John 9:1-7 (NASB)
1 As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” 6 When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes, 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and washed, and came back seeing. As the blind man regained his sight, the Light of the world restores the sight of blind humanity, enabling them to see themselves, the world, and God as had always been intended. The Light shines in the darkness and restores sight.
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Isaiah 40:1-11 (NASB)
1 “Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God. 2 “Speak kindly to Jerusalem; and call out to her, that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity has been removed, that she has received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” 3 A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. 4 “Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; and let the rough ground become a plain, and the rugged terrain a broad valley; 5 Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” 6 A voice says, “Call out.” Then he answered, “What shall I call out?” All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. 9 Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; lift it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” 10 Behold, the Lord God will come with might, with His arm ruling for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him and His recompense before Him. 11 Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, in His arm He will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes. As John prepared the way of the Lord, He prepared the way for the revelation of God's Glory. The Glory of God is revealed to us in Jesus, the Anointed One. Truly the Word of the Lord stands forever. John 3:16-21 (NASB)
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” The Son was sent to the world to rescue it from the darkness. It is the cosmos itself which will ultimately be rescued, and humanity, as its inhabitors, and its taintors, as it lives in the truth of the True Light, finds its restoration and rescue in God. Belief, trust, and fidelity (pistis) mark those who follow God and His Light. It is only in the Light that true Life, Life in its fullness, can be found. 1 John 1:4-7 (NASB)
4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete. 5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. The apostles were witnesses of the splendor of the light of Christ. Having seen His face, heard His voice, and lived in His presence, they experienced what we know in part and await for in full. God is the antithesis of darkness, evil, hatred, and greed. God is Light, Goodness, Love, and Generosity. Those who truly know God reflect, even though imperfectly, the person of God by reflecting the person of the Son. It is His Light which shines in us to drive back the darkness of the world. 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 (NASB)
3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. The Light of God, the Messiah, shines forth in the world to push back the darkness which blinds humanity. God shines through His Messiah in our hearts to transform us to the image and splendor of Jesus, humanity reconstituted. Isaiah 60:1-3 (NASB)
1 “Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 2 For behold, darkness will cover the earth, and deep darkness the peoples; but the Lord will rise upon you, and His glory will appear upon you. 3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising." The Light shines to draw the world unto Himself. Like the sun rising upon the hillside and casting light upon all that it radiates over, the Light causes the shadows of darkness to flee and draws all nations unto Himself. 1 Peter 2:4-10 (NASB)
4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.” 7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “The stone which the builders rejected, This became the very corner stone,” 8 and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this they were also appointed. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Those "in Christ" are reconstituted to resemble Him, being built up together as a spiritual house. They, as was true of Israel, are made as a priestly "nation," commissioned to minister to others. Those "in Christ" continue that commission to be a nation of priests, a holy people, set apart and transformed to be servants of the Living God. Out of darkness and into light to guide those still living in darkness. Ephesians 5:6-14 (NASB)
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them; 8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light 9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. 14 For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.” Being in Christ leads not just to a better future state, but affects the dramatic transformation of the present one. His followers can no longer interact with their former domain in the same way, having been removed from it and placed under the dominion of Jesus as King. This means living rightly and loving others. The Light exposes the Darkness and causes it to flee. Children of the Light must allow His Radiance to do the same in their own lives, and thus become conformed to His Image. "Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." John 12:35-36 (NASB)
35 So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. 36 While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.” The True Light from heaven came to set the earth aright, to guide her with His Light, to deliver from her plight. The Light Himself had to pass through the darkness, through sadness, through Death. But as her guide, the Light showed the way forward, to victory, to freedom, to joy. In following, through Death she too must pass, though passing with hope, for the Life of this Light awaits her. Psalm 119:105-106 (NASB)
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 106 I have sworn and I will confirm it, that I will keep Your righteous ordinances. The message of God gives guidance to his people, directing their behavior and leading them into obedient faithfulness. This message in its fullness speaks of Jesus and his reign over creation. The Word of God, the Light of the world, our Deliverer and our Guide through the journey of life. |
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