While You Have the Light

Reflection

You’re probably familiar with lights that automatically turn on when you open your garage door, but then automatically turn off five minutes after you close the door. After arriving home late one night, I closed my garage door and headed upstairs. As I reached the top of the stairs, I remembered something I’d left in the car and decided to go back and grab it. The light hadn’t turned off yet. I thought about the last time I came into the garage at night, when the light had already turned off and everything was pitch-black. I quickened my steps; I didn’t want to be caught in the dark!

The crowd of seekers that had gathered around Jesus thought the Messiah would be with them forever—they had somehow overlooked the scriptures that spoke of his suffering and death, that said he would come to usher in the kingdom of God for all those whose faith was in him. Understanding that Jesus spoke of his death on a cross, they were confused. With only a little time left for them to have him with them, Jesus would speak of eternal issues, revealing himself as the light of the world.

Jesus offered his final public appeal to those gathered, that they would believe and walk in the light. Jesus would be with them for only a short time longer; the light of his earthly ministry would soon go out. They needed walk in the light while they had it so they would not lose their way in the dark of what would take place in the coming week. When Jesus finished speaking and hid himself from the crowd, did they understand that he would no longer be with them to show them the way?

Jesus’ words are for you and me today. He has shown us who he is and what he has done; we have all of Scripture to teach us—God’s Word is a lamp for our feet and a light on our path (Psalm 119:105). He has called us to believe in him so that we can see and walk in the light. There is action involved; as we believe, we need to grow, to become more and more like Christ—and in our growing, be less easily overtaken by darkness.