Creation: Light in the Darkness

By Danny Saavedra

“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”—Genesis 1:3 (NIV)

“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”—John 1:4–5 (NIV)

Every Christmas, we picture angels announcing good news, shepherds under a starlit sky, and a baby wrapped in cloths. But the Christmas story doesn’t begin there. It begins long before the manger, before Mary and Joseph, before Bethlehem . . . it actually begins with darkness.

“In the beginning,” Genesis tells us, “darkness was over the surface of the deep.” Nothingness. Silence. A world without form or light . . . until God spoke. “‘Let there be light’ and there was light” (Genesis 1:1–3 NIV).

With that one command, the Creator shattered the void. His voice filled the emptiness, and the light of God filled the universe. Now, you may be asking yourself, “What does this have to do with Christmas?” That’s a great question! And the answer is EVERYTHING! You see, this sequence of creation we read about in Genesis 1 is the first reference to the One Christmas is all about: Jesus!

Look at the opening words of John’s Gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (John 1:1–4 NIV, emphasis added). Do you see it? The Word we read about in John 1, the Him through which all things were made, the life and light of the universe . . . is Jesus! He is the Word. He is God in the flesh.

And here’s the Christmas of it all: That same light that first shattered the void, the light that gives light to everyone, is the same light that stepped into human history. John 1:14 (NIV) says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Why did He do this? Why did the Son of God step into His creation? To once again bring light. You see, the universe He spoke into existence and filled with His light had become engulfed in darkness and despair because of sin. Darkness was over every surface of the deepest parts of our hearts, minds, lives, and world.

The voice that spoke light into existence became the child who would one day declare, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12 NIV).

Put It To Practice: Meditate

Biblical meditation is about filling your mind with God’s Word, not emptying it. Practice meditating on scripture by reading it as a family or with friends, individually, out loud, and quietly. Let God’s Word soak in your mind and heart, and then pray the Scripture. Do this today with this passage: John 8:12.

For the Family

Today’s Main Idea: Jesus came to shine His light into our darkness.

Ask Together:

1. Where do we see His light in our lives today?
2. Why is it important that He is the light of the world?

Prayer

Jesus, light of the World, thank You for stepping down into our darkness. Fill every shadow of my heart with Your presence, and help me walk in Your light this Christmas and beyond. I pray this in Your mighty name. Amen.