April 20, 2024
Allen Rea, pastor
Dunn Memorial Baptist Church, Baxley
There seems to be no shortage of directions these days. Our phones have replaced alarm clocks, cameras, and personal contact with people. The smart phones now have replaced our atlases and road maps. Gone are the days when you had to seek that counsel of one who had walked the way before. We tend to ask “all knowing” Google, before we ask Almighty God. The simple push of a button allows us to find direction; however, direction will do you no good without the light to lead the way. Dark directions are a fool’s errand.
PICJUMBO/PhotoJohn’s Gospel is filled with the lightness-and-darkness metaphor. Darkness has no power over the light (John 1:5). The condemnation from God is that “men loved darkness rather than Light” (John 3:19). In creation God gave us several sources of light (Genesis 1:16). In recreation God has provided only One source of Light.
Jesus plainly testifies this to the Pharisees in John 8:12: “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” Darkness is the absence of light, and darkness is no longer our companion when we follow the Light. We had no concept of Light when we were lost. This was because “the god of this world had blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Such awesome wonder inspired John Newton to speak of once being blind but now seeing.
When you face light your shadow, darkness flees behind you. Darkness cowards away from light. Light does not and should never be afraid of darkness. The promise of the Scripture is clear: if you follow Jesus you do not walk in darkness. In other words, our journey is not only pure but clear. We need not fear being conquered or losing our way. We are too prone to forget who we are in Jesus Christ.
Light provides the direction we need. Later in John’s Gospel Jesus explains to the apostles that He is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6). The word translated “Way” is a Greek word that can mean “road, way, or journey.” Jesus is simultaneous both the Road we travel on and the Light that guides us as we walk to eternity.
Paul exhorted the Ephesians to “walk as children of Light” (Ephesians 5:8). The quest for direction must originate, maintain, and be finalized in Jesus Christ. Life without the Light of Jesus is hopeless.
Our smartphones cannot provide directions without error. There is only one place to go to for infallible and inerrant truth: the Word of God. Jesus Christ is all that you need direction to because He is all you will ever need. God dwells in inapproachable light (1 Timothy 6:16). Christ came as the Light from the Light to explain God to us (John 1:18). No one is more qualified to explain God than God Himself.
Adrian Rogers once was asked what the world was coming to. He responded that the “world was coming to Jesus.” He referenced Colossians 1 as he made that statement. Are you living your life in a way that people are directed to Jesus through you? People need the grace of salvation, a place where no smart phone can lead them. Jesus reveals the way because He is the Way. Who have you pointed to Him lately?
