When the Light Arrives

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” — John 1:12 (NIV)

Imagine, for a moment, that you wake one morning to find your entire house mysteriously transported into a world of darkness. Your bedside clock reads 6:00 a.m.—okay, you think, that’s typical for this season back home in the eastern time zone. 

You reach out to flip the light switch, but nothing happens. As you peer outside your bedroom window, the little you can see is alien and stark. Morning drifts into afternoon and then evening, and you realize you haven’t seen the sun all day. Odd, you think, but you go to bed.

The next morning, the same darkness greets you. On the third day, you notice in the distance a welcome sight: headlights glowing, approaching your drive. A stranger arrives, offering oil lamps and flashlights to lift the darkness. Yet instead of accepting, you decline.

John tells us that the true Light has come into the world. The tragedy is not that darkness exists—it always has—but that many in Jesus’ day chose to remain in it even when light was offered. And the choice is still ours today. We can decline the lamps of grace, preferring shadows, or we can receive the Light that gives life.

The invitation is simple: receive Him. To believe in His name is to welcome His presence, His guidance, His truth. It is to let His light pierce the places we’ve grown accustomed to keeping dim. And in receiving Him, we are not only illumined—we are claimed as children of God.

Lord Jesus, Light of the World, forgive us when we cling to shadows. Teach us to welcome You with open hearts, to receive Your light with joy, and to walk as children of God. Shine through us today, that others may see and know You. Amen.

Peace & Grace,

Pastor Tim