The Light of the World

Now that we’ve moved into the names of Jesus, you might think we’d start with Jesus’s birth. No, Ann Spangler takes us back to the beginning.

John’s gospel doesn’t have a nativity account. He goes all the way back to the beginning.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. – John 1:1

Compare this to the beginning of the Book of Beginnings which also begins with “in the beginning.” There’s no before before Genesis 1:1

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. – Genesis 1:1

Jesus, the Son, the Word, the second person of the Trinity, was there in the beginning with the Father.

We’ll look at Jesus as the Word soon, but this week we’re looking at Jesus as the Light of the World. What does John say about the Word?

All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. – John 1:3-5

Jesus’s life is our light. Jesus himself confirmed that he is the Light of the world.

Maybe you noticed that the meme and the verse above are translated a little differently. The translations of John 1:5 differ in how the Light and darkness interact. The darkness hasn’t overcome it, can’t extinguish it, can’t understand it, and more. And they’re all true. Darkness is no match for the Light.

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” – John 8:12

In our sun, we see the connection between light and life. Without the light and heat of the sun, our planet would be nothing but a cold, dead rock. And without the light of Jesus, my heart would be nothing but a cold, dead rock.

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. – Ezekiel 36:26

Have you ever felt paralyzed by darkness so thick you were afraid to take a step? Or spiritual darkness so intense you were in despair, not knowing where to turn? This is what Jesus stepped into when he came to earth. Jesus, the Light of the World, has overcome the darkness. And he did it for love.

Consider these lyrics, “Light of the World, you stepped down into darkness . . .”

He didn’t do it because he had to. He did it because we need him. He did it out of obedience to the Father and out of love for us.