Promised Treasures: Light in the Darkness John 8:12; Genesis 1:1–5; Ephesians 5:1–2, 8–14

Grace, mercy and peace to you, from God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the light of the world. 

Tonight we’ll talk about the Promised Treasure of Light in the Darkness, based on John 8:12, 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.”

How timely that we’re talking about light overcoming the darkness after the change last weekend to Daylight Savings Time. 

In the summertime, the sun sets late and rises early: it’s a nice combination.

In the eternal paradise we call Heaven, Revelation 21:23 says it 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.

Eternal day and eternal summer there. But not too hot. Revelation 7:16 says we will never be scorched by the heat of the sun.

Hell, however, will be eternally scorched.

What saves us from that misery, is the Light of the World, not the sun, S-U-N, but the Son, S-O-N, the Son of God.

The contrasting themes of light and darkness are among the most frequent of all the analogies in Scripture. 

Scripture begins, however, not with an analogy of light and darkness, but with the physical reality and creation of it. 

In the beginning, on the first day of Creation, God created light, separating it from darkness, creating the laws of physics. 

Genesis 1 says, In the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth… 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

This was a great miracle, as all creation was, including the creation of life, especially human life, life in God’s image.

God also used His miraculous power to make life, not just in creating the world, but also in redeeming it. Again, in the miracle of human life, the birth of Jesus, and even more in the miracle of Jesus being true God, as well as being truly human.   

The opening verses of the Gospel of John, parallel the opening verses of Genesis, and describe this great miracle of life in God becoming man for us.  

John writes, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (the Son of God, second person of the Holy Trinity). 2 He was in the beginning with God.

 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.  4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Light was one of John’s favorite analogies to describe the Gospel, and the Christian life. 

We’re made by the Light, saved by the Light, and we walk in the Light; and that Light is Christ.

In our sermon text and in Matt. 5:13, Jesus says: I am the light of the world!

The analogy of light as salvation is also found in the Old Testament. Psalm 27:1, The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

Living in the darkness, there’s no end to what we might fear, all the evil that might sneak up on us, and injure us in body or mind or relationship or soul.

Living in the darkness of a life without Christ, a life without His Word to light our way, without His fellowship to keep us, without His family to help us, that’s a life that’s highly vulnerable, weak and vulnerable to sin and Satan and his demons, and to all that would harm us in this world, and in the world beyond.

When we live in the darkness of our sinful thoughts, and in a dark fellowship or alliance with the sinful world, our prospect on life looks dim. 

But our Savior shines the light for us, and on us. He can do that because He faced the darkness for us and has overcome it.

Sometimes when life looks especially bad or difficult, you might find yourself, and your mind, in a dark place.

No one… ever… has been in a darker place that Jesus was -- entirely forsaken, with all the sin and shame and guilt of the world resting on Him, crushing His spirit and His mind.

And yet, even though He was made to be sin for us, as we said in the opening verses of our service, taking all our sin and shame upon Himself, yet He didn’t allow that agony of body and mind and soul, lead Him to sin against His Father, nor against us, even though it was our sin He was suffering for.

If we would have remained holy as God made us to be, His Son would never have had to suffer.

Although it was on our account that He had to suffer and die, Jesus didn’t  selfishly blame us, like we can sometimes blame others when we’re hurting or grieving, but He freely accepted and received our guilt as His own, and selflessly gave Himself as a sacrifice to atone for our sin, to make us righteous, forgiven, in the sight of God… to bring us out of the darkness, and back into the light.

In Baptism, that light came into our lives, to drive out the darkness, with the light of the Holy Spirit.  

Now, why would we ever want to revert back to those dark days… that dark life apart from Christ?  

A forsaken life without His love and grace to light up our hearts; or without His Spirit to enlighten our minds; or without His Word to light our path, and show us the way? Why would we ever want to go back to a life without light?

As our Epistle says, 8For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.

Walk the walk of Christ, in the light of Christ. 

Since Christ is the shining light, and we’re baptized to be like Him, let us shine a light in this world. 

Jesus, who in John 8:12, says. “I am the light of the world, also says about us, in Matthew 5: 14-16: 14“You are the light of the world.

A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.

16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Let us shine the light of the Gospel in our world.

Let us shine the light to expose and oppose the darkness of sin and evil in our world… and in ourselves. 

Our sinful nature tries to darken and corrupt our thoughts and words and deeds. 

But that’s not what we’ve been called to be. God doesn’t call us to be darkness for the world, there’s enough, too much, of that… He calls us to be light for the world… that we need more of.

And He gives us His Gospel, and His Spirit, and His Word, and His Sacraments, to keep the light in us alive; that it doesn’t burn out, but burns brightly.

As we sing in the children’s song, Give me oil in my lamp, keep it burning…

Keep my faith on fire with Your Spirit; keep my mind lit up by Your Word; keep my countenance uplifted by Your blessing, that I may embrace the light, walk in the light, shine the light, and rejoice in the light!

And as we shine the light, the peace of God that passes understanding, will guard our hearts and minds, in the brightness of Christ, who is our Light everlasting. Amen.