The Light of the World

” Light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light.” (John 3:19)

At first, the light was just too bright for Nicodemus. When we first meet him in John’s Gospel, he is coming to Jesus “at night” to do a little private investigation. A Pharisee, Nicodemus was intrigued by Jesus, but he was also reluctant to associate himself publicly with this teacher from Galilee. Jesus, “the light,” had come into the world, but Nicodemus wasn’t ready yet to come into that light. We can only guess why. Maybe he was afraid of change. Maybe he was concerned about the reaction from some of his fellow Pharisees.

But slowly and steadily, this respected teacher of the Jews let the light dawn. When some of Israel’s leaders wanted to have Jesus arrested, Nicodemus openly defended him (John 7:50-51). And after Jesus was crucified, Nicodemus bravely stepped forward, bringing costly spices to help prepare Jesus’ body for burial. He was coming into the light! The Holy Spirit was working in his heart, freeing him from fear.

Nicodemus shows us that it’s never too late to come to the Lord. Sometimes we may be hesitant to step into his light, especially if it means confessing our sins. Sometimes we feel more comfortable approaching Jesus during the “night” with a guarded heart. And that’s okay, so long as we keep taking steps closer to the light, even small steps. After all, that’s how Nicodemus began, and look how his story ended. He had the privilege of ministering to the broken body of Christ—the body that would be raised to glory three days later!

So take courage, and try to come a little more fully into the light of Christ. You don’t have to carry around shame over past sins. All you have to do is take them to Jesus and ask him to set you free. Let the light of his mercy melt away your guilt and fill you with joy and peace instead. Let him show you the freedom that he won for you on the cross. It may take a while, like Nicodemus, but we can all become a new creation this Easter season!

“Thank you, Jesus, for shining the light of your truth and love into my life. Thank you for the gift of your freedom.”

--that in all things God may be glorified--