Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world! The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”“

John 8:12

Here Jesus identifies with one of the coolest and most human-mind breaking mysteries in all of creation. Jesus identifies as the Light of the World. This is more than simply the bright thing that those in shadow can easily see. This is more than simply the knowledge that lifts you out of ignorance. This is more than simply the thing that effortlessly defeats evil just by existing. This is something that is a mystery and a salvation. This is that which provides light and sustains us as living, breathing, functioning spirits. This is LIFE made manifest.

In the beginning, Adonai created Light. He spoke and Light went forth from His mouth. Ruach HaKodesh was already moving, waiting for the commands to manifest the power of the Father. The Father was the one commanding Light. So where was Jesus in all this? He is what came out of the Father and embodied Light. Before this, He may never have had a reason to be physically apart from the Father (they are One: Father, Son, Ruach). But in order to bring life forth, LIGHT was needed and Jesus became that Light. Here’s the mystery. We scientifically know that without the sun, all life on Earth would cease to exist. Well, Light became on Day One (Genesis 1:2-3). But the Sun and the Moon and the Stars didn’t come into being until Day FOUR (Genesis 1:14-15). So this Light that enabled life (Day Three) was more than a ball of gases (suns) or reflected light (moons). It was the radiance that sustains all things (Hebrews 1:3). This Light was Jesus.

“Although God spoke long ago in many parts and in many ways to the fathers by the prophets, in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the world, who is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, sustaining all things by the word of power. When he had made purification for sins through him, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become by so much better than the angels, by as much as he has inherited a more excellent name than theirs” (Hebrews 1:1-4). Jesus is declaring Himself to be the heir of all things. Jesus is declaring that He made all things. Jesus is declaring Himself to be the sustainer of all things. Jesus is declaring Himself to be the ONLY thing that can purify us from Sin. Jesus is declaring Himself to be the recipient of the Name Above All Names. All because Jesus said I AM the Light of the World. This was something Jesus was for EVERYONE. He IS. It is the choice of every one of us whether we are going to believe in Him or not. There is always a choice with Jesus. He declares what He IS. We have to choose whether or not to believe what He says and whether or not to trust in what He says. We aren’t forced. We have a choice.

Jesus is LIGHT and He shines in the darkness. If you look at Jesus’ life and look at how the world STILL vilifies Him, mocks Him, tries to turn Him into a curse word, and how other religions fear Him; it seems pretty obvious that He WAS/IS what He declared Himself to be. If Jesus wasn’t who He said He was, why would anyone care about His name? Why does the world single it out for a cuss? Why do we mock Him? Why is He constantly portrayed in cartoons, films, books, and social media clips? Why does He always seem to show up in every culture in one form or another? Why do we all talk about Him if He wasn’t who He said? If He wasn’t the Light that the darkness hates? If He didn’t challenge people with their own guilty consciences? If a celebrity gets up and makes a stance on something and people don’t agree with it, they call them names, tell everyone they don’t know what they’re talking about and it’s forgotten in weeks to months. But Jesus? Two thousand years and counting and people STILL get all hot and bothered (screamingly so) if you tell them what He said. It is their OWN GUILT that is causing them issues. They say WE are bigots and that WE are narrow minded and WE are toxic. But it is THEIR GUILT that is giving them those feelings, not us. Everyone else gets discounted or shamed. Only JESUS’ words last and have the same impact now that they had then. That speaks to the complete and total truth of what He said He was.

Light shows up what is in the darkness. Things that live in the darkness and thrive on darkness HATE that. Jesus warned us about it. Warned us that we would get persecuted for what HE said and who HE was. Because He is bigger than a personality. Bigger than a philosophy. Bigger than what we can comprehend. Jesus is the Light of the World. Jesus shows everyone what the truth is. We can be corrected by it through submitting to Him, or we can double down and shout back while we try to find somewhere to hide. But the truth of Jesus total righteousness and majesty is evident in the effect He still has in each and every one of us when He SHINES. Life is in that light. Darkness only gives us chances to stumble, fall, and get hurt. It’s important to remember that. Darkness has NO comfort, but things in the darkness can FEEL comfortable. That’s a dangerous truth. Jesus saves us from that by being LIGHT. Steady, constant, and truthful LIGHT. If we walk in that, it might not ‘feel’ good all the time, but every day life gets clearer. We experience more peace. And abundant joy becomes our heritage. Light is life when that Light is Jesus.

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: 2 Corinthians 3:17

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” No one wants to be stuck. It doesn’t feel good. It gets draining. Saps our energy. Makes us want to call in sick, to give up, to roll over and hide under the blankets. It is a fearful place. A place of tears. It is a place that NEVER should have existed. It is in direct violation of the will of Adonai. But because of Sin, it exists. Therefore, Adonai made a Way. A chain breaker. A lock picker. A cage destroyer. He picks us up. He sets us free. He lets us breathe the air of His glory. He sends us His Ruach so that He will live in us and we in Him. Because Ruach HaKodesh lives in us, freedom lives in us. Freedom to get out of cages. To keep out of the mud. To remove chains and to keep hooks from finding purpose. Ruach HaKodesh guides us with the Word so that we stay on the path and stay off of landmines. So that we are out in the open air of His Light and Freedom. So that we have TRUE perspective. So that we can be how He meant us to be and calls us to be. Not through OUR efforts and struggle, but by trusting in HIS. What a GOOD God!

Your Daily Confession of Elohim’s Goodness:

I taste and see that Yahweh is good; I am blessed because I take refuge in Him.

Psalm 34:8