July 16th, 2026
This week, I’ve been thinking about the power of spiritual light. It’s something we must choose to love and walk in. There is a sobering verse found just three verses after John 3:16 that few people will be familiar with.
John 3:19 says,
“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”
Jesus gave a verdict and it was not a good one: people loved the darkness rather than the light. Especially in the book of John, we are given a clear picture of the light Jesus referred to.
John 1:1-5 says,
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
John 8:12 says,
‘Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”’
The light that the world rejected was Jesus Christ Himself. He was crucified because the world loved the darkness rather than the light in Him. This week, I’ve been thinking about the power of that spiritual light in Jesus. It’s something we must choose to love and walk in! We see the light of heaven most fully in Jesus, but as it says in John 1:1, the light, the Word, has existed since the beginning.
The light of God is not a metaphor. There is a real, supernatural light we see throughout Scripture that is always connected to the presence of God.
Genesis 1:3 says,
‘And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.’
However, God didn’t make the sun, moon, and stars until the fourth day of creation, so what was this light? I believe it’s the same spiritual light we see throughout the Word of God.
Exodus 34:29 says,
“When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.”
After he had been in the glory of God, the light of God’s presence was so physically visible on Moses’ face that he had to put a veil over it so the people would not be frightened.
We see bright light accompanying the appearance of angels throughout Scripture. (Matthew 28:3, Luke 2:9, Acts 12:7)
When Saul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, it says there was a light from heaven that flashed around him, and he was blinded for three days from the experience (Acts 9).
When John encountered the resurrected Jesus on the Isle of Patmos, it says “His face was like the sun shining in full strength” (Revelation 1:16).
When the end comes and God creates a new heaven and a new earth, there will no longer be a sun and moon for light.
Revelation 21:23-25 says,
“And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.”
Isaiah 60:19 aligns with this prophecy, saying,
“The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.”
There is a real light of heaven that will eventually replace the sun.
It’s that light that Jesus brought into the world, and it’s not a metaphorical light. It’s a supernatural light meant to shine in each of our hearts and lives.
2 Corinthians 4:6 says,
‘For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.’
When we come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, this light shines in our hearts for the first time and it illuminates all that was in darkness!
We must understand that everything God created in the natural reflects spiritual things. We are, after all, eternal souls in perishing bodies. Our spirit is the only part of us that’s eternal! This is significant because our eyes, the part of our bodies God created to see, only work because of one thing: light. Our eyes are incredible, but in simplified terms, they are only light receptors. Without light, they are useless. It is the same with our spiritual eyes. We can only see when the light comes in! Throughout the Word of God, the metaphor of blindness is used for spiritual ignorance—the absence of the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:4 says,
“In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
We see this exemplified in one of the miracles of Jesus found in John 9:1-7.
It says,
‘As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So, he went and washed and came back seeing.’
It’s not a coincidence that Jesus taught His disciples that He was the light of the world while healing a man born blind. There was more to this miracle than met the eye. After he was healed, the man and his parents were questioned by religious leaders who were angry that Jesus was working miracles, and even more so that He was working them on the Sabbath. At the end of the interrogation, the man was cast out of the synagogue.
The story picks up in John 9:35-41, saying,
‘Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is He, sir, that I may believe in Him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen Him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped Him. Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near Him heard these things, and said to Him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.”’
Jesus states His mission in this verse and it’s fascinating and also connects to John 3:19, the verse we began with. Jesus said He came for judgment—that those who do not see may see, and that those who “see” may become blind. Remember, in John 3:19 He said the “judgment” was that the people loved the darkness—they didn’t want to see or be seen. The Pharisees had created such a good religious structure that they had the appearance of sight, but Jesus called them blind guides (Matthew 15:14)! A blind person, in a familiar place, may be able to get around as easily as a person with sight, but it’s not because they can see. That’s what religion does. It creates a structure of rules, customs, and traditions so immovable that the blind may appear to have sight, but they are actually just moving in a dark but familiar place. In the dark, the blind may be able to get around better even than a person with sight. However, when the light comes, it is immediately clear who has sight and who does not. When the light of Jesus came, it exposed the blindness of the Pharisees and allowed those who had walked in darkness to experience sight for the first time!
Matthew 4:16 says,
“The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”
To conclude this week, we want to encourage you to allow the light of Jesus to burn brightly in you, to illuminate every area of your heart and life and the places God has put you to shine. It is always better to see, even if it means exposing some things that felt more comfortable left in the dark. Light only exposes so healing and freedom can come!
Matthew 5:14-16 says,
‘You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”’
We are the light of the world as we reflect the One who lives in us. If you feel like you are struggling in darkness or to see the path God has for you, the answer is simply more light, and the light is Him! Moses’ face shone with the glory of God because he had spent time in God’s presence. We will only shine brightly when we have been with the One who is light. His light will bring clarity, peace, and joy as you choose to allow it to flood every area of your heart. His light will illuminate your life like you’ve never known, if you choose to love it and walk freely in it!
John 3:19 says,
“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”
Jesus gave a verdict and it was not a good one: people loved the darkness rather than the light. Especially in the book of John, we are given a clear picture of the light Jesus referred to.
John 1:1-5 says,
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
John 8:12 says,
‘Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”’
The light that the world rejected was Jesus Christ Himself. He was crucified because the world loved the darkness rather than the light in Him. This week, I’ve been thinking about the power of that spiritual light in Jesus. It’s something we must choose to love and walk in! We see the light of heaven most fully in Jesus, but as it says in John 1:1, the light, the Word, has existed since the beginning.
The light of God is not a metaphor. There is a real, supernatural light we see throughout Scripture that is always connected to the presence of God.
Genesis 1:3 says,
‘And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.’
However, God didn’t make the sun, moon, and stars until the fourth day of creation, so what was this light? I believe it’s the same spiritual light we see throughout the Word of God.
Exodus 34:29 says,
“When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.”
After he had been in the glory of God, the light of God’s presence was so physically visible on Moses’ face that he had to put a veil over it so the people would not be frightened.
We see bright light accompanying the appearance of angels throughout Scripture. (Matthew 28:3, Luke 2:9, Acts 12:7)
When Saul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, it says there was a light from heaven that flashed around him, and he was blinded for three days from the experience (Acts 9).
When John encountered the resurrected Jesus on the Isle of Patmos, it says “His face was like the sun shining in full strength” (Revelation 1:16).
When the end comes and God creates a new heaven and a new earth, there will no longer be a sun and moon for light.
Revelation 21:23-25 says,
“And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.”
Isaiah 60:19 aligns with this prophecy, saying,
“The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.”
There is a real light of heaven that will eventually replace the sun.
It’s that light that Jesus brought into the world, and it’s not a metaphorical light. It’s a supernatural light meant to shine in each of our hearts and lives.
2 Corinthians 4:6 says,
‘For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.’
When we come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, this light shines in our hearts for the first time and it illuminates all that was in darkness!
We must understand that everything God created in the natural reflects spiritual things. We are, after all, eternal souls in perishing bodies. Our spirit is the only part of us that’s eternal! This is significant because our eyes, the part of our bodies God created to see, only work because of one thing: light. Our eyes are incredible, but in simplified terms, they are only light receptors. Without light, they are useless. It is the same with our spiritual eyes. We can only see when the light comes in! Throughout the Word of God, the metaphor of blindness is used for spiritual ignorance—the absence of the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:4 says,
“In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
We see this exemplified in one of the miracles of Jesus found in John 9:1-7.
It says,
‘As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So, he went and washed and came back seeing.’
It’s not a coincidence that Jesus taught His disciples that He was the light of the world while healing a man born blind. There was more to this miracle than met the eye. After he was healed, the man and his parents were questioned by religious leaders who were angry that Jesus was working miracles, and even more so that He was working them on the Sabbath. At the end of the interrogation, the man was cast out of the synagogue.
The story picks up in John 9:35-41, saying,
‘Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is He, sir, that I may believe in Him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen Him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped Him. Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near Him heard these things, and said to Him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.”’
Jesus states His mission in this verse and it’s fascinating and also connects to John 3:19, the verse we began with. Jesus said He came for judgment—that those who do not see may see, and that those who “see” may become blind. Remember, in John 3:19 He said the “judgment” was that the people loved the darkness—they didn’t want to see or be seen. The Pharisees had created such a good religious structure that they had the appearance of sight, but Jesus called them blind guides (Matthew 15:14)! A blind person, in a familiar place, may be able to get around as easily as a person with sight, but it’s not because they can see. That’s what religion does. It creates a structure of rules, customs, and traditions so immovable that the blind may appear to have sight, but they are actually just moving in a dark but familiar place. In the dark, the blind may be able to get around better even than a person with sight. However, when the light comes, it is immediately clear who has sight and who does not. When the light of Jesus came, it exposed the blindness of the Pharisees and allowed those who had walked in darkness to experience sight for the first time!
Matthew 4:16 says,
“The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”
To conclude this week, we want to encourage you to allow the light of Jesus to burn brightly in you, to illuminate every area of your heart and life and the places God has put you to shine. It is always better to see, even if it means exposing some things that felt more comfortable left in the dark. Light only exposes so healing and freedom can come!
Matthew 5:14-16 says,
‘You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”’
We are the light of the world as we reflect the One who lives in us. If you feel like you are struggling in darkness or to see the path God has for you, the answer is simply more light, and the light is Him! Moses’ face shone with the glory of God because he had spent time in God’s presence. We will only shine brightly when we have been with the One who is light. His light will bring clarity, peace, and joy as you choose to allow it to flood every area of your heart. His light will illuminate your life like you’ve never known, if you choose to love it and walk freely in it!
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