Theme of the Week: Who Is Jesus?
Bible Verse: When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
Scripture Reading: John 8:12-30
How many flashlights is too many? Wait, never mind. Don’t answer that. I don’t really want to know if other people think I have too many flashlights. If you hadn’t guessed, I have a few. From small pocket-clip lights to 1000 lumens, battery-powered and rechargeable. I enjoy flashlights.
One flashlight almost defies what it usually means to be a flashlight. It is so bright, that it doesn’t just cast a beam of light that illuminates an object; it lights up my entire backyard. I must be careful where I point it. I don’t just see the place that I was trying to see. I see everything in the illumination of that single light.
During the Feast of Tabernacles in ancient Israel, there was a ceremonial lighting of four golden lamps in the court of women in the tabernacle. The size and placement of these lamps were such that when they were lit (a celebrated occasion), they lit up the whole city.
It was during this feast, probably after these lamps had been lit (they were lit on the first night of the festival) that Jesus proclaimed, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
Jesus says that whoever follows him will have the light of life. He is clearly saying that he is the one who points the way to salvation. But I think there’s an important connotation to Jesus being the light that we should note.
Much like my (too big) flashlight, and the light given off by the lamps in the temple that were lit for the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus’s light lets us see everything else. In other words, it is Jesus that helps us understand all of life, what is and how we respond to it. C.S Lewis said it this way, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen not only because I see it but because by it I see everything else.”
Jesus does not simply offer the light of salvation. The light of life is light to guide us into living life to the fullest, which he also came to offer (10:10). Jesus’s light allows us to see Him, ourselves, others, and the world around us so that we may live as God’s renewed creatures reflecting the light of His love to the world.
Prayer: Jesus, thank you for showing us the way to the Father. Help me to see you for who you are and to see myself and others in your light. Show me where I am and am not living as a person reflecting your love and light to the world.
Reflection: What has Jesus shined His light in your life recently. How has that changed you?
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