Scriptures: Isaiah 9:1-7, 42:1-7, John 9, Isaiah 60:19-20
Rather than come out and declare that he is the Messiah, Jesus often described himself and his kingdom in parables which are word pictures that describe a particular truth. God speaks through the language of symbols in dreams and visions because symbols can have many layers of meaning. The more we want to know, the deeper the Lord will take us in our understanding. That’s why Jesus told his disciples, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given – and you will receive even more” (Mark 4:24, NLT). The I AM statements of Jesus are often his way of pointing us to the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah so we will get more understanding of who Jesus is.
In John 8:12 Jesus declares, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Several Old Testament passages speak of the Messiah as light. Isaiah 9:2 says, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” Isaiah 9:1 identifies this land where the light dawns as the region where Jesus was raised, in Nazareth, and Galilee “by the Way of the Sea,” where Jesus did much of his preaching. Then Isaiah reveals how the light will dawn. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever” (Isaiah 9:6-7). The light would be born as God who is King.
Isaiah 42:1-7 describes the Messiah who will not only be a light to the Jews but to the Gentiles also. “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. 6 I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, 7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness” (Isaiah 42:1, 6-7). The sign that the light has appeared is the opening of eyes that are blind. For this reason, Jesus opened the eyes of the blind man and declared that he is the light of the world.
“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.2 His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ 3 ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ 6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.7 ‘Go,’ he told him, ‘wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (this word means ‘Sent’). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing” (John 9:1-7). Jesus healed him in this manner for a reason.
The Pool of Siloam is fed by the Gihon spring, a fountain of living water. Jesus told the blind man to wash his eyes in the living water and he would see, a prophetic picture of baptism. In John 3:3 Jesus says, “No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” When we are baptized and born again, our eyes are washed clean and opened to see God’s invisible kingdom. John 9 tells us that after the blind man’s eyes were opened, Jesus revealed himself to him as the Son of Man – the Messiah – and the man worshipped Jesus. Then Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind” (John 9:39). Jesus came as a light to the Jews, but those who rejected him became blind while those who couldn’t see before – the Gentiles – were shown light.
Jesus explains this concept in John 3:19-20 when he says, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” Unless we come to Jesus, the Light, and invite him to examine our lives and lead is into truth, we choose darkness and blindness, living in fear of exposure. All of us have sinned. No one is “good enough” to earn salvation. If we think we don’t need the Light, we’re blind and lost like the religious leaders of Jesus’ day whom Jesus said were guilty of sin because they claimed they could see (John 9:41). When we step into the light, inviting Jesus to wash us and make us clean, we see the difference between good and evil and are led into truth.
Jesus brings light to those in darkness by teaching us God’s ways and demonstrating them in love. He makes a way for us to fellowship with God in the light of truth and God’s love. In this way he fulfills another object in the Holy Place of God’s tabernacle as the way to the Father. He is the light which was provided by the seven-branched menorah or lampstand. He is filled with the sevenfold Spirit of God as described in Isaiah 11. John sees the heavenly lampstand as the sevenfold Spirit of God before God’s throne in Revelation 4:5. The Spirit gives light to the world by revealing Jesus, the Light of the world. God wants us to come and abide with him in the Holy Place so we, too, can be filled with light.
When we fix our eyes on Jesus in the Holy Place through prayer and meditation on the scriptures, we encounter God’s light and are transformed, just like Moses’ face shone with light after he spent time in God’s presence. His face shone so bright he had to put a veil over it. The more we look at Jesus and behold him, the more we are filled with light and become like him. Paul reveals that this time spent beholding the light is what brings transformation. “We all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). We fix our eyes on the Light so we can be filled with his light and shine in the darkness, drawing others to the Light.
The festival of Hanukkah celebrates the miracle of the oil that was only enough for one day yet kept the lampstand in the temple lit for eight days while they made new oil for the temple at a time of cleansing and rededication. Hellenization by the Greeks had brought in outside, pagan influences, which were removed as a result of the Maccabean revolt. We can celebrate the miracle of light that will not go out even when we’ve messed up and allowed outside influences to defile our sanctuary. We step into the light by confessing our sins, asking Jesus to cleanse us with his blood and living water. He will fill us with light that never goes out. Hanukkah points to Jesus, the Light that will never be extinguished (John 1:5). Just like the oil lasted for eight days – one day beyond a week which is a symbol of creation – Jesus’ light will shine when this earth is finished and a new heaven and earth are created.
When Jesus returns at the end of the age, he will replace the sun as our source of light, as mentioned in Zechariah 14:6-7. Isaiah 60:19 says, “The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.” Revelation 21:23 reveals it is Jesus who is the eternal light. “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.” Light of the world come!
Response:
Thank you, Jesus, for washing me with your word so I can see the truth of your kingdom. Thank you for teaching and demonstrating God’s truth in love. Every word you speak is light and life. Fill me with your light as I behold you so that I may shine and bring glory to the Father by pointing others to you.
(The picture above is the Sea of Galilee, where Isaiah said the light would dawn. Jesus began his teaching ministry in this region, bringing light to the world.)
