Day 12
John 12:35-36
35 Jesus said to them, “The light is in you[f] for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.”
In John 12:35-36, Jesus traces the theme of light vs. darkness that we’ve seen throughout John. Light represents the Kingdom of God that Jesus came to usher in, and darkness represents the kingdom of Satan (The World). When Jesus mentions the light, he’s referring to himself. (John 1:4. Jn 8:12) So his instruction to walk in the light has two meanings. 1. Walk in Christ as his follower 2. Adopt a new way of life in the Kingdom of God. Why do these things? So that you are not overtaken by darkness, A.K.A the evil in this world. “Overtake” in Greek is katalambano. It is the same word used in John 1:5, where scripture reads, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it .”In other words, when you walk in Christ– take on his characteristics– you begin to operate in the same dimension of power that he had. No matter how the darkness of this world (fear, shame, violence, hate, etc.) may seem to surround you, it can never overcome you because, as a child of God, you resist it. I walk in the light by believing (trusting) in the light (Jn 12:36). If we look through John, we see that Jesus is also called the Word and the Truth. The only way I can walk in the light of Christ is by trusting in the truth found in the word of God. The evidence of my trust is a life lived according to the Word. Don’t just study it. Actually, do what it says. Too many of us give all glory to God in private but then live for our own glory in public because we care so much about what people think. We see this spirit of people pleasing in verses 42 - 43. Scripture says many who heard Jesus believed in him but didn’t confess it because “They loved human glory more than the glory that comes from God.” One kind of glory leaves you in darkness; another allows you to step boldly into the light. They believed in Jesus, but they weren’t willing to put their lives on the line for him, so they forfeited the opportunity to be children of the light. The idea of a parent-child relationship speaks to a level of intimacy. Intimacy with God starts in the place of private worship and prayer, but if the expression of your love for Jesus ends in private, then it will die in public. Walking in the light means living from a place of intimacy with God. This isn’t just about how you love God in your room. It’s about loving your neighbor like Christ. So ask yourself, honestly, are you a child of the light?
Next Steps
Read John chapter 11 and take notes, making observations and asking questions as you read.
Mediate on 1 or 2 verses that stood out to you. Focus on what they reveal about God and how the Spirit is inviting you to respond. Find a helpful guide to biblical meditation here.
Write down whatever the Holy Spirit puts on your heart.
Reflection Questions
Do you live life conscious of how you can be a light everywhere you go? How do you intentionally show God’s light?
Take some time to reflect and examine your heart. In what areas are you more moved by what people think than what God thinks?
How can you ensure you are the same person in the secret place of intimacy with God as you are in front of people?
Prayer Points
Lord, deliver me from any fear of how I’m being perceived or judged that stops me from obeying you.
Lord, allow the world around me to be blessed by the fruit of my intimacy with you. Help me not to be self-centered with your love.
Lord, show me how to trust you and live for your glory more than my own desires.
