"I Am the Light of the World"
Good morning, Immanuel. We were made for the gravitational pull of Jesus!
“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
Could you imagine a world without the sun? I’m not a scientist, so I researched what would likely happen if the sun were to vanish suddenly. The first and most obvious effect would be darkness, and that’s a scary thought - but it only goes downhill. Since the sun is the anchor point of our solar system, the loss of its gravitational force would throw the planets out of orbit, and chaos would slowly creep in. Eventually, there would be no more photosynthesis, causing much plant life to die. Then the temperature would drop, the surface of the oceans would freeze up, and eventually, the entire ocean would freeze. The atmosphere would collapse, radiation would seep in, and the planet would become a barren wasteland floating through space.
But if the world around us greatly depends on the light and heat of the “s-u-n” sun, how much more is that true of our need for the “s-o-n” Son—Jesus? If there would be chaos in the absence of the sun, how much more would there be chaos in the absence of Jesus? And if there would be life in the presence of the sun, then how much more is there life eternal in the light of Jesus? Truly, Christ is our life, and “he is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Col. 1:17). The light of His gospel brought us life, and the light of His glory sustains us through the darkest places. I give the final words to C.H. Spurgeon:
He is the guiding light through sickness and suffering, trust Him, and He will make your bed in your sickness, He will bring lasting benefits out of your most lamentable afflictions. He is the guiding light through death’s dark vale. In those gloomy shades you need fear no ill if you keep close to Him. “Sun of my soul, Thou Savior dear, It is not night if Thou be near.”
Source: Spurgeon, C. H. (1916, October 19). The Light of the World. Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit.