The Gospel of Light

John 3:16-21

 

1. America has started as a British colony, and in 1776 it declared independence from British Empire. So, July the 4th is called Independence Day. On the other hand, Korea has started as a sovereign nation and kept independence for thousands of years, though some temporary internal divisions happened, until 1905 when it was occupied by Japan. We felt a great shame to fully lose sovereignty for the first time in history. Those 36 years was regarded as the dark age of Korea. So, when Japan withdrew from Korea in 1945 by the victory of American army, Korean people named August 15 the Day of Light Restored.

2. Why did they name it the Day of Light Restored? They certainly knew the crucial importance of light for human life. Loss of freedom and sovereignty resulted in the miserable life of slavery, living in darkness. Now, Korea enjoys democratic freedom and economic prosperity. Then, do all Koreans live in light? How about us who live in America, the most free country in the world? Freedom without standard, freedom without truth, freedom without God will result in chaos and darkness. Worldly lights look bright, but they are not bright enough for us to see the right way to walk our life. We need true light bright enough.

3. Jesus came to the world as the true light: “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.”(Jn 1:9) Jesus said: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”(Jn 8:12); “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”(Jn 12:46) So, now 2 billion people on the earth follow Him to live in true light. We too follow Him and we are called the children of light and the children of day. In this world we see many lights from many direction, confusing and misguiding us, but we follow only the true light Jesus Christ.

4. What are the signs and proofs that we live in light? First, we believe in God and follow the will of the Creator. Human being is not self-existent but created by the other being. If any human denies God in this universe and live by one’s own will, he or she is certainly still in darkness. Then, which God? Islamic Allah, or Hindu gods, or African deities? Which god might be our true Creator? Jehovah! He is the only and true God. He is the One who created this universe and governs the world now, and will judge all the living and the dead. Why? Of course, it belongs to the area of belief beyond our rational judgment. But even in rational comparison, Jehovah of the Bible is the most probable one, incomparable to other gods in the whole world, for He is the most good, just, gracious and powerful God of all in human history. Difficulty in choice does not justify neglecting God. Without God, there is no true light: “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.”(1Jn 1:5)

5. Second, we believe in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Who can lead us to God? Confucius tried to figure out the will of Heaven but he confessed his limitation. Buddha was pessimistic to the world and tried to escape this world. He deserted his family and pursued his own salvation. Then, is it safe to follow Buddha or Confucius? If not, whom may we follow? Jesus Christ, His only Son, because God sent His only Son Jesus Christ as the Way to lead us to Him. Therefore, this is the Gospel: “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”(16) Mohammed identified Allah with Jehovah and introduced Him quite differently than Jesus. Of course, humans have definite limitation. However, Jesus is the Son of God and He knows best about God His Father. He is the only authentic channel to know God. Therefore, he came to the world as the Light of the world to move us from darkness to light. The most definite proofs that Jesus is the authentic Word of God is to teach and act that God is love. He did not come to the world to condemn but to save: “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”(17) Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross to prove the love of God for our salvation and gave us the new commandment of love to God and our human neighbors. But disbelief in Him naturally results in condemnation: “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.”(18)

6. Third, we expose our deeds to God and continue to repent them. Approaching to the Light is quite dangerous act, especially when it is very bright. When we approach to God through Jesus Christ, our being as a whole, word and deed, external and internal, is fully exposed. And we can see the reality of ourselves clearly, most of which are shameful things. Then, we continuously repent and change little by little until the original image of God is fully restored by imitating Christ. Both Christians and non-Christians are sinners, but we are different in knowing and repenting our wrongs before God. Whoever does not come to Jesus are condemned because they do not want to be exposed: “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”(19-21) Even as a Christian, we often try to hide or deny our wrongdoings by not approaching close to Jesus. Then, there is a great danger for self-deception that we live in light but in reality we still enjoy living in darkness: “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.”(1Jn 1:6); “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness… whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.”(1Jn 2:9,11)

7. The risen Jesus gave commission to Paul to turn the Gentiles “from darkness to light.”(Ac 26:18) So, he admonished Ephesian Christians: “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light!”(Eph 5:8) We have to arise and shine the light to people around us in the southwestern Michigan. To do that successfully, we have to approach to Christ closely everyday for exposure, confess our sins and repent them for change. May God brightly bless you with full light! Amen.