Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - Are You Afraid of the Dark? | Advent | John 1:4-5

Episode Date: December 7, 2022

Why do you see so much light around Christmas time? What's the purpose of Christmas lights? What does it mean that Jesus is the light of the world? in today's episode, Jensen shares what the imagery of light represents in the Bible and in John 1:4-5. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it with others, so others can find it too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter@TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passages: John 1:4-5 Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now.

Welcome to 10-minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life. And the time it takes to get to work. I'm Jensen Holt McNair. I am an easy scare. Unfortunately, many people know this about me, and I cannot tell you how many times late at night when tearing down an event at our church, one of my friends would pop out of the darkness just to see me scream. I'm the person who runs to her bedroom when she turns off the last light in her house at night. I don't like the dark.

I always feel like someone is going to grab me or chase me or pop out and scare me. Logically, there's no need to run to my bedroom where a light is on. The moment I turn off my kitchen light changes nothing about my house. If someone is there to murder me, they could do it in the light just as easily as in the dark. But there is something about the dark that is inherently unnerving to me. You can't see clearly, you don't know where you're going. So running to my bedroom feels safer because the story. sooner I get to a room with light, the sooner I can see. Maybe I'm alone in my nighttime routine,

or just a little extra wigged out by the darkness, but I think we all have a sense of safety in light. It makes me think of a popular quote from Harry Potter when Dumbledore says, Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on a light. There is something within us that knows light can bring joy and security and happiness to our lives. We have Christmas lights and fireworks and twinkle lights. There's just something about a light shining in the darkness that brings hope, joy, wonder. And so it should come as no surprise to you that all throughout Scripture, we often see light being used as imagery for God's presence and for goodness. So the Old Testament specifically often uses the image of light as a symbol of knowledge and moral purity.

Knowledge and righteous living casts out the darkness of confusion and disobedience. So as we continue in the first few verses of John today, we'll see this imagery continues to be present throughout the New Testament. John begins his gospel with a beautiful section of imagery describing the person of Jesus. We're picking up today with verses four in first. In Him, that's Jesus. In Jesus was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. Here we see Jesus as the light that will bring light to men and overcome the darkness forever. That statement alone is good news and it is exciting with just our rudimentary understanding of light and darkness. But if we remember that the imagery of light has deep

roots in scripture, we can uncover even more depth and bring so much richness to the statement. See, the idea that Jesus is light isn't just a nice comforting statement. See, later in John, we encounter a scene where Jesus tells the Pharisees this. He says, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. And the Pharisees don't believe him, because Jesus isn't just saying, I'm a happy and bright personality. He's making a much bigger statement. See, back in Isaiah 9, there's a section of scripture titled, Fortua's a child is born. You've probably read it before. It starts out with, the people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who dwelt in the land of deep darkness on them a light

shone. And it goes on to say that this one who is the great light has increased the joy of the nation, he has broken the rod of their oppressor. He will be a wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, and prince of peace. And he will establish and uphold his kingdom of peace that will go on forever. See, this light is a vision of hope for the people of Israel, who are experiencing the consequences of their failure and disobedience. They have broken the covenant they made with Yahweh. But he is faithful, and he promises that a light is coming. And in the Gospel of John, we see that Jesus is that light. A light with the power to bring great joy out of darkness. A light with the power to bring new life as it breaks the chains

of the oppressor. A light that establishes a kingdom full of justice and peace for those who follow him to live alongside him. Jesus is that good light. And when Jesus tells the very first, He says that whoever follows him will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. Jesus is the good light, and he is offering us a piece of that light that brings life in the darkness. Later in Isaiah 42, we can read that a chosen servant will be sent by God to represent the people of Israel. Speaking to that servant, God says, I have called you in righteousness. I will take you by the hand and keep you.

I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoner from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. See, Jesus is that chosen servant, sent to live righteously and fulfill the covenant for the people of God. And through his life, he will be a light for all. the nations. His light will open the eyes that are blind and free prisoners from darkness. Now remember, in the Old Testament, light is often a symbol of truth and moral purity. And here we see

that through the righteousness of Jesus, the nations can see the truth of the gospel and be set free from the chains of sin and brokenness. The righteousness and truth of Jesus set us free. The light casts out darkness. The gospel is delicately woven through the entire Bible, and in the person of Jesus, I love how we see it all shining clearly and brightly. This light is for all nations, and it calls us out of darkness and into a kingdom that Jesus is establishing. Revelation ends with a beautiful imagery detailing this coming kingdom, and one of my favorite bits of that imagery has to do with light. Revelation 21, 23 to 25. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the lamb. By its light will the

nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day, and there will be no night there. Imagine a world with no sun or moon. but with everlasting light. There is no need for the sun because God is there and he is light. He is truth. He is moral purity. He is righteousness for his people. The nations will walk by his light into the kingdom of God. The kings of the earth will bring their glory to the kingdom by his light. As believers, we follow the truth of the gospel. We follow Jesus. We follow the light into the kingdom. The good news that Jesus is the light of life means that we have a God who is guiding us and calling us into his kingdom where we don't need electricity or the sun or a candle to feel

safe. No, his light shines all day and there is no night, no more darkness. There is just light and safety. The gates are never locked, never shut, because there is no danger of darkness. Only light and life. Can you imagine this world? Can you imagine never running through the darkness of your house to get to the safety of your bedroom again? Can you imagine a world where the oppression of darkness, the chains of sin, have been broken by the light of King Jesus? Can you imagine a kingdom where we can bass, in the glorious light of our Savior forevermore. I'll admit that sometimes it's hard to imagine in a world so full of darkness.

But in this Advent season, the Gospel of John is inviting us to imagine, to believe in the truth of the reality, and to feel the joy of the anticipation of that light and all that it brings coming into this world. I know this season is busy, and overwhelming at times, but don't let the busyness and fatigue cast shadows on the true light that this Christmas season brings. So this week, as we see the lights on our Christmas trees,

the lights on our neighbors' houses, or light from our fireplaces, may it remind us of the true light that Christmas brings, not one of fleeting joy, but of everlasting peace, faithfully following the light of life into his good kingdom. Before you forget, sign up for the 10-minute Bible Talks newsletter. Hit the link in the show notes and you'll get an email every Wednesday that will help encourage you in the middle of the work week and bring you deeper in your walk with Jesus. Thanks for listening.