Despite the ever increasing light that we produce the long winter night darkness still seems to envelop us. Especially if it is dark as we travel to work and on the way home.
Perhaps through its absence we become more aware of our need for the light and warmth of the sun. Light is essential to support our life in all sorts of direct and indirect ways and yet we often take it for granted. How remarkable it is that we are just the right distance from the sun for it to effectively support our life on planet earth – but that is another subject for another time!
Light and dark are also evocative of our experiences of life. The good time and bad times: in joy and in sorrow.
Right now many people are very apprehensive about where, in political terms, the world is going. Is our prosperity and security threatened by Brexit, the political division in the USA and other power struggles around the world?
I am the Light of the World
Jesus said “I am the Light of the World” and further adds:
He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life
John 8:12 (NKJV)
This short article is just intended to give a little insight into the hope and prospects promised by understanding Jesus as the “Light of the World”. The message about, and of, Jesus is that he is different from all politicians and their promises and abilities.
The prophet Isaiah tells us of Jesus:
..he shall not judge by the sight of his eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of his ears; But with righteousness he shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth..
Isaiah 11:3,4
Further we read in Acts 17:31 that God ” has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained.”
It is hard to imagine a situation where there is true justice and equality of treatment for all and yet this is the message from God. Acts 17:31 continues,
He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him (Jesus) from the dead.
Jesus did not remain in the grave after his cruel death but is now alive at the right hand of God (Hebrews 12:2). It is true that we do not see much light from Jesus in the world at present but God has promised that Jesus will return to reign over the earth. Meanwhile we can look to the teaching and promises of Jesus to throw light on our lives.
What does this mean for us?
What is our reaction to all of the above? The reaction of those that heard the words above (spoken by the apostle Peter in his speak on Mars hill) was either to mock or to want to hear more. Most people today seem to be in the category of those that mocked. How seriously have you considered the possibility of the above being true?
Just think of the qualities and abilities or world leaders, not only now, but throughout history. Would it be reasonable to call any of them a light of the world? Even if they were, or are, close to being a light of the world death extinguishes them all too soon. Again we can contrast this with the teaching of the Bible where, once the appointed day of judgement has taken place Jesus will reign in righteousness over the world for all time.
In Psalm 34:8 we have a challenge:
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Of all challenges that life throws at us here is one that offers a reward that is surely worth the effort of exploring to find out if the Bible message can be trusted. Granted that this is a quite a big challenge but you needn’t be on your own – especially as Jesus tells us that if we ask, seek and knock we will receive, find and it be opened (Matt 7:7).
In the last chapter of the last book of the Bible we read:
There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.
Rev 22:5
Even if we only understand this in a literal sense the future is Bright!
