Light of the World

12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

When I was a missionary in India, one common irritation we suffered was loss of electricity. This problem was especially acute during the evening; when the electricity went off, so did your light! I remember many times when I was attempting to finish something and suddenly lost light-my activities were stopped or hindered on several occasions. The many experiences of being plunged into darkness made me very grateful for the times when the light does shine! Light, whether it comes from the sun, the moon, fire, or a lightbulb, is an essential quality to life.

In the second of the “I Ams” from the Gospel of John, Jesus proclaims, “I am the Light of the World.” Jesus came to earth that the world may have true Light. Since the fall of Adam, mankind had been stumbling in darkness for thousands of years, but Jesus came that all of that might change. He came to bring light.

Jesus promised that those who followed Him would not walk in darkness. Darkness is the condition of all those who do not know Christ. Unbelievers are trapped in a maze, without light to see where they are going. They cannot find satisfaction, fulfillment, or righteousness because of the darkness in which they are.

That is why Jesus as the Light of the world is such excellent news! All who believe on Him can see and can be righteous. We can accomplish God’s purposes for us. God desires us to allow our entire lives to be brought under the light of His truth. As believers, it is imperative that we come to Christ for Light and allow that Light to shine on every part of our lives. Don’t allow any part of your life to stay in the darkness.

Furthermore, as believers we are called to shine Christ’s light. We are not the Light, but can be reflectors of it. The very origin of all light, both natural and spiritual, is God. It is from His glory that all things shine. We can never shine on our own, but can mirror the glorious light of His existence. It is a tremendous privilege we have, to show forth the image of God’s light. Let’s be reflectors for Him!