As the sun rises on this new day, let us take a moment to praise the Lord for the light He has given to us to enjoy His beautiful creation; that which brings warmth to our day, and aids in the growth, function and production of every living thing.  When God began His creative work He first brought light into the world:  "Then God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light" (Genesis 1:3).  As we open up the pages of God's Holy Word we will turn our attention this week to the second self-description of Jesus as "The Light of the World."  In our devotional reading this morning, in the first chapter of the Gospel of John, our eyes are opened to the revelation of an even greater light, the One who "was in the beginning with God."  The true Light "that gives light to every man," Who was, not only the author and creator of the world, but also, from the beginning, would be for the redemption of the world.  "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men" (v.4).

Light was given to the world for our physical existence, and then Light came into the world for our spiritual existence. "...the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining" (1 John 2:8b).  Our entire life is utterly dependent upon God; we need His light to live.  Tragically, though many love and worship the light of the sun, they do not love and worship the Son who brings them the light. Jesus came into this dark world as a spiritual light, but sin has eclipsed His light.  "...the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it" (v.5).  Though the dark forces of evil resist the light of Christ, Jesus' light shines even brighter to break through the dark shadow of sin, so that hearts of men can be enlightened with revelation of Jesus Christ, and come to the light of His salvation.  "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned" (Isaiah 9:2). "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work" (1 John 3:8b)

The light of God had come down, and was veiled in a garment of human flesh.  God's glory, which once dwelt in the tabernacle in the wilderness and in the temple, had settled upon the earth and made a temporary home in a tent of human skin.  And while many of the people saw only the human side of Jesus:  "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and His own received Him not" (v.10-11); there was a remnant of intimates who saw Christ's glory shining through that veil of flesh. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."  How blessed we are that our heavenly Father has given us what we so desperately need - His grace and truth - that we might know Him and make Him known in this world.  As we go about our day, may our lives radiate the light of Christ with every step we take, so that the darkness of the world will be repelled and the Kingdom of God advanced!

 

God sent His light to shine into the darkness at the beginning of creation, and then again at the beginning of His redemptive work, the new creation.  "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."  How dearly loved and blessed we are that the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ has broken through the barrier of sin which once darkened our hearts and blinded us to the light of Christ.  We once were blind, but now we see.  By His grace we now see Christ for who He is and why He has come.  Tragically, there are many people who remain blinded because they are living under the deception of Satan.  "..it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them" (v. 3b, 4). 

Jesus came into the world to cast His light into the spiritual darkness, and to plant within believers a seed of perpetual light that would guide us with wisdom to live lives of holiness and fruitfulness. "They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendor" (Isaiah 61:3cb).  The Lord has given us everything we need to live a holy life, to make righteous and wise decisions, to avoid the pitfalls of walking in sin and the flesh, and to illuminate and imitate Him in this world. May we "be careful then, how [we] live - not as unwise but as wise..." (Ephesians 5:15).  The Spirit of the Lord provides us wisdom to make wise choices and to live a meaningful, purposeful life to the glory of God (Isaiah 11:2) It has been said that our greatest need today is "not guided missiles, but guided morals."  This afternoon as we pray, let us look to the Lord our light, and ask Him to illuminate our path and identify the obstacles in our way and in our life (the sin which so easily ensnares us), so that we will not stumble and fall as we run with endurance the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1).  May we seek to live our lives in all godliness and purity, so that we will present an untainted and undiminished view of the glory of God to the world.