I was babysitting my youngest brother in 1974 by taking him for a walk in the neighborhood, holding his hand. We saw a glimmering light on the ground and approached it. “What is it?” 2-year-old John asked. “It’s a piece of broken glass” was my response as I picked it up, “but the light is a reflection from the sun”. “Reflection”, John repeated knowingly. What contemplative light was brought to my young toddling brother in a simple yet complex process from as far away as the sun is from the earth. A beam of truth during our afternoon walk. The light of the world works similarly. You see, it is a man. And Jesus is the Man, the second Adam, the son of men and we see His particular and reliant attributes in the book of John. Key verses remind us of the beautiful complex nature in the deity of Christ, his relational position in the trinity “being one with the Father” and being full of grace and truth (Jn 1:1; 1:14; Rev 19:13). He is our flawless light reflecting the glory of heaven. He is available to “whomsoever” believes in Him (Jn 3:16) and also tells us that His work is to believe in Him (Jn 6:29, 1 Jn 3:23).

Jesus is the Light of men and has been from the beginning of eternity. Did God not create the world by saying “Let there be light (Genesis 1:3)” as “all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (Jn 1:3-4 ESV). He is the man that gives us life (Jn 10:28) and not just a stone of life, but “more abundantly”, giving us fullness of life so that nothing can take us away from His hand (Jn 10:28;17:12, 18:9). This security is the focus of our abundance, something anticipated while participating in at the same time. We show our love for one another, encouraging, helping, loving and supporting His sustaining hand in life (Jn 13:35; 1 Jn 4:20). There is no other way to life except in Jesus the Light of the World. He is one with the Father (Jn 10:30; 14:9). One of my favorite functional facets of our divine Man, Jesus, is that He is our Light. The gospel is encompassed in the fact that we do not have to live in darkness, but let it be exposed by Him, and live in the Light reflecting on His holy glory.

When was the last time you walked with your brother and pointed out the Light that overcomes darkness? It’s time for Reflection.

“Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12