the NBA playoffs. So I thought if it is on, maybe everyone's watching basketball. And there was no such luck Because as I laid in bed on the 10 o'clock news, there was my face.
Speaker 1:My sins were brought to light for the world to see, were brought to light for the world to see. There is no darker place to be than to have your guilt, your shame, your mistakes on display for the world to see. That's what I think this woman felt. All eyes were on her. This festival of celebration was going on and it shuts down and everyone is looking at this woman with her sins on display and the guilt and shame that she must have felt. And it's in that that Jesus does not condemn her but sets her free, because he is the light of the world, that Jesus does not condemn her but sets her free Because he is the light of the world. Even think of the Pharisees in this moment, the Pharisees, who have stones in their hands, were about to stone this woman and one by one, they drop, because not only in that moment was this woman's sins put on display, but in dropping of those stones so were the Pharisees, and to them he still says I am the light of the world. It's a pretty powerful story when it's put into perspective of what is really going on in this time in this temple. This is an act of incredible grace and compassion and love from our Lord.
Speaker 1:And I ask you the question this morning are you sitting in some kind of darkness? Are you sitting in some kind of guilt and shame? Are you singing in some kind of guilt and shame? Or is the darkness not brought upon by something that you did, but just life, where you're sitting in darkness and wondering where to go next or wondering what's going to happen next and the fear of the unknown. Is that your kind of darkness? And I have to wonder, while we're in that type of darkness darkness and we are trying and fighting to get out of it. We try to find any way possible to get out of it something of this world, maybe a relationship, maybe whatever it might be. If only I could have this other job, I'd be pulled out of this darkness. If only I could have this promotion, if only I could have this house or this tangible thing. If only I could do better, if only I could make all the right choices, then it would make all of the stuff go away. Maybe then I could live in the light. We try to pull ourselves out by the things of this world and it never meets expectations.
Speaker 1:One year for Christmas, all I wanted and if you're my age maybe you remember was the Domino Rally stunt set. Anyone remember this thing? All right, a few people Now. As a young boy watching commercials, this thing seemed incredible. Right, you set up these dominoes and, as it does, the dominoes would knock something over and it would launch a rocket in the air and then another domino would go and it would launch this jeep through this incredible ring of fire. That's all I wanted for Christmas. Christmas morning came, I opened it up and I had a drum cymbal, not a Domino Rally stunt set. I was so bummed and disappointed. But my mom, who's a thrifty shopper, a couple months later found the Domino Rally stunt set at a garage sale, got it for much cheaper than at the store. It's a trait that she's passed down to her son and I got it and I'm like, yes, this is it, this is everything, this is what I want. And I set up the dominoes and it was so lame. It was so lame. The ring of fire was a little cardboard cutout and the Jeep that jumped through the hoop was just this little tiny micro machine made out of plastic and the dominoes wouldn't stay up. That was the worst part. You just you know, it was so lame.
Speaker 1:But this is what happens when we try to pull ourselves out of the darkness. We have these expectations of things in this world that can pull us out, or people of this world that can pull us out, or us on our own merits and us, us trying ourselves, can pull us out, and it all leads to more darkness. That's why Jesus stands in that packed temple, to the woman caught in adultery, to the Pharisees dropping the stones, to the people listening, and he says I am the light of the world. To the people listening, and he says I am the light of the world. Follow me. The light that I give you leads to life. It leads you out of that guilt and out of that shame, out of that fear, out of that uncertainty. Stop trying to find in other ways of this world, relationships of this world. I'm standing before you telling you I am the light of the world. Now remember what's going on.
Speaker 1:Man Jesus doesn't just, he picks the exact right words at the right moments. They are there celebrating this great pillar of fire that led their ancestors out of danger. They are there celebrating and these massive lamps are lit and there stands all of these lights in remembrance of God bringing his people to new life, to safety. And Jesus is standing there, and there behind are these remembrance of those things, those great pillars of fire, and he is standing in and there behind are these remembrance of those things, those great pillars of fire, and he is standing in the center and saying remember that, remember how God gave you the light that led your people to freedom, to life. I stand before you today. I am that light. I am the light that God has sent you to lead you to new life. Follow me. Can you imagine being there, being someone who's traveled miles to come to this celebration in which we remember this.
Speaker 1:And here stands this prophet telling you that he is the light of the world. That's the message that he gave to this woman in adultery. It's the message that he gave to the Pharisees and it's the message that he's telling everyone in that packed temple to follow me. Leave that guilt and that shame behind, turn away from whatever you need to. Turn away and follow me, because I am the light of the world and I will lead you out of darkness and I will lead you to new life.
Speaker 1:So, people of Central, what does darkness look like for you? When you think about darkness, when you think about the things in your life, things that you need to be free from, things that you need new life, hear Jesus' words that says I am the light of the world. He is the light of the world, not the things of this world, not even the relationships of this world. And, people of Central, whatever guilt and shame that you are dealing with today, jesus brings you out of that. Jesus offers you that same grace and compassion and forgiveness that he did to that woman that day.
Speaker 1:People of Central, if you have been trying to, on your own merits, climb out of this darkness and come out of it using things of this world, relationships of this world, every time just to come back to more emptiness and darkness. Jesus is the light of the world and he says follow me, people of Central, if you are living in darkness not because of your actions, but just because the things of this world, and you need hope today, jesus is the light of the world. I'm going to leave you with that sentence. Jesus didn't say I am the light for these people. I am the light for those people. I am the light for the people who just get it right. He says I am the light of the world, for the world, for every single one of you. The world for every single one of you. So if you are new here today, if you haven't stepped into a church for years, hear that message. It doesn't matter where you come from, what you've done, the light that leads to new life is for you, amen.
