Friday, October 23
Jesus is the Light of the World, as He proclaimed Himself in John 8:12. If we’re wise, we will walk in His light. That means praying daily, “Lord, without you I am blind. I can’t make my own way in this dark world. Please send your Spirit to show me the way.” (Or words to that effect) If we walk in His light, we see other people clearly. They are no longer threats to us, but people made in God’s image, who we are called to love in His name. We see ourselves clearly, too. We admit our sins instead of making excuses, and receive the Spirit’s power to change.
Best of all, we see what is ahead. In the smog of life, we have no idea what tomorrow holds. But with Jesus, we know our future. In Revelation 21:23-25 the apostle John reported what he saw in his vision of the Holy City to come: “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.” Someday, the violence and hatred, the perversity and oppression, the poverty and family dysfunction, the sickness and death of this world will all seem like a nightmare we faintly remember. We will be reunited with loved ones who went ahead of us. And best of all, we will see Him and know Him as we were always meant to; the source of life and light, laughter and joy, and wisdom and knowledge, will be with us constantly.
Perhaps you wonder why you should believe any of this week’s devotionals. After all, plenty of people today say, “I have the truth. Listen to me.” But Jesus didn’t say He had found the light. He said He IS the light. In John 8, when Jesus called Himself the Light of the world, the people listening were offended. How could a mere man, an uneducated carpenter from Galilee no less, say such things about Himself? So He said this in v. 28, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me”. What did He mean by “when you have lifted up the Son of Man?” In John 12, Jesus uses the same expression, but this time, in John 12:33, John adds this little note: “He said this to show by what kind of death He was going to die.” So He was telling His skeptics, “You don’t believe I’m the Light of the World now, but when I die, you’ll see.”
A little while later, the people who had been scheming for years to eliminate Jesus suddenly got their wish. They took Him to a hilltop, raised Him up on a crossbeam, and watched Him slowly die. They had no idea what they had unleashed. A revolution started that day, as men and women began to walk in the light for the first time in history. Everything changed. And that means that if you are walking in darkness today, you don’t need to try harder. You just need to come to the place where they raised Him up. Come to the cross of Jesus, and walk in the light for the first time…and forever.
“Lord, I admit I can’t do this on my own. I’ve proved that. But you were ‘lifted up’ to save people like me. And billions have come into your light since that day, and been transformed. So whenever I get cocky or casual about the sin in my life, bring me back to the cross. In your holy name, amen.”
Senior Pastor
First Baptist Conroe
More from Pastor Jeff at his website: jeffbergerwriting.com
