“I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.” (John 12:46)

Light gives revelation. Whether it be an object hidden in the dark shadows; an idea or concept obscured by the fog of ignorance; or a person stranded in the midst of the night, “…whatsoever doth make manifest is light” (Ephesians 5:13). It is easy for us to appreciate light because we know its usefulness and necessity in guiding us by sight. But to the blind, the light offers no such benefit. As it is in the physical, so it is in the spiritual.

Light is often used as a symbol of the spiritual realm. “…God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Remember that we said light makes things manifest, but this is only so to those with eyes to see. To the spiritually blind, there is no spiritual light (or Christ) within them to shine. They must first be given sight in order to see by the Light of God. For this we see a dual aspect of God’s Light as it give sight (spiritual), as well as revealing Himself.

Jesus said, “I am come a light into the world.” The whole world lies in darkness (1 John 5:19), shrouded as it were in separation from God by sin and ignorance, devoid of spiritual and moral enlightenment. But God, “Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto…” (1 Timothy 6:16), “…commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). God revealed Himself to humankind in the Person of Jesus Christ.

As the “true Light” (John 1:9), Christ is the ultimate Revelation of God, bringing us into the glorious Life and Light of Himself. Salvation is a Sovereign act of God. This is clearly evidenced by the Light of Christ – He first gives us spiritual sight, and then reveals Himself to us. A perfect illustration of this Sovereign act is given in John 9. After giving sight to a man who had been blind from birth, Jesus later revealed Himself to the man as the Son of God (verse 37). Then the man came to confession: “And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him” (John 9:38).

To see and to know the invisible God, we need to see and to know Jesus Christ. As the Light, Christ has “declared” the Father to us (John 1:18). From Him we receive the Light of Life and are enabled to live in that Light and overcome the darkness of the world. There is no greater discovery than seeing God in the face of Jesus Christ as He brings a person out of spiritual darkness into the glorious Light of His Presence: “And they shall see his face…” (Revelation 22:4).

When we truly get a view of Jesus Christ as the Light of the world; once we are quickened; as repentance is worked in us – we are forced to see ourselves as wicked and vile creatures in the sight of God’s law (Romans 3:19-23).

Light is revealing. But that same Light that reveals man’s wickedness (John 3:20), also reveals the graciousness of God as He reveals Himself to us as our Sovereign Savior. Then we, just like the man who had been born blind, will be able to see our Lord and Saviour, having received from Him the faculty and capacity for spiritual sight. Then we, like him, will fall down and worship our Lord, our Light, our God.