The Light of the World

By J.A. Medders

For the Christian, Jesus is the light we see by.

Two-year-old boys have a knack for running towards danger. Add a dash of thick darkness, and you should get the band-aids ready. While playing on a sketchy outdoor playground at a greasy hamburger joint, my son wanted to see what was behind the playground’s main attraction—an abandoned school bus. I tagged along with him to see what was behind the bus. It was so dark I could barely see him. I turned on the flashlight on my phone, and when the light hit the ground in front of him, we both saw he was seconds away from falling onto a jagged pile of concrete chunks. I snatched him as he stumbled forward, milliseconds from getting the worst cuts and scrapes of his life.

In a way, the light saved him. The light showed us reality. Light is essential to seeing what’s out there, what’s coming at us, where to go, and what to do.

When Jesus says He is the Light of the World, He’s telling us reality is found with Him. Jesus shines His light, and as we look at the world through His high beams, we see that we’re sinners—people who have fallen short of God’s law. We see that we can’t save ourselves. And then we see He is the Savior we need, crucified for our sins, risen from the dead, reigning in the heavens, and returning soon. Jesus’s light helps us see the universe as He sees it—existing for Him and His glory. This Light, Christ alone, gives us life.

We now see by faith all we couldn’t accurately see before. “By means of your light we see light” (Psalm 36:9). In Christ, we now see hope for eternity and peace for today. In the Light of the World, we see one another clearly as our racism, selfishness, and pride are exposed and we are empowered to love one another better.

As we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, the Light of the World shines on us, and shines for us. Because of Jesus, we see the potholes and pitfalls of this world, the temptations and thorns, and the way to life everlasting. The light of Christ shows us how to live with Him. “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105).

By faith in Christ, who is light, we see the glory of God (2Corinthians 3:18)—and one day we will see His face (Revelation 22:4). Christ is our vision, our Lord, our light, our all. He is the light we see by, and we can see clearly now.