The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.

The world was a dark place before Jesus was born. The Apostle Matthew quoted Isaiah to describe it. It was “the land of the shadow of death” and the people that lived in it were “people living in darkness,” (Matthew 4:16). When you live in darkness you can’t see anything, and you don’t know which way to go. It is impossible to have a proper understanding of anything. Even worse, when you live in “the land of the shadow of death” there are dangers lurking in the darkness that you cannot see, to which you are vulnerable. The darkness had captured the people, and blinded them to their true state of existence. As a result, “their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened,” (Romans 1:21).

What was needed was some light—light to shine in the darkness and show people the way. God was gracious and sent light into the world. Jesus was the light. He was and still is “the light of all mankind,” (John 1:4). He was and still is the “true light” that gives light to the inhabitants of the earth, showing them how to get back to a proper relationship to God. He showed them they were sinners living in God’s world, and they needed a Savior. They needed Him.

We celebrate on Christmas Eve that the true light was coming into the world. Never again would the darkness monopolize the earth. Never again would the darkness have the same kind of grip on the hearts of people. The light that was coming would push back the darkness and eventually penetrate to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:5).

By John Huisman, friend of Bible League International