John 8:12-16
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.” Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.”
John 8:12-16 NIV
In a dualistic world obsessed with who is in and who is out, governed by skepticism and a need for everything to be tangible, touchable, physical and possessable, Jesus Christ the Lord took every expectation and traditional belief about being blessed and turned it upside down.
Jesus preached about God’s inclusive Kingdom where God blesses those who may seem powerless and challenges us to descend the mountain with a reality of abundance to cure a mentality of scarcity with love and justice. As He concludes the Sermon on the Mount He reminds us that we are the light of the world.
Christ is the image of the invisible God. He is the Son of God, Who is God the Son, and He came to earth to shed the light of the Father to the far-flung corners of the universe. That light shines in the darkness, but darkness and evil cannot quench the light of His love. He is the shining Light, that alone enlightens the darkened soul of man. He is that gentle Light, that pours warmth into the chilled human breast.
He is that gracious Light, that streams eternal love into the broken lives of Adam's fallen race, and He is the pure Light, the redeeming Light, Who speaks new-life into the one who is dead in trespasses and sins. He breathes His sanctifying-life into the one that trusts Him as their Saviour, their Jesus, their Lord, and their God. For God is the Light of lights, and there is absolutely no darkness in Him.
The older I get, the more I enjoy that is require moderate temperatures, my feather pillow, and hot showers creature comforts. Yet I’m still strangely drawn to watching survival reality shows on TV. That people would choose to endure extreme, potentially fatal, conditions greatly entertains me from the comfort of my couch and extra-large bowl of popcorn. Watching these shows from a safe distance on my cushy perch, I’m reminded of just how vulnerable we humans truly are.
The priorities for survival, regardless of setting, include: finding a clean water source, fashioning some form of shelter, locating food, and building a fire. How fitting then, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, proclaims that He is Life and He is everything essential for life. He is the Living Water and the Bread of Life. He is our nourishment and our shelter.
The One who created us also sustains us, giving us everything we need to survive and even thrive here on earth. Today we read about another necessity light. And once again, Jesus does more than provide light for us. Scripture tells us that He Himself is light:
Hours of watching survival TV shows have taught me that those first precious hours on the island, so to speak, are spent using whatever means necessary to start fire. Once burning steadily, the fire provides warmth and a means of cooking food, protection from dangerous enemies.
You and I aren’t stranded on a desert island today (at least I hope not!), but we are desperate for light all the same. Only the light of Jesus can give us sight, revealing the depth of our sin and the vastness of His grace. Only the light of Jesus cannot be overcome by the darkness
Today, the world is in deep darkness, and submerged in sickness, sin, evil, and ignorance. yet in His goodness and grace, Christ stripped Himself of His glory and clothed Himself in human flesh. He was born into this fallen race so that the saving light of His truth and love could shine into the recesses of man's blackened heart and rekindle a spark of hope in the soul of men -so that whosoever believes on Him by grace through faith, would be removed from the kingdom of darkness, and placed into the brightness of God's eternal kingdom of light.
Man has been given a free will to accept the light of the glorious gospel of grace, and all who trust in Him for salvation will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life as an abiding presence within. Jesus is the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and He is also the only Light. Jesus is the one and only true Light from above that shines His saving light and life into the hearts of all who believe in Him for salvation is found in no other name, but the wonderful name of Jesus!!!
Father thank You for this day and forgiving us the Light of life in Jesus. Lord open the storehouses of Your abundant blessings and pour them upon my friend and family today. Lord we pray that we may so concentrate our gaze upon You day by day, that we may live and move and walk and pray in a manner that is well-pleasing to You. Lord use my friend today to be the blessing you created Him to be to all today. Be a blessing.
Father, we love You. Amen !
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