The Daily Fountain Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 7 March 2024 – Jesus The Light Of The World
TOPIC: Jesus The Light Of The World
READ: JOHN 8: 12-30 (NKJV)
- Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
- The Pharisees therefore said to Him, “You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true.”
- Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.
- “You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.
- “And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I [am] with the Father who sent Me.
- “It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.
- “I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.”
- Then they said to Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.”
- These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.
- Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.”
- So the Jews said, “Will He kill Himself, because He says, ‘Where I go you cannot come’?”
- And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
- “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am [He,] you will die in your sins.”
- Then they said to Him, “Who are You?” And Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.
- “I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.”
- They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.
- Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am [He,] and [that] I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.
- “And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.”
- As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.
THE MESSAGE:
Our text today speaks of Jesus as the light of the world. In several places in the scripture, we see Jesus calling Himself different names. For example in John 15: 1, He called Himself the True Vine. In John 10: 11, He said he is a Good Shepherd. He is also the Door (John 10: 9) while in John 14: 6, He describes himself as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Jesus’ description of himself as the Light of the world implies that He is the source of illumination to the darkness that prevails in the world. Truly, the present-day world has been covered by gross darkness but God wants us to be the light in that darkness. As all terrestrial bodies receive their light through the illumination from the sun, in the same way, no believer can walk in the light without receiving their light from Jesus who Himself is the light. That is why Jesus said, “For without me, ye can do nothing (John 15: 58). Any Christian who wants to shine must abide in Christ, else, such a believer would walk in darkness.
Believers are the light of the world and should live out Christian virtues for the world to see. It is our truthfulness that will expose errors and evils in the world. Jesus expects us to follow His footsteps by exhibiting good works to showcase the glory of God to the world (Matthew 5: 14-16). True followers of Jesus are not only the Light but must also walk in the Light. Let us arise to shine the light of Jesus and make Him known to the world.
PRAYER: O Lord, grant me the grace to be a light to my generation, Amen.
