ASV John 3:17-21 For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him. He that believeth on him is not judged: he that believeth not hath been judged already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, lest his works should be reproved. But he that doeth the truth cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, that they have been wrought in God.
Drowning in darkness - sin
Imagine that you are a rescue diver and you have received an emergency call. A scuba diver is trapped in an under water cave. They were swimming and exploring an underwater cave that is notorious for having claimed the lives of many divers over the years. The strange currents and many different branches in this cave complex make it impossible to find your way out if you get disoriented and lost. To make things worse the novice diver did not use a line so the could find their way out.
Only minuets away you arrive quickly and with your gear you submerge into a dark soundless world. Diving deep into murky depths with sunlight fading behind you, you go deeper until you reach the cave opening. Dropping the anchor for your line you begin to enter the tunnels. The cave was actually once a mine, which was flooded when a dam was built on the river to create an enormous man made lake.
The diver not realizing how dangerous it was entered the tunnel was quickly disoriented and then lost their light. They will run out of air if you don’t locate them quickly, and give them a spare air tank that you brought. Without a light they have been helplessly swimming around grouping their way around in the darkness. You carry with you a very powerful light clearly showing the way before you. Darkness creates fear and fear brings panic but your light chases away the darkness, it dispels the fear and destroys the panic.
A need for light - life
Without your light you too would be lost. In the underwater darkness of cave diving light means life. Your lifeline is meaningless if you can’t see it or where it leads. Your air tank is meaningless if you can’t escape from the cave to reach the surface, and the brilliant light of the sun draws you ever upward. You have a need for not just any light you have a need for a bright light and a dependable light that won’t let you down. Without such a light you would never be able to rescue someone from the darkness. Without such a light you could not lead them to life.
Sin is just like the darkness surrounding, disorienting, and trapping the lost diver. Without light a person would just grope helplessly through life. Always searching but never finding that path to freedom, safety, and life. But when someone comes along with the light and bringing the breath of life that comes from God they show us the way to safety. As a Christian, you are the spiritual rescue diver called on to rescue the lost person from the darkness and death that it holds.
He is the light - life
ASV John 8:12 Again therefore Jesus spake unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Jesus Christ is the light that we carry with us. He is the bright shining light that will never let you down. He will always light your path to show you the way to safety and life. Someone brought us the light and that light once saved us. Now it is our turn to carry that light out to others who need rescuing. Like the rescue diver who is depending on their light to save them and the lost, so we are depending on Christ to save us as well as those who are lost. The rescue diver simply carried the light, as we are to carry the light of Christ.
We are the lighthouses
In the old days a lighthouse called ships to safe harbor as well as warned them where danger was. It was not the house that saved the ships and called them into safety. Rather it was the light that shown out from the house that called to safety and warned of danger. The house was simply where the light lived. We are the light house, but Christ is the light. It is He that calls to safety and warns of danger.
ASV Matthew 5:14-16 Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shineth unto all that are in the house. Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
As the children’s song says we are called to carry His light to our corner of the world. Jesus bids us shine where we live and work. As we close out the old year let’s consider whether we really carried His light to the lost. Let’s reflect on whether the light that shined from us brought glory to God as it should. As we greet the New Year let us greet it on our knees in prayer. Thanking God for all He has done for us. Seeking God and his lifeline or path for us. And asking Him to help us carry His light into the darkness so we can show people His light and the light of life that comes from Him, and to help us give Him the glory in all things and for all things.
