CHOOSE THE SON-LIGHT
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Opening Prayer
Loving Savior, as I read Scripture today, continue to show me who you are and build in me a deeper grasp of your love for me.
Read JOHN 3:16–21
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
‘The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.’1 Praise Jesus, the Light.
In art, literature, philosophy, and theology, darkness frequently symbolizes ignorance, lies, or evil, while light represents knowledge, truth, or holiness. In John’s gospel, Jesus is repeatedly depicted as the true Light.2 The announcement ‘light has come into the world’ sounds a joyous note of hope, but John’s reference to this as a ‘verdict’ also recalls us to its darker side (v. 19).
Despite its many positive associations, we are sometimes uncomfortable and ill at ease in the light. After being in darkness for an extended period, the human eye takes time to adapt to exposure; we may screw up our eyes in protest or shade our eyes from the light source. Some people suffer from light sensitivity, unable to tolerate the level of light in the environment. Today’s passage deals with people so accustomed to spiritual darkness that they have grown to love this darkness—representing the shadier side of life—and refuse to step into the light (vv. 19, 20). Since light exposes what darkness conveniently covers up, it is a hard and humbling process to come into the light. Both literally and metaphorically, darkness may become our comfort zone. Nicodemus, for instance, came to Jesus under cover of darkness (v. 2), perhaps fearing to be too closely associated with the increasingly controversial figure of Jesus of Nazareth. This prominent Pharisee was in the dark about the spiritual truths Jesus proclaimed (vv. 10–12) and, by the end of their discussion, Nicodemus did not appear to have stepped into the light – although he did do so later on.3
Both in the physical and spiritual realms light and life are inextricably linked. The sun, which generates heat, light and energy, is essential for sustaining physical life; the Son—source and substance of light and life—is indispensable for eternal life (v. 18).
Apply
‘We are as much afraid in the light as children in the dark.’4 Are you resisting Jesus, the true Light, in any areas of your life?
Closing prayer
Light of the World, shine on me and shine through me to show others who you are as I walk in the light.
1 Isa 9:2 2 John 1:4 ,5, 9; 8:12; 9:5 3 John 19:38-42 4 Seneca, paraphrasing Lucretius, https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Plato
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