Jesus Showing Through His People

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand,

 and it gives light to all who are in the house.

  Let your light so shine before men,

that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

 Matthew 5:14-16

Luke 1:77 tells us why Jesus came:  Luke 1:77-79 To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins,  [78] Through the tender mercy of our God,  With which the Dayspring from on high (that’s Jesus) has visited us;  [79] To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace."

This Christmas season, I am reminded of the prophecy of Isaiah 9:2… the people who  walked in darkness have seen a great light.  Those who dwelt in the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.  That light is Jesus.

Since Jesus is THE LIGHT and we are little lights, our shining should take the same form as His.  We should be giving people the knowledge of salvation,  give His light to those who are in darkness and proclaiming Him to be the guide into the way of peace.

The gospel of John refers to Jesus over and over again as the light of the world.  In the first chapter, John the Baptist comes on the scene.  John 1:8 He (John the Baptist) was not that Light (Jesus), but was sent to bear witness of that Light (Jesus).  We too are lights that bear witness to the light – or reflect, the Light

2 Corinthians 4:6 NASB⁶ For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Jesus, when He was here, was like the light of the Sun.  When the sun goes down (leaves) the moon comes up.  The moon is a picture of believers – it shines, but it doesn’t shine by its own light.  It shines only because it reflects the light of the sun.  It glows only because of the sun.  We, too, shine only because of the Son; we glow only because of the Son. That’s why Jesus said to believers, you and you alone are the light of the world. 

I read a story of a man returning from a journey that brought his wife a matchbox that would glow in the dark.  After he gave it to her, she turned out the light, but it could not be seen.  Both thought they had been ripped off.  Then the wife noticed some French words on the box and asked a friend to translate them.  The inscription said:  If you want me to shine in the night, keep me in the light.

We have looked at how we are to shine.  Matthew 5:16 tells us why we are to shine.  It’s good Jesus added that, because all too often we shine and then forget where the light came from, don’t we?  Verse 16 tells us:  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. 

John 3:19-21 niv This is the verdict (or, this is why people are condemned) : Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. [20] Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. [21] But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Just like persecution can be the result of walking in the beatitudes, people will reject the light that you shine.  Neither are God’s intention – it’s just the down side of the light.  But, God’s purpose for the light is good – and those who live by His truth come into the light, and reflect that light, - so that it may be seen plainly that what He has done has been done through God – or as we see in Matthew 5:16, men will see our good works and glorify God or give God the credit or literally, get a proper opinion of God.  We are to live our lives in such a way that people get a proper opinion of God – know what God is really like.

One Sunday on their way home from church, a little girl turned to her mother and said, “Mommy, the preacher’s sermon this morning confused me”  The mother said, “Oh?  Why is that?”  The little girl replied, “Well, he said that God is bigger than we are.  Is that true?”  The mother replied, “Yes, that’s true, honey.”  And he also said that God lives in us?  Is that true, Mommy?  Again the mother replied.  Yes, that’s true honey.  “Well,” said the little girl, “if God is bigger than us and He lives in us, wouldn’t He show through?”

Over and over again in the Old Testament, God told Israel to separate themselves from the gentile nations – for the simple reason that they would be corrupted by those nations.  But, interesting...that’s not Jesus’ message.  In fact, the religious leaders chided Him for associating with sinners and tax collectors.  Here in this sermon, He is calling us to be influences on who?  The earth, the world – Everyone, but surely including people who do not know Him.  The difference?  Because of the work of the Holy Spirit, believers are now salt and now light.  We now have the power to influence others for Jesus.  Salt that has no flavor doesn’t influence. Light that is hidden doesn’t influence.  If we are not being salty and we are not shining the light of Jesus, we should not be around those in the world – for certainly they will trample us under their feet.  But, when we salt them and when we shine our light, they are affected by us.  That’s what the LIGHT, Jesus, did around sinners and that’s what we are to do.