Blinded by the Light

It did not take too long in our recorded history to get to the issue of light.  Genesis 1:3–4 (ESV) ³ And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God saw that the light was good just as God would see that all of the things that he created were good including man.  As the history of the world continued the light continued to shine on God’s creation yet that light would soon reveal not the goodness of man but rather it would reveal the sin that plagues humanity and all of creation still to this day.

The light that shined on the trees and fields of God’s creation would also shine on Abel’s blood that was spilled on the ground by his brother Cain.  The late afternoon light revealed to king David not simply the beauty of the kingdom that God had given to him but the beauty of one who was in his kingdom whom God had not given to him.  The light had revealed someone who was pleasing to David’s eye which led David down not a path of light but a path of darkness and destruction for him and all others who were in his way.  Yet light would eventually shine on the darkness by the prophet Nathan.  On the dark night of Jesus’ interrogation Peter stood in the court yard hoping not to be seen but the light of the camp fire flickered on his face and he was identified with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  The light of the camp fire did not reveal a bold confession of faith but rather a denial of having any connection with Jesus and as the night went on so did Peter’s dark denial only to be met with the crow of a rooster that would welcome in a new day of light that would reveal what had happened that night.

Humanity tends to have two different views towards the proverbial light. We along with the world think that we are often able to see things for what they are because we have the light.  We believe we know how things should work and what we should do in order to make the right things happen.  This can be in the general realm of vocational life or in the realm of faith and salvation.  We also along with the rest of humanity tend to want to hide from the light hide from being known because it is scary as light tends not to hide flaws.  Light will expose the truth of all sorts of different areas of life the biggest being the sin in our own lives.

In Acts chapter 9 which many heard this past Sunday in church, Saul was confronted with light, but not simply light from a lamp, or campfire not even light from the sun (S-U-N) he was confronted by the light of the Son (S-O-N). Saul a man who no doubt thought he could see clearly because of the light that he had.  He had studied the Torah and the teachings of the Old Testament.  He could see clearly that he needed to snuff out any opposition because in his mind he had the light of God. Saul had heard the claims of what the people of the Way were making. He knew what they were saying, the man knowing as Jesus was the anointed one of God.  That people needed to have faith in Jesus that their sins may be blotted out.  Yet Saul thinking he had the light and could see just fine fell victim of his own sinful condition and could see nothing. He could not see the light that had come into the world.  He did not see the light until the light confronted him directly.  He could not see until he was blind.  He could not see the light until it was completely dark.  He could not understand the light until he walked by faith and not by sight. He had been blinded by Christ confronted with his sin.  He had been blinded by the gospel forgiven because of Jesus.

You have also been confronted by Christ and blinded by the gospel and it is in that blindness that you can then truly see the one true light, Jesus Christ.  It is that light that came into the world and the dark world did not snuff it out.  It is that light that shined brightly snuffing out the wisdom of men.  It is that light that came into the world to expose sin for what it is nothing but darkness, and not only to expose but also to remove and fill with the light.  The light of the world, Jesus Christ shines brightly in the darkness.  It was on the hill of Calvary when darkness fell over the land that the light of the world shinned so brightly with His arms spread wide and said it is finished.  The light has come for you, for me, and for all people that we might be blinded so that we might see.  The light fills us that we might bring the blinding gospel to the world around us.

Matthew 5:14–16 (ESV) ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Christ will shine in you and through you because He has filled you with his light that others might see him!