The Cross & the Resurrection of THE LIGHT of the World
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
We citizens of planet earth are receiving light from stars two billion years away. The light that finds its way, faster than anything we know, to be seen by us now, started its journey before any life forms appeared on this planet earth. Light is a fundamental illustration describing who and what Jesus was, is and is to come. He is the Light of the world. As the Word of God Jesus is the Creator: Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made (John 1:3).
Jesus is the true light-creating Light, “light from light” says the Nicene Creed when describing Jesus Christ. The true light… (Jesus, the light-creating and light-bringing Light of the world, shines upon the entire creation,) …that gives light to everyone was coming into the world (John 1:9). All light (and life) begins with and comes from Jesus.
Light symbolizes the presence of God. From the first chapter of Genesis when God said “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3) to the last chapter of Revelation when Jesus reveals to the Apostle John—There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light (Revelation 22:5)—light speaks of God’s goodness and grace overcoming the darkness and corruption of evil.
The core essence of life on earth is the light of the sun—but the sun, as but one part of the creation, merely stands as an illustration and symbol of the eternal, uncreated, forever Light of the Son of God, Jesus, the Light of the world.
The Light of the world brings BOTH PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL life—In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind (John 1:4). Light, as we all learned in school, is an electromagnetic wave. This wavelength, according to scientists, does not carry any property of color.
Light does not “carry” color. Color emerges from the human perception of light—there is no doubt that the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, warns of the fallacy of judging others by the color of their skin. Sadly, this sad, old world is awash in racism and revenge racism that absolutely judges others by the color of their skin.
Jesus, the Light of the world, calls us out of the bigotry, hatred and warfare of racism!
The electromagnetic wave we call light is the essence of the physical vision enabling us to perceive the world around us. Anything and everything we see is illuminated by light. We cannot see without light yet we cannot see it as it travels through space and time.
Jesus, the Light of the world, opens our eyes that we may see and perceive as God’s very own children. As Christ-followers, and as God’s children, we are not the children of darkness and hatred, but the children of light and love. We are not, by the grace of God, the children of revenge and retribution, but the children of forgiveness and mercy.
Paul tells his Thessalonian spiritual family in Christ, “You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness” (1 Thessalonians 5:5).
The core essence, the central teaching and theme of this wonderful spring season of each year is life. New physical life rises out of the past winter, and new spiritual life rises out of the spiritual winters of our lives because of our risen Lord Jesus. He is the Light of the world—he is …the way and the truth and THE LIFE(John 14:6, my emphasis).
Without physical and spiritual light we are in darkness The Bible speaks of spiritual darkness in which we grope at noonday (Deuteronomy 28:29) —of stumbling at noonday as in the night (Isaiah 59:10).
John explains, in 1 John 1:5 …God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
By God’s grace, by the indwelling Light of Jesus Christ, we are new creations, reflecting the light he has shined on us to others, thereby passing on his grace in the name of Jesus.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light—for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth (Ephesians 5:8-9, my emphasis).
Many centuries ago Christians shared this thought: ubi amor, ibi oculus—that is, “where there is love, there is seeing.” The Light of Jesus illuminates the love of God which in turn inspires and transforms us. There is surely no greater light of Jesus than his Cross, which is the focus of our hearts and minds at all times, but especially in the spring of the year.
The twin pillars of our faith—the cross of Jesus and his resurrection—mean that light has triumphed over darkness. For now, the world in which we live still runs on the high-octane, destructive fuels of lust, ego, hatred, racism and greed, belching out pollution and corruption in its deadly exhaust fumes of wars, tyranny and evil of all sizes and descriptions.
The cross proves that love wins—love conquers all! The love of God defeats all human hatred. Jesus, on his cross, carried, accepted and ingested all hatred and evil… past, present and future… and quite literally, burned it up with his love, his self-sacrifice wherein he, in his humanity, died, so that love, mercy and grace might live, forever and ever.
Our world is groaning on its death bed—the death rattle, the dying gasps of a sin-sick world desperate for life-giving oxygen, is seen in the anguished and hopeless, corrupt and depraved government and religion of this present evil world. Paul tells us in his introductory words in the magnificent epistle to the Galatians …the Lord Jesus Christ… gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age (Galatians 1:4).
When we hear and see all the tell-tale, inevitable signs of decay and death in our societies, cultures, cities, states, provinces and nations, it is not Jesus who is dying. He died once—once and for all—…he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself (Hebrews 9:26).
Jesus died once for all—once and for all! Now, he is our risen Lord, the light-bringing Light of our world, our risen Lord who has conquered sin, death and the grave. Jesus is alive! He is risen! It is our world that is dying. It is our world that is consumed by darkness of sin and death. It is our world that desperately needs the Light of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Because of Jesus crucified, because of our risen Lord, we have hope beyond the troubles, trials and afflictions we experience in this present evil age. Because of Jesus, the light-bringing and life-giving Light of the world, who lives now and forever as our crucified Savior and our risen Lord, this sad old world will one day, in his good time, be renewed, saved, reconciled and made whole—purified and cleansed from all its corruption and filth—though our degraded and debauched world is drowning in sins as scarlet—because of Jesus, his Cross and his resurrection, they shall be as white as snow (Isaiah 1:18).
As Christ-followers we follow him, we walk in the light of his Cross and resurrection. Walking in the light of the cross and the resurrection means that we know God has always and will always love us.
Walking in the light of the Cross and the resurrection means that God’s love for us is not based on what we have done, or on what we plan, hope or promise to do.
Walking in the light of our crucified Savior and in the light of our risen Lord means that God loves us now and forever.
Walking in the light of our crucified Savior and in the light of our risen Lord fills us with faith that God loves not only you and me, but the ENTIRE WORLD—and he will redeem and cleanse it.
What a beautiful and breathtaking spiritual season of the year. New life, redemption, the love, mercy and grace of God—victory over sin, death and the grave. Hope beyond the wildest hope that any of us could ever have, all of this the gift of God!
Happy Easter to you, our dear, deeply appreciated Friend and Partner!
Greg Albrecht
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