Jesus at his betrayal in the garden was given over to men at night, in the darkness. Jesus, the risen Lord, ascended to God during the day, in the light.
First darkness, then light.
Genesis 1:2b says, “and darkness was upon the face of the deep.” This statement comes before the next verse (1:3), “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” First darkness, then light.
This scenario of darkness first, followed by light is played out many times throughout the Bible, as it does in nature.
Darkness means Death
Plants need light to grow, to thrive and produce fruit and seeds. First the plant as a seed is planted in the soil in darkness.
While the seed is in this darkness, it “dies” to being a seed. During that “death” the seed sheds it’s “seed-ness” and puts on its “plant-ness.”
When this plant rises out of the darkness into the sun’s light, it grows into a tree. The tree produces fruit, which contains a seed. That fruit drops to the ground and this new seed enters into the earth, into darkness and repeats the process of coming into the light.
First darkness, then light.
Since the fall of man, we too, are “planted” in darkness. We are separated from that which gives us spiritual light (i.e. life), our God. We cannot see our God in this state of darkness.
Just like the seed in the soil of earthly darkness dies there, we too die here on earth in this darkness. But we don’t have to.
Seeing in the Dark
Having faith in Jesus gives us light while we still live here on earth in darkness. In John 8:12 Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” In 1 John 1:5 the apostle writes, “Our God is not a God of darkness, but a God of light.”
Jesus also says, “God is spirit” (John 4:24). God is spirit and God is light. When we state aloud, “Jesus is my Lord and Savior,” we are given the enlightener, the Holy Spirit. We are given God’s spirit and God’s light.
That’s why Jesus after his resurrection made the point to Thomas, “blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29). The apostles who believed Jesus had risen from the dead received light. This light was expressed as knowledge, truth, and understanding.
Thomas needed to physically touch and handle the risen Lord to know he was real. Then he could believe. Thomas was living in darkness until that moment when light came. “And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God,” in John 20:28. Thomas saw the light and was changed.
First darkness, then light.
Living in the Light
Even though Jesus was living in the darkness of human existence on earth, he personally lived by the light of the Holy Spirit which came upon him at his baptism.
We who have faith in Jesus Christ have his Holy Spirit living in us, the light of God. We have been freed from earthly darkness, just like the plant rising out of the soil. We are raised into the light of our destiny when we have faith in Jesus. Through that faith we receive light. The life affirming connection with the God who made us.
Not only are we promised eternal life (i.e. light) in the presence of God, face to face, after our physical death; while we are still alive here on this earth today, we receive God invisibly through his Holy Spirit. God’s glorious spiritual light to show us the way out of this darkness.
Non-believers are still in the form of a seed, lost in earthly darkness. — vkw
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. — John 4:24
Then spoke Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. — John 8:12
This message I received from the Holy Spirit May 6, 2023.
