One of the most consistent themes in the gospel of John is the theme of light. We so often take light for granted because we have so much of it, but light may be one of the most important things we most crucially rely on! What does light do for us? It exposes the truth of the world around us, so that we can be informed and make wise decisions. It creates beauty and shows the magnificent beauty of everything else. It expunges the uncertainty and fear that creep in darkness so that we can face the world courageously and at peace. In short, light gives us truth, wisdom, beauty, and peace—all essentials for life. And John’s gospel makes it abundantly clear that the one true light of the world is Jesus. Entirely Jesus. Only Jesus.
So if Jesus is that essential for every human life, we need people who have seen the light to witness to others about it! This is where John the Baptist comes in—or perhaps the name John the Witness would be more apt. Because there is nothing more important for someone’s life than to know the light of Christ, this John sees no work more important than to tell the world about the light he has witnessed. This is the same reason preachers and ministers do what they do today! But be wary of “ministers” that try to elevate themselves and turn your focus onto themselves. John himself was not the light—that apparently needed to be emphasized—and neither is anyone around today. There is no true light for us other than Christ himself.
Just as the light of Christ is wholly essential for us, it is just as badly needed. Darkness reigns in our world. Truth, wisdom, beauty, and peace are scarce; ignorance and fear abound. And whether then or now, it is the mind steeped in darkness that encounters its own creator and lover, the Christ who gives it all of its fulfillment, and rejects him. We badly need the light of Christ; all of us do. But that light has come, and when we walk in the light—that is, when we walk fully with Jesus—God makes us his own sons and daughters. This is the beautiful identity we were made for; this is how badly we all need the light that has come into the world!
Look to Jesus; he, and nothing and nobody else, is the source of all truth and wisdom and beauty and peace that our souls crucially desire. He is the light of the world. Receive him as such, and pursue and walk always in the light!
