“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
First, let’s understand the backdrop of this verse. This passage was stated during the Feast of Tabernacles during which time the lampstands of the Temple would be illuminated, symbolic of the Shekinah glory (the visible presence of God such as how they were led through the Exodus) filling the Temple. It’s believed that these lights have already been lit when Jesus makes this, His second “I Am” statement in the Gospel of John. Using the lights as His backdrop, He is stating that He is the light of the world (as opposed to only the light filling Jerusalem during that feast), He is the visible manifestation of God in their presence (the physical Shekinah glory).
The Greek word for “followeth” (ἀκολουθῶν) is a Present-Active-Participle verb and often is understood to be a contemporaneous action that is being described. In other words, one “not walking in darkness and having the light of life”, occurs while the person is, at the present time, following Jesus. Then, the Greek verbs for “walk” [in darkness] and “shall have” [the light of life] are both Future-Active-Indicative, which seems to be regarding the Predictive Future (that an event will take place if conditions are met). What condition is needing to be met? The condition that one “follows” Jesus. All this to say that Jesus is explaining one will never “walk in darkness, but will have the light of life”, so long as they are, in that moment, following Jesus.
This is equated with discipleship, and would be akin to Jesus’ principle of “abiding” found in His illustration of the Vine and the Branches (John 15:1-7). That only those who “abide” in the Vine will produce fruit. And if one isn’t “abiding” in the Vine, then they will either be lifted up by God in order to assist them to be a fruit-producer, or they will be judged at the Bema. So, the “light of life”, which Jesus is promising, is that the one following Him will have an abundant, joyous, and illuminating life as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
When we understand that “have[ing] the light of life” is contrasted with “walk[ing] in darkness”, and that it’s contemporaneous to “following” Jesus, then we know that Jesus’ path to living a victorious Christian life will be illuminated by His presence. And in doing so, if we are following Him, we will not walk in the darkness. However, at any moment we choose to live according to the flesh, and not according to the Spirit, we run the risk of walking in the darkness, stumbling, sinning, disobeying, and bringing discipline our way.
If we recall the many verses that clearly explain eternal life is given the moment one places faith in Jesus for salvation, never to be lost again, then no amount of actions, or lack thereof, can remove or disprove one’s salvation. So, if someone received eternal life yesterday, then their following Jesus today doesn’t have a role as to whether they are genuinely saved or not. What it does have a role in is whether they are walking in darkness or the light. And this is why discipleship in the church is so crucial, so we can help others become a more mature person in the faith and to be conformed into the image of Jesus (cf John 11:9-11).
To say that “having the light of life is the same as everlasting life - and so you need to walk in the light and follow Jesus to have everlasting life” divorces it from the Greek syntax, as well as clearly contradicts John 20:31, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” Notice the difference between John 8:12 (have the light of life) and John 20:31 (having life). Having “life” (John 20:31) is only by “believing.” But, having the “light of life” (John 8:12) is by “following” (e.g., discipleship).
Finally, recall the backdrop of this verse, that Jesus is declaring Himself to be the light of the world, during the Feast of Tabernacles, when the Temple was illuminated as a picture of the Shekinah glory. Jesus is stating that those who follow Him will have His presence with them wherever they go. Just as the Shekinah glory guided the Jews during the Exodus, so too will those who choose to follow Jesus as a disciple will be guided with the “light of life” on their Christian journey as well.
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