John 12:37-50
Thursday, 29 December 2022
”I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” -John 12:46
To be in "darkness" means to not know God and the things of God. Because of ignorance of God and the things of God, people fall into the darkness of sin, error, and falsehood. John 3:19 says, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” Jesus had done miraculous signs in the presence of the Jews but they would still not believe in Him. They saw or heard that Jesus changed water into wine, healed many people, multiplied the fish and loaves, walked on water, and raised Lazarus from the grave, yet, they refused to believe in Him. They loved darkness rather than light.
The deeds of sin are many such as immorality, impurity, greed, foolish talk, etc which all belong to darkness. Man's love for the darkness of sin deprives him of all spiritual vision. In loving the darkness the power of sight is lost. Jesus said,” I have come into the world as a light”. John 1:4 says, “In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” Light signifies life-giving power. This means Jesus is the source of life and the well-spring of being. If you want to live, to really live in light, you must turn to Christ. The world walks in darkness and hates the light. If darkness hates light, how is it possible for anyone to go from a life of evil and enmity to a life of joy and peace? Jesus says, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” There is no light apart from Jesus so we must believe in Him. But how we do it? –for many love darkness not light! How can we believe in Him and come to the light? John says in John 12:40, "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn--and I would heal them." God needs to lift the scales from our inner eyes so we can see.
Belief involves more than just the mind. It also involves the heart, the tongue, the life. We must be more than hearers of the Word; we must also be doers of the Word. Jesus is speaking of a whole-hearted discipleship, not of a casual relationship. Jesus is speaking of a life of commitment. Jesus is speaking of a way of life. By grace, we have to cut ties with all the works of darkness. Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 5:8-12, ”For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.”
"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness," says Jesus. That is a promise. Those who, by grace, truly believe in Jesus are given the light of life. Those who, by grace, truly believe in Jesus would no longer want to be in darkness or be a part of it. We not only leave darkness and share in His light, where our own lives are transformed by the Spirit, but we also become light-bearers. If we believe in Christ and are determined to follow Him, then we will shine and will hold up the light of the glory of Christ in and through our lives so that others may see Him too. Jesus is the light of the world. If we believe in Him and walk in the light, then we are reflectors of His light. May we reflect the light of the Son so that someone in darkness may see and come to the Light of the world!!
To Act on: Be in the Light and be a light!
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