Day 6: “I AM The Light”
Goal: Light TO You
Theme: Devotional
Difficulty: ⭐️ ⭐️ (2/10)
The best way to understand what Jesus meant by "I am the light of the world" in John 8:12 is to picture a ship in a tumultuous sea at night. Though the ship can't see what's ahead, it follows the lighthouse's light toward its home on the shore.
Our relationship with Jesus is very similar.
We can't see our future, direction, or destination, but Jesus can. Like the lighthouse guides the ship, Jesus directs us toward God's light. The light of Christ guides us through the darkness of sin, life, and struggle, both spiritually and literally.
Anyone who follows Jesus and accepts him as life and light will live eternally in heaven after they die. Like bread, Jesus' light sustains you and allows you to push on.
“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.” –John 8:12
Though Jesus referred to himself as light over 2,000 years ago, His words remain true for all Christians today. Here's what we can glean from his statement, "I am the light of the world”:
There's still darkness around us
Jesus was born because God saw deep darkness in the world. This darkness manifested itself through sin, tragedy, and disaster in biblical times. And as we still have those things today, darkness still threatens our world.
Naturally, we need Jesus and God as much as previous generations; We'll always need God, just as we'll always need food
We can be part of the light as Christians
Jesus is the only Messiah, but he's not the only one who can bring light into our world. In Matthew 5:14, Jesus told his disciples: "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."
In this verse, Jesus explains that his disciples bring light to the world by following him, God, and the Holy Spirit. In this manner, we can carry Jesus' light in our good deeds, words, thoughts, and actions. When we live for him, we help his light shine around the world.
To understand the power of your light, imagine a dark room with a large candle and a handful of tealights. God can use the large candle (Jesus) to light each tealight (us). The light of all the tealights will light up the room.
During hard times, it's easy to view our world as broken, strained, and filled with suffering. Don't fear, as Jesus will guide you through the darkness and into the light. And you can guide others with your light to Jesus!
Let’s light up our community with the light of Christ this Christmas season!
Here’s to all the tealights out there!
-Pastor Rob
