Is Jesus Your Life and Light?

In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:4)

The source of something is where it comes forth from. For instance, the Great Lakes that surround Michigan, including Lake Superior, which is one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world, are the source of the St. Lawrence River. If the waters of the Great Lakes were stopped, the St. Lawrence River would be dry. On the fourth day of creation, God created the sun to be the source of light for the earth. Heat and light come forth from the sun. Without the sun earth would be a cold dead object in space.

Jesus is the source of all physical life: plant, animal, and man. Even with the best of science and engineering, man cannot create life. All life comes from life that had its beginning when God spoke it into existence.

Jesus is also the source of all spiritual life. Just as man cannot generate physical life, so we cannot generate our own spiritual life. It must be received from Jesus Christ. When we believe on Jesus Christ for salvation, we are regenerated by the Spirit of God. In John 3 Jesus calls this regeneration as being “born-again.” We immediately become partakers of His Eternal Life.

What does it mean that “the life was the light of men?” Light makes vision possible. The light has to do with knowledge and understanding that comes from God. This light is the spiritual discernment that God gives us. We have the mind of Christ. (1 Cor. 2:12-16) God graciously gives every man a conscience and a certain amount of light, so that man might live upon the earth, and so that man might believe in Christ. However, the light that we have as a believer is so much more! According to Peter the believer is given “all things that pertain to life and godliness,” and we are “partakers of the divine nature.” (2 Peter 1:3-4)

Before a person becomes a child of God, he/she must believe on Jesus Christ. Understanding our own inability to save ourselves, we trust Christ as our only hope of salvation. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. (John 1:12)

After we trust Christ as our Savior, we need to be like John the Baptist. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. (John 1:7) As we have opportunity this Christmas season, lets bear witness to Jesus Christ.