Journey through John 8:12

Good Morning Church Family – Journey Through John
 
Read John 8:12

Devo Thought: Just as there had been a water pouring ceremony at the Feast of Tabernacles, there was also a candle lighting ceremony. The Jewish texts that describe the ceremony don’t reveal the meaning of the ceremony. Some believe that the candle lighting points back to the time when God led the people of Israel through the wilderness by way of a pillar of fire at night. God had shined a light in the darkness so that the people would know where to go. Lately with the bad weather we’ve had around here, it has been important to have a reliable source of light. My guess is that a number of you had to use flashlights or candles to function within your houses for hours, if not days. We forget how much we rely on the light provided by the convenience of electricity. We need light to help us in the darkness. The light makes the way clear for us and reveals where the dangers lie. Jesus says very clearly, “I am the light of the world.” As one commentary puts it: “Jesus intends for his followers to be guided by him through the wilderness the same way Israel was guided by the pillar.” If we have Jesus, no matter how dark it gets, we will have light that will never be extinguished. We will always be able to see what is happening and where to go. There is a thought from C.S. Lewis that I love. He wrote, “I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” We not only see Jesus, the light of the world, but by him, we see everything else.

Let us thank God that in Jesus we have the light of the world and we never have to walk in darkness.