Light, Hope, King

Photo by Pro Church Media on Unsplash

Light of the World,

 By Laura Daigle 

Glory to the light of the world

Our world used to have little hope in it. God had given the Israelites signs and prophecies, promising a redeemer. Years later, when no savior had come, people started to give up hope. God knew what was best though, and in just 9 months He sent the savior into the word for all to see. People where so confused though, how could a baby redeem them from their oppressors?

People probably pushed away the sense that this was the promised Messiah, and they likely forgot the holiness they had felt around that child. They believed that it was a king God had promised. Two years after seeing the baby, soldiers came to their town and killed their children (see Matthew 2:16-18). Well, so much for that, apparently it was not the Messiah or if it was He no longer lived to redeem them. People went on with their lives. Maybe it was not the redeemer they had waited for after all. They forgot about the light in the sky, the angles singing in their sheep field, and the mother who birthed in their stable.

We know that is only the beginning of the story, but the people of that day and age were still waiting for the promises to be fulfilled. Thankfully Mary and Joseph listened to God’s voice and hid in Egypt till it was safe to go back. Then Jesus started his teaching, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again three days later. Not only for the Israelites, God’s small family, instead he died for the whole world. Living in the story they did not realize Jesus came for the whole world. He wanted to give hope and light to the whole world, and he was the only one that could do it. 

Jesus came as the light of the whole world.  He attracts us to His light. Because the Bible says we walk in darkness (See John 8:12).  God loves light. We can see this all though the Bible. The first thing God created was light (See Genesis 1:3). The Magi and shepherd followed a light in the heavens to the child (See Matthew 2:10). When Jesus died on the cross darkness covered the earth for three hours (See Matthew 27:45). But then he rose, and the Bible describes him  appearing like lightening (See Matthew 28:3). 

Art often depicts Jesus as this glowing person, which is strongly based on the words in John. Jesus is light and when we walk in Him, so we no longer live in darkness. We grow our faith, which leads to hope, and we see God’s plan more clearly. We feel God with us (Emmanuel). We get to have the King of Kings rule on our heart’s throne. 

This song praises Him for that light using works like Glory and behold. This light is for all: the whole world, anyone who hurts, anyone who cries. Jesus was born into this world so that he could shed his light. Then He died on the cross so that He could be King of our heart and light us with his light. 

What is one way you can show Jesus’s light better?