Light of the World

“Do not be afraid!” the angel declared from my living room on Christmas Eve morning.

As I came down the stairs and rounded the corner, I witnessed my husband and five-year-old curled up on the couch before church, watching “The First Noel,” a short animated film about the birth of Jesus.

I poured myself some coffee and began to imagine how it would have felt to be one of those unsuspecting shepherds minding my own business, when all of a sudden, an angel shows up. 

Not a typical event in the life of a simple shepherd. Or in anyone’s life, for that matter.

And this angel is not the cute cherub of Western art, but a being so awe inspiring, literally illuminating the space around me with the glory of the Lord, that I am terrified! Then as I try to wrap my brain around his most unusual message about my long-awaited Messiah being born in a stable (what?!), a whole army of angels joins him, lighting up the entire sky, and they all start singing!

That’s a whole lot more eye opening than a cup of coffee.

As I went about my morning routine, I began to contemplate the connection of this scene to the truth of Jesus as the Light of the World, a truth that had been percolating in me all December as the Lord kept bringing me back to John 1 during my devotional times with Him:

“The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.” [John 1:9]

God as light. Sounds warm and welcoming. Except when it’s terrifying!

As I thought of the multiple angel appearances in the Christmas story, and how each involved people who were initially terrified, I was reminded of the passage in 1 Timothy 6:16 describing God as one “who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.”

Unapproachable Light. Light so pure, so holy, so perfect, that sinful humanity, rather than being warmed by it, burns up in it in a moment. Unapproachable.

Until.

Until that night when Unapproachable Light approached humanity.

The night “Light [shone] in the darkness.” [John 1:5]

The night “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” [John 1:14]

The Light of the World was born without fanfare in a crowded stable, for He came not to gain an earthly kingdom but to die for a heavenly one. Yet even as He made His obscure entrance, on the outskirts of town the brightness of Heaven broke through the darkness of Earth, for just a few minutes, to just a few shepherds and their sheep.

And angels, themselves unable to understand the grace He came to give us, swiftly obeyed the Father’s command to declare the Good News: “He’s here! The Light of the World has come!”

Their brilliance, simply from being in the Presence of God, terrified their listeners.

“Do not be afraid!” the angel quickly added. “He has come to save you!”

Not from human rulers. But from your inability to approach God.

He has come so you may know Him:

“No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” [John 1:18]

He has come to restore your access to the Father:

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” [John 1:12]

This Light, this Unapproachable Light, approached humanity. We are wanted. We are loved. 

Through His own death, the Light of the World purchased our access to Him, once and for all. We are welcomed into the very Presence of God.

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” [Hebrews 4:16]

As I’ve spent time in prayer over the last month, I’ve come to believe that 2018 is going to be a breakthrough year. The Light of God is going to break through and bring life and freedom wherever we invite Him. Thanks to Jesus, the door to God's throne room is wide open. What will you boldly approach Him about this year? What breakthrough awaits you?

For me, this blog post is a breakthrough, the first post in a blog I’ve been planning to start for three years! It is my heart’s desire that through this post and ones to come, you may experience growth, healing, and freedom through a deeper revelation of Who God is and, as a result, who you are to Him.

The “fire in my bones” – the message I am compelled to share – is that the more we know Him as He actually is, the less other influences – like worry or insecurity or fear – are able to have a foothold in our lives. I call this the biblical process of letting go… Letting Go for Dear Life.