Source: clarified King James Bible, Bible book of truth, Who Jesus is

Think of a glorious sunrise or sunset you have seen. No wonder some people worshipped the sun as a god. We, who are more enlightened, know the one, true God is not the sun but the Maker of the sun. However, we associate light with God, as did our Jewish ancestors in the faith. Bright clouds, a burning bush, and a pillar of fire were signs of God's presence for them. The psalmist spoke of God as light: The LORD is my light and my salvation (Psalm 27:1); and the prophet promised, The LORD shall be your light forever (Isaiah 60:19). Light stood for the glory of God. Prophecies also spoke of the Messiah as light: Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you (Isaiah 60:1). And the prophet Simeon hailed the child Jesus as a light for revelation to the Gentiles.

Jesus spoke to them saying, I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life. (John 8:12) God said, Let there be light; and there was light (Genesis 1:3). The first thing that God created on the earth was light; and not because He needed light to see, but because the heavens and the earth were still dark and void. He would make His future human creation to need light to live. The words God spoke, caused the light to appear from His very countenance and expel the darkness. Lord, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us (Psalm 4:6).

Scientists who study light, know that light is an entity; a physical constant; a substance that travels in waves. Light is an essential characteristic of the Lords very nature. There is light inside of Himself, and He beams it out to all creation. Light existed before God created atoms; before He made chemical elements and before He established the law of gravity. Only God knows where both light and darkness dwell, because He created them both, and the following verses show light to be a substance that dwells somewhere. Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And darkness, where is its place that You may take it to its territory, and that You may discern the paths to its home? (Job 38:19 & 20)

Light is beautiful and mysteriouslike God. It is one but can be separated into many colors. No one knows if light is made up of particles or waves. In addition light has many functions that makes it a good symbol for Jesus. Light helps us see things. Jesus gives us the truth about God and about life, our origin, and our destiny. Light guides us as we travel. Jesus guides us safely through life to our heavenly home. Light promotes growth and life. Jesus brings us everlasting life. Light warms and comforts. Jesus welcomes us and calms us. Light prevents crime. Jesus is goodness itself. Light dispels darkness, which stands for evil. Jesus pierces the darkness of sin and death and conquers them. All the darkness in the world cannot put out one candle flame. Jesus cannot be overcome by evil.

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world [every man]. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of Life. The Light (Christ) is given to every man who comes into the world, it is proven directly by what the bible verses says: (John 1:9)so that through the Light, all men might believe (John 1:7) and by abiding in the Light and obeying the Light, receive salvation to become a child of the light, a son of God. To follow Jesus is to obey what He shows and speaks to you by revelation. If you do not keep or obey the words you hear Christ speak to you, those words will be your judge when you die. [John 12:47-48]

The Greek for this verse shows that what has been universally translated as "the world/ kosmos could just as well have been translated as: the inhabitants of the earth, or men, or the human family. John 1:4 says, "In him was life; and the life was the light of men;" John 1:9 says, "Which was the true Light that enlightens every man who comes into the world." (which light was given to men so that they might believe) John 1:7. Believe what?the truth. What truth? believe the truth of what the light shows them about the evil of their ways and the truth of how God's and Jesus' righteousness is vastly different than their own ways; and then to believe the promises of God, making them the hope of their life's efforts to attain salvation.

The promise for following Jesus is to come out of darkness, to walk in the light, to have the light of life; this is to be restored to the life of God, exactly the life that Adam and Eve lost in the garden; as God had told them they would surely die, and die they did to the life of God, as they then lived in the life of Satan. But here is the glorious promise fulfilled, that God would restore man again to the life of God and here is our opportunity, by belief in the Light, which enlightens all men, by obedience to that light, we can become children of the Light, restored to the light of life, the life of God, restored to the spiritual image of God. We follow Jesus by obeying his commands that we hear him speak to us as we expose ourselves to hearing those commands by waiting on God. When we obey what commands we hear him speak to us, then we are following his orders, we are following Jesus as he leads us to kill our sinful nature on the inward cross of self-denial.