I Am the Light of the World
We’ve all had that experience. We sit in the growing darkness of evening as we are busy reading, watching television, chatting with friends. Then, unexpectedly, someone comes into the room and flips on the lights! Suddenly we realize just how dark the room had become. Even worse, horror of horrors, now we can see the dust on the tables and shelves. We can see the dog hair on the carpet. We can see the crumbs from the snacks we’ve consumed. We are thoroughly embarrassed.
But now we have a choice to make. We can ignore the light and wallow in our blissful darkness, or we can respond to what the light has exposed. That is the choice we have to make when we are exposed to the Light of the World.
There are a number of interesting light and darkness moments in Scripture. From God’s first recorded words, “Let there be light,” to the darkness that plagued the Egyptians (while the Israelites had light, Exodus 10:23), to the pillar of fire, to Nicodemus who “came to Jesus by night” (John 3:2), to Jesus’ birth and crucifixion.
Have you ever thought about the contrasting “light” at Jesus’ birth and death? Iain Campbell describes it this way:
It was not without reason that when Jesus died at midday the world was shrouded in darkness. It was the very opposite of what happened at his birth. At that time there was supernatural light which transformed the midnight sky. Angels sang, and shepherds saw glorious light.
But when he died, darkness covered the world as he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:46). He came right into our darkness, deliberately stepping into it, experiencing it in all its horror and terror. And he did this in order that there might be light for us.[1]
Truly, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined” (Isaiah 9:2)
What an astonishing gift God has given us—the Light of the World.
Go Deeper
[1] Iain D. Campbell, Exploring the “I am” sayings of John’s Gospel (Evangelical Press, Kindle Edition).
