Month: August 2018

There are those little things that we take for granted. When we are
faced with a life without them suddenly life is so much more difficult,
and we mourn the loss of what was once so common. Electricity, A/C
and running water are among those things. Another more infinitely
simple blessing that we often overlook is light.

It is more than obvious that we would not exist without the light of
the sun. It supplies heat that keeps us from freezing the atmosphere
of space. It keeps all the vegetation alive which keeps us alive. The
light of the sun is an impartial blessing to all people. In the context of
loving your enemies, Jesus spoke of God sending sun and rain upon
the good and evil as an example of His love. “He causes His sun to
rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and
the unrighteous” (Matt. 5:45). In like fashion, God sent His Sun to be
the light for all mankind. “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I
am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the
darkness, but will have the Light of life’” (John 8:12). John also
describes the power of the source of this light. “In Him was life,
and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:4-5). In this
description of Himself, we see the usefulness of the Christ as a light
for the world. The Christ is a light that can’t be extinguished in any
way. He is a light that is to guide us through the darkness of this
world. We also need to be filling ourselves with that light, “for you
were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as
children of Light” (Eph 5:8). The life we lived before we became
Christians was a life lived in darkness. Now, we can pattern our lives
after Him. Not only can we be children of light, but we can also put on
the armor of light. “Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness
and put on the armor of light” (Rom. 13:12). We are to be an
influence of light as we shine the light of the Son into the darkness
around us. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they
may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven”
(Matt. 5:16).

The Son shone upon the world and brought the blessing of eternal
life to all who would believe and are obedient to His word. However
Jesus spoke of a time when those who are unfaithful will be separated
from His light. “But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the
outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of
teeth” (Matt. 8:12). A time of utter darkness is coming. Those who
have not prepared and not kept their lamps lit will not be blessed to
be in the presence of the Light. “We must work the works of Him who
sent Me as long as it is day” (John 9:4)

This question may not matter to you. I believe we are at liberty to
choose within the options the Bible provides. What is your image of
Jesus? There are a lot of artists who have depicted Him. The images
have taken on the aspects of the particular culture in which they
were created. Most of them have an eye pleasing, peaceful, angelic
image of Him, which is contrary to Isaiah’s prophecy (53:2). Some
depict Him with sheep, some with children and some on the cross,
all of which happened at some time and all of which speak to His
earthly appearance. What if I told you there was another way to
look at Jesus the Christ?The apostle John writes more about the image
and person of the Christ than any other apostle. It is John that writes
about His origin, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). It is John who records
Jesus’ seven “I Am” statements: “Bread of life” (6:48), “Light of the
world” (8:12), “the Door” (10:7), “the Good Shepherd” (10:11), “the
Way, the Truth and the Life” (14:6), and “the True Vine” (15:1). In the
gospel of John (21:12-14) and in his first letter (1:1-4), John makes it
clear that the resurrected Jesus was not a ghost but the real living
person of Jesus. With so much being written by John about the
presage of the Christ, it is no wonder that he would be the one to
record the most powerful images of the exalted Savior.

When John was on the Isle of Patmos, the visions that he was shown
of heaven and things that “must soon take place” (Revelation 1:1)
included imagery of the Exalted Christ. In the opening chapter of
Revelation, John records what he sees of Jesus: voice like thunder
or many waters (1:10,15), clothed in a robe with golden sash (1:13),
hair like white wool (1:14), eyes like fire (1:14), feet like molten
bronze (1:15), two-edged sword for a tongue (1:16), and His face
shown like the sun (1:16). This was such an impressive sight that
John fell down as though he was dead. Jesus comforts John and tells
him to write to the seven churches of Asia. Jesus opens these letters
with a description of Himself, some of which comes from John’s vision
of Him. It is important to note that Jesus would use the imagery of His
exalted form to address these letters. It is this form that would
impress upon them the changes they needed to make. It was this form
that would encourage those congregations suffering persecution. If
you were under the thumb of an abusive government, who would you
want as your Savior? A nice looking guy holding a sheep or the exalted
King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:11-16)? Tremble and repent
at the thought of Him who has the eyes of flaming fire. Take courage
and fight with the One who judges and wages war.