One of the things I have noticed on social media debate sites is that people will frequently try to “catch” Christians with a seeming contradiction in the creation account of Genesis 1.
The first thing God creates, on Day One, is light. He goes on to create the sky on Day Two, and the land and seas and the plants on Day Three, but it’s not until Day Four that God creates the sun and the moon and the stars.
How could we have three days without any sun to shine on the earth? Yes, God created the light before anything else but with no sun to shine on the earth, where was that light coming from? Who turned on the light?
And furthermore, if there was no sun shining on the earth until Day Four, what was keeping all those plants alive He had created the day before?
When I first read these questions, it did seem quite puzzling, and then I remembered Revelation 21:23:
The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. (NIV)
Of course! Jesus illuminates all of heaven when things are restored to their perfect order and, since we are talking about creation before sin entered the world, Jesus could be that light also.
And then I remembered John 1: 1-5:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
We all know the Word in this passage is Jesus. And the passage specifically says He was with God in the beginning. That means during the creation week. All things were made in him and without him, nothing was made that has been made. In Jesus was life and the light was the light of all humanity.
And my favorite part is that Jesus shines in the darkness and the darkness has not, cannot, and never will overcome him, put him out, or extinguish him.
The amazing part of those passages is that, in them, Jesus is both the literal and figurative light of the world.
Over and over again, the Bible speaks of light. It’s a dominant recurring theme for life and truth and all that is good. Jesus himself says, “I am the light of the world” on more than one occasion and, because it is one of the I AM statements, we recognize it as one of his numerous declarations of divinity.
Light is a crucial aspect of our faith and it is absolutely necessary for life on earth. Light is indeed life.
I’m also reminded of Luke 2:9 when the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds outside Jerusalem on the night when Jesus was born:
An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. (NIV)
And that’s not the only instance when the glory of the Lord is associated with a bright, blinding light. It occurs in the temple in Ezekiel 10:4, 2 Chronicles 7:2 and 1 Kings 8:11, the prophet Ezekiel experienced it several times, and Moses was forever changed by it on Mount Sinai.
So it’s not surprising that, as you listen to Kinship Christian Radio, you will hear songs about light or preachers teaching about light or the announcers or even listeners talking about how light came into their lives. I remembered when Jesus first came into my life when I was maybe nine or ten years old and being filled with light and joy and peace.
Yes, Jesus does indeed turn on the light in our lives, just as he did from the beginning and until we are with him in eternity.
It’s also not surprising that we are called to shine with that same light.
Today’s Praise
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. Matthew 5:14-15 (NLT)