The Light Which Transforms

“And Jesus cried out and said, 'Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment--what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me" (John 12:44-50, ESV).

I love the rain. Especially, when I was a still a small boy. I enjoyed taking a bath in the rain. When I was able to have a house, I still like the rain. Our place does not have enough ventilation and so, when it rains, there is coolness inside the house. But when rainwater began to leak in the roof, I was now hoping that it would not rain. Now, because of more and more leaks of rainwater in the house, I already pray for the rain to stop.

Because of raining during the past days, am always looking forward for the sun to shine. And when sunlight shows in the sky, for me it is “refreshing.”

According to Google, “Light has significant effects on an individual’s physical and mental well-being.” For our mental health, “Natural light can boost serotonin levels, which can help improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression.” For out physical health, “Sunlight exposure allows the skin to produce vitamin D, essential for bone health, immune function, and overall well-being.”

The benefits of light, not only from the sun, are many.

For example, “Proper lighting can reduce eyestrain and discomfort, particularly during tasks that require prolonged visual focus, such as reading or working on a computer.” Also, “Adequate lighting in homes and workplaces reduces the risk of accidents and injuries by improving visibility.”

This time, however, we will direct our spotlight on the very different kind of “light,” as we explore our topic, THE LIGHT WHICH TRANSFORMS while we study our text (John 12:44-50).

Of course, the “light” that I am referring is the Glorious Divine Light, Jesus Christ. And If that kind of Light shines on a particular person, it is not only refreshing, not only “has significant effects on an individual’s physical and mental well-being.” But what will exactly happen? What will be the effect on us, if the Brilliance of the Light of Christ is manifested to us?

We are familiar that the Gospel of John was written by the Apostle John. He addressed himself repeatedly in the book as, “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”

In verse 5 of chapter 9, the Apostle John quoted Jesus Christ saying, “I am the light of the world.” And we also read the account, how Jesus made the blind man from birth to see the physical light.

Jumping to chapter 12, Jesus told the Jews in verse 36, “While you have the light, believe in the light…”

We read, however, that they “did not believe in him’ (verse 37). They could not believe, because John quoted the words of Isaiah in verse 40, “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.” In other words, God allowed them in their spiritual blindness and disbelief.

Verses 42-43 showed that the belief of the Jews was not genuine. It was self-generated. It was not God-given. “They did not confess it.” There was no “full conviction.” They did not progress to genuine belief, because there was no fear of God in their hearts. The Jews did not have that high regard for God. They did not fear Him. So the Jews were not motivated to exercise genuine faith. What they had was “fear of the Pharisees.”

Now, in our text, what will be the effect on us, if the Brilliance of the Light of Christ is manifested to us? We will…

... NOT REMAIN IN DARKNESS (verse 46).

We read verse 46, “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. ."

Before we go on verse 46, let’s consider first the whole text, verses 44-50. As we examine it, we observe the close connection of Jesus Christ to the Father. We note it in three respects. (1) If we believe Jesus, we believe the Father; (2) if we see Jesus, we see the Father; and (3) if we receive the Word of Jesus,we receive the Word of the Father.