Before Jesus’ coming, the world was in darkness. Read here why Jesus came, why He is considered the Light of the world, and how we can live in his light.
Many times, people, even Christians, do not distinguish between “to live” and “to have life”. All people, animals, plants, and organisms live on earth by God’s general grace. But not everything and everyone has life. Only the person who believes in Jesus Christ has life. This is God’s special grace.
Jesus came to be the Light that takes away the darkness so that we can have this life. The only way to not only live, but to have life, is to get life from God. He is life. He has life. He gives life. God sent his Son so that everyone who believes in Him may have life.
What did Jesus Christ come do on earth?
The Bible, which is the light unto our way of life on earth, is available to us. We can read and hear about the fact that God gave his Son for us. For example, in John 3:16 we have the words of a disciple of Jesus:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
There are many other passages in the Bible on this subject. The words are the same every time: Jesus Christ came to save us from sin so that we can have life! There was only one way Jesus could deliver us from sin: He had to take our sin upon Himself.
There on the cross Jesus Christ bore our sin, laid down His life and died. Through his death He broke the power of sin over us. He also paid the debt in full before God. Because Jesus Christ died, He broke the power of the darkness of sin and death forever.
Jesus overcame the darkness and brought the light
It is very important to realize and believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead for us. His resurrection means the following to everyone who believes in Him:
- God’s Son overcame death; He overcame it for me.
- He has risen to give me assurance that at his return my body will rise from the dead.
- Christ raises me spiritually so that I may no longer just live, but that I can have life.
The Holy Spirit binds us to Christ, our eternal Light
The Holy Spirit imparts the belief in my heart that Jesus Christ died and rose again, and delivered me completely from sin. The Holy Spirit gives me faith to believe in Jesus Christ as my Savior (John 1:12), binding me to Jesus Christ. With God’s Son as the Light in my life, I no longer live in darkness and the darkness of sin and death will not overwhelm and destroy me.
We can live eternally in Christ’s light
When I am bound to Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, the following is true in my life:
- I am a child of the living God and I live under his care, love, and grace.
- I am still suffering because the darkness is not yet gone from the world. There is still serious illness in me, and in the lives of the people close to me. But this darkness no longer has power over me and will not be able to overcome me.
- With Jesus Christ in my heart and my mind, I do not live with discouragement or fear of sickness and death. The reality of death no longer dominates my life.
- I live by the Holy Spirit with a greater reality in me: Jesus Christ is the Eternal Light in my life! That is why I have a firm belief in my heart; I have a peace that transcends all understanding in me.
Despite the coming of the Savior, most of humanity is still living in darkness. Far too many people know too little about Jesus Christ and how vital He is to every human being. Most of the world is content with just living, but we have Jesus Christ. With the Son of God in our lives, He who overcame the darkness of sin and death, we can live in eternal light.
Translated and revised from a sermon by Rev. Johan Nel
