Light of the World
Vicky Moots
Isaiah. 60:1-2: “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.” This is a prophecy concerning the coming of the promised Redeemer, the Messiah, the Light of the world.
The glory of the Lord was first revealed to the shepherds on the night of Jesus’ birth, as we read in Luke 2:8-11: “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
That was a dark time in the world, both in the natural realm and the spiritual realm. The sudden appearance of a bright light frightened the shepherds because they didn’t know what it was until the angel told them of the birth of Jesus, the Savior. The gory of the Lord had entered into this world veiled in flesh in the form of a helpless baby who was destined to become the Savior of mankind.
John declared in John 1:4-5 that the Light had penetrated the darkness, but a darkened world did not comprehend who He was: “In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” However, the shepherds, who had seen the light, believed the words which the angel spoke concerning the newborn babe and went quickly to Bethlehem to seek Him and found Him. Then, in Luke 2:17, we see that they became the first missionaries to tell of the birth of the Messiah, Christ the Lord.
The apostle Paul had also seen the Light, and was blinded by it, for the glory of God had shined upon him one day on the road to Damascus before his conversion. This account is recorded in Acts 9:1-18. Verses 3-4 state, “…and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul [Paul], why persecutest thou me?” The bright light was radiating from Jesus Himself. Paul, who was named Saul at that time, was initially blinded for three days, but as a result of that encounter, God opened his blinded spiritual and physical eyes and called him to preach the gospel.
Then, later, Paul writes to the Corinthian saints, and to us, in II Cor. 4:4,6 regarding that light: “…the god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them… For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
Do you have the simple faith of the shepherds? Has the light of the glorious gospel shined upon you? Have you believed the good news from heaven and sought for and found Jesus as the shepherds did? If so, then let the glory of the Lord shine out through you unto a darkened world.
The light of Jesus still shines today, but it must shine out from us as believers. Paul admonished the Philippian believers, as well as us, in Phil. 2:15 that we are to be “…blameless and harmless, the sons of God… in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye [we] shine as lights in the world.”
