As we approach Easter once again, I have been reflecting afresh on the gospel accounts of the death and resurrection of Jesus and the promises of God that are proclaimed through the Easter story. In doing so I have been particularly drawn to God’s promise of cosmic and personal transformation from darkness to light.
Light is, of course, a powerful thing. Light illuminates the darkness around us and shows us the path ahead. As the clocks go back and our evenings brighten, we are reminded of the power of light and we are encouraged that summer is on its way! We have journeyed through the short, dark days of winter, and we are now beginning to see the early shoots of summer. Through brighter evenings, longer days, and increased light, we look ahead with confidence and hope.
In Ephesians 5 Paul talks about the importance of spiritual light. He says that, on our own, we are people walking in darkness. Without Christ we stumble around, struggling to see a way forward, tangled up in the darkness of the world. Just like in our physical world, the absence of light in the spiritual realm holds us back from all that God has for us.
Yet, at Easter, we remember that Jesus came as a light to the world. He came to illuminate the path ahead and to cast out all darkness from our lives. As Jesus says in John 12, “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world.” Jesus is the true light who transforms the world and each of our lives from darkness to true and eternal light.
This Easter, be comforted by the promise that Jesus is the light of your life. Through his death and resurrection, you can be comforted that every experience of darkness will be overcome by the true and everlasting light of Christ’s victory over death. And, through Christ, you can truly know the source of all light whose promises are yours both now and for all eternity.