Celia Stone: The light and life

The Apostle John, the “disciple whom Jesus loved,” wrote the Gospel of John plus First, Second and Third John as well as the Book of Revelation. John spelled out clearly to his readers the deity of Christ.

There never was a point in time when Jesus was not God. He always has existed as one of three persons of the trinity and always will. Jesus came to this earth with two complete but distinct natures: He was fully God and fully man.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of humankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.” John 1:1-9

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life — the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us — that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:1-3, 5-7

Jesus is both light and life. This unshakable truth offers hope and reassurance, especially in uncertain times. It is a breath of fresh air in our conflicted and often dark world; it is cause for joy in the midst of challenges. As Charles Wesley wrote in a poem which became a famous hymn, “Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Son of Righteousness! Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings.”