In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.
The older I get, the more I appreciate light, probably because the older I get the worse my eyesight gets also. Despite that, I believe that light has some powerful attributes.
First, light reveals. I remember riding in an MRAP through Camp Victory, Iraq after arriving back on base from battlefield circulation after dark. The darkness hid much of the grittiness of Camp Victory, and the glowing pools of the security lights reminded me of Christmas illuminations. By day, the true nature of the base, which bore no resemblance to Christmas decorations, was revealed for all to see!
Light also purifies. In the days of sailing ships, captains had their crews hang their bed sheets from the rigging from time to time. Not only did this "air-out" the bedding, but the sunlight also killed germs found in the bed clothes.
Light gives security. Not only does security lighting help people escape from a building that has caught fire or has been damaged by a storm, but security lighting also helps ward off robbers or others with criminal intent.
As wonderful as physical light is, the Light of the World is infinitely more wonderful. The Apostle John wrote of this Light in opening passages of his gospel. God used John to reveal some powerful facts about the spiritual Light in our lives:
The True Light is Unique
The world has seen many prophets and religious leaders. The three great monotheistic faiths of the the world, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam share a reverence and appreciation for many of the same prophets, but the True Light, that is, Jesus, is unique.
Other prophets and spiritual leaders spoke about God, but Jesus claimed to be God.
Only Jesus was God Incarnate, who came to live among us.
Only Jesus lived a perfect life and died for the sins of the world.
Only Jesus rose again to sit at the right hand of the Father from whence He will come again to judge the world and take God's people home to be with Him.
The True Light is like no one who ever lived before or since. He is the uniquely begotten Son of God.
The True Light is the Word
As I said above, physical light reveals, and the Incarnate Word is the best revelation of God. As John wrote just a few verses later, no one had ever seen God, but when the Light came, He revealed God to people in a way never seen before or since. In this way, the True Light enlightens everyone who turns to the Word to learn about God. And not only does this enlightenment affect our intellect, but also our hearts and our way of life. The True Light transforms every life that turns to Him for insight and guidance.
The True Light is the Creator
When people create something, they own the rights to it. When TV producers create a new show, they own the rights to it. When restaurants create new dishes, they own the right to them. When entrepreneurs create new businesses, they own the businesses. Therefore it follows that the creator of the world owns the world.
The True Light is the Creator of the World, and therefore the True Light owns it, He is sovereign, and He is Lord. He has the right to determine how the world works, and what is right and what is wrong. The True Light is Lord of all, and people need to recognize that. John certainly did!
The True Light is our Savior
In the same way that sunlight killed the germs in sailors' bedding, the True Light has killed the consequences of our sin. As Romans 6 tells us,"for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Our bodies were equipped by God with natural defenses against germs. Our immune system can detect and defeat illnesses and our body can regenerate and repair itself after injuries. Sadly, our spiritual selves are not nearly as resilient. Sin is a fatal spiritual illness unless there is outside intervention. Thanks be to God, the True Light came to save us from our sin!
The True Light is for All People
Sin is one of the most democratic of factor in all of life. Again as Romans teaches, "for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Isaiah 64:6 states the universality of our sinful state plainly, and even plaintively: "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away."
The only other condition that is as universal as sin is the availability of salvation from that sin through the True Light. As John recorded in the third chapter of his gospel, Jesus told Nicodemus, “For God so loved the world,that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
To have access to such salvation, one does not have to be a member of any specific tribe or tongue or race. The salvation provided by the true light is available to all who believe. This is why John in the Book of Revelation could write this vision of heaven: "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!'”
The True Light is Glorious
As much as I enjoy the blessings of natural light, it should be easy to see that the True Light is far more glorious, glorious to an extant that it is beyond the human mind to grasp, much less describe. It is this glorious True Light that we worship, and it is this glorious True Light that we should dedicate ourselves to serve!
Conclusion
My wife and I once visited Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. While deep underground in a cave, our guide switched off the lights. I have never experienced such absolute darkness! Next, our guide lit a single match and it was as if the Sun itself had been transported into the cavern. It was amazing how much light came from a single candle-power flame. Light is the master of darkness in both the physical and spiritual realms. The True Light is our Savior, our Master, and Our Lord!
Every blessing,
Dr. Otis Corbitt
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