The Promise of the Light Giving Us Life

Jesus said to the people, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” John 8:12

“Romans and Christians,” is the name of a game I used to play with a youth group I helped out with while I was in college. The game was played in the church with the lights turned off. One person hid somewhere with a flashlight, and they were called the light. The youth were the Christians, while the adults were the Romans. The Christians goal was to find the light without being captured by the Romans. If captured, they were taken to jail and were only allowed to leave if they recited certain Bible passages or verses, or if a freed Christian snuck in the jail and tagged them. A simple game, but without the lights it was challenging for the Christians because they were not aware that there were Romans hiding around corners, ready to tag them. Sometimes it would take up to an hour for all the Christians to gather around the light. But once around the light, they were able to see, and the fear of being captured went away.

The people listening to Jesus did not know Him because they did not know His Father. The darkness did not allow them to see clearly. Perhaps after Christ’s death and resurrection some people listening would come to know Him and His Father. For what Jesus had been saying while on the earth, was proven once He rose from the dead. He conquered sin, death, and the devil. He showed the world that He is indeed the Son of God. His crucifixion brought forgiveness for everyone, and His resurrection showed the light. When we follow Christ we have the light to guide us, and we are able to see the sin around us. Jesus promises that with Him as our light we have life. We may struggle with sin daily, but we know the Father sent Jesus to die on the cross for our forgiveness. Because of that we have the light, and the wonderful promise of eternal life. Darkness no longer has a hold on us. Just as the youth group gathered around the light, safe from being captured, we too gather around the light, knowing that Christ has us, not the darkness.

Prayer
Lord God, thank You for being the Light that gives us light. It is comforting to know that we will not stumble into the darkness, but live a life with You. Help us to share this promise with others. Amen