Jesus is the Light that came to the earth. What does it mean to follow the Light, and how do we do it? Read here.
by rev. Hardus Lee
In John 1:4-5 we read a description about Jesus as the light: “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Then there is an interesting statement just a few verses later: “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:9). The word used here literally means that He came to tabernacle. Christ, the Light, came and pitched his tabernacle to live among the people.
The Light came to live among us
The reference to the tabernacle should immediately draw our attention to the Old Testament. The Lord was visibly present to his people through the tabernacle. For us, a light has risen, Jesus Christ has come to earth so that we no longer have to live in darkness.
Why must we receive the Light?
People need a light because they are living in the darkness. Through our sin and transgressions against God, we live in the darkness. Jesus Christ came into the world to give the hope and light of eternal life to mankind. Who could have brought this reconciliation other than the Son of the living God himself? God himself comes to us. He comes to live among us, so that we never have to be forsaken by Him.
The light does not dawn on everyone
The light can only be received as a gift. Jesus gives it only to those who accept Him; those who decide to live like people of light. How unfortunate that his own people – the people who grew up with the tabernacle and the temple – never saw the Messiah. They did not see the light.
The altar in the tabernacle was a constant reminder to the people of Israel that they were the chosen people of the Living God; chosen to live holy according to the law of God. But it was also a constant reminder of their inability to meet this demand.
The true Light came to earth
When Jesus comes to tabernacle among us, He not only reminds us of the life He wants us to lead, but He also comes to be the perfect example of it. He was born as a human being under the law. He also died under the law, so that we can be free from it.
That is why we read that He brings us grace and truth: In the tabernacle Moses emphasized the truth, righteousness, and law of God, while Jesus came to show us his grace, love, and forgiveness. The law cannot save anyone.
Salvation is an act of God’s grace
Moses was the instrument by which the law was given, but Christ came to fulfill the law, that is, to carry it to its full meaning. God’s will and character are made known to man through the law and are then clearly revealed in Jesus Christ. God’s revelation no longer comes from cold stone slabs, but from the life of man. Jesus brings the truth: the truth that is established according to God’s will. His glory is visible in his goodness and grace.
Jesus Christ is the true Light
Jesus, the true Light, helps us to see the path to life in God and shows us how to walk that path. However, Christ wants his followers to also let his light shine in this unbelieving world. Our role as reflectors of Christ’s light lies in the fact that we must testify for Him. The question we need to answer today is: Do we follow the Light?
