Why Did Jesus Come? / Part 8

Series – March 2019 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Why Did Jesus Come?
Part Eight: He Came To Shine In Darkness

“I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in Me may not remain in darkness.” —John 12:46 ESV

“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” —John 3:19

I like to go out with my daughters to play mini golf. Living in a northern climate, our desired courses are indoors with glow-in-the-dark themes. Choosing what to wear to these places is always interesting since the various lights used cause one’s clothes to appear as different colors. It is amazing to recognize the extent light impacts the way we see objects.

The best light is usually at jewelry stores. To illustrate the purity and magnificence of diamonds and precious stones, the jeweler must use the purest white light he can find, otherwise his precious stones will not reflect their true glory.

Jesus Is The Light
We see all objects based on the light reflected on them. Different light sources make us see objects differently. If you walk into a dark room it is hard to know where there may be a desk, chair or couch. However, if you turn on a light you will see the furniture in front of you. If the light is pure white you will see the true colors of the objects as they absorb and reflect different components of the light ray. You may remember the colors of the rainbow or studied light at school. Why are we discussing the science of light? The reason is Jesus used this metaphor about Himself.

We see objects correctly when they are exposed to pure white light. In the same way, all things are seen correctly only when viewed from God’s perspective – as reflected in the life of Jesus. His life was the perfect model for how a human can live on this earth and glorify God to the uttermost. If you want to see someone successful in his life, look at Jesus. If you think of a man or a woman who demonstrated a great example of love, look at the life of Jesus and see in Him the perfect example of love.

Exposing Light
By living a perfect life Jesus demonstrated how awful our lives are because they are filled with sin. Jesus did everything in a perfect way, so none of us can have an excuse for our sins or reason to boast about any good we do.

Close Light
Light shining brightly in the living room will generally not expose objects in your bedroom. The point is this: Proximity of light makes a difference. God was, is and will always be pure and holy. God communicated with human beings throughout the ages and conveyed His holiness through various means. He spoke directly through prophets, has used examples such as those found in the tabernacle in the wilderness that He instructed Moses to build, and presented plain instruction through the law He gave to the children of Israel. However, the best manifestation, or display, of God’s holiness was demonstrated when God took the form of a man and came very close to us, in the Man Christ Jesus (Phil. 2:7-8; 1 Tim. 2:5). He walked on earth; He ate the food; He participated in our joys and sorrows. In all this, Jesus lived a normal life, without sinning – not even one sin! He did not sin because there was no sin in Him (1 Jn. 3:5). Jesus is so close to us as to share everything, yet He is very different; thereby He exposes our sins. He was the pure light that reveals our spots and blemishes (consider 1 Pet. 1:19).

Leading Light
When driving, you need light to show you the way. Even in old times one needed light to guide his path. That is why the psalmist said, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105). Jesus came to a dark world that was trying to find God through other means. We still have this condition in the world where people are trying to reach God through religions, philosophies or good deeds. In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul explained, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (4:6). Paul was a Hebrew looking for enlightenment; he was writing to Greeks looking for knowledge; and they were all part of the Roman Empire that was searching for glory. Paul argued that Jesus is the light, the knowledge and glory needed by this world.

Full Light
When Jesus came to the world, man knew something about God but he did not have the full light. It is explained in Hebrews: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son” (1:1-2). John said in the opening of his gospel that Jesus, who is “the true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (Jn. 1:9). Because He is the true light, Jesus is the only one who can tell us about the Father. God has spoken to us the full message by sending His own Son, His perfect image to tell us about the Father. “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, He has made Him known” (v.18).

We Still Have Light
Jesus has gone to heaven, but the world is still living in darkness. What is God’s plan for this miserable world living in darkness? God’s plan is for Jesus to continue shining through His body, the Church. Jesus said to His followers, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 5:14-16).

Have you shown your light today? Did people see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven? Jesus did not ask them to spread the light by spreading the knowledge of the gospel or by giving people sermons similar to His sermon on the mount (Mt. 5–7). He did not expect His followers to shine by making fame in the media, business or sports worlds. He simply asked them to shine by living and doing good works that honor God and bring glory to the Father.

By Shereen Ghobrial

Look for part 9 next month.