As I promised you last week, I’m back today with another coloring page, this one based on John 8:12 – “When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, I AM the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
This is the second installment of a 7-post series on the I AM statements of Christ. And for me, it is the most relatable.
Jesus is the light of the world
I’m pretty far removed from shepherds and sheep gates and vineyards. And I try to watch my carb consumption, so I don’t even eat a lot of actual bread.
But light? That’s something I use every day and every night. I love light, and lots of it.
Light illumines our path and leads the way.
It’s what a lighthouse does for ships at sea or a candle in the window did during blizzards on the prairie. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105
Light heals our bodies and keeps them strong.
Skin needs sunlight to boost vitamin D. Jaundiced babies need light therapy to eliminate bilirubin from their blood. “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays.” Malachi 4:2
Light provides food and energy.
Plants use sunlight and chlorophyll to produce food for themselves and for consumers. Without light, we would all eventually starve. “He is like dawn’s first light, like bright sun blazing on a cloudless morning, glistening on grassland that flourishes after a rain shower.” 2 Samuel 23:4
Light comforts and protects those who are frightened and vulnerable.
A nightlight helps an anxious child sleep more peacefully. And motion-detecting floodlights ward off would-be thieves. “The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1
Light points out perils and keeps us safe.
Think warning lights on your car’s dashboard. Flashing lights in construction zones. Reflective lights on hairpin turns. Lights can alert us to hidden dangers or other problems. “If anyone walks in the daytime, he will not stumble, because he sees by the light of this world. But if anyone walks at night, he will stumble, because he has no light.” John 11:9-10
Light lets us see in minute detail whatever we are focusing on.
Surgeons and seamstresses and scientists alike need bright light to do their best work. Light helps them see details they might otherwise miss. “He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.” Daniel 2:22
Light warms with its radiance.
As we dress in extra layers of clothes and build a blazing fire to chase away the cold, so God’s presence warms hearts and burns within our souls. “Praise the LORD, my soul. LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. The LORD wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent.” Psalm 104:1-2
Light dazzles with its brilliance.
Think about the breathtaking majesty of a clear, starry night or the brilliant display of the Northern Lights, then imagine how much more spectacular it will be to lay eyes on our glorious Lord and Savior for the first time. “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. For behold, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness is over the peoples; but the LORD will rise upon you, and His glory will appear over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” Isaiah 60:1-3
But not only does Christ say of Himself, “I AM the light of the World.” He calls us to shine as lights in this world, as well.
We are to be the light of the world, as well.
- “Then Jesus told them, “For a little while longer, the Light will be among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of light.” John 12:35-36
- “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:5-7
- “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” Matthew 5:14-15
- “If you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” Isaiah 58:10
- “For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'” Acts 13:47
- “I, the LORD, have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon, and those sitting in darkness out from the prison house.” Isaiah 42:6-7
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