Light of the world

In the Gospel of John, Jesus, our Savior, uses a series of metaphors to describe himself. The Verse of the Day for December 4, 2017 provides one of those direct comparisons which begin with “I am. . .” occurring in John 8:12 (KJV):

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

The New Living Testament puts it this way:

[Jesus, the Light of the World] Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

A number of other biblical references also speak of Jesus Christ in terms of light. The first chapter of John opens with this reference to light:

John 1:6-9 (NKJV):

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. ⁸ He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. ⁹ That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

One of the remarkable aspects of light is that light dispels darkness. If the smallest candle can dispel or penetrate the depths of darkness, how much greater is the light provided by “the light of the world.” Concerning the coming Messiah, it was prophesied that “those who sat in darkness have seen a great light.” Indeed, those who follow Jesus will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.

As the season approaches celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, the lyrics to the familiar gospel song sung so often during this time of the year come to mind: Jesus, the Light of the World”:

Jesus, the Light of the World

We’ll walk in the Light, beautiful Light.
Come where the dewdrops of mercy shine bright.
Shine all around us by day and by night,
Jesus, the Light of the world

Hark! The herald angels sing;
Jesus, the Light of the world.
“Glory to the newborn King;’
Jesus, the Light of the world.

Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Jesus, the Light of the world.
Join the triumph of the skies;
Jesus, the Light of the world.

Christ, by highest heav’n adored;
Jesus, the Light of the world.
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Jesus, the Light of the world.

Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!
Jesus, the Light of the world.
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Jesus, the Light of the world.

Matt Redman offers a contemporary worship song entitled “Light of the World”

The photo is of Cabo de Palos or Cape Palos, a cape in the Spanish municipality of Cartagena, in the region of Murcia.  The lighthouse which began operating in 1865 illustrates the power of light to overcome the darkness of night.

Walking in the light

John 3:20-21, the Verse of the Day for September 29, 2015, speaks of those who prefer to walk in darkness rather than  to walk in the light. To understand more fully those whom the passage refers to, we add verse 19 to the selected verses for today.

John 3:19-21

¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

²⁰ For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

²¹ But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Regarding darkness and light, 1 John 1:5 offers this reminder:               

“God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”

1 John 1:5 tells us:

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

Wherever you find darkness you do not find God. Believers are, thus, encouraged to walk in the light in 1 John 1:7 where the Amplified Bible renders the verse this way:

But if we [really] walk in the Light [that is, live each and every day in conformity with the precepts of God], as He Himself is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another [He with us, and we with Him], and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin [by erasing the stain of sin, keeping us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations].

The exhortation to walk in the light is the inspiration, in part, for the following:

Walk in the Light

Walk in the light, the beautiful light.

Come where the dew drops of mercy shine bright,

Shine all around us by day and by night—

Jesus, the Light of the World.

Traditional Gospel Song

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying,

“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me

shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

John 8:12 (NKJV)

We begin when we come to Him who alone is the Light

And repent, following a new path immediately.

We will forsake the world and leave behind the chains of night

And consecrate ourselves to God, set apart wholly

To worship the Lord freely with clean hands and a pure heart,

Formed for His glory, as we develop a strong prayer life.

The Word of God rooted within us will never depart.

We will study the Word of Truth, the lamp that lights our way:

No longer blind but with enlightened eyes we now can see.

We vow to be a voice for God and stand out from the crowd.

We are true servants of the Light, despite the endless strife.

We will make a joyful noise and sing His praises out loud.

Looking in the mirror of the Word, we see God’s design.

Now is the time to arise and let our light so shine

Bill and Gloria Gaither present the African Children’s Choir singing a medley “Walking in the Light”:

Jesus, the light of the world

John 8:12 NLT

The Verse of the Day for December 4, 2014 provides a second metaphor Jesus uses to describe himself occurring in John 8:12 in the New Living Testament:

[Jesus, the Light of the World] Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

A number of biblical references speak of Jesus Christ in terms of light. The first chapter of John opens with this reference to light:

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. ⁸ He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. ⁹ That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. (John 1:6-9)

One of the remarkable aspects of light is that light dispels darkness. If the smallest candle can dispel or penetrate the depths of darkness, how much greater is the light provided by “the light of the world.” Concerning the coming Messiah, it was prophesied that “those who sat in darkness have seen a great light.” Indeed, those who follow Jesus will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.

As the season approaches celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, the lyrics to the familiar gospel song sung so often during this time of the year come to mind: Jesus, the Light of the World”:

Jesus, the Light of the World

We’ll walk in the Light, beautiful Light.
Come where the dewdrops of mercy shine bright.
Shine all around us by day and by night,
Jesus, the Light of the world

Verse 1	Hark! The herald angels sing; Jesus, the Light of the world. “Glory to the newborn King;’ Jesus, the Light of the world.
Verse 2	Joyful, all ye nations rise, Jesus, the Light of the world. Join the triumph of the skies; Jesus, the Light of the world.
Verse 3	Christ, by highest heav’n adored; Jesus, the Light of the world. Christ the everlasting Lord; Jesus, the Light of the world.
Verse 4	Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace! Jesus, the Light of the world. Hail the Sun of Righteousness! Jesus, the Light of the world.

Bill and Gloria Gaither offer a moving rendition of this classic gospel number featuring Jessy Dixon and Guy Penrod.