The Excellency of the Light

Anchor Scripture: Revelation 21: 23-27

Introduction

Artificially, Power outages bring gloom and a feeling of despondency which is accompanied by palpable fear to us as a people. But the presence of light, even when we have no use for it, is always with a feeling of hope and joy. In my part of the world where constant power supply is considered a luxury and therefore an exclusive of the rich, whenever power is restored, people jubilantly shout for joy.

Naturally, we are able to carry out a bulk of our daily activities only during the day; when there is light. But as soon as the dusk sets in, even animals withdraw into their closets, except for the nocturnal ones. Man keep away from darkness because darkness brings about fear and evil. Dark periods are supposed periods of great inactivity, tiredness and gloom.

From the foregoing therefore, it is clear the reason the first thing God created was the LIGHT!

Today, God shall fill us with His Light and show us why we need His Light at all times. May our hearts of understanding be opened to so freely receive from Him today in Jesus Christ Mighty Name. Amen.

Message

Naturally speaking, there is no gainsaying that all mortals desire light because it facilitates our existence. Very few people sleep during the day when there is light everywhere. However, at night, in the absence of the light, everyone seeks for cover and protection either inside their houses playing, or in sleep. This talks about the natural light created by God in Genesis 1: 1-5.

But there is a Light, Divine, Who is of God, and Who should not by any standard compared to the other light spoken above, Jesus Christ. In actual fact, the other light was made possible by the Light Divine. The book of John 1: 3, the Bible says “All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.” The same book of John, 1: 4, calls Him, “. . . the light of men.” So, it is an established fact that even the light we so much crave was made by the Light Divine. The Bible calls Him, “. . . the firstborn of every creation” and all things consist of Him. (Colossians 1: 15-17)

 In Acts 17:28, the Bible puts it as, “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; . . . .” The simple implication of that is that there is no us without Him! In our anchor Scripture this morning, the Bible says “and the Lamb is the light thereof.” Could we imaging having Him, being the Light of a whole city, as our personal light? Oh, this is it: imagine the village, town or city where you live; now imagine your own room is decorated by the numerous number and varieties of the light in there. How will your room look like?

By way of simple illustration, let us see the Excellency of the Light and why we must crave and cling to Him.

Light in Scripture is the emblem of joy. The joy of the saints in heaven is comprised in this: Jesus chose us, loved us, bought us, cleansed us, robed us, kept us, glorified us: we are here entirely through the Lord Jesus. Each one of these thoughts shall be to them like a cluster of the grapes of Eshcol (Numbers 13: 23-24). Light is also the cause of beauty. Nought of beauty is left when light is gone. Without light no radiance flashes from the sapphire, no peaceful ray proceedeth from the pearl; and thus all the beauty of the saints above comes from Jesus. As planets, they reflect the light of the Sun of Righteousness; they live as beams proceeding from the central orb. If He withdrew, they must die; if His glory were veiled, their glory must expire (John 15: 4-5). Light is also the emblem of knowledge (James 1: 5, 1 Cor. 1: 24). In heaven, our knowledge will be perfect, but the Lord Jesus Himself will be the fountain of it. Dark providences, never understood before, will then be clearly seen, and all that puzzles us now will become plain to us in the light of the Lamb. Oh! what unfoldings there will be and what glorifying of the God of love! Light also means manifestation (Isaiah 60: 1-2). Light manifests. In this world it doth not yet appear what we shall be. God's people are a hidden people, but when Christ receives his people into heaven, he will touch them with the wand of his own love, and change them into the image of his manifested glory. They were poor and wretched, but what a transformation! They were stained with sin, but one touch of his finger, and they are bright as the sun, and clear as crystal. Oh! what a manifestation!

Conclusion

All these proceeds from the exalted Lamb. Whatever there may be of effulgent splendour, Jesus shall be the center and soul of it all. Oh! to be present and to see him in his own light, the King of kings, and Lord of lords!

As I round off today, the Bible says “For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly” (Psalm 84: 11) and that “he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

How delightful then it is to be in the Light! The Bible says that “God is Light and in Him, there is no darkness.” Therefore, if we claim to belong to Him, let us walk and remain in the Light!

Till we meet again, Keep keeping on in Him!