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Jesus has been our light from the very beginning of the world.

This was so noteworthy that John mentions it in his Gospel account. In fact, John starts “in the beginning” and explains that all things were made through Jesus (the Word)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

So many important ideas here. First, Jesus was God from the beginning. He wasn’t created in the form of a baby and sent to earth–he was God the Son, part of the trinity, who stepped down from his majesty to become helpless and completely submissive the way a baby has to be. I wonder sometimes at what point Jesus had the full mind of God in that process. The whole time, or did his human form grow into it? Did he reflect on his future sacrifice as Mary rocked him to sleep?  Did he know prior to the creation that he’d need to be the light to lead us out of the slavery of sin?

Colossians 1:13-17 is mirror evidence for the presence of Christ at the creation. The passage talks about Christ having the preeminence, or superiority in all things. But it also mentions our delivery from the power of darkness. Jesus is the light, so we don’t have to succumb to the consequences of our sin. His light will show us the way out. And we knew that, but to think of this in the context that he made us and made this world for us to live in, it just makes his love for us feel so much deeper, don’t  you think? And it intensifies the hope and security we can feel in his presence.

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,  in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. Col 1:13-17

Sometimes when I teach the toddlers at church, we use a flashlight to illustrate this. I imagine that just as the flashlight can be pointed into a dark corner and all the little dust bunnies and bugs are revealed, Christ’s light reveals to us our sin. Then, we can purify ourselves and live guilt free, in Him.

For journaling today:

1. Start in Genesis 1:1, and write the reference to John 1:1. If you have extra time, you might draw pictures over the creation verses like this one: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/364299057336768989/  I did it in a different journaling session.
2. In the margins of John 1, draw a sunburst in a clear blue sky.
3. Circle the phrases: He was in the beginning with God, and the light shines in the darkness.
4. Write the references to Colossians 1:13-17 and Genesis 1:1
5. In Colossians 1:13-17, circle the phrases: He has delivered us from the power of darkness, and for by him all things are created (I didn’t do anything else in Colossians because I have an idea for a future drawing that might go there).