Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life." 

John 8:12 (NKJV)

Jesus proclaimed, "I am the light of the world," around the time of the Feast of the Tabernacle. It was a fitting occasion since people carried torches around the Temple and the streets to demonstrate that the Messiah would be a light for the nations of the world.

In saying those words, Jesus takes His listeners to a point of decision and invites them to choose to follow Him. As we behold Jesus, we become like Him. We are light in the Lord (Ephesians 5:18). Just as Jesus is the light of the world, and we are to shine in the world as lights (Philippians 2:15).

Most of us have no problem referring to Jesus as "the light of the world," but we may have difficulty referring to ourselves as "lights of the world." In John 1:9 we are reminded that we already have Christ's light within us as Christians. It is about stepping out in faith and allowing God to move in and through us.

Consider these words of Jesus:

Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral excellence, and [recognize and honour and] glorify your Father who is in heaven. 

Matthew 5:16 (Amplified)

It is a privilege to be in partnership with Christ to bring His light to every sphere of life.

This calls us to be consciously aware of God’s presence and commit ourselves to help others to connect to God’s heart for them. People who come to the light of Christ are no longer in the dark because the Holy Spirit dwells in them. Darkness does not always imply sin. While sin keeps people in the dark, darkness cannot stand up to the light of the gospel. This is why it is important for us to see those around us as being made in the likeness and image of God, with intrinsic value and inherent worth regardless of their behaviour. Then, being empowered by Christ’s love for them, we will seek to reconcile them to a right relationship with God through trust in the finished work of the cross.