The Light of the World free essay sample

Yet, when we look up at God’s creation in the middle of the night, we do not think of the physics or nuclear mechanics that makes them work. We think of the beauty, perhaps our futures, some of us get lost in our imaginations and still others think of alien life. Interestingly, there are more than 286 references to â€Å"light† in the Bible, and yet I find it altogether astounding that the blackness that surrounds God’s Word will never consume even the light of the smallest single candle of Christ. Since the beginning of creation, there have been divisions among the light and the dark and God in all of His grace has shown us something about the two. â€Å"And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not† (John 1:5 KJV). There will never be darkness in the light (Christ) but the millions of candles (Christians) of the world will always break the deceit of darkness (Satan). Jesus exclaimed to the Jews, â€Å"I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in the darkness, but have the light of life† (John 8:12 NKJV). The Psalmist writes, â€Å"Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path† (Psalms 119:105 NLT). I am quite certain if you were to ask, no one would wish to have darkness before his or her feet. No instead, they wish for light. Light guides the world. Moreover, some may say that water is the source of life on our planet, but I say to you that the light is indeed the source of life here on God’s wondrous and indescribable creation. If you take away light, the water on this planet will freeze in sheets miles thick, without a single drop for us to use. In addition to that, there would be no photosynthesis for even the ugliest, prickliest weeds to grow. So if there is not light what do we have? The answer is simple. We have Satan. The Prince of Darkness who wishes to bring us to the very place where, â€Å"their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh† (Isaiah 66:24 KJV). So now that we have considered why physical light is essential to our fleshly existence on this planet, let us now turn our attention to why Jesus Christ, the spiritual light is essential for our eternal life in paradise. Light: The Righteousness of Men. To not place value on the testimony of the Apostle and Gospel writer John would be a grave mistake to those seeking to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. There are many who argue that John is writing a Christology that heavily favors a docetic Savior. That is to say, that Christ’s body was merely an illusion and the crucifixion, the very moment that God sacrificed himself so that we may live eternally in his presence was a hoax. The world-renowned author of scriptural commentaries Leon Morris states this about John and his Gospel, â€Å"John is a master at hammering away his point from a number of angles. That Jesus the Word made flesh underlines all he writes. His great themes center on Christ†¦his functions as light of the world, as life, as truth. † The great detail associated with John’s writings about Jesus’ ministry do not suggest that Christ is an illusion created by God. If indeed this were the case, our whole doctrine would be fraudulent and based on a God who has greatly deceived us. Similarly, it was distorted doctrine and poor rationale that sets the scene for what Jesus’ would have to face in his ministry. All Signs Point to Jesus I AM Who I AM. God the father revealed Himself to Moses in Exodus 3:14 with these words that Israel would forever remember and revere. It should not be any wonder then why Jesus stated these words eight times in the gospel of John. Seven times, He would associate them with some sort of imagery and one last time with that of Yahweh in Exodus. In John 1:3-4, the beloved disciple points us toward four basic facts about Jesus Christ. First, is that He is the very creator of the universe. â€Å"3All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made† (John 1:3 KJV). Second the creation of man is the pinnacle of His creation. â€Å"4In him was life; and the life was the light of men† (John 1:4 KJV). Lastly, John discloses that it is only through Jesus Christ that man can gain eternal life, and only through Him is there light in the world. Sadly, man was too blinded by self-gain and legalism to understand that God was in their very presence. The Pharisees by this point have formed a society, (mostly in Jerusalem) that has focused on false redemption as taught only by Satan. Paul Louis Metzger in his reflection about this blindness states that the Jews, â€Å"refuse to deal with who he truly is and who they truly are-living under the illusion that they are free through false forms of redemption. † They fail to see that Jesus of Nazareth is actually Jesus the Christ, Savior of the world and in so doing they begin a vengeful plot to slaughter Jesus like the lambs of the Passover. They would begin a three-year quest filled with botched attempts to assist Satan in entangling Jesus in their own earthly sin. The most memorable is the story of the adulterous woman in which Christ reveals the sin of those who were to symbolize the righteousness of God. The Pharisees, in an attempt ensnare Jesus, present a woman to Him, accusing her of adultery. â€Å"Teacher†¦This woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say† (John 8:4-5 NLT)? It is truly amazing that when Christ is on earth, He is continually revealing His life giving light, regardless of the situation. He continually makes known the paths to which men should go. Christ also reveals that in His light He knows all things, even sin. As Jesus bends down and begins to write in the sand, His omniscience becomes apparent. Neither did He condemn the woman to death and break Roman Law or break the Law of Moses which states, â€Å"If a man is discovered committing adultery he and the woman must both die† (Deut. 22:22 NLT) Jesus remained a friend of sinners and revealed once more that He is God. Strong arguments regarding the meaning of this particular passage have been made. Many would say that the spiritual root of Jesus’ words imply that there is no one except Him who is without sin. Perhaps the suggestion refers to The Gospel of Matthew in which Jesus exclaims, â€Å"27You have heard the commandment that says: You must not commit adultery. 28But I say anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart† (Matthew 5:27-28 NLT). Regardless of the spiritual explanation of the passage, one should take notice of Jesus revealing that He is the light in moral darkness and that He is God. It is truly amazing that Jesus Christ breaks free of h is innate human traits and makes the claim of deity. The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology states the attributes of God as follows: â€Å"God is invisible, personal and living Spirit, distinguished from al other spirits by several kinds of attributes: metaphysically God is self existent, eternal, and unchanging; intellectually God is omniscient, faithful, and wise; ethically God is just, merciful, and loving; emotionally God detests evil, is long-suffering, and is compassionate; existentially God is free, authentic, and omnipotent; relationally God is transcendent in being, immanent universally in providential activity, and immanent with his people in redemptive activity. Jesus’ statement was more than saying, â€Å"I have deity like qualities,† it was saying â€Å"I AM God, the one who created you and gave you a mind to think, a heart to love. I gave you passion, and blessed you with the joy of parenthood. I bring forth the water, which you drink and the food, you eat. I do not need your animal sacrifices because they are mine, for I created them. I created everything. I am Love and I am Truth. † Jesus in this statement also tried to point to another important fact: One who is without a heart, which yearns to have a relationship with Him, will never see salvation. They will never see the Glory of God and appreciate the blessings that he showers down on believers. The Jews then and many now will never experience the inexpressible intimacy with which God’s relationship with us is. The Pharisees never headed the warnings from Isaiah’s prediction of Christ’s tender luminescence that said: â€Å"1Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory. The people who walk in darkness will see a great light for those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine† (Isaiah 9:1-2 NLT) Only Christ brings forth the light that reveals the very deception of Satan, which blinds us from ever coming to God’s glorious presence. He is the warmth that melts the thickened ice from our hearts, and t he light, which causes the seed of love to grow inside of us. From that same seed, blossom the fruit of truth, joy, and the peace of God. Christ is the light, which brings us life in the Kingdom of Heaven.