On this, the second Sunday of Advent, our worship is centered around the theme of light. The Gospel of John is filled with references to light. In the prologue of the Gospel, John 1:1-5, we encounter these words:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
A few verses later in John 1:9 we read, "The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world." To whom is the author referring? John is referring to Jesus Christ. The morning lesson from John 8:12 makes this explicit. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." Again, in John 9:5 Jesus stated, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."