“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”— John 8:12b (NIV)

I hope you won’t think less of me…but I started decorating for Christmas at the beginning of November.  I know, I know, I usually wait until after Thanksgiving. But over the years we’ve accumulated so many Christmas decorations that it takes a few days to set them all out. This year it felt like a lot of work to enjoy for just one month. 

And even though we have so many decorations, every year we add something new. This time we added a string of lights and a new star topper for the tree. Ever since I first studied the Bible during the holiday season of 1981, I’ve associated Christmas lights with Jesus.

Light holds a special significance in the Bible. On the very first day, God created light and separated it from the darkness which hung over the soon-to-be-formed Earth. From that point forward, the Bible equates light with holiness, goodness, knowledge, wisdom, grace, hope, as well as God’s presence and revelation. In contrast, darkness symbolizes sin, evil, and despair. Light and darkness are absolute opposites, meaning they cannot coexist in the same space. As the Apostle John wrote, “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5b NIV).

After God created light, it continued to play a significant role in the history of the Israelites. As Moses led them out of Egypt and into the wilderness, God went ahead of them as a cloud by day and as a pillar of fire by night. This allowed the Israelites to travel at any time (Exodus 13:21). The light from the fire signified both God’s presence and His guidance. 

Every year, during the seven-day festival called the Feast of Tabernacles, the Israelites participated in the ceremony called the “Illumination of the Temple”. To remind the people of the pillar of fire, each evening they filled four golden torches with enough oil to keep them burning all night. Because these lamps stood seventy-five feet high, they were said to have illuminated the entire city of Jerusalem.

At the conclusion of this festival, Jesus made His second I AM Statement:

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12b NIV)

As the Jewish people at the festival heard these words, they immediately drew the connection to the temple torches. While these golden torches certainly impressed everyone by lighting up the city of Jerusalem, Jesus claimed His light would illuminate the entire world. His light knows no limits ~ and is available to everyone. 

This is great news for all of us. Earlier in his gospel, John describes how the light of Jesus reveals God’s truths and exposes our personal darkness (sin) (John 3:19-21). As we see our need for His saving grace, He is able to lead us out of the darkness and into the light of life. 

Not only will Jesus lead us out of the darkness, He will continue to guide us so we never have to walk in darkness again. Just as the pillar of fire led the Israelites in the wilderness, the light of Jesus shows us how to live godly lives in this broken world. But once again Jesus’ light is even greater than the pillar of fire because His presence will remain with us forever. He will guide us through this life, and into the next one. 

This is why I love decorating with Christmas lights. They bring me so much joy ~ because they point me to the One true light of the world.

Lord Jesus, thank You for bringing Your light to our world. Your light exposes our darkness so we can truly walk in Your light. Thank You that we never have to walk in darkness again for Your light guides us, and gives us the assurance of our salvation. May we think of You this season as we enjoy all the Christmas lights around us. We pray this in Your name, Amen.