John 8:12 (DBY)

Passage

Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world; he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Nearby Context

John 8:10 And Jesus, lifting himself up and seeing no one but the woman, said to her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? Has no one condemned thee?

John 8:11 And she said, No one, sir. And Jesus said to her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

John 8:12 Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world; he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

John 8:13 The Pharisees therefore said to him, Thou bearest witness concerning thyself; thy witness is not true.

John 8:14 Jesus answered and said to them, Even if I bear witness concerning myself, my witness is true, because I know whence I came and whither I go: but ye know not whence I come and whither I go.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "world", "light", "darkness", "again", "therefore", "jesus", "spoke", and "saying". It is saying that the contrast between light and darkness marks a real divide in how people respond to God's work.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "And she said No one sir And..." into verse 13's "The Pharisees therefore said to him Thou...", so "world" and "light" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "world" and "light" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.