Lighting the World

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1: 5

Jesus Christ is the light of the world. No, Jesus is not the light of the world like the sun is the light of the world.

The sun lights the surface of the earth, the outside of things, everything that is exposed to it. And yes the sun has powerful invisible ultraviolet radiation which we feel as heat, which can damage the surface of our body, our skin, and even cause cancer within us. But in general the sun just provides the surface light we need in order to see, so that we don’t run into things.

Of course there are all sorts of places into which the light of the sun does not shine. The sun does not light up the inside of us—even when we are outside! Caves also come to mind, like those of the Black Hills of South Dakota, the darkness of which daily envelopes tourists who take the offered tours, descending into complete and total darkness, or in other words, sunlessness.

In such a sunless environment there is no light. There is nothing but darkness. And so there is no life—apart from the tourists walking through it.

So the person who exists without the Son, Jesus Christ. Such a person is alive, but walking in darkness, spiritual darkness, a darkness that envelopes his heart and soul and mind.

So light is needed. The light of Christ. For it is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who enlightens us from the inside, bringing light to our life lived in the physical light of the sun, but spiritual darkness.

But what does that mean? What actually is the light of Christ? What kind of life does His light create?

Well, it is not a life of fear, anger, despair, cynicism, hopelessness, envy, pride, self-justification, covetousness, boastfulness or hatred. If you have ever been overcome by one of these emotions, even for a moment, you have some understanding of what life lived in the light of Christ is not.

Is such a life peaceful? Full of joy and hope? A life in which love can be shared without any need for it to be returned? No. It is a life of darkness. A life that is consumed by the sinful emotion driving it, and it is defined by it.

So why live such a life? Because you must? No. In Christ you must not!

Believe in Christ as your light. Believe in Christ as your life. Believe in Christ as the One who has overcome the darkness that can consume you, and that darkness will be driven from you. From the inside out!

It is the reformer Martin Luther who said “Whoever has been comforted by Christian faith in even the smallest way cannot cease to write, speak, think or hear about it!”

Such comfort comes to us through Christ because He is the light, and so He is our life.