Each year as we enter into the Christmas season, I like to
spend time pondering the different names of Jesus. One of my personal favorites that Jesus calls
himself is “Light of the World”.
Light is a major theme throughout Scripture-especially contrasting
light and darkness. This contrast is first
made in Genesis 1 as God speaks light into existence and therefore separates light
from darkness. However, as sin came into the world, mankind has lived in
darkness. And that means we stumble around. We can’t see truth; we can’t see
beauty. And the darkness conceals.
Sin has caused us to live in the darkness, but throughout the Old
Testament we have this promise of a great light that would come into the world
and would push back the darkness.
In the Old Testament we see God using light as a sign of His
presence; not only in the temple, but also in the wilderness leading the Israelites. The people of the Old Testament received only
a small taste of the Light which was to come.
For centuries of the Old Testament, we have only small glimpses
of this Light. And for 400 years between the Old Testament and the New
Testament, we have silence. No word from God. No cloud. No pillar of fire. No
light of God to light the way of His people. And the
people fall into despair and hopelessness. But then we get to the New Testament and
light explodes. Jesus enters the world
and changes everything.
“In him was life, and that life was the light
of men”. John 1:4
Light reveals what the darkness conceals. It enables us to see the things we were
oblivious to while we were in darkness. Without
Christ, we remain in darkness. Light exposes our hearts. When we pursue Jesus
and His light, He uncovers our sin. He is the light of the world. Whoever follows Him will never walk in
darkness, but will have the light of life. (John 8:12)
Let’s rejoice, for the Light of the World has come and we are
forever changed because of Him!
“For you were once in
darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
Live as children of light.” Ephesians 5:8
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