Reflecting the Light
2 Corinthians 4:6 “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”
When God first said “Let light shine out of the darkness”, it was literally at the dawn of time. The earth was without form and darkness was everywhere. There was no land, no animals, no people. Genesis 1:1-5 says “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.” Light was at the very forefront of God’s work of creation and when He spoke light into existence, it overcame the darkness and illuminated God’s handiwork.
But God’s amazing work of creation at the beginning of time wasn’t the only time God transformed something encompassed in darkness into something filled with light. When God made His light shine in our hearts, it pushed the darkness away and illuminated the Truth of the gospel and God’s love for us and we became a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” God spoke light into our lives through the transforming work of Jesus. “God made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”
What is God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ? We have never seen the face of Christ, but God’s given us so many beautiful descriptions in scripture and so many moments in our own lives that, if we look carefully, we can see glimpses of His glory. Consider how many times God’s glory was displayed in the face of His Son…
Jesus as a newborn babe, in the manger, surrounded by animals and shepherds displayed the glory of God. (Luke 2:1-20)
Jesus, the infant son, being held and loved by his mother, who gazed on His face and saw the very glory of God in her arms. She took it all in and was full of wonder at the miracle she held close.
Jesus as a 12 year old, sitting in the Temple, listening and learning, asking questions and enthralling those around him with his deep wisdom and knowledge, displaying the glory of God. (Luke 2:41-47)
Jesus and Nicodemus, sitting on the rooftop at night, while Jesus shared the Truth of God’s love and light with Nicodemus. “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” (John 3:19-20)...and later scripture would let us conclude, Nicodemus believed. Oh the glory of God that He saw in Jesus, the glory that led him to believe the Truth.
Have you held a newborn? Have you watched a child learn? Have you had deep, soul-filling conversations that draw you to the cross? If you have, friends, then you’ve seen glimpses of His glory reflected.
As we celebrate Christmas, let’s not be distracted by the gifts, the pageantry, the sparkle, but let’s be drawn to look intently into the face of Jesus. Let’s let God transform our hearts and minds by the light of His truth so that we can reflect His glory even more. 2 Corinthians 3:18 “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
Today, pray that our sons and daughters will be drawn to let God shine His light in their hearts, enabling them to see and understand the Truth of scripture, the transforming power of the gospel and the power to reflect Jesus to the darkened world around them.
Christmas prayer challenge: when you look in the mirror today, pray that others would see Christ reflected in you and would be drawn to the light He shines from your words, your actions and your life.
God is working and our prayers are never unheard or unanswered.
Pray without ceasing, friends.