“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” – John 8:12

The world seems awfully dark these days. Over a thousand Americans died in one day due to the Covid-19 virus in the US. Experts say things are about to get worse. Much worse.

Ever been in complete darkness? I mean pitch dark, so dark you can’t see your hand in front of your face dark. It can be quite disorientating, if not frightening. It’s the unknown that is scary. You can’t see. You just hear ominous news.

Darkness.

John chapters 7-9 record some of the strongest confrontation between Jesus and the Jewish religious authorities. They want to kill him.

Darkness.

It is to this world Jesus enters. It is to this world Jesus declares, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

Darkness.

Darkness is still present. It’s just that light dispels darkness.

Death has no power over the light of the world.

Follow him. Follow Jesus. Jesus is the light of life and darkness, uncertainty, death and darkness trembles.

Now, look who is afraid.

Light dispels darkness.

Jesus is the light of our world.

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty'” – John 6:35

Never be hungry…?

Never be thirsty…?

What’s that about?

“I am the bread of life,” declares Jesus. Just as we need food to live, Jesus offers us something without which we could never fully live: meaning and purpose.

Only Jesus can provide us with meaning and purpose because he is our Creator. Only the Creator knows the meaning and purpose of our being.

Without Jesus, we will always be floundering for meaning and purpose. We will always be hungry and thirsty. There is no amount of money, pleasure, power, success, achievement that can ever satisfy.

But those who come to Jesus – will never be hungry.

Those who believe in Jesus – will never be thirsty.

Have you received and believed in Jesus? Start living. Receive and believe Jesus as Lord and Savior.

 

“The lake became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the lake and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid'” – John 6:18-20.

Rough…stormy…terrified…

Kinda sounds like our world!

The world can be that way, particularly when rough things happen that are absolutely out of our control. Storms of life are always terrifying.

And when the disciples were frightened out of their mind, Jesus shows up to tell them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Take a guess at what “It is I” is a translation of.

Yup. The Greek translation of YHWH. God’s presence changes everything.

No matter what we are going through today, we are never alone for the love of God, the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the presence of the Holy Spirit is with you.