“[I] am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16
As we approach Christmas, it is natural to reflect (see what I did there!) about the nature of light. We see Christmas lights adorn houses, trees, and even make candlelight a part of our Christmas Eve tradition (Join us at Echo Church for our candlelight services!)
Not too long ago I went to a Pastor Appreciation event and the speaker shared some great observations about light. Light is:
- Conspicuous: It is noticeable, unmistakable, and clearly visible
- Compelling: It evokes our attention, we are drawn to it
- Consistent: It acts the same way over time, it doesn’t waver
- Consuming: It eats up the darkness around it
Jesus tells us that He is the light of the world, and as I consider these observations about light, I can clearly see why He would use light as a metaphor for Himself. Jesus is conspicuous; when you’ve had an encounter with Him you know it, and he has been made known to us in noticeable and visible ways! Jesus was compelling and drew many crowds when He walked on the earth and He is still drawing our hearts and attention to Him each day. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. He abides in the Father, and His Father in Him and together with the Holy Spirit they are never-changing and completely dependable in all their ways. And finally, Jesus is consuming; He consumed our transgressions, iniquities, infirmities, and many destructive devices in our lives and consumed them with His blood for our benefit. I have no problem seeing these qualities in our Lord! Every time I see light this holiday season, I will see Jesus anew.
But this is only half the story, as Jesus turns around and tells His disciples that they (and WE) are the light of the world. Next week, let’s look at the implications for that in our lives if we, too, are the light of the world!