The Light of Life

Image by Faith McDonald, Unsplash

Now the evenings are closing in, I’m drawn to reflect on Jesus’ revelation about himself in John 8: 12 ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ Inspiring words, but what do they really mean? In John’s gospel the overriding meaning of light is truth, and later Jesus will describe himself as ‘the way, the truth and the life.’ (John 14: 6) To listen to Jesus is to listen to the truth. It’s an outrageous statement. Can you imagine being there and hearing him say it?

What’s more, with these words, Jesus stands before a sceptical audience and claims to be the Messiah promised by God, who would come not only for his own people, the Jews, but for everyone, ‘a light for the Gentiles, that you [the Messiah] may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.’ (Isaiah 49: 6)

On planet earth, the existence of life is utterly dependent on the sun’s heat and light energy. Likewise in terms of spiritual life, Jesus is the source. Without him, we’re ‘dead in transgressions and sins’ which cut us off from God, but through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we’re born again. And in our new lives, we follow his lead.

So what does it mean to ‘follow’ Jesus as the light of the world? When David and I arrived on the Isle of Skye to visit our daughter in September, the Misty Isle was true to its name. As we headed north, the fog closed in and we could barely see the edge of the road. Our headlights merely illuminated the swirling vapour in front of us. At the end of a 15-hour drive, this was exhausting for David. What a relief when we caught up with another car and could follow their red tail lights on the twists and turns of the road.

The life and teachings of Jesus continually shed light on my inner life – my values, direction and eternal destination - the truly important, though often neglected, aspects of life.

Who is the light of your life?