From Darkness to Light

with Andrew Palau

Do you feel surrounded by darkness? In the news, we see people killing one another—committing awful misdeeds, motivated by greed and jealousy. We hear about these things endlessly, day after day. After a while, it starts to feel normal. Evil starts to seem standard—goodness seems rare. Think of someone you know who doesn’t know Jesus. Imagine for a moment how oppressive the darkness must feel to that person. Without God’s light, the darkness would be completely overwhelming.

The darkness of the world isn’t a new thing. Evil infested the heart of man pretty early in the game, when Adam and Even rebelled against God in the garden. And still, so often when people are given a choice, they choose evil over good. They even chose to crucify the most beautiful one—Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the living God.

Acts chapter three says, You handed Him over to be killed—you disowned Him before the ruler Pilate. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One. And you asked that a murderer be released. You killed the author of life.

What a tragic, awful decision for humanity to make. Deep down, we all know that this world is broken to the core. This is not the way we were designed to experience it.

All of us inherited sin through Adam. But we as believers have this hope—from the very beginning, God had a plan to rescue us from this brokenness. It was Jesus! Jesus was called the Second Adam. He’s the one and only savior for us because He became human and walked through this world’s brokenness but did not sin. He experienced all we were tempted with, therefore He understands us (Hebrews 2:18). When He was crucified, He bore the penalty of all of our sins—not only yours but the sins of the whole world!

His blood removed our guilt. He died a sinner’s death, but He was sinless! And because of that, death could not hold Him! He didn’t stay dead! By giving His life, He purchased us back for Himself. He gave us the gift of eternal life and the opportunity for a new start. We who believe have this great hope!

A better day is coming! Isaiah 9 speaks of the coming return of Jesus. It says—the people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.

And the book of Revelation tells us this about Heaven—

And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. (Revelation 21:23, NIV)

Can you imagine the brightness of that world—lit up by Christ Himself—that waits for us who believe? It will be so beautiful, and the darkness that seems so powerful now will be no more! This promise isn’t for us to keep to ourselves. That beautiful city is meant to be shared. God doesn’t want anyone to perish. We can look forward to that day with great anticipation.

But what about right here and now? Well, we don't have to wait for Heaven to start experiencing God's powerful love. Jesus is alive! His Holy Spirit is in you right now, shining His light into our lives. He transforms us.

How has God’s love changed your life already? Has he kept you from turning down the wrong path, and destroying yourself with drugs or crime? Has he brought you healing from painful things in your past? Has he helped you forgive someone you hated? How might your life have turned out differently without Him?

In John 8:12, Jesus tells us that He will give us the light of life and we will never walk in darkness again. This means that even though darkness surrounds us, His light shines from within us. His light penetrates powerfully—it’s even able to overtake the darkness.

God’s light can shine out of you—to all those around you who are walking in darkness. Think of the person in your life who is being suffocated by the darkness of the world. They need the hope of a better day.

You carry in your heart the hope of all mankind—Jesus. And He’s meant to be shared. Let the light of the Lord shine out of you. I want to challenge you to reach out to that person today, and help them find their way to the Light of life. For your friend, Jesus may be the light at the end of a long tunnel that keeps them from giving up on life. Or He may be like a beacon, helping them to find the path to eternal life. Whatever the case, take this opportunity. Jesus can change their life forever through the words that come out of your mouth. Just tell them what God had done for you. He will do the rest.

Let’s pray—

Lord, the world is so dark, but You give us hope. Thank you, God, that Your light is so bright—the darkness cannot win! Break our hearts, Lord, for those who don’t yet have the hope of eternal life. Help us to understand the despair and oppression experienced by those who live in darkness. Stir us to share what we have been given—You—the light that shines in the darkness. Amen.