“LIGHT, LIFE AND LOVE”
by Bishop Jacob Afolabi
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men…. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.(John 1: 4 and 9)
The coming into the world of human beings by Jesus Christ, marked the end of darkness and the re-introduction of the light, life and love that were lost by Adam in the Garden of Eden. “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” (Isaiah 9:2).
· LIGHT – to shine in human hearts and dwelling places that have been darkened. To replace the existing darkness, because evil has its stronghold in darkness. “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.” (Ps. 36:9)
· LIFE – to offer God’s Life to those who are dead in their sins, and to give resurrection from the judgmental death that was ruling man since Adam. “In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:4).
· LOVE – to call back the Lost of humanity with the Love of God. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (Jn.3:16).
No one in the history of mankind, has such glorious elements come together in him from God to man. These three elements are from an eternal source and therefore are of eternal nature. They are only revealed to us in time, but their origin is eternity. This revelation shows that we are most blessed to know the Divine nature, that was not revealed to men of old.
Jesus Christ was not revealed to mankind just for religious observations. It is mainly for the purpose of receiving these three elements as the greatest moral and spiritual gifts from God. We have proved incapable of receiving any of these gifts on our own efforts through religion or science. Mankind has proved incapable of any access to Divine love.
We are face to face with mysteries everywhere, but our greatest men and women of religion and science could not solve any of these mysteries. Only the Light of the World can solve the problems of penetrating darkness. Darkness is endemic, only Light makes the difference. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it” (John 1:5 NLT).
This light is personified in Jesus Christ. It is not an abstract thing or a created element. Prophets and Saints, wise men and women are not the source of this Light. Only the Creator, the Son of God, who has Light and Life in Him, can give us this Divine Daybreak. All who worship God without this Divine Light do not know what they worship.
The human name of our Lord is Jesus — a name that describes His great work on earth. It is the Greek equivalent of the old Jewish name “Joshua.” Which stands for “Deliverer” or “Savior.” He came here into the world of men, to seek and to save the lost souls of men and women. He did not come to rule the world, He did not come to reign. He did not only come to seek, it was to save He came. And when we call Him Savior, we call Him by His name!
The prophetic name of our Lord is “Immanuel,” — and this reveals the deeper mystery of His mission. In Jesus we see the union of God and man. Mankind has always sought to know and to understand the source or the author of the things we see. But because of the deepness of the mystery of things, it became very difficult for them to accept an author who is also personal – like themselves.
The Incarnations answers the mystery, but to some sceptics, does not solve the problem. How can they accept that all the wonders of the earth and the sky were done by someone like them? That is why it takes Faith, Faith alone, to believe. And to those who believe, the mystery is solved.
Christianity is built upon this Truth — that God became man and dwells among us. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14).
Life, Light and Love. These are the simple, yet great, elements God uses to reveal Himself, and to solve, not only the question of our identity, but the true end of our journey on this earth.
About the writer
Nigerian-born Bishop Jacob Afolabi is Senior Pastor at the Christ Chapel Bible Church in Ottawa. he is the recipient of many community awards, including the 2017 Black History Ottawa Community Builder award, for his many years of community work. He is the founder of the Ottawa Pastors’ forum and has contributed inspiring articles in community newspapers and commentary on community radio stations, as well training a new generation of pastors. He can be reached at: [email protected].