Sent by God: The Light of the World

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” – Isaiah 9:2

The Christmas story is about Jesus being sent to a world of darkness resulting from sin and rebellion. Jesus came to shine as a light in the darkness so that people could clearly see God’s love for them. He is the One to whom the Old Testament prophet Isaiah was referring when he prophesied, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light…”

Jesus wasn't physically luminous with a halo around his head as we see in some of the artwork; rather, he was a spiritual light. Jesus himself said, "I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). That means that he is the light we all need to rescue us from the spiritual darkness of this world. Walking in darkness means we miss the joy and peace God meant for us to experience. Instead, we grope around looking for purpose and fulfillment in all the wrong places.

Once as a child, I walked through the dark basement of my parents’ home. Because there was no light, I stumbled into a large object that brought great pain. If only there had been a light on, I would have avoided hurting myself. Likewise, today, without Christ in our lives, we go down the wrong roads, looking for love but ending only with inner pain.

Let’s open wide our hearts this Christmas season to Jesus—the light of the world.