“Then Jesus spoke out again, “I am the light of the world! The one who follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” John 8 v 12
Every Christmas our kids love to decorate the tree but no matter how many sparkly baubles you place on it, it does not come to life until you turn the lights on. There is something so warm and inviting about seeing the warm glow. Light is attractive, it is warm and inviting. Most of us have heard Jesus being described as the light of the world but many of us don’t have a full understanding of the context in which he made this declaration. As Jesus stood up and proclaimed these words in the Temple during the feast of Tabernacles he would have been immersed in the light of the four gold candelabra which were illuminating the whole court.
Picture this for a moment, God reveals his rescue plan to the world. His secret envoy, His most precious Son, soon to be Saviour, whom he had prepared from the foundation of the world. Jesus makes known his true identity, surrounded by the very symbols that represented his person-hood. And yet many of the people could not recognise him. In the Jewish mind the metaphor of the “dark” would have been used to describe the Gentile world. Those who had not received the revelation of the grace of God through the Torah and the prophets. The Jews would have believed that they were the people who were walking in the knowledge of God. But as Jesus stood before them they refused to accept who he was.
"He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” John 1: 10-11
Their pride and reliance on self and their attempts to keep the law had blinded them from seeing the reality before their eyes. Jesus was there to lift the burdens from their shoulders. He was there to free them from their striving to earn God’s approval. No longer would God’s salvation come from their own efforts. The playing field had been levelled once and for all. The Messiah had come to give light to the whole world.
It is the same offer that he makes to us every day. He wants to shine his light into every corner of our lives. The parts where we feel not good enough and try to put on show to be accepted, the parts where we feel shame and bury our mistakes, the parts where we are full of pride or bitterness. He wants every dark place to be illuminated by his love. Where his light shines life will flow. Don’t allow the enemy to convince you that there are places beyond his reach. If you follow him you will never walk in darkness. We may feel at times like we are in a dark place but that is not our position in life. Once we accept Jesus we become “children of light.” (Ephesians 5: 8) If we do not understand our righteous position that is not based on our performance but on Jesus finished work, we will live like we are still in darkness believing that every mistake disqualifies us from enjoying his light in our lives. That is why it is essential that we start everyday reminding ourselves of his love and mercy, recognising that it is his grace that has transformed us and admonishing ourselves to meditate on the truth that we are accepted in the beloved.
So as Paul encourages us: “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:14.
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Who Do You Say I Am Series – Exchange Church Belfast 2020