The Nature of Light
By Kevan Wain
Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12 NLT)
Many years ago I experienced the human desire for light while cave diving at night with a group in Florida. We were down in an underwater cavern at a depth where the cave had been barred off to prevent divers from proceeding farther due to the number of previous fatalities. At that point, we all extinguished our dive lights and at once were enveloped by an inky-black darkness. I had never before experienced such an absence of all perceptible light. I could not see any of the other divers. Nor could I see my own hand when I held it up to the lens of my face mask. The water was motionless and warm, with no other sensory input but the sound of breathing and air bubbles. An eerie feeling came over me, and I was relieved when the tap on the shoulder came a few minutes later signaling to turn our lights on again. But there was something else — when the first light came back on, it completely overcame the darkness. The eerie feeling was gone because I could instantly see again! What was previously imperceptible had again become visible. It was then that I realized an important truth: Darkness doesn’t overcome light. Darkness is simply the absence of light. And light, even a small amount of it, overcomes the deepest darkness.
The Bible tells us that it was that way in the beginning when God said, “Let there Be Light.” With the Word, He flooded the Earth — which was without form and covered with darkness — with glorious, marvelous light. The light served to dispel the darkness that enveloped the Earth and to fully illuminate the Creation, but it also communicated a profound spiritual truth. Because of the future sin of Adam, the world would one day be subjected to a state of spiritual darkness (John 12:46 NLT), and it was going to need the Light of a Savior.
The New Testament Gospel of John tells us that in Jesus there was life, and that life was the light of men (1:1-5). Jesus even said of Himself, I am the Light of the World. He came into the world to provide a means of salvation to all who call upon His name. He brings us out of the deep darkness of sin and into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9) that points the way to eternal life.
The man who was born blind (John 9:25) made a prophetic statement when he said: I was blind, but now I can see! Jesus the Light gave him the vision to see — not just natural vision, but spiritual. That’s what happens when a person gives their life fully to Christ. They get vision to really see. Maybe you attend church and listen to great sermons Sunday after Sunday. You’ve been among the family of believers but have never truly become a part of the family — never truly seen the Light. Seek God for a revelation of His heart toward you, and believe the light of the Gospel message. Ask Jesus into your heart today, and begin to confess Him as Lord. Then the darkness of your life will be overcome be His glorious light. You too can then say, “I was blind, but now I can truly see”!