The TRUE Light..

Speaking of Jesus, the Bible says:

"That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (Jn 1:9).

This verse very clearly differentiates between true and false lights; real and fake; bright and dim. But what exactly signifies Jesus as the "true light"? A true light is undeceiving, real, underived, and super-eminent. Observe:

(1) Jesus is the undeceiving light.
Satan himself, we read, "is transformed into an angel of light" (2 Cor 11:14), but he appears as such only to deceive. But Christ Jesus is the true light, in contrast from all other false lights which are in the world. These false lights are those which threaten to lead to danger or error, as a false beacon on the shores of the ocean may lead ships to quicksands or rocks. A "true light" is one that does not deceive us, as the true beacon may guide us into port or warn us of danger. Christ Jesus does not lead astray. All false teachers do. Jesus alone is able to truly enlighten. He alone removes darkness, error and ignorance from the mind.

(2) Jesus is the real light.
The real light is in contrast to the dim and shaded light which was conveyed through the types and shadows of the Old Testament ritual. He is the gloriously-lighted Anti-type; the very substance of the mere shadow!

(3) Jesus is the underived light.
There are lesser lights that are borrowed and reflected, as the moon from the sun, but Christ's "light" is His own essential and underived glory. His glory is true, never borrowed from another. Any pseudo-light that mere men may possess (such as the intellect, for example) is nothing more than a borrowed ray from His underived brilliancy.

(4) Jesus is the super-eminent light.
This is in contrast from all that is ordinary and common. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another of the stars (1 Cor 15:41); but all other lights pale before Him who is "the" true light. Of this true light, it is said, "And he [Jesus] is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell" (Col 1:17-19).


What a gloriously bright-shining Savior we have! Let's allow His brilliance to shine forth from us today... you may just be surprised by what happens! Let's be like John the Baptist, of whom it is said: "The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe" (Jn 1:7).