The Guiding Light

“The crowd responded, “We understood from Scripture that the Messiah would live forever. How can you say the Son of Man will die? Just who is this Son of Man, anyway?”

Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.”

After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.”  John 12:34-36 NLT

Last week, I talked a bit about my own fear. There was a great deal of apprehension that went with it, and the days after writing it were a bit nerve racking to say the least.  However, the thing I gained greatest comfort in was God would take me one of two places.  One, He would show how wrong I was, and I would see that I needed to be more aligned with Him.  Or two, He would give me greater courage and strength assured He is as I knew He always was; with me.  Today, the light is on, and my walk is illuminated.  Occasionally, I must confirm the light is not a freight train, but so far, so good.  The thing that drove me toward that belief is quite simply trust.  I keep reading His word and trusting in it, and it reassures me.  I hear Him in a sermon, and feel His presence when I question something that I have prayed on.  When there is no light, I seek it, and it’s always there.  Guiding me.

God always provides us with light to guide us through darkness.  Reading today’s verses, there are three things I am struck by.  First, the perspective of the crowd is an example how people often see their problems through a worldly and not Godly lens.  The crowd was well read and understanding of scripture, but they could see no further than what they read and heard.  They were looking behind at what they knew, but not ahead at what was possible.  How often are we stunting our own growth by limiting ourselves by what we once did rather than asking what through Jesus Christ we can now do?

Second, Jesus talked about trusting “in the light while there is still time.”  At first, one might think the verse is referring to Jesus’s time on earth is coming to an end.  While this is true, one must also note that if we have life on earth, we can become that very child of the light as well.  Think of the man on the cross when Jesus said to him, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43b)  There the man acknowledged he deserved punishment (judgment), and simply asked Jesus to remember him (repentance).  He had only three simple verses in the Bible, and yet, they gave us hope knowing the compassion Christ has for those who have sinned and repented.  How cool is that?

Finally, my focus went to how Jesus went and was hidden from them.  In the subsequent verses, it noted that most still doubted who Jesus was, but there were those who chose to believe in Him.  Those who believed had two things going for them that are important for us to remember today.  First, they fully trusted in Jesus.  This gave them a sense of surety that while He was hidden from them, He was always there.  Second, the light was now shining from within them.  Therefore, they had a sense of where they were going.  Think of their journey as an infinite game.  There was no winning or losing.  They were angling to continue forward with Christ, and thus left their former lives behind them.  They were now ‘children of the light,’ and their focus was on eternity.  Not the moment.  We too must think of our journey of faith as an infinite one.  Our time in this world is but a point along the road.  Our goal is to continue forward not looking back at our old self but instead focusing on our ever-growing relationship with God through Christ.  This not only reveals to us His light but also flips on the light within us for others to follow.

In a world that is filled with darkness, we are indeed shown the light through Jesus Christ.  Yes, there are times where it is difficult to see, and we can at times find ourselves lost in the wilderness.  But if we know Him, we are never alone, and no matter how dark it seems, we know the light is there.  We can walk with purpose knowing that as His child, we will not only find light but also be the light for those around us.  Let us always be knowledgeable of that simple truth.  Are you following His light?  Will you share your light with those closest to you?  My prayer is simple.  Focus on the guiding light of Christ, and trust it to lead us for all eternity.  Amen.