I AM the Light of the World

6th May 2011

Get ready a torchlight, a RM10 note, plaster (band aid), flowers, sweets/chocolates. Switch off the lights. Have a teacher/helper/child act out the following:
One person walks, trips and falls. Groans aloud.
4 concerned people come to help, first one offers money; second, plaster another flowers and fourth one, sweets/chocolates. The person refuses all of them. (For the older children, you can ask them to tell the fallen person why they gave the item). Person refuses all the items.
Finally someone comes with atorchlight and the person gratefully accepts. He/she continues his/her journey confidently.
What do you do if the lights go off in your house during the night? Yes, you would take out your torchlight, light your candles. What a person in the dark needs most is light — not money, food, etc.

Jesus told the people (John 8:12), “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 9:5 “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Why did Jesus say he was the light? What did he mean?

Living life without Jesus is like being in the dark.
In the dark, we are worried that when we walk, we may trip over something because we can’t see what is ahead. When we don’t know God, we worry of what will happen to us in the future (eg what will we be when we grow up, what happens to us when we die).
We cannot see that God loves us so much, has plans to give us a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11) and even prepared a home for us in heaven (John 14:2).
This is because Satan has blinded the minds of people who don’t believe in him, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4: 4).
But when we accept Jesus as our Saviour, our eyes are open. We can see clearly!
We’ll know that we have a God who loves us so much that he gave up Jesus to die for us on the cross and lives in

our hearts. We have eternal life. We don’t have to be afraid of what will happen to us in the future because we know that God will take good care of us. Jesus shines a way for us through the darkness of our situation/problems/challenges.

How many of you think that sometimes we walk in light and there are other times we walk in the dark? That is not correct.
Walking in the light does not mean we never sin. Yes, sometimes we make mistakes and sin. But we still walk in the light because we have Jesus, who is the light. He is always with us, will never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5) That is why Jesus said in John 8:12 that whoever follows him will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. We will always walk in the light.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world”. We are the light because we have the light; Jesus. Because we have Jesus, we can love people the way Jesus loves. When people experience that love, they will see Jesus! It is like using the light from one candle to light the other candles.

Ask if any of the children want to accept Jesus as their personal saviour and if any, pray together with them.

Song: This little light of mine
Sharing: Get children to share how they have experienced God’s love through other people.
Thanksgiving Box: Get kids to write down what they can thank God for these past few weeks, fold, write their name and put into the box.
Candle-lighting: Get one big candle and several small candles for the whole class. Light the big candle — this illustrates Jesus. Then get the kids to light their candles either from the big candles or the other small candles. The light from the original candle passes to other candles (us) when we receive Jesus as our Saviour. Today we have that same light and can use it brighten up someone else’s day.
Song: Light of the World
Memory verse: John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Other references for teachers: John 1:1-9, 1 John 4:12