In a world often shrouded in shadows, we all long for a guiding light. A beacon of hope that can illuminate our path and lead us out of the darkness that sometimes engulfs our lives. This longing is not new – it’s a timeless human experience that resonates through the ages.
Imagine, for a moment, living in a world without electricity. As the sun sets, darkness envelops everything, and your primary light source disappears until dawn. Without a torch to burn or a candle to light, you would be bound by the darkness until the sun rose the next day. In such a reality, light becomes precious, a symbol of safety, guidance, and life itself. It’s in this context that we can truly appreciate the profound declaration that Jesus makes:
“I am the light of the world.”
Jesus uttered this statement during the Jewish festival of Tabernacles. During this festival, giant candlesticks lit up the night sky, symbolic of the pillar of fire that God’s used to lead His people through the wilderness during the exodus from Egypt. Picture yourself standing in the temple courtyard, surrounded by towering 75-foot candlesticks, their flames visible across an entire city. Now imagine someone pointing to these impressive lights and declaring, “I am an even greater light than these – I offer light not just for this city, but for the entire world.”
The imagery is powerful, drawing on the rich symbolism of light in spiritual traditions. In the Old Testament, light represented wisdom, guidance, and salvation. In Greek culture, it symbolized life, happiness, and goodness. Darkness, by contrast, often represented ignorance, evil, and death.
But what does it mean for us today to have a “light of the world”? How does this ancient concept apply to our modern lives?
To understand, we must first recognize the darkness in our own lives. It’s not always as obvious as physical darkness, but it’s just as real and often more insidious. Darkness can manifest as confusion when we lack clarity in our lives. It can be the lies we believe about ourselves or others. Sometimes, darkness takes the form of shame or secrecy, compelling us to hide parts of who we are. At other times, it’s the brokenness and pain we experience in a world marred by evil and wrongdoing.
We’ve all touched this darkness in some way. We’ve all felt lost, confused, or trapped by our own mistakes, circumstances, or sin.
And in these moments, we desperately need a light to lead us out.
The Psalmist David understood this need intimately. In Psalm 27, he writes, “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear?” He goes on to describe how this divine light provides safety, reveals beauty, offers mercy, teaches the right path, and allows us to see goodness even in difficult times.
This is the promise offered to us – a light that doesn’t just illuminate our surroundings, but transforms our very lives. It’s a light that promises to lead us out of self-destructive patterns, to shatter the lies we’ve believed, to provide wisdom for our decisions, and to free us from the burden of sin and shame.
But here’s the challenging part: embracing this light means leaving the darkness behind. And sometimes, we’ve grown accustomed to the dark. We might even prefer it, because it allows us to hide the parts of ourselves we’re ashamed of or the deeds we’d rather keep secret.
John 3:19-21 captures this struggle perfectly: “Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 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.”
We’re faced with a choice: remain in the darkness or embrace the light. Remaining in darkness might feel safer, but it keeps us trapped in our shame, our destructive patterns, and our limited vision of what life could be.
Embracing the light, on the other hand, requires vulnerability. It means allowing every part of our lives to be illuminated – even the parts we’d rather keep hidden. This can be uncomfortable, even painful at first. Like stepping out of a dark movie theater into bright sunlight, it takes time for our eyes to adjust.
But the discomfort is temporary, and the benefits are transformative. When we bring our darkness into the light – our secrets, our shame, our struggles – we often find that the light disarms the power these things held over us. There’s profound freedom in confession, in bringing hidden things into the open where they can be dealt with honestly.
The promise is this: “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Walking in the light doesn’t mean we’re suddenly perfect. It means we’re honest about our imperfections, allowing the light to cleanse and transform us continually.
One of the most striking realities of light is that there’s no darkness too deep for it to penetrate. Even a small light has a big impact when allowed to shine in a dark space. It is like this with Jesus: when we invite the Light of His love and leadership into the darkness in our lives, He dispels the darkness and disarms it. And, even in our worst moments, even when we feel furthest from the light, it’s still reaching out to us.
Consider the profound moment described in Matthew 27, where Jesus, hanging on the cross, cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” In that moment, the one who declared himself the “light of the world” entered into the deepest darkness imaginable – separation from God – so that we might never have to experience that darkness ourselves.
This is the heart of the message: There is no darkness in your life that is too dark for Jesus – the light of the world – to meet you in and lead you out.
No matter what you’ve done, no matter how far you feel you’ve strayed, the light is still calling you, inviting you to step out of the shadows and into a life of clarity, purpose, and freedom.
The invitation stands for each of us today. Where is the darkness in your life? Where do you need the light of Jesus to shine? Perhaps it’s a decision you’re struggling with, a relationship that needs healing, a habit you can’t seem to break, or a truth about yourself you’ve been afraid to face. Whatever it is, know that the light is not here to condemn you, but to save you, to guide you, to transform you. It may feel uncomfortable at first, but beyond that discomfort lies a life more beautiful and free than you’ve dared to imagine. All we have to do is invite Him into the darkness to love us where we are and lead us out into the light.
Will you remain in the darkness, or will you take that courageous step into the light?
Hildenbrandt Ministries 