THE LIGHT OF LIFE by Nicole Byrum I am a therapist and writer who is passionate about family, faith, and recovery. I am the author of Remade: Living Free, a book that explores topics related to substance abuse, recovery, and unhealthy relationships from a biblical perspective.
It’s impossible to imagine the wonder of Christmas without the brilliance of thousands of twinkling lights. In fact, the lights are one of my favorite parts of the season. As a child, I loved riding in the backseat of my grandparent’s car at nighttime as we drove around our small town oohing and aahing at all the festive lights. And without a doubt, our church’s Christmas Eve candlelit service was my favorite service of the entire year. I loved the sense of awe and majesty those candles commanded. As an adult, I still look forward to the cozy glow of the lights from our living room Christmas tree. Until recently, I just assumed the lights were part of the holiday season in that they marked this unique time of the year; that they were nothing more than pretty decorations and tradition. And maybe they are those things. But for those who know Christ, perhaps they serve as a reminder of the essence of Christmas–a reminder that light has come into the world. The first 5 verses of the Gospel of John give us incredible insight into the person of Jesus Christ. It is in this passage we learn the baby who was born in Bethlehem is the eternal Word and the creator of all things. And not only that, but all things were created for Him! He was the life and light of men, unable to be overcome by darkness.
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A few chapters later Jesus proclaimed, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life,” (John 8:12 NIV). He spoke these words during the Festival of Booths, a celebration commemorating God’s faithfulness to the Israelites during their time of desert wandering after the exodus. During this festival, God’s provision of a fiery cloud at night would have been remembered: “By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night,” (Exodus 13:21 NIV) What Jesus claimed here was simply incredible. He said that He was the light; the light to which the pillar of fire pointed. The glory of God had been in that great cloud night after night. Later, His glory filled the tabernacle and eventually the temple: “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” (Exodus 40:34 NIV)
