Light comes in many forms. We have the sun to light and warm the earth. We have the moon at night, and when there are no clouds and it is a full moon, the darkness seems to disappear. I am not a fan of darkness unless I am trying to sleep. There have been times when we have had storms, the electricity was off, and you could not see your hand in front of your face without artificial light. When this happens, you suddenly realize how important light is. In the physical world, we are dependent on light. We must have light to see how to do our work. We must have light for plants to grow. Light was first in the order of creation in Genesis 1:4-5 “And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.” In Colossians 1:15-17 Paul teaches us that Jesus spoke all things into existence. “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” Therefore, the Light of the world created the light in the world.
In John 8:12, Jesus declares himself as the “light of the world.” He teaches us that if we follow him, we will not walk in darkness. Darkness represents sin in the Bible. In John 3:19, Jesus teaches that men love the darkness because their deeds are evil. They reject the Light that has come to them.
When Jesus was born, the shepherds were the first to be told of Jesus birth. They left their sheep and came to see Him. It was a spectacular announcement by an angel. In Luke 2:9 the author tells us, “And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.” The phrase “the glory of the Lord” means an exceedingly great or bright luminous appearance. This appearance is very much like what Paul saw at his conversion on the way to Damascus. It was a bright light unlike any they had ever seen.
In scripture, light is an emblem of joy, rejoicing, and deliverance. In Isaiah 9:2, we see, “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” This light was giving them hope of the coming Messiah. He is the light and would bring hope to his people. Only Jesus could remove their darkness and ours.
In John 9:5, Jesus said that as long as He is in the world, He is “the light of the world.” He is now and forever the Light of the world. This light has called us to represent Him and be the light that points people to Him. In Matthew 5:14, we are the “light of the world. If we are representing Him well, our light will not be hidden. It will shine in a dark world. It will point the way to eternity in Heaven by our reflection of Jesus.
Matthew 5:14 “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”
How is your light shining? Is this Christmas about all the activities the world offers? Is it about the gifts, the elf on the shelf, Santa Claus, of the Light of the world? Think about what and how you are celebrating this Christmas. I hear people say all the time, even those who profess to be Christians, that Christmas is all about family. Some say it is all about the children. When we say and think things like that it reveals the deep desires of our heart to others. Examine your life and see if the true Light of Christmas is shining through you.
