TLIC Family. Day 113. April 23: The life was the light of men.

THINK TOGETHER

What is more powerful light or darkness? Why?

READ TOGETHER

John’s book about Jesus, his gospel, tells us some of the most important things about Jesus ever written. In just the first few verses of the gospel of John we have already heard that Jesus is God, that he created everything, that he is life, and now John will add to this list the truth that Jesus is also light. Listen to what John writes about Jesus being both life and light:

John 1:4-5. ⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Have you ever been afraid of the dark?

Darkness can be pretty scary and confusing too, can’t it? Darkness can make you get lost. Darkness can keep you from finding something that you’ve dropped. When people are stuck in darkness for a long time they can even get very sick and lose track of what is real.

But the great thing about light is that it is always more powerful than darkness. It can never be too dark for the light to shine. If you go into the darkest cave ever and turn on a flashlight, the light will always win and take away the darkness.

John is telling us that that is what Jesus is. He is the light that takes away the darkness. Not the literal darkness like at night time, but the darkness in our hearts. Our sin.

Without Jesus life is darkness. Without Jesus we are stuck in our sin and selfishness. Without Jesus we don’t have the love of God or the forgiveness of God. Without Jesus sin and death would defeat us and take us away from god forever.

But with Jesus we are in the light! With Jesus we know that his light of love will always win. It will always forgive us, always teach us, always guide us, and always love us no matter what. With Jesus even when we die we are fine, because we go to be with God forever in his eternal light and goodness.

And with Jesus you have his light inside of you. You have his kindness, his forgiveness, his love, his helpfulness, his respect for others, and his grace toward others.

John says that Jesus’ light SHINES. Not shone as in the past. “Shines” as in the present, right now, all the time, Jesus light is continually shining. How? In you and me. We are his light in the dark world around us. Will you be his light today?

Because of Jesus I am out of the darkness and into the light of God.

With Jesus I can shine his light today.

DO SOMETHING TOGETHER

Practice showing how light is stronger than darkness. Go into a dark room and turn on a flashlight. Talk to your kids about how light will always defeat darkness. Remind them that they have the light of Jesus that will always win over sin and sadness in the end.

Listen to this song together – it’s a good one.

Watch this scene from Tangled together:

Talk about how the light helped Rapunzel to not be scared. Of course the “light” for Rapunzel and Flynn is each other (“now that I see you”) and not the greatest light – Jesus. Ask, “Why is Jesus the greatest light – the greatest love – ever?”

PRAY TOGETHER

Jesus,

You are the light of the word. Shine into me with your love today and help me to be a shining light of your love to others.

Amen.

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