What does First B Jackson teach about light of the world?
Drawn from the messages where it was actually addressed: the words said from the front, the passages taught, and where to hear the whole thing.
At First B Jackson, the teaching on Jesus as the light of the world begins with the claim Jesus made in John 8:12: that He is the light of the world, and that anyone who follows Him will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life. That declaration, preached across many Christmas Eve services and in Pastor Tony's and Pastor John's messages through John 8, is never treated as poetic language. It is a direct statement of identity, one that every Jewish listener would have heard as a claim to be the God who spoke to Moses. The invitation attached to it is just as direct: the light is available to anyone who trusts and follows Jesus.
The messages from John 8 trace how that claim landed in the temple, where the Pharisees pushed back on legal grounds and Jesus answered from within their own framework, pointing to the Father as the second witness and the Old Testament as the testimony behind it all. What the preaching keeps returning to is the contrast between those who received the claim and those who hardened against it. Some heard it as their own story of rescue. Others knew exactly where the Messiah was to be born and still did not go. The Christmas Eve services hold that same contrast up year after year: the shepherds went immediately, the wise men traveled and bowed down, and the chief priests stayed home.
The theme does not stay in the past. John 1:5, that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it, is read at the close of every candlelight service as a promise that holds for anyone who has come to believe. And Matthew 5:14-16 is brought in to show that Jesus turns from calling Himself the light of the world to calling His followers the same thing, because Christ lives through those who trust Him. The candles that get blown out at the end of the service are a picture of exactly that: the physical flame goes out, but the light it represented does not.
Taught from John 8:12 · John 1:5 · Matthew 5:14-16 · Isaiah 9:6-7 · Micah 5:2
The passage taught · Isaiah 7:14
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
World English Bible
The messages that teach on it
- December 24, 2023 December 24th Christmas Eve Candlight - 4:30pm A Christmas Eve retelling of the nativity, from Old Testament prophecy through the Magi, closing with candlelight and the call to carry Christ's light into the world.
- November 27, 2022 Before Abraham Was, I Am Jesus claims to be the light of the world and the great I AM in John 8, intensifying the conflict with religious leaders who reject Him while extending an open invitation to all.
- November 27, 2022 Before Abraham Was Born, I Am Jesus declares "I am the light of the world" in John 8, and the preacher challenges us to ask honestly: are we trusting in our own righteousness, or in Christ alone?
- December 24, 2018 Christmas Eve Service - 6.00pm (2) A Christmas Eve service reading the nativity story, lighting the Christ candle, and reflecting on Jesus as the light of the world who came so we could have eternal life.
- December 24, 2018 Christmas Eve Service - 4.30pm (2) A Christmas Eve service at First Baptist Jackson: the nativity story read aloud, carols sung by candlelight, and a straightforward message about Jesus as the light of the world.
- December 24, 2017 Christmas Eve Candlelight Services (3) A Christmas Eve service from First Baptist Jackson featuring scripture readings, carols, and a message about Jesus as the light of the world that darkness cannot extinguish.
- December 24, 2016 Christmas Eve 2016 (3) A Christmas Eve service at First Baptist Jackson: scripture readings, candlelight, and the message that Jesus, the Light of the world, cannot be extinguished by any darkness.
- December 24, 2015 Christmas Eve Candlelight Service (3) A Christmas Eve service from First Baptist Jackson traces the nativity from Isaiah's prophecy to the wise men, and calls believers to carry Christ's light into the world.
- December 24, 2015 Christmas Eve Candlelight Service (9) A Christmas Eve service at First Baptist Jackson celebrating the birth of Jesus through scripture, candlelight, and song, with a reminder that his light cannot be extinguished.
- December 24, 2014 Christmas Eve Candlelight Service (4) A Christmas Eve service celebrating Christ's birth, with candle lighting, Scripture readings from Isaiah, Matthew, and Luke, and a reflection on Jesus as the light of the world.
- December 24, 2014 Contemporary Christmas Eve Candlelight Service (3) A Christmas Eve service from First Baptist Jackson: scripture readings, candlelight, and a message about Jesus as the light of the world who came to bring eternal life.
- December 24, 2013 God Is With Us A Christmas Eve reading of the nativity story, candlelight, and a reminder that the Light who entered the world at Bethlehem cannot be extinguished.
Mentioned along the way
- December 25, 2022 Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men A Christmas Day sermon from Jackson, Wyoming exploring peace on earth, the angels' announcement in Luke 2:14, and what it means to live out Christ's message of love and peace.