Jesus is the Light of the World. This is a prevailing theme throughout the Bible. You are probably familiar with the passages from the Gospel of John that attest to this.
In Him (Jesus) was life, and the life was the Light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. – John 1:4-5
This passage alludes to the fact that every person has a certain amount of Light in him. That Light is the source of any goodness that a person has. But not everyone understands that his goodness comes from Jesus. Although everyone possesses a certain amount of goodness, unless a person comes to saving faith in Jesus, he is spiritually dead, and is not capable of understanding the things of the Spirit.
Earlier, in the Gospel of John the author refers to Jesus’ presence before time began:
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. – John 1:1-3 .
This is an important passage that affirms the eternal nature of Jesus Christ, who was involved in the Creation of life even before He came to earth to be born of a woman and fulfill the plan of salvation. That it is an important truth is proven by the fact that Scripture mentions it elsewhere in the Bible, as well.
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. – Colossians 1:15-16
Scripture always affirms Scripture so if there is a really important fact that the child of God should know, we can be assured that it will be mentioned more than once. It’s important to know that Jesus Himself was involved in the creation process when the earth and everything in it was formed. Jesus as the Light of the World is an important concept, too. It isn’t just a metaphor used to describe the enlightenment of a person who has come to faith in Him. Also, it isn’t just an analogy for how Jesus provides day to day wisdom and hope for a Believer who needs Christ in his life every day. If we look at other Scripture we can see more examples that prove that Jesus Himself is the manifestation of Light that was present during Creation and will be present when Believers dwell with God in the future.
By looking at the Creation account in Genesis we can see evidence that Jesus, Himself, was the source for light before the sun was created.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said “Let there be light”; and there was light. - Genesis 1:1-1:3
Now, notice that the account of God giving Light to His creation Earth in Genesis 1:3 precedes the passage in which the sun and moon and stars are created:
Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so. Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the fourth day. - Genesis 1:14 – 19.
God did not create the sun or moon until the fourth day! So, in the absence of the sun, What or Who was providing the light from the first through the third days?? Answer: Jesus was!
We see Scripture confirming that Jesus is the Light of the world again in the last book of the Bible, Revelation. The following passage speaks of a time in the future after the Rapture of the Church, after the 1000 year reign of the Lord, and after Satan and all the damned are cast into the burning lake of fire. This event will be during the time of the establishment of the New Jerusalem and all Believers’ new and glorious home with the Lord, Jesus.
But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. - Revelation 21:22-24.
The Lamb is its Light! Jesus, Himself, will be the Light of the World in the glorious city of New Jerusalem. Jesus was, is and will always be the Light of the World!